Our quest led us to Schumacher College in Totnes, UK, a member of the Ecoversities Alliance, that is actively rethinking higher learning in a holistic, community setting. A place, we had both been following for a long time - we were excited to explore their approach to transformative - and the reimagining of - education. Here we spend 4 (anna) and 6(Anne Sofie) weeks volunteering, becoming part of the big, wonderful community of learners in all ages. We lived and worked alongside a wonderful variety of students that were learning to grow food, exploring the connections between movement, mind and ecology, developing practices to align art and changemaking as well as diving into systems approach (and beyond). We stepped into this learning community as volunteers, and spend our days juggling between being (in the role of) researchers, dishwashers, community-members, learners, friends (facilitators), etc. We were enriched by our exploration of the questions that led the students to embark on their learning journeys there, the teacher’s thought behind creating the physical frames of the classrooms, the daily rituals practiced - and the (invisible) glue, that tied the (quite big) community of learners, volunteers, teachers, (etc) together as one big whole. We very deeply inspired by conversations (and friendships) with courageous artists, teachers holding heartfull visions and the power of being an internationally acknowledged hub for change-makers and holistic knowledge.
From Schumacher College, we journeyed (quite locally) on to Dartmoor National Park, where we were so lucky to become part of the holding/assisting team of the songwriting retreat, ‘Wild Songs’. A community retreat that combined practices of nature connection, creative (songwriting), ceremony, holistic facilitation and digital detox. The retreat was hosted by a collaboration between Change in Nature and songwriter Martha Tilston.
This was a deeply moving experience of listening for the songs dwelling in the land, celebrating creativity, the ever-meaningful experience of coming together in community in nature... and the profound and simple joy found in creating together in whatever way, whatever form wants to come through.
A reminder of the importance of embodying care, lightness and heart as a facilitator, what the practice of sharing and ceremony brings to a weaving of community - and the power of being in nature, when working with creativity.
Enlivened with song and community, we journeyed with the train onto our next residency-destination in the north of Italy: the new-born ecovillage-project, Meraki, in the mountains just outside Bologna. Meraki was the host of the so-called ‘Pre-campo RIVE’, which was a 10 day camp, where we prepared/build the practical structures for the RIVE (Italian Ecovillage Network) gathering. This was a truly joyful and holistic community experience with 40 other lovely souls - living, building, learning, deepening, singing, heartmeetings, dancing, playing and celebrating life together.
This experience has stayed with us as a bright and colourful time, reminding us of some of the qualities we value most deeply: Going deep through lightness. The joy of communication beyond words. (Lots of) space for silliness and playfulness. The transformative potential of lovingly held spaces by inspiring facilitators. The importance of celebrating and giving thanks. And once again, the sense of belonging and meaning found in coming together in community and creating for a purpose, that is bigger than ourselves.
With our pockets full of inspiration, we journeyed down to our final residency destination in the very south of Italy - the European Ecoversities Gathering. Nestled between the olive trees, we gathered with 30 other lovely people from different corners of the world at Le Fattizze Acrocamping in Puglia. This was our very first in-person encounter with the beautiful, inspiring people of Ecoversities! A wonderful week of building new friendships, getting inspired by each others practices and insights, eating beautifully locally grown and produced italian food, spontaneous creative adventures and most importantly strengthening bonds between people. We left the gathering feely empowered by the beauty of community, the beauty of network, the beauty of being many together holding similar visions and missions for the world - and being reminded by each one has their own flavour, their own gift and colours to bring into the whole, and in this way, all feels possible. This is very exciting.
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