The group at Gaiacraft, an amazing collective of younger, very experienced and motivated Permaculture educators and creatives have spent many. many hours over the last 18 months documenting, filming, writing, editing and distributing some video interviews and crafted magazine articles that grew out of their participation in several courses in the UK in 2015. Robin’s ‘Dynamic Groups’ course and the Social Permaculture course she facilitated with Starhawk, Robina, Looby and Peter were a big part of this. They have been focusing on several Women Pioneers of Social Permaculture and supporting them and the work of Social Permaculture to have more presence in the world. There’s been links to the videos featuring Robin in previous posts and e-newsletters. Now the wonderfully written articles are beginning to appear. Here’s a link to ‘Surfing the New Edge of Permaculture’ which appeared in the International Communities Magazine and featured Robina McCurdy, Rowe Morrow, Looby …

The PermacMed organisation in Spain has invited Robin to offer her full 6 day ‘Dynamic Groups’ Creative Teachers and Facilitators course there in late May. Dates are 28th May to 2nd June. Robin ran a one day introduction to ‘Dynamic Groups’ in August 2015 and everyone there loved it and wanted her to come back and offer the full program. This promises to be a rich and action packed experience offering many diverse and dynamic skills, processes and relevant information. Here’s the link to the PermaMed website page with all the info

A creative teachers and facilitators toolbox obviously gets shrunk to a minimum when flying, catching a bus or train, car pooling or cycling to a venue for work. Robin regularly flies around Australia or overseas to offer her Dynamic Groups course and can’t take her usual van load of resources, library books and instruments that she supplies for her course when she’s offering them within driving distance of her home. So what are the essential things she would pack with a 30kg luggage limit which also needs to include clothes and personal items? 1 x 24 pack of coloured felt pens (ask participants to bring some too) 2 x Red, blue, green. orange, light blue, pink, purple. brown Chisel Point Markers (and ask organiser to supply some as well but they often can’t supply this diversity of colours) A calligraphy pen (for writing on certificates) A DVD marking pen 2 …

Robin will visit England for the third time in May and be back at the Sustainability Centre near Petersfield in Hampshire. She visited there in August 2015 offering her ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ course with Looby Macnamara as the organiser and special guest facilitator. A week later she joined Starhawk, Looby, Robina McCurdy and Peter Cow to offer a five day Social Permaculture workshop. It was a fabulous trip and wonderful experience as part of the pre IPC (International Permaculture Convergence) Course schedule. She also taught an ‘Advanced Permaculture Creative Teachers Facilitation Course’ at Redfields Community with Skye back in 1998 and she’s very happy to return to UK again, this time as part of a seven country ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ tour. The Sustainability Centre education team are hosting her this time and it promises to be a great course. Many thanks to Suz for her great organising. The …

Robin’s and her upcoming course in Germany, hosted by Declan Kennedy, Heidi Winkler and the Education Team at Lebensgarten Steyerberg Ecovillage has received this honouring quote from Declan. “We are really fortunate to be able to host Robin Clayfield’s ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning’ Course for the first time in Germany. She is co-author of ‘Teaching Permaculture Creatively,’ which was hugely influential on the pathway for permaculture teachers in the UK and globally. This course promises to be full to the brim of creativity and empowerment. We look forward to seeing you on the course.” Declan Kennedy – Lebensgarten Steyerberg Ecovillage, Germany Course Dates are 9th to 15th June. Click here to see the course details of the event or Click here to see their website

by Erin Young The Brus Ecovillage ‘Village Development Program’ (VDP) guides 120 people through Ecovillage design education for five weekends over 12 months.  As part of the facilitation team currently bringing this potent curriculum to an enthusiastic group of future Ecovillage residents, it has not only felt natural but also very necessary to utilise ‘Dynamic Groups’ processes to support the content to be fully conveyed and received. Small group work is an effective way to navigate a group of this size to support the intention for robust individual and group engagement.  Grouping processes have been essential, energising, and connective.  The group is invited to mill about each other, sharing smiles and recognition, having them bopping to fun lively music in the background.  They are invited to connect “five right thumbs” to which the group excitingly scurries to create.  They ’are back to milling about as the next instruction comes through. …