Northern Ireland Region
Ireland Region
Scottish Region
English/Welsh Region
VOLUME 22
SPRING 2016
Welcome We mark a special moment on Easter Sunday 27th March this year for it is 50 years since Dr Karl König, Camphill’s founder, died in Germany having moved from Scotland in 1964. Richard Steel’s account of the last months of his busy life is well described on the back page and it is interesting to note that many in the curative education and social therapy movement and beyond wondered at that time if Camphill would continue without its remarkable and indefatigable leading influence. Perhaps it was his interest in the lives of young people and what they wanted to do in the world which included the disabled person keen to learn new skills which helped. These students, residents and volunteers who stayed on in The Camphill Schools and Villages putting future careers to one side in many cases, provided the vital support needed to The Camphill Movement worldwide in its cultural, social and working life. That deed saw the communities flourish and diversify, the first Camphill urban community in 1969, a resident led initiative, a college, The Mount in Sussex in 1971, communities in such countries as Norway and France. Young people are a cornerstone for the future of Camphill and it is held dear by many communities who organise courses and Introduction Groups, learning the important procedures and responsibilities that are required as well as something of the philosophy of Camphill. This includes the remarkable story of its founder Dr. Karl König and his Youth Group Colleagues and his coming to Britain from Austria as a refugee, a topical subject indeed for our time. I hope you enjoy this Spring Edition of Camphill Pages! Vivian Griffiths.
A close up of the ‘Wave’.
Volunteers working on the stained-glass panels for St Mary’s hospital IOW.
SEAHORSES ART STUDIO ‘Reaching out’ from community into the locality with Art projects. The Art Studio at Seahorses is a well known local resource which offers weekly lessons in a variety of techniques ranging from drawing to glass-fusing. Once a week it has an open-door session where anyone can come and join in without any commitment and this is popular due to the social element. Every now and again the Studio runs courses which are also very popular
and occasionally we receive commissions for mosaics and stained-glass. Some of these commissions have been for private clients whilst others are for public spaces. As a rule, once the design has been worked on and eventually accepted the art-piece becomes a project with many people becoming involved and active; in fact many of the commissions would not have been
completed without the help of local volunteers. In this respect Seahorses Art Studio is unique on the island (if not further afield) as a creative hub where there is an interaction between companions with learning disabilities, volunteers and the public. Continued on page 2...
WORLD WIDE WEAVE EXHIBITION - THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP AT NEW LANARK?
Read Peter Bateson’s special account on Page 08.
See page 14.
Pages is the newsletter of the Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland www.camphill.org.uk
ENGLISH/WELSH REGION Continued from page 1...
SHEILING SCHOOL CHRISTMAS FESTIVALS MICHAELMAS On September 29th the school held its Michaelmas Festival. It was a beautiful, sunny day and pupils and staff harvested fruit and veg, picked blackberries and pressed apples. At lunch everyone gathered for a feast on a long table outside the school house.
Our first public commission, from which many others followed, was for 3 panels for the promenade at Freshwater Bay. This was asked for by the local Residents Association to adorn a popular shelter. At one stage we had nearly twenty people working on the mosaic from the local Association. The design was based upon local cormorants fishing underwater for mackerel. A private commission, roughly based upon the original, soon followed. Not long after this the local Lifeboat station asked for a large mosaic showing a rescue in operation.
grants and all of the panels were completed by our wellspring of local volunteers and companions all helping to cut, grind and stick the coloured glass onto concrete backing boards. Recently a fused-glass project (‘the Wave’) was installed for the new workshop garden design at the new workshops recently opened for the Lantern Community and at present we are creating another project based upon a sun/moon-yin/yang design and we’ll be placing this finished project on the website, hoping to find a buyer. Arts and crafts have the potential to make social bridges through a common creative activity. Working with glass, choosing colours and textures, learning to cut the glass and use the grinders etc etc... and the same can be said of most of the arts and crafts. All the senses are involved in a non-intellectual inclusive approach all of which can bring people together in a joyful and festive way.
Richard in front of a stained-glass panel ‘Lillys’
Greetings from Seahorses Art Studio (on behalf of all the volunteers)
Volunteers working on the ‘Summer’ panel for St Mary’s hospital IOW.
This in turn led indirectly to series of panels for the mental health wards at St Mary’s hospital. Due to the nature of some of the illnesses the design had to be almost abstract so as to not attract obsessional attention. The colours themselves, free of form, had to be calming and therapeutic.
MARTINMAS In November, Class 3 re-enacted the Martinmas play for the whole school during Assembly. Everybody played their parts very well, with Dylan as the road sweeper, Dawid as baker, Alex as the humble beggar, and Jacob playing St Martin.
Following this, another series of stained-glass panels were commissioned to become part of a ‘dementia garden’. This space was designed and developed together with the patients and another three artists and craftsmen. Named the ‘Four-Seasons’ garden, it has raised flower beds so the patients can help with the gardening, a beautifully carved wooden bench and chairs, a garden designed by plant experts, and our contribution based on the theme of the Four-Seasons with four stained-glass panels. The funding for both NHS projects came from Arts Council
Stained-glass panel for the Freshwater Bay Lifeboat station. 02
Top - Bottom: View of the Four Seasons Garden. Stainless steel and resin flag-pole panel for the Four Seasons Garden ‘Sun’.
Top - Bottom: A fused-glass panel situated at the Lantern Craft Centre. Seahorses resident companion, Anne, working on the piece. A close up of the ‘Wave’.
A private commission ‘Seagulls’.
A close up of ‘Seagulls’.
Spring 2016
THORNBURY SCHOOL CLASS MEETS TOP CHEF FOR CHINESE Our staff, pupils and their parents are absolutely thrilled that Katerina Pippi, Sales Manager of neighbouring Thornbury Castle, has generously organised for their top chef, Stu Martin, to come to a lesson to demonstrate and teach some of our pupils how to cook Chinese style! Our gratitude and thanks to Stu and all at Thornbury Castle. Bon Apetit to all the pupils. This event has special meaning for our Seniors A pupils and class teacher Dean, who have been extremely busy working toward their ASDAN qualifications and are currently working towards an award. ASDAN is a pioneering curriculum development organisation and awarding body, offering programmes and qualifications that explicitly grow skills for learning, skills for employment and skills for life. The Therapeutic emphasis of this award aims to develop an awareness of ‘otherness’. In practice this encourages pupils to think for themselves and to work independently. It brings an awareness of the wider world, emphasising that different cultures are based around many different ideas. The pupils are tasked with undertaking an in-depth study of another country, in this case China, and also to organise a celebration which takes place within that country’s culture. For Seniors A this will be the Chinese New Year. They have to base the food on typical meals from their chosen country which will include: a worksheet with guided research on Chinese food, gathering recipes from the Internet, writing a menu, writing a shopping list, looking for simple decorations and cooking simple food along with classmates.
Wednesday 3rd February Stu Martin, one of the top Chef from Thornbury Castle, Luxury Hotel and fine dining, came to the Sheiling School today to demonstrate and cook a meal that was fit to serve to a King in the restaurant of Thornbury Castle (maybe not in Henry 8th style albeit not of English or European origin but Chinese style) in support of one of our classes projects! Stu arrived with Katerina Pippi who is one of the managers with prepared duck, stir fry vegetables, Wonton pastry, spices, pickles and even elegant serving dishes. Stu demonstrated to the pupils how to pull the meat off the duck leg which they all took part in doing. He then demonstrated the filling of the Wonton parcels. The pupils each had a go at making the parcels. He then prepared stir fry vegetables and added sesame seeds and sesame oil to create the Chinese flavours. He also used Chinese 5 spice on the duck to add the flavour when cooking.
shallot to balance the colour and flavour and added pan fried pak choi to garnish the plate. He set the crispy duck on top of the vegetables and served with stir fry vegetables on the side with sesame seeds. The pupils each had a chance to be involved with the plating up of the dishes. They all tasted it at the end. I found the experience to be extremely pleasurable and valuable to allow the pupils to be hands on, they learnt skills such as knife cutting, health and safety around food (why it is important to wash hands after handling duck or other meat). They learnt how to plate up food to look attractive and they learnt how to make Wontons in the Chinese style. Oliver asked lots of questions and demonstrated a keen interest throughout the whole process. George and Harry both enjoyed breaking apart the duck and making the Wonton parcels and Jacob helped to put egg on the parcels to help them to stick together. The pupils responded well to having a visitor and understood the requirements, they had lots of photos taken for the local press. The session was a huge success.
