Spirit is as real as rocks and trees. It's just that we can't see it with our ordinary physical senses. However with heightening our capacities for intuitive feeling and inspired thinking we can experience it as a vital energy or formative power that manifests in creative human endeavour as well as in the workings of nature. It is as much part of this world as colours or sounds are to those who can see or hear.
STUDY GROUPS, TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
(The venue's full addresses and payment detailsare on the back of the programme)
Thurs 10.30am - midday andTues 7.30-9pm recommencing 12th SeptCherry Tree Rd
STUDY GROUPS ON ANTHROPOSOPHY.Please contact Jacqui Swann(Thurs group)Tel 0114 2745659 and Rita Evans (Tues group) Tel 01433 631762, for further details.
Saturday 23rd September 10am-5pm Freeman College
SPIRIT IN ACTION.
A day of films, creative activities and discussions.
10-11am. The Life of Rudolf Steiner, a pioneer in practical spirituality. 11-11.30am Coffee. 11.30am-12.30pm His Legacy. Practical and spiritual initiatives throughout the world today, such as biodynamic farms, Waldorf schools, medical centres, social banks and businesses.
Two documentary films by Jonathan Stedall, former BBC filmmaker. His documentaries have included the lives of Ghandi, Tolstoy and John Betjeman. 12.30-1pm Discussion. 1-2pm Lunch. Bring your own or eat at Fusion Cafe next door. (Excellent organic and biodynamic food at very reasonable prices)2-3.30pm Spirit in colour and form. Water colour painting with Lesley Beckett or clay modelling with Constantin Court. No previous experience necessary!
3.30-4pm Tea. 4-5pm Discussion about the day's experiences.
Free admission. Donations towards expenses welcome.
It is possible to attend individual sessions.
Thursdays 7.30-9pm Cherry Tree Rd
SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS- fortnightly and monthly options
Monthly beginning September28th. On the 4th (or last)Thursday MINDFUL (OR HEIGHTENED) CONVERSATION.Exploring a question together with the intention of reaching a deeper understanding than one can gain in the conventional format of an intellectual discussion. The subject which can range from the topical to the more universal, ischosen by the group beforehand. The first one will be 'Is happiness the main goal in life?'
Fortnightlybeginning 5th October.On the 1stand 3rdThursday
SENSING THE SPIRIT IN NATURE, AND IN OURSELVES.
Talks, conversations and meditative exercises using the senses
With Robert Chamberlain and others.
Monthly, beginning the 12th Oct. On the 2ndThursday
FREEDOM, EQUALITY AND CO-OPERATION.Ways of reconciling these social ideals with the help of Steiner's radical and practical insights into the nature ofsociety. Facilitated by Dave Alderson, who has drawn from this approach in his social developmentalwork with different organisations, including the voluntary sector.Leading up the event on April 27th and 28th April 2018..
OFF THE WALL Festival of Spirit Arts October 2017
Saturday 7th October 10am-5pm Freeman College THE HERO'S JOURNEY AND MASK WORK. A talk and workshop inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell. Every new venture or crisis in our life forces us onto an inner Hero’s Journey. Our life itself consists of multiple hero’s journeys. Through working with masks we bring to consciousness the hidden themes and archetypes that lie behind each of these journeys in our life. Ideal for writers, actors, therapists, teachers and anyone interested in helping realise their creative potential through gaining a deeper understanding of universal human processes within themselves. The Mask Workshop is led by psychodrama psychotherapist and mask-maker Mike Chase, MEd, Dip.Psych, preceded by an illustrated introductory talk on the episodes of the Hero’s Journey, with reference to the Ancient Mysteries, by Stephen Roberts, MSc.
Friday 13th October 7.30-8.30pm Freeman College
WHAT IS LOVE? Storytelling, music and soul dance. Autobiographical storiesweave together with Sumerian mythology, Rumi, Astor Piazolla and Latin American songs, to explore what love is. Performed by Nana Woo, 'a dancing storyteller' from South Korea, with
Felipe Vignolo (guitarist) andAndrew Thompson (flautist).Admission. Donations, which goes towards funding her next performance. See her website.
Saturday 14th October 10am-12.30pm Freeman College
SOCIAL MOVEMENT. Reconnecting with our deep self and the other's,through words, silence, space and non-verbal communication.A workshop on soul and spirit movement called eurythmy, with Nana Woo. Suitable for anyone. Followed by a short demonstration of the stage art of eurythmy.
Saturday 21st October 10am-12.30pm Freeman College
ART - A BRIDGE BETWEEN NATURE AND SCIENCE.A talk accompanied by live harp music. Followed by conversation.
We are surrounded by nature and we are a conscious part of its creative dance. Science arose to explain its laws. A space however is open for us to create 'a higher nature' which can be apparent to those who see nature's intentions. Herelies the source of the arts - which may be as necessary to the world as air and water.
