Forthcoming - Mon 11th Nov 2024

(Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution)

In this workshop we explored what it means to flourish between and across the generations, and how we can nurture ‘spaces of wonder’ that are relevant, exciting and engaging for all.

We used a powerful approach that incorporates World café methods (fun, creative, sense-making activities), philosophical insights and creative artistry to destabilise our conceptions of culture and to encourage intergenerational dialogue, collaboration, and social intelligence for a flourishing cultural sector for the people of Bath and surrounds.

This event is part of Bath Spa University's 2024 Festival Hub programme.

22nd-26th August 2024 (West Sussex)

Traditional spaces in education and the workplace, tends to crush our wild spirits of wonder. Yet, there is a close relationship between wonder, intuition, flow and flourishing. So if we want to flourish in life, shouldn't we be creating more spaces of wonder?

Using innovative, creative and artistic methods, this FlourishCafé workshop (part of the Into the Wild Festival in Chiddinglye Estate, West Sussex) will support participants to find their inner space of wonder again, reigniting the flames of flourishing! We will work in small groups, creatively exploring key questions related to the main topic.

We will do this in three rounds together, accompanied by soft music and in pleasant surroundings. Towards the end of the workshop we will enter the ‘harvest’ phase where we share our collective insights for wisdom as a wider group.

Having tried and tested these methods for over 10 years now I am truly confident that by the end of the workshop, you will feel re-energised, re-awakened, and re-filled with wonder again!

Come in, sit back, and connect with like-minded souls on this glorious adventure into wonder, meaning and flourishing.

Wed 22nd May 2024

Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley (PhD) and the renowned activist Dr Simon Duffy, will co-host this event in order to support citizens of Sheffield to develop their vision of flourishing neighbourhoods. FlourishCafé is a world café-style event with graphic facilitation. This work builds on Citizen Network’s ‘It’s Our Community’ programme and will explore how citizens, the voluntary sector and health and social care services can rebuild their relationships around a flourishing framework for the people of Sheffield. You can expect soft and enjoyable world music to be played in the background, with drinks available in a relaxed environment of dialogue, conversation, and artistry...

A Festival of Debate collaborative event, in partnership with Citizen Network, Opus, Purple Heron Communications & the Neighbourhood Democracy Movement

Thurs 4th April 2024

This is a rescheduled event. In this workshop we explored what the connection is between ‘thinking about’ and ‘doing’ art together? And how these connections relate to flourishing artists? In this symposium workshop we considered the nature of ‘doing’ art for flourishing.

We used a powerful approach that incorporates adapted World café methods (creative, artistic, connecting, sense-making activities), philosophical insights, and Group flow techniques, to explore questions and themes around thinking & doing, as well as personal/ professional growth, for flourishing.

6th December 2023

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is leading a multi-million pound project. The ‘Places Partnership’ project will be working with delivery partners to help diversify cultural and creative talent in the West. The purpose of this incredible event was to explore ways of working together as a collective of stakeholders and practitioners from across the West of England. This included deep dialogue on what holds partners together through adversity and challenge, as well as imaginative visioning to discover the ‘Northern star’ that will support project partners to achieve meaningful and radical change for the creative sector and communities across the whole region.

Monday 24th July 2023

Moderated by Dr Milena Ivanova, expert guest speakers and panellists discussed key findings from a new study with implications for flourishing in science and academia through aesthetic experience.

Using artistic & creative methods, we moved into dynamic set of discussion rounds. We explored the nature of flourishing, the relationship between beauty, understanding, wonder, & flourishing, and we imagined together possibilities for co-creating conditions for a flourishing academic life.

Thurs 15th June 2023

Aberystwyth University Dialogue Centre will be hosting a ‘FlourishCafé’ in the Bandstand on the Aberystwyth Prom. We will be bringing together a cross-section of creative industry entrepreneurs, decision-makers, institutions, and local organizations to discuss how we can better support each other and to develop strategies to create greater prosperity for creative industries in the Aberystwyth area, in order to increase awareness of what a flourishing community in Aberystwyth looks and feels like.

Saturday 1st April 2023

This workshop at the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB) annual conference will bring academics, teachers, and other interested parties in education together to explore the pressing issues and possibilities for flourishing and education in creative, innovative and engaging ways in order to reinvigorate discourse on the related notions of education and learning, civic duty, democracy, character development, happiness, the good life, and the relationship of these concepts to the common good.

Wed 17th May 2023

The main purpose of this pilot event was:

To nurture cross-community dialogue, reimagining the possibilities for co-creating hopeful futures for people of Bath & surrounds.

To provide a space for co-creating imaginative solutions to the ecological emergency… and

To raise awareness for the importance of our collective imagination and our connection to nature.

With a diverse range of attendees, from decision-makers, academics, imagination activists, and importantly, interested members of the local community in and around Bath, we explored co-creating a hopeful future together!

Thurs 27th April 2023

The main purpose of this pilot event was:

To nurture cross-community dialogue, bring decision-makers and community members together to take stock of emerging issues about the climate crisis, sustainability, and the environment.

This event fed into a wider strategic public engagement process involving 17 counties in the north.

Thurs 9th February 2023

The main aim of this micro-pilot was:

To help to tackle socio-economic disadvantage, exclusion, discrimination, and a lack of belonging between socio-economically disadvantaged groups and more affluent groups within Bath and Twerton communities.

We also aimed to forge better connections between disparate groups with the purpose of building a more tolerant, cohesive, connected, and integrated local community with the ultimate aim of contributing to flourishing for all. The event helped to provide the inspiration for TwertLush 2023!