Chef Stu Martin and the pupils cook Chinese style.
When the duck and the Wonton were cooked he demonstrated how to plate it up in a ‘Master Chef’ style with pickled Anna- Marie Perry saffron cauliflower, poached spiced plums and green pea puree. He added poached red Workshop leader
THORNAGE HALL RECOMMENDED FOR TOP NORFOLK GREEN AWARD Thornage Hall provides supported living accomodation in five houses located in the beautiful surroundings of the Thornage Hall estate. We run a biodynamic farm which provides food for those living in our houses, as well as sales to local organic outlets. We have built on the success of the farm and have www.camphill.org.uk
converted farm buildings into studios for our Day Services offering a range of craft, IT, and artistic activity - greatly enriching the lives of those people with learning disabilities who have a thirst to develop new skills within a working environment. Our vision is for an environmentally sustainable world where everyone can live,
learn and work together in a meaningful way, regardless of ability or disability.
environmental sustainability at the heart of what we do.
We strive to work together for people and www.thornagehall.co.uk the environment. We work both within our community at Thornage as well we with wider communities and organisations in Norfolk in order to meet the needs of adults with learning disabilities and keep 03
IRELAND REGION
GREENACRES ALLOTMENT PROJECT WITH FBD INSURANCE In spring 2015 FBD staff volunteered to come to the Greenacres Community to refurbish our Allotment in Goatstown Co. Dublin. Our allotment was in a pretty dishevelled state! It had been through a period of neglect and we didn’t have the resources within the community to take on the huge job of trying to return it to its former glory. On a Spring Saturday morning in 2015 the FBD staff arrived at our allotment with tools, working boots, materials and an abundance of enthusiasm!
Within the next 10 hours the FBD Volunteers Alongside Greenacres Staff, Residents and Co-workers transformed a weed entangled mess into a glorious space with raised beds planted with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and other vegetables. We also included a ‘Sensory Garden’ with fragrant flowers and benches where we could sit in the summer and enjoy the scent and the fresh air. There is also a
The FBD staff volunteers, alongside the Greenacres staff transform the allotment.
fruit section with rhubarb, raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants etc. The transformation of the allotment was not only an aesthetic one but a holistic one as well. Over the Spring, Summer and Autumn months Greenacres Community, and particularly Greenacres Day participants, staff, co-workers and volunteers spent their Wednesdays weeding, watering, tidying and tending to our much loved allotment. We had wonderful tuition and guidance from our volunteer Gardener Benny McCabe. The Wednesday Gardening Group became known as ‘Benny and the Jets’!
playful and joyous. It’s a holistic experience. This allotment has given us a beautiful green space in the city to commune with nature, enjoy the elements and learn about growing plants and vegetables. Already we have started to plan for the growing season of 2016. We will be experimenting with growing our own ‘Super Salads’ planting highly nutritious salads, leaves and sprouts. This allotment Project injected a vitality and excitement into this community and will continue to do so for many years to come.
After all our hard work we had a bountiful harvest where we enjoyed the fruits and vegetables for many lunches and dinners.
We sincerely thank FBD insurance for their generosity and commitment to working with Greenacres on this project.
Having the allotment to work on has been a wonderful experience for all involved. Something magical happens to people when they spend time out in the fresh air getting their hands dirty. Their senses heighten, their eyes brighten, the body relaxes and their mood becomes uplifted,
Claire Noons Greenacres Craft Coordinator
Progress photos from our year of growing. 04
Spring 2016
GREENACRES COMMUNITY NEWS As well as the Greenacres allotment project, the Greenacres Community have been busy over the winter months engaging with their local community and other services in their area. Some of our residents and day attendees have been busy engaging in a Money Management course and making new friends in another day service close by called ‘Lakelands day service’. This was a great way to learn new skills and make new friends! Whilst also doing our own “In House” activities like pottery, cooking, baking, embroidery and other textiles, arts and crafts, music, drama and our allotment. We have also been busy out in our local community. Marie and Olive love to go to ‘Lakers’ to do Drumming and art. Embracing music and technology Co-worker Terence Tao has been sharing his talent and interest in music with us. He has created a ‘Song Writing with Technology’ Class for some of our day attendees.
This class is proving to be very popular with our young people who have a lot to say through music. The class focuses on lyric writing, writing and recording the music, singing, melody and finally recording the vocals, mixing the track and producing a finished song. This class has been really successful in facilitating people with a passion for music, to express their talents and to make their dream of writing and recording their own songs a reality! Co-Workers We would also like to welcome our new Co-Workers Sari Go and SunJoon who are both settling into community life very well and are sharing their culture and many talents with the Greenacres Community.
Clockwise from top: Terence Tao (left) Co-Worker and Music Facilitator and Conor Byrne (Right) Song Writer. Marie (left) and Olive (right) enjoy arts and crafts. Sarto enjoys a cookery class in Lakers.
www.camphill.org.uk
BALLYBAY COMMUNITY
CRAFT SALE Our community sells different kinds of things from our workshops: beautiful candles, colourful weaving stuff, delicious cakes and waffles and our own organic grown vegetables, jams, juices. Our tea room turned into a flea market and that was the highlight for most of the visitors. We had 3 raffles in which you could win for example, a basket full of Camphill products.
Congratulations to all the Raffle Winners: 1st Prize: Patrick O’Neil who won the Lamp 2nd Prize: Carmel Ray who got the Galway crystal glasses. 3rd Prize: Mildred Clarke Care Chemist hamper 4th Prize: Lucy Moffet Ballybay Chemist hamper
Thank you for all the people who came and supported us with donations. We hope for many more people and for better weather on Summer craft sale next year!
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IRELAND REGION
FBD DIFFERENCE DAY FOR DUNSHANE 630 Meters of Pathway, a Five-a-Side Football Arena, Basketball Practice area, Painting, Scrub Removal and a Secret Garden! The pathway around Dunshane was the brainchild of one of our parent’s, Michael Hilary. It was also through Michael that Camphill became the Charity Partner of FBD Insurance for 2014 and 2015. To date the Company has donated more than €50,000 to Camphill Projects and they were keen to become involved in a real ‘hands on’ project within one of our Communities. Our Difference Day took place on Saturday the 22nd of June and saw more than 130 FBD staff members join us on the day. The Difference Day and all of the work leading up to the day itself, was coordinated by the very brilliant, Denis O’Reilly of the Difference Day organisation, and his small, but very energetic and knowledgeable team of people. Everyone in Dunshane gave it their all and the Community provided catering, direction and assistance to over 160 people in total on the 22nd. Our bakery provided scones and everyone enjoyed a picnic style lunch. The results are a testament to the age old adage that ‘many hands make light work’. The main project for the day was the laying of a pathway that connected the Community from Teach na Greine through our vegetable garden, tree line and through Apple Orchard to link the whole Community together. The second project undertaken was to convert the disused horse riding arena into a five-a-side football pitch and practice area 06
for basket ball. Amazingly the work didn’t stop there! The Secret Garden was rediscovered and the entrance gate and railings were also painted. The team even had enough energy left over to remove a huge amount of scrub in front of Silver Birch cottage to brighten up the cottage and make the area much safer. A huge ‘Thank You’ goes out to Andrew, Aisling, Robert, Denis and Conor in FBD, without whom the project would not have taken off. Also to thank Denis and his team in Difference Days as well as our super troopers - our co-workers, staff, parents, residents and day attendees, who were all superb on the day and the in the days leading up to it. Thanks everyone! See a video of the whole day: www.camphill.ie/Contributing
DUNSHANE COMMUNITY ANNUAL OPEN DAY Our Dunshane Community has been a hive of activity over the past few months and this all culminated in our Annual Open Day on the 28th of June. The changes so far have been very welcome and while everyone was tired after the Open Day, we have all been delighted with the amazing warmth and generosity of all those who attended and who helped along the way.
all of the parents, co-workers staff and volunteers who gave an amazing amount of their time and energy to the event and through all of their best efforts more than €5,000 was raised!