Givenby John Dalton, professional Celtic harpist and educator
Saturday 28th October 10am-1pm Freeman College SPIRIT IN ART. Three artists, Lesley Beckett, Kate Pickin and Jenny Mather display some of their work and enter into a dialogue with those who come to see it. All of them draw on spiritual inspiration in different ways. Kate creates timeless, evanescent landscapes that encapsulate symbolicrecurring motifs drawn from memories and myths, landscapes that become like portals to other times and places, enabling the viewer to consider the self in relation to the other.Lesley'swork hopes to reveal, rather than symbolise, an honouring of the human, natural and spiritual world and their relationship: transitions, thresholds, colour. Jenny says, 'I paint to make visible those awesome moments when Heaven touches Earth, as St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans chapter 8, which I paraphrase 'Creation waits on tiptoe just to see the Spirit of God come to set all free.'I paint to make visible those awesome moments when Heaven touches
Friday February 9th 7.30pm Cherry Tree Rd
THE SPIRIT OF HUMOUR. A seminar led by Prof Dr Ernst Heissluft, Emeritus Professor of Battenberg University. His popular groundbreaking work is "EineSymptomologisch-phenomenologischanatomie von Humor" (roughly translated as "What is Humour Really"). Please bring along your favourite jokes and reflections. Ernst is quite approachable and speaks English perfectly, if with a somewhat pronounced accent. One of his rare visits to Britain. Not to be missed.
Saturday 3rd March 10am-5pm Freeman College
THE ROMANTIC SPIRIT. Exploring the spiritual relevance today of some English and German Romantic poets (translated), including Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, Goethe, Schiller, the Schlegels, and Novalis. No previous knowledge required.
Talks, recitations and discussions with Christopher Hudson.Christopher has been a teacher in Waldorf schools and in special educational settings for many years and gives numerous talks throughout Britain on literature and spirituality. He has two MAs, one in history, the other in English literature.
Friday 9th March 7.30pm Cherry Tree Rd
CREATING A HEALTHY FOOD CULTUREin the spirit of co-operation
A talk followed by questions and discussion. Given by Martin Bradshaw, who is a biodynamic market gardener in Moss Valley.
Friday 27th and Saturday 28th April Freeman College
WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY DO WE WANT AND HOW DO WE GET THERE?
A radical re-envisioning of society with practical solutions. Talks, questions and discussions and small group conversations. With seven experienced practitioners.
Friday 27th 7.30-9.30pm ANY QUESTIONS on current affairs
Saturday 28th 10am-5pm SHORT TALKS AND DISCUSSIONS.
Contributors are: Natalie Bennett, Green Party candidate and its former leader;Terry Boardman, lecturer and writer on current and world affairs; John Carlisle, former visiting professor of Hallam Business School and world expert on forging co-operative enterprises; Aonghus Gordon, educationalist and entrepreneur, founder of the Ruskin Mill Waldorf-Steiner inspired specialist schools and colleges; Frances Hutchinson, social worker, activist and proponent of Social Credit. Her latest book is "The Economics of Love: a Herstory"; Martin Large, pioneer of community land trusts for houses and farms. Author of 'Common Wealth for a more equal, mutual, free and sustainable society'Andrew Scott, co-owner and director of two businesses and trustee of several charities.Admission free. Donation towards expenses welcome
Saturday June 16th 10am-5pm Freeman College
ANGELS. Their significance today.
Three perspectives given by Mark Vernon, philosopher, psychotherapist, former priest and Anglican; Marianne Rankin, of the Alister Hardy Trust. Writer and researcher of contemporary spiritual experiences; and Siobhan Porter, Christian Community priest.
Awareness of angels, which are common to all religions, gradually faded out in the West. Now more and more people have direct experiences, or at least intuitive feelings, of non-physical presences which they call 'angels', - often in times of distress. Are there different kinds of angels? How do contemporary accounts of them relate to the traditional teachings? Can we nurture a relationship to them? These and many other questions will be explored in a day of talks, conversations and shared experiences, with live musical interludes..
Please visit these websites for further information:- Admission.Donations towards expenses. Please reserve aplace by emailing
THE SPIRIT OF THE YEAR
Celebrating the seasons and festivals of the year with participatory artistic activities. You are welcome to bring along your own contributions - readings, music etc.
Michaelmas30th Sept 2-5pmandChristmas16th Dec 2-5pm. Brantwood School
Three Kings andEpiphany6th Jan 1.15pmHigh Riggs BD Market Garden, Stannington S6 6BYand7.30pm Cherry Tree Rd. Candlemas (Imbolc)2nd Feb 6.45amHigh Riggs.Easter7th April 12-4pm andSt. John's24th June Brantwood School
ASPECTS OF STEINER EDUCATION
A series of talks and workshops organised in association with Ruskin Mill Trust
NB. The evening events start at 7pm and the day ones end at 4pm
Friday 10th November 7-9pm Freeman College
AN INTRODUCTION TO STEINER SCHOOLS - an education of the 'head, heart and hand'. A talk given by Constantin Court. With well over 1000 schools Steiner Education is one of the fastest growing educational approaches worldwide. Constantinwill gives an overview of the basic principles in practice and examples of how they are applied in different cultural contexts. Heformerly taught in a Steiner school near Cairo before joining Ruskin Mill Trust, and is now its Director of Pedagogy... in a Steiner
Saturday 11th November 10am-4pm Freeman College THE STEINER SCHOOL CURRICULUM. A workshop with Vicky Watts. A day of lecture demonstrations and practical experiences. Vicky is an experienced Class Teacher and has been one of the founding teachers of the Exeter Steiner Academy. She has also taught in mainstream schools and is currently undertaking her PHD with the question of how to integrate some of the Steiner School methods into mainstream schools.
