Getting excited now about the weekend course we’re facilitating at the end of August:
The Map is Not the Territory: an introduction to Appleseed
Friday 28 August 2009 – Monday 31 August 2009
Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre
There’s a fee for this residential weekend, but there’s financial help available if that’s a problem.
The blurb says
The title quotation, which reminds us that words are inadequate to describe an underlying reality, gives us the idea of maps and territories as our theme. We will use a variety of sources – poetry, autobiography, journals, photography and, of course, a host of maps – to explore the nature of interior and exterior landscapes, the interplay of symbols and reality, the experiences of moving on and staying behind. In both our personal and cultural stories we will risk venturing off-map into ‘Here Be Dragons’ territory. We will use the Appleseed process of introductory talks, followed by simple arts-based response activities and worship sharing, as a framework for spiritual and personal exploration.
…which, as we wrote it, is probably a fair indication of what will actually happen 
I wrote about the ‘process’ a while ago:
It’s hard to explain, using writing alone, what ‘the Appleseed process of introductory talks, followed by simple arts-based response activities and worship sharing’ actually is. ‘Gentle, creative self-discovery’ and ’serious play’ are a couple of islands we could put on the blank map. The ‘talk’ bit gives some input, engaging the rational mind and perhaps the emotions. In many settings this would be followed by discussion, questions, debate – which is fine if further intellectual work is the aim. Instead, in Appleseed, participants respond by doing visual things, kindergarten-simple creation using good quality materials -physical, creative, maybe playful, maybe profound. Painting with one’s eyes shut is one example – no-one could do it well, so it can’t be an attempt to do a ‘proper’ painting, but anyone can experience the feeling of the paint flowing on to paper and see the revelation of marks made. (People who don’t do art, including those who were put off at school, can get a lot out of the art/play practice part of Appleseed.)
We ran a similar weekend at Othona West Dorset earlier this year, which was great. I made use of some of the material from this walk then.
This time, we’re adding in an evening magic lantern show about psychogeography, and an optional exploration of the environs of Woodbrooke, its grounds and Selly Oak.
My route ventured near here, way back in October – maybe I’ll wander down to the spot where I headed off towards the southlands, to join things up.