The Open Day gave us a great opportunity to show off our newly completed pathway, five-aside football pitch and basketball practice area as well as our newly painted entrance The Courtyard was lit up with music gates and the reclaimed secret garden, and the field was full of activities all courtesy of FBD staff, but more including face painting, music, vintage about that later. Our next event cars, food and drink, pottery, candle will be our parents, families and and basketry stalls and bouncing castle, co-workers BBQ, which is scheduled to name but a few. We were lucky to take place on Saturday the 22nd enough to have been given the of August. It should be another great opportunity to publicize the event on day and we hope that you can make it! KFM and through the local media. Bring along a friend and enjoy the best We owe a huge debt of gratitude to that Dunshane can offer.
Spring 2016
NORTHERN IRELAND REGION Camphill Anglers at an angling event in Cookstown 2015.
ANGLING FOR ALL Camphill Community Clanabogan During a discussion with a number of CCC residents who work on the farm, I was asked what things I enjoy to do in my spare time. When I said that I loved to go fishing on any opportunity that I had, a large discussion was open up with huge interest from everyone. Some residents were telling me about trying out fishing in the past, and others asking could they ever try fishing. I informed the group that I was an angling coach, and that if anyone was interested in angling we could arrange a trip some time for the farm workers. However news of this trip travelled around the community, and soon residents were approaching me and Jim on the farm asking about how to get on a fishing trip. It was clear that the interest in angling was large spread, and so it was decided that some angling should be arranged to allow the residents to try it out.
This trip was a huge success but unfortunately only a limited number were able to go, and so a second trip was organised which was also a huge success. Those who have already taken part in angling are showing huge interest in returning to the water, while others are requesting to go fishing upon hearing stories from those who return. We have now established a good relationship with LMAC Angling Club, who will provide us with regular days on their water. Although these trips are successful and popular, it would be very beneficial to offer this within the community somehow so that residents are able to enjoy the experience of fishing in a relaxed safe environment where they can focus on developing new angling skills and further develop their educational understanding of water life etc, and so the idea was born that we could use a small man made water within the community as a small training fishery. SFO for the loughs agency Seamus Cullen, and SFO for DCAL were made aware of this plan to further develop angling opportunities for the residents and quickly offered to assist with this programme. The loughs agency have taken water samples, and upon a clear result DCAL will donate trout to fill the water to get the fishery started and the loughs agency will assist with the constructing of angling platforms.
Angling at Camphill Community Clanabogan 2015 Following our year of Angling we were approached by Loughmacrory Angling Club and offered an opportunity for the community to become members of the club. For a set cost the community membership would include - one year membership to the club for everyone at Camphill Community Clanabogan - Free access passes for community - free use of all sheelin lough boats - access to a wheely-boat for less able-bodied/ wheelchair users – angling tuition from qualified instructor/coaches, and for those with a lesser interest in angling, full access to these same facilities and boats for recreation or just relaxation. With the agreement of CCC I contacted our fundraising officer Maria Kinney and discuss this opportunity with her, and very soon afterwards Maria got in touch with us to say that funding had been secured. Our new journey in angling had begun. As full club members our anglers have developed their skills greatly over the past year, with some moving on to become ‘standalone’ anglers, able to confidently fish in independence.
This has arrived as a result of both one to Angling is a sporting and recreational one and group coaching as a direct result I contacted the Senior Fisheries Officer for activity that has no physical or social from our funding. DCAL (Paul McAreavey) and informed him barriers for anyone, and the proven benefits of the interest in angling within the for people with illness, all kinds of community, and as the residents have disabilities, Autism etc can be clearly viewed limited fishing equipment to try angling, at anglingresearch.org and as feedback DCAL made a kind donation of some angling from our residents suggest it a very social equipment for the community, as well as and enjoyable activity. inviting the Loughs Agency to do the same. With such demand there is only so much We contacted local angling club LMAC angling to be done on our local water, and asked to use their club water, and they and on the 23rd July the community kindly donated a day’s free use of three residents will embark on their first sea boats and Ghillies from the club and our first fishing trip aboard the Kiwi Girl from fishing trip took place. Mullaghmore. This is the cause of much excitement among our anglers.
www.camphill.org.uk
Through the club, our anglers have participated in some fun angling competitions over the year which have not only provided an opportunity to further develop skills and confidence, but also created a fun source of recreation in a socially inclusive environment. As well as the benefits that this funding has provided for our villagers, it has also created the same opportunities for our co-workers and staff alike ensuring that everyone shares in learning and social development together. One member of staff is currently enrolled in a level 1 Coaching Angling course to ensure angling development continues. This will mean the community will now have two qualified angling coaches within its ranks at level 1 and level 2. We have become involved with many other community groups and organisations over the past year, and have built many strong links and friendships. We were even invited to compete in an angling competition in Dublin! Through the funding that we have received for angling, we have been able to establish a group of angling enthusiasts who are well received within the sporting world, who are developing skills, finding new abilities and strengths, building new friendships, integrating with local communities, participating in physical activity and above all having fun!
Seamus McHugh
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WORLD WIDE WEAVE WORLD WIDE WEAVE DIARY Scotland and Ireland, July-December 2015 After five weeks on show in a very cool Conway Hall in a swelteringly hot London, Camphill Foundation’s World Wide Weave Exhibition went on its longest journey so far, all the way from London to the huge wood-panelled gallery of “The Institute”, the central historic building and visitor centre of New Lanark Mills World Heritage Site, south of Glasgow. The connection between New Lanark and Camphill goes very deep and many Camphillers from all over the world have also visited the place and taken part in various conferences over the years.
The economic model of life in a Camphill community was strongly inspired by the work of Robert Owen and his efforts to establish a humane, just and fair economy in which everyone’s needs adequately could be met. He was seen by Karl König and the other founders of Camphill as a forerunner of their own commitment to the principle of sister-brotherliness in the economic sphere and revered as one of the three ‘stars’ of Camphill, pioneering historical figures who laid the foundations for what were later formulated as Camphill essentials in education, social life and economics. It can easily be overlooked that Robert Owen’s clear primary concern was for education, to change society for the better by freeing the minds and hearts of the future generation. His economic innovations were devoted to creating the right social conditions for this, and thereby he provided a living example of what Rudolf Steiner later described as the principle of gift money enriching the cultural life, in his Threefold Social Order. How entirely fitting it was, then, that the World Wide Weave was displayed in the very room where Robert Owen not only addressed his workers with revolutionary social ideas but where, in 1815, he established the first example anywhere in the world of a primary school classroom, laying the foundation stone for the whole of modern education as we know it.
Top - Bottom: Local school visit to the exhibition in Newry. Exhibition opening in Newry. New Lanark World Heritage Site. The exhibition in Robert Owen’s “Institute”.
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unpleasant yellow tinge which was quite impossible for the exhibits, so we had to rely mainly on natural light which was sometimes too dull. By great good fortune, there were many strings of tiny but bright white lights left over from a previous event, festooned above from balcony to balcony from end to end of the high-ceilinged room, which enhanced the light on the exhibits perfectly and gave the whole space a festive and magical appearance. The management and staff at New Lanark gave the exhibition a marvellous welcome and went out of their way to make sure that everything was done to make it a success. Some of the New Lanark trustees visited and expressed their satisfaction that the place could be the host for such an event, being well aware of the affinity to Camphill. A whole host of nationalities from all over the world passed through during the three-week period, as New Lanark is firmly on the tourist trail, including a large number from within the UK. As has been the case in most venues throughout the year, almost no-one had ever heard of Camphill and were astonished to learn of its existence, idealism, longevity and international scope. This included a large number of people resident in Scotland who said they would like to learn more about Camphill and its activities, and a number of parents who said they wished they had known years ago because Camphill would have been perfect for their son or daughter’s development. A couple from Western Canada, newly arrived on their first day of vacation, were astonished to see the exhibit from Glenora Farm on Vancouver Island, which is just down the road from where they live and where they regularly buy their fresh vegetables!
