Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning Dynamic Courses, Books, Resources and Tours for Healthy Groups, People and Culture with Robin Clayfield
Robin recently completed a massive five week teaching and facilitation journey in Victoria, timed around an invitation to present at ‘Rainbow Serpent Festival’ and also enabling her to present at ‘Sustainable Living Festival’ and display her relevant books and resources there while helping out in the Edible Garden Area.
‘Rainbow Serpent Festival’ was a fantastic and wildly different event which mostly catered to young people out to dance and party hard. The more recently introduced ‘Lifestyle Village’ area opens the festival to a wider more conscious audience which is where Robin was invited in to be part of. It’s replete with a visionary art gallery, two ephemeral temple spaces, a small and a quite large presentation and workshop venue as well as a Permaculture garden area, Indigenous village, free healing and massage zone and children’s area. Robin presented two workshops on Permaculture design and Social Permaculture and was the only woman and only Australian on a five person panel which explored ‘Future Thinkers – What Comes Next for the World?’ as the culminating presentation of this years Lifestyle Village. In amongst fiery debate and strong masculine presence Robin held her own and brought a balanced, informative and much needed nurturing touch to the panel of international speakers and brought Permaculture and other important streams forward passionately. 
A full house welcomed Robin to present her ‘Social Permaculture’ one day workshop for several Transition Towns groups, organized by Julie French and Transition Banyule. Great feedback was received and Robin enjoyed meeting and working with the group very much.
Robin swapped hats for three days and became a student while being hosted by her dear friend and training assessor Virginia Solomon. She spent much of the time documenting everything she could manage to prove her competency in 11 Diploma of Permaculture units to show RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning).
Next up was a ‘Dynamic Decision Making’ one day workshop and a six day ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ course up in the Dandenong’s at Telopea Mt Permaculture hosted and organized by Pete the Permie and Sylvia on their Heritage Fruits farm, nursery and teaching site. Wow! What an amazing example of Permaculture in practice and bringing Permaculture right into the heart of Social Enterprise with a goodly dash of Spirit Care on the side and many tasty farm treats for the satisfaction of all.
A highlight of the ‘Dynamic Groups’ course was having two gentlemen over 70 in the group and a diversity of mature women mixed with more youthful energy. Also, witnessing Pete’s naturally supportive way of applying ‘Natural Succession’ in a Social Permaculture sense through mentoring and active encouragement with many opportunities for his students, supporting the next generation of teachers in his area. Brilliantly done. Visit Telopea Mt Permaculture website by clicking here
Robin’s presentation at SLF (Sustainable Living Festival) was next to Federation Square, on the banks of the Yarra River. It was very well received and attended by founding members of both Common Ground and Moora Moora Communities as well as Murundaka Co-housing members. Titled ‘Seeds For Change – Social Permaculture’ with the subtitle ‘Permaculture, Social Design and the Environment, ‘The Shed’ was the perfect venue and allowed Robin to turn it into a socially designed space, in a circle with rotating rings so most people could see and interact with each other in the creatively facilitated session. Click here for more about session & SLF
Melbourne Permaculture business wizz and mentor Ed Walter whisked Robin away at the end of the festival to drive her, and all her luggage and left over books and resources, to her next engagement, a guest teaching spot in David Holmgren’s PDC at Rocklyn Ashram near Creswick and Hepburn. Ian Lillington extended the invitation and Robin jumped at the opportunity of presenting on ‘Health and Spiritual Well Being’ in a Permaculture course, this topic being one of the domains in David’s much revered book ‘Permaculture Principles – Pathways Beyond Sustainability’. The peace and tranquillity of the gardens, buildings and the residents made a perfect setting for the course and Robin’s visit was timely, well received and inspiring to many.
After a few days visiting family in Western Victoria Robin completed her journey with three restful and lovely days catching up with Permaculture friend Wendy Marchment in Geelong where she got to visit a community garden, a recycled shipping container café and spend a little time with Wendy supporting Robin’s work on her new book.
All in all a fantastic, fruitful and richly satisfying adventure.
Robin would like to thank all her hosts, the organisers of her courses, workshops and presentations, those who drive her around and showed many kindnesses, friends old and new, the participants in all her sessions and all who bought her books and resources. THANK YOU 🙂 It is through your support and the shared journey that we all make together that social enterprises like Robin’s are able to grow and evolve and support our beautiful world.