Friday 2nd February 7-9pm and Saturday 3rd 10am-4pm 2018 Brantwood School CHILDREN’S DRAWINGS AS A MIRROR OF THE CHILD’S DEVELOPING CONSCIOUSNESS. An evening talk and day of lecture demonstrations with practical artistic experiences, which explore what children’s drawings tell us about the developmental stage that the child is at, based on current research as well as experiential exercises. Given by Francesca Meynall who has been an early years practitioner as wellas lecturer at Plymouth University and on the Steiner Early Years Training This day is part of the Ruskin Mill Teacher Development Programme.
Friday 20th April 7-9pm and Saturday 21st 10am-4pm Arnold Freeman Hall and Merlin Theatre, 2, Meadow BankRd, S11 9AH WORKING WITH THE TEMPERAMENTS* IN COMPLEX NEEDS YOUNG ADULTS . An exciting evening lecture demonstration,followed by a day workshop of participatory exercises, Given byMike Chasewhois a Psychodrama Psychotherapist who has perfected the art of mask making and using, and has taught people of all ways of life nationally and internationally. * The four kinds of personality - melancholic, phlegmatic, sanguine and choleric. This day is part of the Ruskin Mill Teacher Development Programme
Friday 18th May 7-9pmand Saturday 19th 10am-4pm Brantwood School
THE STEINER SCHOOL MOVEMENT IN THE UK and THE UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM
An evening lecture and day of lectures and practical artistic exercises given by Kevin Avison, putting Steiner education into the context of current research and educational debate. Being an experienced Upper School teacher, Kevin now provides advice and quality assurance to Steiner Schools nationally as part of the advisory service of the Steiner Schools Fellowship. This day is part of the Ruskin Mill Teacher Development Programme.
For information about booking and fees, please email
EVENTS AT A GLANCE
Venues: Freeman College, 88, Arundel St, S1 2NG =FC. 78, Cherry Tree Rd, Nether Edge, S11 9AB = CT. Brantwood School, 1, Kenwood Bank Rd, S7 1NU = BS. Merlin Theatre and Freeman Hall, 2, Meadow Bank Rd, S11 9AH = MT
Thursdays (continuous)and Tuesdays from Sept12 Study Groups CT 23 Sept Spirit in Action - films, activities, discussions FC. From 28 Sept monthly 7.30pm Mindful ConversationCT; 30 SeptMichaelmasBS. From 1 Oct fortnightlySpirit in Nature and in OurselvesCT; from 12 Oct Monthly A New Social Thinkingand PracticeCT. 7 Oct The Hero's JourneyFC. 13 OctWhat is Love? Performance FC. 14 Oct Social Movement FC. 21 Oct Talk with Harp FC. 28 Oct Spirit in Painting. 10 and 11 Nov Steiner Education FC. 16 DecChristmas BS. 6th Jan Epiphany High Riggs and CT. 2 FebCandlemas. High Riggs. 2 and 3 FebSteiner educationBS. 9 Feb Spirit of Humour CT. 3 March The Romantic Spirit FC. 9 March Healthy Food CT. 7 April Easter BS. 20 and 21 April Steiner EducationMT. 27 and 28 April Social visions FC 18th and 19th May Steiner Education BS 16th June Angels FC 24 June St. John's BS
BOOKINGS. Please book the weekend events at least a week before Contact Robert isit our website: FEES - For those events where no charge is indicated, please pay what you can afford. If you can pay the full amount, that obviously would be most welcome. (£5/£3conc. for a talk or course session, £12/£8 for a half day, £25/ £20 for a whole day.) THE LENDING LIBRARY is at 78, Cherry Tree Rd, S11 9AB. For information about membership and access times, please phone Rita Evans on 01433 631762 or Leslie Musgrove on 0114 2214451.
BIODYNAMIC MARKET GARDENS. There are two in Sheffield – one in Moss Valley run by Martin Bradshaw, an independent grower and the other at High Riggs in Stannington, which is part of Freeman College. Contact Martin for details of his veg box scheme and opportunities for volunteering. Tel 07890 558098. Contact Peter Van Vliet, the head gardener at High Riggs, for his veg box scheme and public courses on biodynamics. , Tel 07975793193. RUDOLF STEINER AND ANTHROPOSOPHY.Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was an Austrian philosopher, spiritual researcher and social pioneer whose ideas and methods are being applied worldwide today- in education, medicine, the arts, agriculture and various social and economic enterprises. His meditative path of insight and practice is called Anthroposophy (‘anthropos’- the human being, ‘sophia’-wisdom) and in essence can be described as a ’thinking with the heart’ which can be freely practised by anyone. THE SHEFFIELD STEINER GROUP is an educational charity under the name of Tintagel House (Sheffield) Ltd. Charity no 201407