A large portrait of Owen gazed down upon the exhibition and there was a constant background accompaniment (thankfully not too loud) of the very informative commentary to a documentary film about New Lanark which was showing on a loop on a large plasma screen at the end of the room, for the benefit of tourists. By the end of the exhibition, I had more or less learned this by heart!
From New Lanark the exhibition moved all the way up to Haddo House, a National Trust for Scotland property near Ellon, about twenty miles north of Aberdeen. In the height of summer the surrounding countryside was stunningly beautiful, a green and gold landscape of rolling meadows and mile after mile of waving corn, and the purple mountains always in the background.
Also in the background was the agreeable distant roar of the Falls of Clyde, overlooked by the windows of the exhibition room. Sometimes following heavy rain the Falls were in full spate and thundered over the rocks with majestic power. Those who have been to New Lanark will recall that the air is constantly filled with the sound of moving and falling water, not just from the Falls themselves but from the man-made canals, sluices, waterwheel and weirs which were designed to control and channel the flow to generate power for the mills. This creates a deliciously refreshing and enlivening mood and atmosphere.
The house and its vast estate of magnificent lawns, gardens, woods and lakes were bequeathed to the nation by the 4th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair and his wife June, known as ‘Lady Aberdeen,’ was a friend and supporter of Camphill, with a member of the extended family formerly resident in one of the Scottish Camphill places. Compared to New Lanark, Haddo House is a “stately home” and historic for a different reason, as one of the primary seats of the Gordon family, one of the oldest in Scotland, with records going back to the 12th century. Another claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Camphill’s own Nick Blitz, when it was a nursing home for a time!
In contrast, the strong overhead energy-saving lights had a very
Top - Bottom: Weavers from Loch Arthur in New Lanark. The Peatyards Gallery at Haddo House.
The exhibition was in The Peatyards Gallery which could not have been more different from the house - an ultra-modern structure of metal and glass on a raised stone terrace next to a courtyard with the café and gift shop. The three walls made almost entirely of glass gave very strong natural light which was a huge bonus to the exhibition. Once again the management and staff were all incredibly positive, interested and supportive in every way, and I was also very grateful for the help and support of a number of people from the Camphill places on Deeside who stood in as stewards on various days. Like New Lanark, Haddo House is very much on the tourist map and people from all over the world came to the exhibition as part of their visit. Also Haddo is well-known by people in the Aberdeen area and this was the one venue in the whole exhibition tour where quite a number of people actually said they HAD heard of Camphill. The reason? They are regular visitors to the Newton Dee shop and café! The publicity on Haddo House’s website and media network was very good and people also came specially to see the exhibition, including a family of four from Shetland who happened to be visiting family in Ellon and had seen it publicized. Quite a number of local craft people and weavers had also got to hear about it and it was gratifying to hear some very appreciative comments on the quality of the work from experts with a truly discerning eye! Another notable visitor was a lady from Aberdeen who said she was a grand-daughter of the Wood family who had previously owned Camphill House. She remembered seeing an old black and white film of her grandparents having tea on the lawn in the 1920s. On the same day a party of Russian tourists came, including a couple from Yekaterinburg on the border of Siberia, who spoke only Russian. They stayed for a long time and loved the exhibits and the wife then Spring 2016
managed to say on leaving, “Have one word English - Beautiful!” After three weeks in Haddo House the exhibition moved again, for the first time in the whole tour to a Camphill community - Newton Dee. (Just one other time was in Ballytobin, Ireland.) The exhibition occupied the whole space of the Paul Allen Auditorium in the magnificent Phoenix Community Centre, and it was a perfect place to see the exhibits at their best. Visitors came not only from the various surrounding communities but also many from the whole Aberdeen area, not only thanks to the Newton Dee shop but even from simply seeing the banner on the roadside. A number of children and young people came during this time and as always it was very interesting and amusing to hear their comments. Many delighted children enjoyed following the ‘Discovery Trail’ to track down a list of surprising and amusing details. One very special feature of this venue was that it became a wonderful ‘melting pot’
Top - Bottom: Haddo House, Aberdeenshire. Visitors to the Peatyards Gallery. Newton Dee Phoenix Community Centre. Exhibits from Scottish communities. www.camphill.org.uk
of meetings and reunions, something which had happened very strongly last December in Stroud. Many people from all over the Camphill world somehow by chance or destiny found themselves meeting up with old friends they had not seen for a long time, even in some cases decades! It added a special quality of warmth and joyfulness to the whole event.
The exhibition then moved to The Curve Gallery at Bangor Carnegie Library, on Belfast Lough, a few miles from Camphill Community Glencraig. This was a spacious, ultra-modern and light-filled venue which provided plenty of space to walk through the exhibition and also to sit and contemplate the exhibits from different angles.
This warmth was also very much in evidence during our special Opening event, with a number of invited guests and people of all ages from the Deeside communities, and other friends, parents and supporters. As the actual 75th anniversary of Camphill on 1st June had by force of circumstance passed entirely unmarked while the exhibition was in Leeds, I invited those present to regard this opening in Newton Dee, on 1st September, as our official World Wide Weave celebration, and it was certainly a very happy and festive occasion.
The exhibition was reported by two local newspapers, with photographs, and another festive opening took place, with a wonderful buffet and wines, this time opened with a warmly appreciative and inspiring speech by Carl McLean, the youthful Deputy Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council, who turned out to be an ex-pupil of former teacher Glenn Aiken! Many people resident in or connected to Camphill Community Glencraig were in attendance. Both in Omagh and Bangor there was excellent press coverage of the exhibition in the local papers.
The fourth and last of the Scottish venues was very prestigious indeed the Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood in Edinburgh. This was possible thanks to contact made by Alison Delaney with Alison McInnes, MSP for the North-Eastern region, including Aberdeen. She agreed to sponsor the application from Camphill Foundation to hold the exhibition. The application was then managed by Kirsten Hogg, one of the two Camphill Scotland Coordinators. As the exhibition was in the Members’ Lobby the space was very limited and only seven of the total 75 exhibits could actually be on show, together with a table for publicity material. I selected seven of the Scottish exhibits, which were the most pictorial and also the right size. The other exhibits could be seen appearing in turn on a loop on a large plasma screen nearby. Five carefully chosen individuals from Camphill in Scotland submitted to the intensive security vetting required to steward the exhibition and having been successful they looked after the exhibition while it was in Edinburgh and made the most of the opportunity to have conversations with MSPs and ministers, including the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Christine Johnson and Alison McInnes address the reception at the Scottish Parliament.
four venues in Northern Ireland. The first was Omagh Library, just a few miles from Camphill Community Clanabogan in Co. Tyrone. A lot of preparation had been done in advance by Glenn Aiken, Publicity Manager for Camphill Northern Ireland Trust, and Camphill Foundation is very grateful to him for his initiative and support throughout the exhibition’s time in Northern Ireland.
After two weeks in Bangor the exhibition moved to the most prominent and central building in Belfast - the huge and imposing Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square. The exhibition’s large red banner was on the railings at the front in the most prominent spot available in the entire city, and the exhibition occupied the lobby of the East Wing, with its formal entrance portico right next to the historic Titanic Memorial and garden. Continues over page...
There was a festive opening with tea and home-made scones and biscuits from Clanabogan with many people resident in the community, colleagues and friends from the locality and also a group from Ballybay. It was opened by Councillor Paul Robinson, Vice-Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, who spoke of the high regard in which Clanabogan is held by people and organisations in the area, and their respect and appreciation for the work of Camphill.
