Dive in and surrender

Jane welcomed us all to Day 1 of The Art of Participatory Leadership training  (also known as Art of Hosting) at Pilpel by the Sea on Sutton's Beach. The view is fabulous and the sun is shining - we are together!

Our calling question for the training: What's possible when we bring our best selves to our lives and work?

Artist Munda-gutta Kulliwari (Michael Connolly) of Kullilla Dreamtime Art offered a powerful acknowledgement of country to welcome us in to our circle.

Everyone was invited to co-create the centre of the circle with something that represents themselves, and to take a gift of a journal.
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Jan introduced Circle practice as the foundation process of Art of Hosting, and invited us to check in, and hear each other for the first time.

Check in: Who are you, and what makes your heart sing?

  • Moments I feel I am living life well and connected to water
  • My grandson and his intense gaze and smile
  • To see people take on the struggle and learn
  • Water and sun and my family
  • Being a disrupter
  • Deep connections to people
  • Being around my children and their energy. Time with them
  • Connecting with people; growing up and out
  • Work with an awesome team
  • I am a human being
  • My kids make my heart laugh
  • This place. replenishes my soul
  • Co-creation. You all make my heart sing
  • Watching my grandchildren grow. Watching people grow and achieve
  • Bearing witness to people’s lives and feeling we’re on the cusp of something wonderful
  • Water; being in touch with such a beautiful environment
  • Sometimes singing is a little sad too   
  • Smell of the sea
  • ​Figuring out who I am and what it’s about
  • A learner in life. Kindness
  • Family, close friends, my dog
  • Relationships, integration of work and what I love - being in circle
  • I am a mother. Creativity in it’s many forms, in all ways
  • When wishes come true. my home
  • Today I am not a little mouse on a wheel. Coming together in circle
  • Family and adventures
  • Many people. A mother
  • Year of getting my shit together. Flowers
  • I am a human being. Time with my little dog
  • Exploring life’s ups and downs. I enjoy the ride
  • A dancer. dancing till the wee hours of the morning
  • travel and interested in others lives
  • When I’m well, being in a place like this-to open my mind
  • Loved ones and family and trying to make a difference
  • Family and people being heard
  • Family
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The Four-Fold Practice

Trish introduces The Four-Fold Practice, the foundational practice of the Art of Hosting. One practice, four folds.

​Dialogue walk: What brings you to this point?

Pam introduced the dialogue walk, a practice of communicating in a different way. Here are some of the reflections afterwards (and some photos above):
  • Powerful, man can be kind
  • Comfortable and amazed by silence
  • no matter who you are or what you do we’re pretty much the same
  • Linda is beautiful
  • I found a very lovely person
  • The sand is hot without shoes
  • Appreciated someone listening
  • Discovered a calm and heard more than I could otherwise
  • Released me from myself
  • We are all so similar
  • Similarities are amazing. We are so not unique
  • Silence brings me to my own conclusions
  • Silence and slowing down = more depth
  • What is it safe to talk about?
  • Listening to the river beneath the river
  • A privilege that someone wants to talk to you without having to work at it
  • 15 minutes away there is a pool
  • Validation of being heard and to give the same give to another
  • More similarities than differences
  • The time felt so long
  • The time went too quickly  ​

Island hopping

We spent some time 'island hopping' to learn the basics of some of the core frameworks or models of the Art of Hosting: Divergence and convergence, the Chaordic Path, the Cynefin Framework, Living Systems and Worldview Intelligence.

Theory U and presencing

We learned about Theory U from Frank, and had an introduction into prescencing and journalling from Jan, and some valuable quiet time

The Art of Harvesting

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​A little about The Art of Harvesting from Mel - what's it all about and why is it such an important part of working in this way?

Learn to swim

Introducing opportunities for participants to practice, by stepping up to co-host on days 2 and 3. We also introduced the harvest game, and invited projects for Designing for Wiser Action. 

Check out: In one word, what's one insight you had today?

  • Peace
  • Awesome
  • Possibilities
  • Joy
  • Powerful
  • Stimulating
  • Expansion
  • Empowered
  • Overloaded
  • Learning
  • Relaxing
  • Multitasking
  • Gratitude
  • Happy
  • Energising
  • Plenty
  • Listening
  • Proud
  • Pressure
  • Sharing
  • Relief
  • Lightness
  • Jubilation
  • Painless
  • Overload
  • Rejuvenating
  • New knowledge
  • Interesting