Centre for Imagination Igniting Minds and Pursuing Passions

Jamie Williams

Life at the Centre for Imagination has been busy over the past 12 months! Our beautiful new building is bustling with life and has allowed us to cultivate an inviting, welcoming space where creativity, community, and self-reflection can flourish. We have learned from our experiences during the pandemic, expanding our programming by joining in-person activities with livestream and hybrid technologies that allow us to connect with Woodstockers around the world. As we grow, we have focused on listening to the interests and needs of the community in order to build upon our three foundational pillars: CFI is 1) an interdisciplinary hub, acting as an incubator and accelerator for projects that do not fit neatly into existing school structures; 2) a collaborative meeting space for the worldwide Woodstock family; and 3) a window to the world where we offer exposure to inspiring new ideas and opportunities.

Over the past year CFI has had the opportunity to include students, staff, and alumni as both speakers and guests at a variety of events. Our annual Festival of Ideas is a showcase for interdisciplinary exhibitions from across the school, including Theory of Knowledge and

Creativity-Activity-Service projects from our IB curriculum, science fairs, service learning, performances, virtual reality, and more. We help develop student-led initiatives, providing time, space, and resources for activities ranging from social advocacy to environmentalism and entrepreneurship. Our student interns are empowered to engage deeply with CFI programming, learning through doing in the areas of their interest such as event planning, communications and graphic design, healthy food creation, greenhouse management, and early childhood development. We work with staff members to bring their creative ideas to life, hosting events including Music Nights with an all-staff band, sharing sessions on Innovative Teaching Practices, and a staff book club (we’re currently reading A House Called Askival, by Woodstock alumna Merryn Glover ’87).

One of our most cherished collaborations is with the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office, as we work together to provide opportunities for former Woodstock students and staff to share their experience and expertise with the community. We have been fortunate to engage with alumni across the generations on a wide variety of topics, including historical art, international relations, self-publishing, environmental advocacy, developments in cryptocurrency, and exciting finds from the Woodstock archives. Together with the Woodstock alumni-led organization Art for Change, we hosted an Alumni Artist Residency in May, connecting alumni artists with current students in workshops and open-studio sessions. Our new series, Tiger Tales, highlights stories from the school in years past and reminds us of the rich legacy Woodstockers share.

We have exciting plans for the future! In the coming year, keep an eye out for innovative projects from our students, staff, and alumni partners, including a collaboration with the Living Waters Museum, directed by Sara Ahmed ’81; new forms of engagement with our Scholars for Peace program; a retrospective on the CFI building, formerly known as Tafton House, with Mark Windsor ’78; a staff residence composting project; and much, much more. You can stay in touch with all that’s going on at CFI through the Woodstock Alumni and CFI social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook and can watch our livestreamed events on the Woodstock YouTube channel. We’d love to brainstorm exciting new ways for you to get involved with student and staff activities at CFI, so please reach out – we'd love to hear from you!