The exhibition occupied a free space right in the centre of the library inside the main entrance and presented a broad display to all who entered, with the Northern Irish The Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, exhibits from Glencraig, Clanabogan also attended the Parliamentary Reception and Mourne Grange very prominent. organised by Camphill Scotland on 15th Because it was so central and entirely September, along with a number of MSPs, free standing, many visitors to the library including those with Camphill places in constantly criss-crossed the exhibition their constituencies, and a large gathering in all directions. Another unusual of invited guests, board members, parents feature was that after school large and community members from Scottish numbers of teenagers flocked into the Camphill places. Alison McInnes gave library to do their homework and they had an excellent welcome and introduction to go through the exhibition to reach their and Christine Johnson, the new Chair of tables. It was gratifying to see how many Camphill Scotland, spoke movingly and of them, girls and boys alike, were stopped stirringly about the work of Camphill. in their tracks by the exhibits and spent some time exploring the exhibition. At the end of the week, on 19th September, with the help of Bruce and Louise Hardman and Philippa McAleer Sandy from Tiphereth in Edinburgh, from Clanabogan’s weavery were very Crispian from Glencraig and Martin from helpful in setting up the exhibition and Clanabogan, the exhibition left Scotland Louise also had a beautiful piece of her and took to the waves for a short crossing own work on show. They and others from of the North Channel by ferry from Clanabogan also helped to steward the Cairnryan to Belfast, to begin its tour of exhibition during its time in the library.
Top to Bottom: Visitors in Belfast. The opening in Bangor Library. Mary Balmer between her and Glencraig’s exhibits. 09
WORLD WIDE WEAVE Dublin which has been very supportive to Camphill in Ireland and has pledged further sponsorship for a number of ongoing projects. Following the approach adopted in Northern Ireland, the arriving visitor was met by a panorama of the exhibits from communities in Ireland closest to the entrance. As in all the venues, most visitors expressed their amazement at the incredible quality and variety of the work displayed and the overwhelming impression of colour, and their equal astonishment that they had never heard of Camphill before. As in all venues, a wide variety of leaflets, flyers and literature was available for people to take away, giving information about Camphill in Ireland, the Camphill Association and the work of the Camphill Foundation, including copies of the Spring and Autumn editions of Camphill Pages, which has proved to be extremely popular with the general public throughout the UK and Ireland.
Clockwise from left: Belfast City Hall. Mourne Grange weavers in Newry. The Atrium at Dublin Civic Offices.
As in Omagh the exhibition screens were entirely free-standing and all council employees and visitors criss-crossed the exhibition constantly during opening hours. Guided tours of the building also came to an end at the foot of the grand staircase, so a large number of international visitors were deposited into the exhibition space at regular intervals throughout the day. Fourth and last of the Northern Ireland venues was the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre adjacent to the Town Hall in Newry, about ten miles from Camphill Community Mourne Grange. Special thanks go to Oliver Gordon for all his help throughout the time in Newry. Again there was a festive opening attended by the local press, this time conducted by Gillian Fitzpatrick, Deputy Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Both she and long-term Camphill board member and supporter Dr. Arthur Mitchell spoke about the highly-valued contribution of Mourne Grange Community to the life of the whole area.
“We all found the exhibition wonderful. It made the whole Movement seem so close! It inspired us and helped to expand our awareness of other communities worldwide.” The World Wide Weave then made its first move out of the United Kingdom, into the Republic of Ireland, with considerable help from Michael Hilary, parent, board member and fundraiser of Camphill Ireland. The venue was a very central, prominent and prestigious location in Dublin, on the bank of the River Liffey, in the Civic Offices of Dublin City Council. It was a remarkable situation, on the site of the Viking settlement of over a thousand years ago and next to the medieval Christchurch Cathedral and the house where George Frederic Handel wrote The Messiah.
The free-standing exhibition occupied the whole front part of the Atrium at the main entrance, behind a wall of glass offering a panoramic view of the river, O’Donovan Rossa Bridge, Ormond Quay and the historic Four Courts Building. The glass roofed Atrium is five storeys high with enormously tall palms and other trees A large group of pupils from a local school and exotic plants standing in a square made a visit one morning and enjoyed garden, so the location was in every way watching practical demonstrations spectacular. Michael Hilary had done a lot by spinners and weavers from of work on publicity and the exhibition Mourne Grange. was reported in the press and found pride of place in the Irish Times as the first item A number of cultural events were listed in the What’s On section. organised by Mourne Grange during the exhibition’s short visit to Newry, An official opening took place attended which gave an extra dimension and by a large number of Camphillers, liveliness to the whole event. It was very colleagues and friends, including people much carried by the whole community from Duffcarrig and as far away as and it was extremely satisfying to hear Ballytobin. The event was declared open afterwards just how much the exhibition with a rousing and affirmative speech by had meant to the people of the one of two guests of honour from FBD community. In the words of Carmel Horan, Insurance, a large company based in 10
To bring the year to a close the exhibition then moved down south to Camphill Community Ballytobin, to occupy the whole of the mezzanine floor of the magnificent Castalia Hall. This gave the opportunity for members of all the surrounding Camphill communities to visit the exhibition, and a large number of people from the wider Kilkenny area who had been notified through the extensive cultural communication network of Ballytobin and other organisations. The exhibition was opened at a very enjoyable and festive event by Lorna Donnellan of Grennan Mill Craft School at Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, who spoke inspiringly about the exhibition, the nature of textile art and about the work of Camphill. The exhibits contributed to the World Wide Weave from Camphill communities in Ireland north and south had a very special quality, which really captured something of the nature and essence of Ireland. They all had a strong and substantial texture, combined with vibrant, rich colours and a definite feeling of natural, elemental power and ‘earthiness’. The piece from Glencraig at Craigavad, Co. Down, was a multi-textured and colourful panorama of well-loved landmarks in Northern Ireland, including Scrabo Tower, Strangford Lough and the yellow cranes of Harland & Wolff in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. A particular joy of this piece was that over all was the night sky, full of sparkling stars!
View across the Liffey to Ormond Quay, Dublin.
very striking picture of the community including the original Brookfield House, surmounted by a rainbow and with a tiny cheeky leprechaun at the window. A duck with real feathers and a cow made of wood were special features, along with some large and richly coloured felted flowers and a very unusual and striking thick, heavy natural branch used as the hanging rod. Louise Hardman contributed an exquisite piece of fine weaving, incorporating ethereally light and transparent white threads which gradually thickened and darkened further down through heavier natural fibres even including fine twigs, with soft and fleecy ‘lambs-tails’ at the bottom, all in the subtlest of natural shades. A stunning piece of art. From Mourne Grange at Kilkeel, South Down, came a beautiful depiction of Mourne Grange House with white walls, black roof and striking red door, against the backdrop of the Mourne Mountains in shades of deep violet and blue. The trees in the picture were also created with the greatest artistry to give a finely-detailed and textured foliage effect. This piece included one of the most popular images of the entire exhibition - two friends sitting on a bench with their backs to the observer, admiring the view of house and mountains in a very effective scene of relaxed companionship. From Co. Monaghan, Ballybay’s exhibit depicted three friends in a bright landscape illuminated by an intensely hot and vibrant red and orange sun formed out of - crochet!
Greenacres in Dublin had thoroughly explored the theme of their relationship to the physical and social environment and the finished panel was a kind of picture-map of Dublin, the coastline, and the community’s place in the environment using six different techniques and incorporating ceramics in the picture. Mary Balmer, a long-term resident villager Among the important details shown were in Glencraig, contributed a small but the church, the bus and the pub! striking felted picture of a bird in a tree, alongside a felted image of a water-sprite Duffcarrig Community at Gorey, Co. and a swan by her friend Andrea Flack Wexford, created a wonderfully who now lives in Stroud. When she visits atmospheric vision of their community, Andrea, they often spend time felting full of the rich green of Ireland, fields with together, with beautiful results. A striking sheep and vegetables, an outdoor meal by feature of Andrea’s piece is that the swan a traditional house and farm, and the is made of beaten copper! dazzling vista of the sunlit sea beyond From Clanabogan, Co. Tyrone, came a
their own beach. One of Duffcarrig’s
Spring 2016
Left - Right: Dublin Civic Offices on Wood Quay. Co-workers from Grangemockler visiting the exhibition in Dublin.
To complete the picture, Mountshannon Community in Co. Clare contributed a deceptively simple piece of pure weaving in which the theme is that of the colours of Ireland. Together they focused on the colours living in their immediate environment and endeavoured to include them all in the weave. To achieve this they made use of Irish, Scottish and English wool, fleece from County Clare and Dingle, Avoca off-cuts, old T-shirts and at last they found the one remaining colour which had eluded them, a pale lilac, in an old sock!
