May 2015 – Transition Network Newsletter
By Mike Grenville 29th April 2015
There are three big themes in the newsletter this month. Firstly there is a series of articles exploring Inner Transition and its impact on the movement; our second month of Social change and the arts has interviews with artists from the new book Playing for Time; and we explore some different ways Community Engagement happens. Plus REconomy, Agony Aunt and some reports from around Europe.
CONFERENCE 2015
Tickets for the conference have got off to a good start. What is really encouraging is that a good percentage of these have been the ‘Gifting Tickets’ where one person pays for another to be able to come on a Bursary. What a lovely bunch you all are! The workshop content is coming together – more on that in next month’s newsletter.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/conference-2015
Stalls at the Conference
Interested in having a stall at the Transition Network Conference this year? We’re looking for exhibitors who fit with the Transition ideal and whom Transitioners far and wide may be interested in learning more about. All Transition Groups are entitled to display information at the event in the Common Space and we encourage you to do so. There’s limited space but there will be room for some display boards as well as leaflets, posters and so forth. If you are not a Transition Group and wish to either display products, information or promotional materials, stalls are available ranging from £50 – £150.
Contact us: conference@transitionnetwork.org
Hopefully everything you need to know about the conference so that you don’t need to ask is already here – Book now!
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/conference-2015
INNER TRANSITION WEEK
Stories, a collection of specially-commissioned new films, and tools to support the inner and outer in Transition outlined by Sophy Banks in this introduction.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/sophy-banks-introduces-our-inner-transition-week
Inner Transition Sans Frontières!
Sophy Banks reflects on the paradox of how different things are in different countries, cultures and languages, and, yet, how similar.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/sophy-banks-inner-transition-sans-fronti-res
Transforming Ourselves and Our Local Economies From The Inside Out
Fiona Ward, creator of Reconomy, shares how Inner Transition has impacted her personally, and been an important thread in the development of Reconomy.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/fiona-ward-transforming-ourselves-and-our-local-economies-inside-out
Inner Transition in Japan
Hide Enomoto, co-founder of Transition Japan, speaks to Michelle Denton about Inner Transition in the Japanese context and how important the inclusion of inner has been for him.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/hide-enomoto-inner-transition-japan
Six Inner Transition Innovations That Changed My Life
Rob Hopkins reflects on his favourite Inner Transition inventions and the effect they’ve had on him and the movement.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/6-inner-transition-innovations-changed-my-life
SOCIAL CHANGE AND THE ARTS
Interviews with some of the 60 artists in the new book Playing for Time:
Art is About Magic, and It’s About Change
Artist Anne-Marie Culhane uses drawing, writing and poetry among other mediums as part of a practice that is creating her own interpretations of place to create something which is very responsive to what she finds there.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/anne-marie-culhane-art-about-magic-and-its-about-change
What Does a Successful Artist Look Like at a Time of Global Change?
Artistic director Fern Smith and playwright Sarah Woods ask “if I really did want to create change in the world, or at least create the conditions for change, how should I best do that?”
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/what-does-successful-artist-look-time-global-change
Transition is a Participatory Arts Practice
“Working creatively is about trusting your imagination, trusting what’s possible” says Ruth Ben Tovim
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/ruth-ben-tovim-transition-participatory-arts-practice
Radical Roots: On Community Food Growing
In this extract from ‘Playing for Time – Making Art as if the World Mattered’ by Lucy Neal, Josiah Meldrum, discusses the impact community growing (and eating) can have on our collective imaginations.
http://www.sustainablebungay.com/2015/04/radical-roots/
Of Yeast, Seeds, Fire and Dancing
It’s been a month since Lucy Neal’s Playing for Time was published. Here she shares what it feels like to get a book you’ve published into your hand for the first time, how it’s being received, and what ‘Flip the Kipper’ is.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/lucy-neal-yeast-seeds-fire-and-dancing
Making Art as if the World Mattered
There is a discount code for the book until 30 June 2015 giving you £5 off the RRP: ONPFT2015
http://oberonbooks.com/featured/playing-for-time
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Setting the Scene
To open our in depth exploration of Community Engagement, one of the elements of our Support Offer, Transition Network’s Transition Initiative Support Coordinator Mike Thomas sets the scene.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/mike-thomas-community-engagement
Celebrate Nature festival
Lynn van Leerzem shares some experiences from reaching out to new people in the ‘Celebrate Nature festival’
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/community-engagement-den-haag-transitie
Sebastopol Village Building Convergence
Transition Sebastopol member Shepherd Bliss shares the excitement around the Village Building Convergence that underscores the incredible potential of working with local government to build community resilience.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/community-engagement-sebastopol-village-building-convergence
Laughing Allowed! The Slapstick World of Neighbourhood Activism
The idea was to playfully explore what we do and don’t like about getting involved in our local communities, and to use physical comedy as a different way of beginning discussions about some of those issues.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/laughing-allowed-slapstick-world-neighbourhood-activism
How Knitting Can Help Us Connect
Filipa Pimentel is Portuguese and works with Transition Network as the International Hubs co-ordinator. And she knits. Lots.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/filipa-pimentel-how-knitting-can-help-us-connect
REconomy
Now you see it, now you do
The Devon Convergence event in large part was about networking, supporting and connecting people already working within the fields of local economies in a real variety of ways. The theme of ‘bringing together’ was brought to life visually. Imagine spreading your arms out and literally gathering together the creative energy of the day in one place…
http://www.reconomy.org/now-you-see-it-now-you-do/
TRANSITION AGONY AUNT
Where did everybody go?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/transition-agony-aunt-responds-where-did-everybody-go
INITIATIVES AROUND EUROPE
1st AUSTRIAN TRANSITION FORUM
15-17 May, Graz, Austria
Join the first supraregional/national gathering of Transition Initiatives, CSOs and NGOs and many more in Austria.
http://www.transition.at
Facebook-Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/418891834940291/
South-east European Transitioners meet in Zagreb
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2015-04-08/south-east-european-transitioners-meet-zagreb
Berkhamsted: the last Transition Roadshow (for now)
Report from Rob Hopkins on an inspiring day.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-04/berkhamsted-last-transition-roadshow-now
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Everybody is inherently creative and everybody is an artist, and actually life is practice and culture and how we live is creative.”
Ruth Ben Tovim
COMING UP
International Permaculture Day 2015: In Support of Soil
Sunday 3 May
A special free online issue of Permaculture Works with leading change makers share their visions on Designing the World We Want.
http://www.permacultureday.org/launch-of-permaculture-works-special-international-edition/
International Permaculture Convergence
8-9 September London
https://ipcuk.events/
Transition Network International Conference
18-20 September – Devon
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/conference-2015
Transition Camp
2-4 October – Sussex
http://transitioncamp.org.uk/
More events
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events
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This newsletter is published on the first Friday of each month.