Resurgence Festival of Wellbeing

Sat 27 Oct 2018, 10.00-18.00

At Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT

From Economic Growth to Growth in Wellbeing

A sense of wellbeing is what really matters in life. We need a new movement of awareness and action to bring meaning to life and to put community wellbeing at the heart of political and social decision-making. Instead of economic growth, we need growth in wellbeing. The Festival of Wellbeing will explore these ideas - expect inspiring speakers and entertainment.

Speakers, poets and performers include:

Vincent Avanzi: Chief Poetic Officer: Vincent Avanzi is a Chief Poetic Officer, TEDx Inspirational Speaker, globe Trotter and founder of A Human Odyssey - The Ink Of The Future. Former Microsoft manager and author of 5 books including "Harmony and The Genius Spot of Mankind" (a poetic journey into the future), he is also a Journalist for the business newspaper Les Echos, a co-founder of the University of Happiness at Work (UBAT) and a Residential Artist at the Institute for Desirable Future (IFS).>
Hannah Critchlow: Neuroscientist: Hannah Critchlow is a neuroscientist with a grounding in neuropsychiatry. She demystifies the human brain using Radio, TV and Festival platforms. In 2017 Hannah was appointed Outreach Fellow for Magdalene College, Cambridge. In 2014, Hannah was named as a Top 100 UK scientist by the Science Council for her work in science communication. In 2013 she was named as one of Cambridge Universities 'inspirational and successful women in science'. During her PhD she was awarded a Magdalene College, Cambridge University Fellowship and as an undergraduate received three University Prizes as Best Biologist.
Susan Derges: Artist: Susan Derges began her career as a painter working in London and Berlin. In 1980 she moved to Japan where she developed the cameraless approach to photography, for which she became internationally renowned. Cycles of life, death and change are explored through metaphors that borrow from science, nature,psychology and art.
Tom Hodgkinson: Writer and Editor of The Idler: Tom Hodgkinson: Back in 1991, bored to tears by his job, 23 year old journalist Tom Hodgkinson lay on his bed and dreamed of starting a magazine called The Idler. He'd found the title in a collection of essays by Dr Johnson, himself a constitutionally indolent man. How to live, that was the question. How to be free in a world of jobs and debt? And curse this alarm clock.
Satish Kumar: Editor Emeritus, Resurgence & Ecologist: A former Jain monk and long-term peace and environment activist, Satish has been editor-in-chief of Resurgence for over 40 years. Prior to this he was the editor-in-chief of the publication for over 40 years. Satish is the founder of Schumacher College and the Small School, Devon. His autobiography, No Destination, first published by Green Books in 1978, has sold over 50,000 copies.
Oliver Sylvester-Bradley: is a marketing and communications advisor with many years experience in sustainability. Oliver co-founded SolarAid along with colleagues from Solarcentury. He initiated the We Support Solar campaign calling for an effective solar feed-in tariff in the UK. He runs Defacto Design and The Open Co-op which produces an annual two-day conference in London on platform co-ops to encourage the development of open, co-operative organisations which are owned and managed by their members.
William Sieghart: Poetry Pharmacy: William Sieghart is the force behind the Forward poetry prize and a philanthropist who has set up charities to help the homeless and mediate in the Middle East. He is chairman of the Somerset House Trust, was commissioned by the government to review libraries and is an ardent ambassador for poetry. After the publication of his anthology, Winning Words: Inspiring Poems for Everyday Life (2012), he has come up with The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul, a 'self-help book for life, using poetry'.
Singing from Awantika Dubey and William Tooby: Their singing will be based on Indian classical ragas - North Indian classical music. Awantika sings Classical Indian Ragas, Semi-Classical and Bundeli folk songs. She is an exceptional Kathak dancer. She has regularly sung on India radio. Very much inspired by nature, Awantika brings the divine to life. She founded the Awantika Arts Centre for Music and Dance in Khajuraho which she runs with her brother Akash where she trains local and international students. With roots in organic farming, William Tooby trained in eco-facilitation and the Work That Reconnects. He co-founded Transition Malvern and the Fold in Worcestershire.
Louise Chester: Louise first started practising mindfulness in 1994 when she was a Director at UBS Ltd. She found it helped her have balance in her life, while sustaining a pressured career in investment analysis and fund management, ultimately as Head of Research and then Global Head of Telecoms and Media for Dresdner RCM. Louise left the City in 2001 to establish a consultancy practice offering financial and strategic advice to business leaders both in the workplace and at Witherdens Hall, her award-winning, holistic Retreat in Kent. In 2010, she founded Mindfulness at Work Ltd. with the intention of enabling people to easily access highly-effective mindfulness training, to enable them to create value and thrive not just in the workplace, but in all areas of their life.
Mr Gee: Sony award winning Radio Presenter and Poet Mr Gee has been a Spoken Word poet for 20 years. He presented the series 'Bespoken Word', 'Poetic Justice" and 'Rhyme and Reason' on Radio 4 and his poetry has been featured in The Times, The Guardian and the New Statesman. He was also one of the resident poets on Radio 4's 'Saturday Live' and was a featured expert guest on BBC 2's BAFTA winning program 'Poetry in the Margins'. He is perhaps best known as the poet laureate on 'The Russell Brand Radio Show' and has supported the comedian on several world tours. "A charming and politically articulate street poet" - The Times