On 30th December the exhibition once again travelled by ship across the longest residents, Madeline, has always beads forming a picture of Castalia Hall Irish Sea, from Rosslare to Pembroke, been fully involved in the weavery and in with light shining from the windows. on one of the stormiest days and most all aspects of the life of the community mountainous seas of the year. Having and it was her suggestion to add a red boat Grangemockler Community in survived the crossing it was displayed for with white sail to the seascape. A Senior Templemichael, Carrick-on-Suir, followed the first two weeks of January in Stroud’s Fellow in the History of Art who visited the trend for rich, earthy textures and Museum in the Park, before moving on the exhibition in Oxford said “That’s colours with another picture-map showing to St-Prex in Switzerland. You can see all exactly what Turner would have done!” the houses and road, workshops, animals information and pictures of the tour and birds and many other detailed in 2015 and also follow its further Camphill Kyle’s contribution was features of the community, with the progress internationally in 2016 at remarkable for the fact that almost all of foothills of Slievenamon in the www.camphillfoundation.net it was composed of waste materials, using background. The piece comprises knitting, Facebook/camphill-foundation-uk-ireland recycled off-cuts from the edges of rugs felting, weaving and embroidery. made in commercial weaving. The World Wide Weave Exhibition This made an absolutely stunning and The Bridge Community at Kilcullen, Co. continues to impress, thrill and move vibrant background for a delightful green Kildare has developed a wonderful Nature visitors wherever it goes. They are deeply felted picture-map of the community, Trail on their grounds on the bank of the inspired by the artistic achievements showing all the houses and a vegetable River Liffey, which is open to the public. and the quality of community building in garden, reminiscent of the style of Paul They made this the centrepiece of their Camphill that they perceive through the Klee. This image was chosen as the cover tapestry which is a beautiful semi-abstract exhibits, including the accompanying text for the Exhibition Catalogue (2000 copies) vision of deep blues, greens and purples and photos. The three months in Scotland and used in many of the publicity posters. and a marvellously ghostly and evocative and three months in Ireland were an floating moon crafted from fleece from the unforgettably rich period of encounter, Ballytobin Community produced a striking community’s own sheep. This is another sharing, friendship, co-operation and piece composed of deep blue inkle-loom piece which is almost wholly composed celebration in the spirit of Camphill. strips framing a central panel of 6080 of recycled materials, in this case mill individually threaded blue and yellow selvedge-ends and blanket ends. Peter Bateson, Exhibition Curator
WHERE IS THE EXHIBITION GOING NEXT? SWITZERLAND 21st January - 14th February Salle Araucaria Chemin du Penguey 1162 St-Prex
CANADA 6th - 24th April Collier Street United Church 112 Collier Street Barrie Ontario
UNITED STATES 50th Anniversary of Camphill in North America 28th April Tribeca Three Sixty 10 Desbrosses Street New York, New York 4th - 16th May Solaris Centre for Social Arts 360 Warren Street Hudson, New York 1st June - 6th July The Lincoln Galleries Historic Yellow Springs 1685 Art School Road Chester Springs Pennsylvania July Philadelphia (to be confirmed)
NORWAY August - September Trondheim Oslo (50th Anniversary of Camphill in Norway)
FINLAND 16 - 30th November Pasila Library (Pasilan Kirjasto) Kellosilta 9 Helsinki
SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town (to be confirmed)
From Top (Clockwise): Castalia Hall, Ballytobin. Exhibition Opening in Ballytobin. The exhibition filled Castalia Hall’s circular balcony. www.camphill.org.uk
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SCOTTISH REGION NEW LANARK CONFERENCE:
SHAPING OUR WORLD THROUGH SELF-EXPRESSION 24-26 May 2016 Have you seen a copy of the programme for this year’s New Lanark Conference? Our ‘standard read’ programme is hot off the press, and has been distributed widely by post and email across the globe. An ‘easy read’ version of the programme will follow shortly, so please let us know if you would like to receive a copy. The theme for 2016 is ‘Shaping Our World Through Self-Expression’. We want to discover ways in which communities are able to support individual self-expression whilst also creating a deep sense of group belonging. The conference will provide a safe, nurturing and inspiring space to explore the challenges and opportunities involved in achieving this
NEWTON DEE’S GOT TALENT
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balance. The Anthroposophical Society will open the conference and we are also pleased to welcome some new organisations and contributors along with well-loved favourites. We hope the wide range of seminars, workshops and plenaries will enable meaningful participation from everyone and will inspire our individual and collective exploration of the theme. Some workshops have limited numbers, and rooms at the New Lanark Hotel always sell out quickly, so we recommend booking early! For more information, please contact jennifer@camphillscotland.org.uk or visit our conference website: www.book.shsc.scot/newlanark.
NEWTON DEE ADVENT SALE
Spring 2016
DISCOVERING CAMPHILL COURSE The first workshop will be held at the Camphill School Aberdeen on Tuesday the 8th of March from 9.45 am till 4.pm (exact venue to be confirmed at a later date). The focus of the day will be ‘Discovering the Camphill Community’ Program 9.45am - 10.15am: Arrival, refreshments and introductions 10.15am - 11.00am: Creative activity
CAMPHILL DIALOGUE 2017
Dialogue 2014/Soltane/USA.
11.30am - 11.45am: Refreshments 11.45am-1.00pm: Discussions in groups on aspects of the Three Essentials of Camphill. 1.00pm -1.45pm: Lunch
Camphill Dialogue 2017 is just a year away. What is Camphill Dialogue? Camphill Dialogue is the international conference for Camphill Communities and Board members. Dialogue is an important event for the world wide Camphill movement. It is a time when the Communities and the charitable boards come together to discuss current issues of governance. It is an opportunity for external trustees and board members to learn about the ethos of Camphill and a space in which the Communities can share their experiences of living and working with the Camphill ethos. Above all else Dialogue enables board members and others involved in governance to find the familiar, the commonality across the Camphill movement while appreciating the diversity of Camphill life. When is Camphill Dialogue? Dialogue is held every three years. The next Camphill Dialogue will be held from 24th May until 28th May 2017. Please share this date and put it in your diaries. Were will it be held in 2017? Dialogue will be hosted by the Scottish Region of the Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland. The conference will be located in the Aberdeen area. The Camphill movement was started in the Aberdeen area over 75 years ago and there will be opportunities to visit a number of key locations from Camphill history.
www.camphill.org.uk
Key themes for Dialogue in 2017 The working title is “Camphill in 2017” and it is the intention to further develop some of the thoughts and ideas that arose from Dialogue in 2014. Namely: - Ethos: How does the Camphill ethos, in its various manifestations find expression across the movement in 2017? What is our ethos? How does it live and grow? - Personalisation: The dynamic between personalisation and shared living; shared living and Camphill Community models into the future. - Community and Charity: Working towards resolving the creative dichotomy between perceptions of Community and perceptions of Law. How can our intention towards Community be best supported by legal frameworks? What work do we need to do to ensure that our needs as intentional Communities are met? What work is required in helping to form appropriate external support structures? The outcomes that the Scottish Region have identified are: - To deepen the understanding of what Camphill and the Camphill Community is – in particular for trustees and boards. - To create meaningful dialogue between Communities and their supporters including boards/that something should live in the Neighbourhood/Regions.
11.00am - 11.30am: Introduction to the history and essentials of the Camphill community by Angelika Monteux
1.45pm - 2.45pm: Tour of Camphill Estate Who is Dialogue for? Everyone is welcome to attend Dialogue. The focus of Dialogue is governance and so Dialogue is particularly relevant to board members and others engaged in governance including Co-workers and employees. What next? The preparation group is busy developing a programme of speakers and events. The format of the conference will be highly interactive with some very engaging speakers hoping to participate. If you have something that you would like to share, an idea for a speaker or a view on what is important to Camphill today and in the future then the preparation group would like to here from you. You can contact the preparation group by emailing dialogue2017@camphilltac.org.uk or by writing to: Dialogue 2017, C/O Tom Marx, 4 Craigton Crescent, Peterculter, Aberdeen. AB14 0SB
2.45pm - 3.45pm: Introduction to the meaning of the cultural life and festivals in Camphill by Vibeke Alfred followed by activities and discussion (Chris Walter) 3.45pm - 4.00pm: Conclusion of the day by reviewing and looking forward Preparation Please read the part on ‘The Three Essentials of Camphill’ by Karl Koenig - in ‘A Candle on the Hill’ edited by Carlo Pietzner (1990) pages 27-35. If this book is not available in your community, please let Vibeke Alfred know v.alfred@crss.org.uk Looking forward to starting this new venture of learning together in Camphill Scotland. With best wishes from the preparation group Chris, Angelika, Sophia and Vibeke. To book places on this course please e-mail sandra@camphillblairdrummond.org.uk by 15th February 2016.
