Deepening Transformative Collaboration

This is not simply a training offering tools to increase effectiveness in our collective work. We will focus on how to make our collaborative practices transformative in themselves. In our efforts to affect the dynamics of systemic oppression in which we live, it is important to work also prefiguratively, bringing transformation within our groups and ourselves as we go.

Together we will explore the essential tensions and balances in group life: 

• Autonomy and Cooperation, 
• Diversity and Commonality, 
• Inclusion and Exclusion, 
• Innovation and Conservation. 

These tensions are inherent to the functioning of any group. We will bring in tools that help us understand what may be missing or needed when the unhelpful symptoms of these tensions show up – aiming to move beyond simply identifying the symptoms and towards exploring root causes.

The course will offer a mix of theoretical frameworks, experiential methodologies and group work. The team will bring our experience and many possible methods with us, but we don’t intend to offer you solutions. Instead, we will draw deeply from the experiences of participants, using case studies, peer reflection methodologies and critical enquiry.

You will be asked to do some pre-course preparation with a group you are currently working in, so that your work during the course is grounded in the lived experience of that group. This will likely involve interviews with your peers and observation of group dynamics.

Throughout the course, we will create spaces for personal reflection and deepening awareness, fostering a culture of reflective enquiry in the flavour of ‘transformative friendship’. Aiming to balance openness and care with constructive challenge, we will support each other to encounter the parts we celebrate and those we find more difficult or hope to transform.

This work can be both challenging and rewarding. We invite participants to consider whether this is the right moment in their life for deep self and peer enquiry. The facilitation team will guide and support the process, but as this is an advanced training – the group will also share responsibility for holding and creating the learning space.

Aims of the course:

• To bring together a group of experienced practitioners to explore the tensions and balances essential in group life.
• To develop a deeper understanding of how we personally show up in group dynamics, and how we contribute to or limit both our own potential and that of our groups.
• To introduce critical methodologies that help diagnose group challenges and illuminate what might be going on beneath the surface.
• To cultivate greater patience, sensitivity, and resilience when challenges arise in our groups.
• To deepen the practice of ‘transformative friendship’: facing relational challenges with transparency, honesty, and grace, while recognising the incompleteness of our perspectives.
• To enable our groups to relate more authentically, realise their transformative potential, and move beyond the self-interest of the group.
• To create supportive and caring conditions for deeper enquiry into our struggles, learning from our collective expertise and diverse experiences.

So, the workshop will help participants to:

• Explore and hold the key tensions in group life with greater creativity and mutual empowerment.
• Reflect on and transform the personal patterns that influence collective dynamics.
• Develop skills for giving and receiving feedback in the spirit of ‘trasnformative friendship’.
• Engage with peer reflection and case study work to deepen understanding of real-world group challenges.
• Strengthen emotional and relational resilience within collaborative spaces.
• Apply the learning directly to our own groups through pre-course preparation and grounded practice.

Who is it aimed at?

This training is for people who have already attended our Transformative Collaboration course and/or who can demonstrate several years of active engagement in groups, including taking significant roles of responsibility or high levels of participation.

It is not suitable for those who are relatively new to group work or who are not currently embedded in a group. In those cases, we recommend beginning with the Transformative Collaboration training.

In general our trainings are aimed at people involved in socially engaged action addressing ecological, political and social justice issues. We embrace a broad definition of activism, including: Resistance – action preventing further damage to ecosystems and social justice; Renewal – action focused on developing and creating alternatives for healthier societies and communities; and Building Resilience – action supporting increased resilience in communities to weather the uncertain times ahead.

This course involves deeper personal reflection and openness to peer feedback. If you are at a moment in your life where engaging with power dynamics, receiving direct feedback, or participating in intensive group enquiry feels especially difficult, this might not be the right time for attending this training.

The main spoken language on the course will be English.

For accessibility and venue information see <here>.