With headlines focussed on the deepening banking crisis, a quiet revolution is happening in the way our new entrepreneurs do business.
Information technologies are facilitating more dispersed, localised and resilient forms of enterprise, with a resurgence in co-operative models.
Large-scale business is looking towards nature as a model for new technology, production strategy and organisational structure.
New partnerships are emerging which involve multiple stakeholders (business, social enterprise, charities and the state) in the delivery of goods and services that are socially and environmentally beneficial.
Over the next seven months we are running a series of short courses which will help you navigate this emerging new economy and provide tools to create or re-align your own initiatives.
|
22-26 October
Have you ever thought about running a business that not only sells amazing products and services but also combines social and environmental objectives? This course will show you how.
This course is a partnership between the Devon School for Social Entrepreneurs, Schumacher College and some of the UK’s most successful green entrepreneurs .
Click here for further information or to book this course >>
12-16 November
This course brings together some of the worlds leading figures in community-based finance to explore exciting new ways of bringing together community-level initiatives with investors interested in supporting local resilience.
This is a one-off development opportunity for social investors, entrepreneurs, all those engaged in community-level initiatives and anyone interested in creating or growing innovative mutual finance platforms and models of their own.
Click here for further information or to book this course >>
11-28 March
Three linked short-courses to take separately or as a whole.
Week 1: Revolution or Greenwash?
Entrepreneurs of all scales are looking to nature for designing efficient and sustainable organisations and production systems. Is this a revolution or is it just greenwash? Explore how new ways of doing business can contribute to a sustainable future.
Week 2: Centralised or Distributed?
New enterprise models based on the ecological principles of clustering, symbiosis and networking are starting to emerge. These innovations open up the potential for a more locally-based, decentralised and values-driven economy. How could they work for you?
Week 3: Tools for Social Enterprise
Do you need support in creating or re-aligning a social enterprise or other community-based organisation? Hosted by experienced practitioners and educators, this week will focus on the issues you will face such as legal forms, sources of finance, governance mechanisms and other institutional and financial challenges.
Click here for further information or to book this course >>
Click here for a review of course teacher Giles Hutchin’s new book ‘The Nature of Business’ >>
|
8-12 October
Join us for this popular training in ecological constellations and systemic coaching with Jenny Mackewn and Alex Michelsen. This is for all those working with change and transformation in a personal, organisational or ecological context and is being offered at a lowered fee to encourage the participation of all leaders, activists, coaches, parents and people who simply want to live more focused, meaningful and interconnected lives.
Click here for further information or to book this course >>
|
Exciting news for all those interested in our three-month postgraduate certificate programmes starting this September. Bursaries are now available. Apply now for the last few remaining places on Sustainable Horticulture and Food Production, Economics for Transition and Holistic Science
We have an exciting opportunity for someone with experience and ideas in the area of whole systems design and regeneration to bring together a new Masters programme scheduled to start in September 2013.
Run in partnership with the School of Architecture, Design and Environment at Plymouth University, we hope this programme will bring together the leading thinkers and practitioners in ecological design worldwide, and appeal to the catalysers, facilitators and change-makers of the future.
If you are available for a six month contract between August 2012 and March 2013, on a 2 day per week basis, then please send your CV and a covering letter addressing the above question and your thoughts on what Schumacher College brings to this debate to: jon.rae@schumachercollege.org.uk
The closing date for application is 15th August 2013.
Re-numeration will reflect experience and both food and accommodation can be provided if required.
|
We are looking for a new graphical icon to accompany the existing “Schumacher College” text based logo, so are reaching out to our alumni and the wider network to embrace the creativity and design skills resident within our growing community to see what you can come up with!
Whilst we intend to use the icon initially across various digital media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, the design should scale well across multiple media, so that it can be used on anything from large banners to small mobile application icons. The inspiration for the graphic may come from anything you associate with Schumacher College, whether that be the principles of ecology, fractal geometry, Gaia theory, complexity theory, the main building – you name it – even the amazing biscuits served at morning break!
We look forward to receiving your designs, and then sharing the best of those with you all so you can vote on the most appropriate. Please submit your design in .psd, .eps or .ai format to rob.woodford@schumachercollege.org.uk by August 27th, 2012.
Ruth Potts writes about the ‘Deep Time Walk’ along the Thames led by Stephan Harding. The walk helped to translate the passage of time on the Earth and was one of the many events that made up the recent Festival of Transition. ‘It’s hard, often, to think beyond the scale of our own lifetimes. Even measured in thousands of years, the passing of time is elusive, inconceivable, almost magical’ Read more here
Jonathan Dawson describes his recent experiences at the Schumacher College Summer School in the Glencraig Camphill community.‘A growing number of organisations around the world are knocking on the door here at the College seeking to develop some form of partnership, wanting to explore how the distinctive Schumacher educational model could be made more accessible to people in their countries. This whole area is one that we will be devoting a lot of attention to over the next year’ Read more here
Inga Page who designs and leads walks on Dartmoor, describes a joyful and illuminating walk that she conducted with Satish Kumar, Peter Owen Jones and participants on this month’s Earth Pilgrim course. Read more here
Schumacher College Flickr Stream – Click here to view >>
Dartington Great Debates – The Great Wind Debate Click here to view >>
Sustainable Horticulture courses at Schumacher College – Click here to view >>
|
Rob Woodford, one of our students completing the full-time MA Economics for Transition, is co-founder of a new project called spreadthelove.org, which has been set-up to help people learn how to live contented, sustainable lives through in-depth, online video tutorials. They are currently running a survey for the social enterprise and would really like to have your input. Please give your feedback by completing the simple, online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJQ53V2.
spreadthelove.org is currently looking for an experienced video producer in South West England and is additionally recruiting for a range of expert tutors to help with the project. If you know anyone who might be suitable, please let Rob know at rob@spreadthelove.org.
Thanks for helping spread the love.
|
Interrogate! Festival – Dartington Hall, 13 & 14 October 2012
With support from Action for Happiness
Back for another year and this time HAPPINESS is centre-stage.
As autumn closes in and some of us get SAD, join us at Dartington for Interrogate! Festival, your chance to spend a weekend looking at what makes us happy. How can we learn to be happy at work, in our families and at school? Is mindfulness the new religion when it comes to happiness? Should the government focus on gritty issues like banks and growth or is their job to make us smile?
Two days of transformative, participative and action orientated discussion, music, comedy, film and spoken word both by and for people who want to make the world a happier place.
Try out laughter yoga or Tai Chi, boost your positive thinking and learn to be kinder. Interrogate! is a new way to explore an important issue and have fun while you do it, whether your interest is professional, personal or both.
www.interrogate.org.uk
PS: You can get get happy from afar! Follow @DartingtonHall #IntFest or www.facebook.com/interrogatefestival.
Tel: +44 (0)1803 865934
Fax: +44 (0)1803 866899
Email: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