- To create possibilities for inspiration/light bulb moments.
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FAMILIES & FRIENDS IS THIS THE END FOR THE NEW LANARK CONFERENCE? The bi-annual New Lanark conference brings together co-workers and participants from Camphill and Garvald communities from across the world to talk about community building and social renewal from an Anthroposophical perspective. In this sense, it is quite unique, and we are told that co-workers leave feeling refreshed and renewed, that participants talk about the conference for years afterwards, and that co-workers are frequently surprised by participants who suddenly unearth a new practical or social skill. Responsibility for planning the conference has changed hands a number of times over the years, and it is now time for Camphill Scotland to hand the reins over to a new group. A small team from Garvald and Camphill Families and Friends, supported by Camphill Scotland, are working together to secure the future of the conference, and they would love your support!
Can you spare some time to join the team? Can you provide evidence about why this conference is important to your community? Can you help with funding or fund-raising? If this conference is important to you and your community, please contact jennifer@camphillscotland.org.uk to discuss what you can do to help to secure its future. Jennifer Leiper
Garvald and Camphill Families and Friends Group with Jen.
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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES - DISCOVERING CAMPHILL As in life, our communities are constantly changing and evolving. It is important therefore to celebrate our roots; what inspires and informs our work and how our communities make a unique contribution to education and adult support. Equally, it is important to embrace change and to reflect constantly on how our work continues to have relevance in the current care climate. The group has taken account of the The programme will explore anthroposophy comments made as part of the initial and social pedagogy and will aim to link survey on cultural learning within communities and is devising a programme both philosophies in a practical way to our which we hope will plug some of the gaps work on a day to day basis. identified, as well as offer opportunities A more detailed programme will follow as for people from across communities to come together to learn from one another. we develop the content for the three days. In the meantime, please put these dates Following on from our discussions at the Scottish Neighbourhood meetings, I am pleased to advise that the group tasked with taking forward a programme of learning and development focusing on the Camphill culture and ethos, is developing a programme of events for 2016.
in your diary and let me know by 15th February 2016 how many places you would like to book for the first event; individual names are not important at this stage. Also, can you please give some thought as to numbers for the subsequent events and let me know how many places you would like to book by 30th April 2016. As a FREE event, this is a real opportunity to discover Camphill, learn more about other communities and make links with friends across Scotland. Please e-mail sandra@camphillblairdrummond.org.uk to book places for your community.
Title
Date
Time
Community
Discovering Camphill
Tuesday 8th March
10.00am - 4.00pm
Camphill School, Aberdeen
Camphill & Anthroposophy
Friday 13th May
10.00am - 4.00pm
Loch Arthur
Being Human
Thursday 22nd September
10.00am - 4.00pm
Blair Drummond
BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY We warmly invite you to our Open Meeting on Saturday 23rd April at the Carrs Lane Centre, Birmingham B4 7SX a 5-10 minute walk from New Street Station. What is happening to community living? It seems that meaningful community building and life-sharing are becoming increasingly difficult. Does this have to be so? There are other models which offer different ways to build the rich and satisfying lives that Camphill pioneered, and which became so much more than the standard “care” model required by local authorities. We are keen to explore with you innovative approaches to community building and life-sharing. Two of our three speakers will describe their experience of how their communities are evolving whilst maintaining the essence of authentic community. John Sargent is a member of L’Arche in Preston and serves as the National Leader for L’Arche in the UK. In L’Arche communities people with and without learning disabilities share life together. The communities are diverse networks with mutual relationships and trust in God at their heart, and this echoes much of Camphill’s original impulse. John will tell us about how they have developed.
Tim Woodward will talk about Sturts Farm, a Camphill community in Dorset, and especially their development of Co-housing. This new model brings in people from different walks of life, who in turn contribute to the life of the community.
Agenda 10.30am Coffee and gathering 11.00am Presentations by John Sargent & Tim Woodward followed by questions 12.30pm Lunch 1.15pm Jacquie Spencer: Having a role in your community: How do the people being supported contribute and feel valued? 2.00pm Discussion of developments and matters relevant to families 3.30pm Close
Jacquie Spencer is a CFF trustee and an experienced Camphill social worker. She will discuss the part our relatives play in building community. It would be a great pleasure to see those of you who haven’t yet been to any of our meetings. There will be time to catch up with old friends and to make new acquaintances over coffee and lunch.
Members: Attendance free, lunch cost £12 (including coffee) Non-members: Attendance £15, lunch cost £12 (including coffee) (Non-members may join CFF at door) Please book lunch in advance to help with numbers for catering but pay on the day. Please mail or email: Annie Singleton, 45 Lancaster Park, Richmond, TW10 6AD info@camphillfamiliesandfriends.com Including: name(s), numbers for lunch , which community you are connected to, email address and mobile number.
Spring 2016
ASSOCIATION MATTERS CHAIR OF THE ASSOCIATION It has once again been another very eventful few months as Chair of the Association of Camphill Communities. As an Association we were very keen to address the issue of the relevance of associative working between the Camphill Communities in the United Kingdom and Ireland at a time when ‘change and transition’ are affecting most of the Camphill Communities in different ways and to different degrees. As we know this has led to a process of evolution for many communities as each place has faced its own particular challenges. The Association now represents a very rich diversity of Camphill Communities which now come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with very different staffing models, management models and ways of working. Following a turbulent time for many of our member communities an EGM of the AoCC was held in December 2014. One very significant outcome of that meeting was that each member Community was asked to confirm to the Annual Assembly held in May 2015 at Camphill Milton Keynes their clear intention to continue to strive towards remaining a Camphill Community, including their desire to continue to uphold the founding principles of Camphill together with the aims and objectives as set out in the AoCC Memorandum and Articles of Association. In order to prepare for the Annual Assembly, each Community was asked to undergo a process of self-reflection and evaluation and to consider the following questions: • How is the Community represented and practically present in your place? • How do you uphold the current objects and principles of Membership of the Association? • Is there a desire to uphold those objects and principles? • Do you feel that you are striving to uphold those objects and principles? • If you are no longer able to uphold those objects and principles, what principles are you working to uphold? • What form of Association would best represent your interests? A small number of Camphill Places chose to withdraw from the Association at this point, but the willingness of the vast majority of Camphill Communities to enter into this process and the answers www.camphill.org.uk
that they gave led to a very positive gathering at the Annual Assembly. This has given the Association a solid foundation to be able to move forward and provide a platform for associative working into the future. The responses to the self-evaluation were very interesting and of course reflected the challenges that many communities face today. However, it was clear that even though we no longer have as much in common with each other as we did in the past, a “spectrum” of Camphill communities has developed - ranging from what might be considered a very traditional community forms to a re-envisioning of Camphill values in practice. We do at least share a common heritage and looking ahead, an acceptance that every member Communities has a sense of connection and responsibility for the others.
constitution to replace the current memorandum and Articles to present to the membership which, if accepted will have at its heart a continued commitment to the development of social forms based on the principles outlined by Rudolf Steiner as well as the intention to work together for the common cause of building community and a commitment to work together in productive collaboration for the well being and development of Community.
