Just back from an energising week at Schummacher College co-facilitating The Art of Invitation course with Ruth Ben-Tovim (Encounters Arts) and Lucy Neal and with guest artists and speakers Sarah Woods, Alan Boldon, Farzana Khan (Shake, Platform) and Fern Smith and Phil Ralph who performed their searing Doin’ Dirt Time (a performance focusing on an interview between Suzi Gablik and Rachel Dutton and Rob Olds) as part of a public Schummacher Earth Talk  on Tuesday.

Seventeen participants mostly UK and others from Denmark, Australia, Argentina and Japan, joined us to explore  principles of practice, practical sessions, discussions, creative experimentation (group and individual) reflection and socialising. I’m really grateful to Ruth Ben-Tovim for inviting me to co-host and to Schummacher for running their first arts course in many years. Also finished Field Sensing intensive at Exeter University as part of Campus Almanac – my first public event on Campus (see CA blog for more) and have just received research funding for ACE for Flatlands (working title) with Bob Levene and Dance 4. I’m also mid-way through Stonehouse Seedstore with Take a Part – gathering stories and seeds that connect people and places in this inner city ward of Plymouth; already seeing a garden full of diversity, fragrance, colour and flavour. Simultaneously, I’m supporting Little Patches of Ground, a site-specific version of A Little Patch of Ground in Stonehouse linking and supporting community growers and their plots and leading towards a public performance tour in October. Finally I am delighted to be invited to Stepney City Farm in London on 24th August to facilitate a workshop as part of their Harvest Festival.