Fuse 2024 Workshops
A choice of workshops developing our theme: The Power of Story + Song.
Everyday Rituals
Workshop led by Sue Sinnamon. We will reflect on the ways we bring rituals into our lives. Rituals reflect the sacred in the ordinary ways we live and they connect us with our selves, with others, with nature and our spirits. We will explore the elements of ritual, the places in our current lives where we employ rituals and how to recognise and create meaningful rituals for our individual lives and for our communities.
Saturday 11.15am-12.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Graphic visual storytelling as spiritual practice
Led by Eleanor Chiari. A good story often starts with an obstacle, and creativity can allow the unexpected and the mystical to unfold. This workshop will introduce participants to simple drawing techniques to access the hidden song humming gently within. Gentle prompts and creative ‘obstructions’ will help you tell your deeper story. Sharing will be encouraged but optional and no previous drawing experience is necessary. Maximum 20 participants.
Saturday 11.15am-12.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Unravelling the Mystery
Creation Stories in different faiths.
Workshop led by CJ McGregor. The perception of the world in every religion is unique,
and so is the story of how the world came into being. Various spiritual, theological, philosophical, and scientific explanations have been put forward to unravel the mystery of the world’s creation. We’ll be exploring these stories.
Saturday 11.15am-12.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Stories about Stories
Workshop led by Jacqueline Woodman. From ancient oral traditions to written stories from world faiths, we’ll explore how stories have evolved in the re-telling, providing rich spiritual nourishment for communities as they encounter the challenges of an ever-changing world. While the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions have complex and overlapping stories, some derived from the animist and pagan civilizations, the secular world has its own modern re-imagining and re-telling of stories buried deep in the human psyche.
Saturday 2.15-3.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Attending to Our Life Stories
Attention changes what… comes into being for us. In that way, it changes the world.
Iain McGilchrist
Workshop led by Heather-Jane Ozanne. The collage of our lives and journeys of faith are woven from many strands. Taking time to attend to our life stories with humility and compassion, and becoming more conscious of the many strands, can help us tap into our inner reserves of wisdom, and approach life with greater ease, confidence and agency.
Saturday 2.15-3.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Embodied Meditation
Led by Richard Bober, Lizzie Kingston Harrison, Rob Oulton, and Sheena Gabriel (who facilitate weekly 'Together in Meditation’ sessions online.). For some, meditation offers insight and tranquillity, whereas others can find sitting in meditation challenging. Embodied practices offer alternative ways to help cultivate calm and self-compassion. This workshop offers tasters in such practices as walking meditation, body scan, prayer/meditation beads and therapeutic tapping.
Saturday 2.15-3.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Come Circle Dancing!
Workshop led by Michael Allured. Circle dance, an ancient tradition in many cultures, is the oldest known dance formation. It’s an important tradition for marking special occasions and strengthening community. We’ve been circle dancing at Golders Green Unitarians since the 1980s as we mark the passing of the year. Circle dance is choreographed to different styles, can be fast or more meditative and mixes traditional folk dances with contemporary sources. We’ll have a chance to learn 8 to 10 dances around a centrepiece created for the occasion.
Saturday 4.15-5.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Nature Bathing
Led by Sarah Tinker. A simple experience of being in nature’s greenery, appreciating the Friary grounds, finding calm and stillness in the presence of living beings with a different pace of life to our own. Based on the ‘Forest Bathing’ concept from Japan, using mindfulness relaxation and breathing, this session aims to restore our spirits and soothe bodies and minds. We'll also gain ideas for simple outdoor activities that could be used in our congregations.
Saturday 4.15-5.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Share your Story-Songs
Workshop led by Stuart Coupe. Do you know a song which tells a story and which you’d like others to hear? In this session, you can propose a story-song to share, and, if it can be found online, we’ll give it a listen. Stuart will contribute folk/country songs he likes, and he asks participants to contact him beforehand so he can prepare a playlist of their suggestions.
Saturday 4.15-5.45pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Connecting to Nature
Workshop led by Jennifer Sanders. A workshop in the grounds of the Priory to help us connect with nature. Tools will be offered, including mindful walking, cloud watching and tree dating. We’ll use our senses to reconnect ourselves to the natural world. To take part, you need to be able to walk across grass and to sit and get up from the ground. Spaces limited to 15.
Saturday 6-7pm (For Timetable Click Here)
Understanding Jewish Rituals & Traditions
Short talk with Q & A session led by Hanna Yaffe.
Sunday 10.15-11.15am (For Timetable Click Here)
Nature Bathing
Led by Sarah Tinker. A simple experience of being in nature’s greenery, appreciating the Friary grounds, finding calm and stillness in the presence of living beings with a different pace of life to our own. Based on the ‘Forest Bathing’ concept from Japan, using mindfulness relaxation and breathing, this session aims to restore our spirits and soothe bodies and minds. We'll also gain ideas for simple outdoor activities that could be used in our congregations. This is the shorter version of the workshop; the full version will be on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday 10.15-11.15am (For Timetable Click Here)
Please note the programme may be subject to change.