After our first and second event partnering with our international network, we decided to host another “The Art of..” action learning event! This time with the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations on the 15th & 16th of November 2019.
Man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world; he becomes aware of himself only within the world, and aware of the world only within himself. Every new object, well contemplated, opens up a new organ of perception in us.
~ Goethe
This two-day workshop is ’a serious play’ on the art of searching for what you know and what you think you know, about yourself, about leadership and change. Ever since we started our PhD journey at Ashridge (UK), we have experienced how important perception is. As we engage in Action Research it teaches us to start from within. It might be the only way, but what do we know ;-).
So find out yourself. By combining art, science, voice work and group relations we wish to shed new light on how we come to know.
The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations has a long and strong history in developing learning cultures in organisations and communities based on many disciplines such as open systems thinking and psychoanalytics. We have learned so much from their flagship two week conference in Group Relations; we want you to have a taste too. This is thus also a unique invitation to work with Leslie Brisset, the director of the Leicester Conference.
Specifics
Location: Instock, Vleutenseweg 382, Utrecht
Date: Friday 15th (9-17h) & Saturday 16th November 2019 (9-17h)
Program costs: tickets for the programme including coffee/tea, healthy snacks and lunches cost €325,- (incl. VAT 393,25) ex. lodging or diner.
Program
Group Dynamics in the ‘here and now” (Leslie Brisset)
Wilfred Bion is often quoted as encouraging analysts to work “without memory and desire”. The notion of working in the “here and now” provides opportunities to explore what it really means to be present to what is actually going on. So much of our waking life is spent drifting off into ideas of certainty, asserting that we really know what is going on, or into dreams of what we hope is really going on: sitting patiently between those two poles is, what is (or could be) really going on.
What I offer is completely experiential, there are no lectures, presentations or powerpoint slides. Unlike many other programmes where the learning outcomes are specified in advance, (the “what you will learn” and the “how you will learn it”), here with you, the learning emerges, and it is available to you in as much or as little as you are able to take from the opportunity.
‘Learning to be with what emerges’ is a wonderful learning opportunity that change makers, teachers, leaders need now more than ever.
The unknown as a dwelling-place for the poetic practitioner (Jouke Kruijer)
What is so scary about the unknown? We are all intimately familiar with it. From the moment we are born we need to deal with it to survive. As we grow up, the unknown inspires us with awe and gives our lives a drive, a purpose. What makes us avoid it? How come organizations pass by the potentiality of the unknown as quickly as possible and provide dots on the horizon and solution focused strategies to get us out of here as quickly as we can? What a waste!
In this workshop we will explore with paint and pen the poetic potential that comes with dwelling in the messy unknown. The focus (not the dot!) of this workshop is to enjoy acting in the dark, being unclear of your motives and uncertain about the outcomes you produce. And realize the contextuality and temporality of our being in the world.
Exploring our awkward and beautiful inconsistencies through voice (Jeanine Jansen)
Our bodies often reveal what our minds choose to ignore. I discovered that when I was exploring my own authenticity in group dynamics. I will share some of the personal as well as the intellectual insights I gained with the help of starting my inquiry from within, deepening it with the help of philosophers, sociologist, anthropologists and quantum physicists. How to fully embrace our human uniqueness, even when that means letting go of what we think we know about ourselves? With the help of voice work, I will host a workshop where you might encounter and rediscover different sides of you – to connect differently in groups – and play in unexpected ways.
Our facilitators
Dr Leslie B. Brissett PhD The Tavistock Institute has a 70-year track record of studying systemic dynamics. Leslie works with the most senior corporate executives and their teams in boardrooms all over the world. He himself has held roles in the Boardroom as Non-Executive Director in public enterprises, government agencies and third sector organisations. Advised and coached Private Sector leaders in the UK and abroad in deepening and strengthening the role of governance as a tool to manage an enterprise. This work is confidential, bound by a NDA, ensuring that clients can deal with the high-profile, media-sensitive issues in safety and security.
Jeanine Jansen Teacher and facilitator at Nyenrode Business University, owner of Remember the Talent and PhD Candidate at Ashridge Business School. Loves to create dynamics group inquiries and sings in her free time.
Jouke Kruijer Hybrid professional. Working in Holland and abroad as a consultant and painter. He studies into the unknown and creativity in learning environments and organizational contexts.