One clear outcome from the AGM was the affirmation that the member of the Association has always been the “Community” and not the “Charity” and that this should continue. Traditionally Camphill has been represented by the existence of the Community, a Community that is underpinned by a Charity whose trustees have supported the maintenance and development of the Community. The nature of community is also changing Having accepted the diversity in how each Camphill Community presents itself in some settings and is described as today, it follows that any attempt to define encompassing staff, volunteers, beneficiaries and others – however it is the essence of what a Camphill “tangible” in some way and remains Community is, or should be, is now very distinct from the charity. The charity difficult to achieve. However, in looking makes available the resources to carry at the responses from the Communities, out its activity, be they buildings, I saw two interesting threads emerging. people and finance. The community The first was being able to recognise in the when it works well should then be able to manage and deliver the “service” on Camphill place, the presence what I will call “the “being of Camphill”. This “being” behalf of the charity. is difficult to describe in words – but for However, like many people I believe that me it is a sense that there is something, associative working is at the heart of what almost tangible as if it were a being that it means to be a Camphill Community. says to me, “this is a Camphill I see that we have a responsibility to each Community”. This being might still be other and ultimately Camphill is about present because of a lot of work having Community building. It takes an happened in the past, but it continues to enormous amount of effort to maintain live because there are people there today or to grow and develop our Camphill ethos that are actively carrying an impulse – regardless if we are part of a co-worker call it the “Camphill impulse”. They carry led community or one where a lot of this in their practical work or in their people are employed. Ultimately it cultural work or their spiritual work depends on the will of those engaged to together. This impulse is centred on feel themselves responsible and to work recognising the unique contribution that towards the building of a Community that each person can make in the world, is strong enough to carry out the and is built up over time through the expectations that the Charity trustees contribution each person is able to make ask of those who are responsible for the to the lives of others in the Community. Community to fulfil on its behalf. As we have seen in England when the That led to the second thread, the intention to build community. I see this as relationship between the Charity and the Community breaks down there is the the shared commitment to the fulfilment of the individual through the working life potential for real strife. and a diversity of mutual relationships With this in mind, an important focus of and activities which create authentic the work of the AoCC for the past year social integration. This happens within the context where everyone is working for has been in helping each Camphill place to understand the importance on working the other, and working together to create on the relationship between a Camphill or build community. Community and its supporting charity and helping each party to understand the The Association Coordinators are expectations and obligations that have to currently working on finalising a draft
be appropriately managed. The AoCC also recognise that even though its membership is made up of Camphill Communities, through them it represents the interests of a wider group of stakeholders that feel themselves part of the Community as well. Whilst it has been necessary over the past two years to be very concerned with issues around the status of co-workers, we also recognise that this may not be the major concern for those people that are supported to live as part of our communities or their family members. Whilst many would wish to support the continued vocational co-worker’s role in community leadership and activity, their prime concern is most likely not how workers are to be remunerated or what their employment status will be, but on the continued provision of high quality care and support and the and the future sustainability of authentic communities which are able to meet the needs of everyone who is part of them. It takes an enormous amount of effort to maintain or to grow and develop our “Camphill Community ethos”, no matter if it is a co-worker managed community or one where a lot of people are employed. Ultimately it depends on the will of those engaged to do it. The Association and its coordinators are very clear that a clear focus of protecting the interests of our members is supporting them in Camphill Community building. This leads me to the theme for our AGM which we hope to soon confirm will be held on the 3rd and 4th June 2015 in Milton Keynes. We have settled on the theme “Who is Community?” and hope to be able to welcome a wide group of participants who live in, who work in, or who support a Camphill Community to an event that we intend will have conversation spaces and activities to enable the men and women who are supported to live in our Communities to take a full part. Dave Mitchell
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NEXT TIME IN PAGES... Summer - Autumn 2016
We shall have more details of Camphill Dialogue 2017 to be held at Aberdeen, The Report from The New Lanark Conference held in May and it’s future plans, plus news and events from members of The Association of Camphill Communities throughout the summer. Make sure you get a copy by email or post...
THANK YOU! Glenn Aitken
Glenn Aitken retired from the Camphill Northern Ireland PR Office and Pages Coordinating Group, where he was a founding member, at the end of last year. Insightful contributions about the life and approach of Camphill were always encouraged from contributors and we wish him a full and happy retirement.
RHYTHMS IN HISTORY: KARL KÖNIG’S 50TH DEATH DAY Marking His Death Day Easter Sunday 2016 Can you remember 1966? Just think of the first 3 months of that year: the terrible fights in African countries; particularly Ghana, Nigeria and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and the Muslim uprising around Sudan. Malaysia was almost out of control and President Johnson was responsible for the escalation in Vietnam. The Pakistani-Indian peace-treaty was successful, but the Indian Prime-Minister died the day after and Indira Gandhi was elected. The Russian ‘Luna’ capsule performed the first landing on the moon and John Lennon announced that the ‘Beatles’ were more popular than Jesus. Those were the days! And these were the last months of Karl König’s life. During that time he travelled from his new home of Camphill at the Lake of Constance: it was his last visit to Scotland, where he lectured in January and February about reincarnation and destiny, took part in a conference about crafts in the village communities, and consciously said farewell to the birthplace of Camphill; particularly to Camphill Hall. For a talk about Rudolf Steiner’s birthday he was back at the Lake. March was a full tour, lecturing and seeing children with problems in Wiesbaden, Mainz, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe (birth place of Kaspar Hauser++) and at Pforzheim. There he also talked about birth and death. Taking up the destiny which he wanted so dearly to resolve, he then visited Dornach,
where his lecturing had begun under Ita Wegman’s+ guidance 39 years previously. Here he had important talks with the Council of the Anthroposophical Society and with the Medical Section, going then to nearby Freiburg for a course on embryology, the subject that had led him to anthroposophy, to Ita Wegman, who in turn led him to the experience of his “future task” with special needs people.* Returning to Brachenreuthe, König gave his last lecture about ‘The Three Phases of Birth of the Human Being’ on March 17 before going to the hospital in Überlingen, overlooking the Lake of Constance he loved so much. He died there on March 27, 1966. What a rounding off of this special biography! This Easter will therefore be the 50th anniversary of his death. How often does that date fall on an Easter Sunday I wondered! It seems that this has only happened once since 1966 (2005) and won‘t happen again until the middle of the next century! But how the world had changed from the time König’s outset in 1938, when he inspired a whole youth group in Vienna to take “a seed” of the Good and plant it in safe earth, that after the horrific cloud had passed, this little plant could share some of its blossoms and fruits to a world striving for new and higher values. So many idealistic young people have joined that cause since - two generations; and still not all the clouds have passed. He knew that
Camphill has a long lasting task towards the future. And today much reminds us of ‘66 and even of ‘38 while we still hope for the sun of morality, freedom and real globality. It seems fitting that this year we can present König’s work on The Grail and the Development of Conscience a theme that was very close to his heart, describing St. Paul in connection to the Grail and how anthroposophy is a continuation of the Grail quest in our time - a community task that he wanted the Camphill Movement to nurture. And it calls up our own conscience as those responsible for the future. I’m sure you will see how timely this volume comes! This is the 16th volume of the Karl König Edition. Have you read them all yet? * Hence the title “My Task” for the book about his life and work. + Dr Ita Wegman MD is known as the co-founder of Anthroposophical Medicine with Rudolf Steiner in 1921, she founded the first anthroposophical medical clinic in Arlesheim near Basle Switzerland, now known as the Ita Wegman Clinic. ++ K asper Hauser: The mysterious circumstances surrounding the life and death of Kasper Hauser still raises questions. Who was this young man who spent the whole of his childhood in isolation locked in a dungeon it is claimed? Was he a rightful heir to the German Baden throne?
Richard Steel, Karl König Institute www.karl-koenig-institute.net
A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH FROM THE CAMPHILL RESEARCH NETWORK Assessing The Value of Equine Assisted Therapy in Camphill A request was received by Karen McArdle from the Camphill Riding School Support Group to discuss the possibilities of participating in research at Camphill to access the value of equine assisted therapy to participants in a developmental context. Equine assisted therapy is offered to a range of children and young people, ranging from 7 to 20 years of age. This research study concerns children with additional support needs, who are teenagers. The children were characteristically autistic. The purpose of the study from a Camphill perspective was to assess the value of equine assisted therapy as one of a range of therapies provided. The research would provide the foundations for exploring decisions concerning whether to extend the service to other users and also would provide feedback on the impact of equine activities on the individual child/teenager in developmental terms. www.camphillresearch.com
camphill pages editorial group representatives:
published by:
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The Association of Camphill Communities UK and Ireland.
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