A workshop, a talk and a walk
The next three events for The Steps Collective
Hello all
As we talked about during the last Steps Collective meet-up, we were just working out when and what our next meet-ups would be.
Just doing the same format twelve times during the year didn’t feel right, especially as we want to experiment with different ways to start conversations and ideas around regenerative practices.
So through the spring, we’re doing a workshop, a talk and a walk.
WORKSHOP
Brighton, Wednesday 8th May, 6-8pm
We are convening a location-specific conversation in Brighton around regenerative practices; what do these words and ideas mean to different people, how do they relate to projects, policies and places in their lives?
This idea started as a long, deep conversation with Matt Weston of Spacemakers, and Curtis James of Class Divide. We felt we wanted a way to continue that direction, without it being formal talks.
Therefore, we are holding this as a small conversational workshop for around 10-15 people in Brighton who feel they have a need to talk about emergent regenerative threads and concepts as they consider the present, and contemplate the possible futures.
We are inviting people rather than opening to all, just so we can test and experiment with the format with a given number of people.
But if you know someone in the area you think should really be there, reply and let us know.
We won’t be recording a video this time, instead concentrating on documenting both the set-up for this session, and what we create together as a result.
In this way, we hope to be able to offer it as a template for others to pick up and play with for holding other place-based conversations.
TALK
Online, Friday 24th May, 1pm UK time
So far, we have hosted three sessions with talks and conversations helping people think, make, and do in the regenerative space. We believe in taking shared steps towards a regenerative future together, not necessarily as experts or professionals but as parents, neighbours, colleagues and citizens. There is no right and wrong, just right now.
Our next session will feature two special guests:
Ashley Scarborough
Ashley is a system change consultant, designer and founder of How We Eat – a studio enabling regenerative thinking through food experiences. Based in Berlin, she is driven by the power of design towards a future where humans and nature live in symbiosis, mostly focusing her attention on food system transformation.
Adam Chmielowski
Adam is a lecturer on cultural strategy at the University of Bristol and a co-founder of Starling – a cultural insights and strategy agency based in London. His experience includes analysis of historical and social change, how to engage effectively and responsibly with culture, and how brands break the individualist mould of sustainability strategies to play a systemic and cultural role in the sustainable transition.
Sign up here for Ashley & Adam’s online talks
(You’ll noticed we have moved on to lu.ma for hosting events, and may well shift the newsletter there too - it feels like the right platform for gathering focussed groups like this, we’ll continue investigating…)
If you want to see our previous three events, featuring Liz Hosmer & Roland Harwood, Katy Shields & Lisa Lawless-Merrick, and Lizzie Shupak & John V Willshire, you can find the videos here on the playlist.
WALK
Knepp Estate, West Sussex, Thursday 20th June
Time TBC (between 10am-3pm probably)
Many of you may be familiar already with the Knepp Estate, a 3,500-acre rewilding project that has transformed intensively farmed land back into the most astonishing success story for wildlife repopulation, soil restoration, flood mitigation, water and air purification, pollinating insects and carbon sequestration.
What better place then for The Steps Collective’ inaugural walkshop, an idea which emerged whilst talking to Tom Farrand about the different qualities of conversations people have when walking together.
The plan will be to gather in the Knepp walkers car park off the A24 near Worthing, in order to set off by 11am into the estate, have a walk around, and some lunch, before departing mid-afternoon.
We will define more logistics closer to the time, once we know who wants to come along. We will put an event up on Luna soon, but for now, reply and let us know if you fancy it, and put it in your diary.
An exciting couple of months ahead - we’re really looking forward to it, and to continuing these conversations.
Kind regards
The Steps Collective