Seeds of Inspiration opens in Caux
Seeds of Inspiration opens in Caux
13/07/2016
Two clowns from Commediagillet, a mask and theatre company based in Sweden, kicked off the fourth annual Seeds of Inspiration conference on 12 August 2016.
Over 40 participants, including a delegation from Japan and from Nottingham, UK, gathered in the Main Hall of the Caux Conference Centre for the opening session. The theme of this year’s conference is “Without Borders” and will challenge participants to break through the walls which limit their creativity and separate them from each other.
“Caux today is founded on the principle that we can and indeed must change and that our personal borders are moveable”, said Caux Conferences Manager Nick Foster in his opening speech. He shared a personal story of how borders can induce fear when travelling for those who do not enjoy the same rights to overcome the boundaries and borders that confine them.
“We have to break down the walls to understand that we have common humanity and learn to live together”, said Conference coordinator William Leigh-Knight. He explained to the audience how the conference would address overcoming borders, barriers and boundaries in different ways.
Tilda Stickley shared her experience working with refugees, most of them fleeing Syria through Turkey, on the Greek island of Chios. She spoke of her time spent in a woman’s centre where women and teenage girls found a safe place away from the harsh conditions of the refugee camps. One of the things Ms Stickley learned from her time in Chios is that “small interactions matter, listening to each other’s stories matter”.
Seeds of Inspiration is unique in that it is a conference with a difference which offers a space for reflection, creativity and community. This year’s conference promises to be an inspiring and reflective time, giving participants the opportunity to connect with each other and to be inspired by others. Workshops will provide opportunity to learn how to juggle, sing, dance or clown, as well as space for intergenerational dialogue and reflection on conflict and community.