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Eldership in the Community
A 9 month programme commencing May 2022
​

PLACES AVAILABLE
REGISTER ASAP
What is Eldership?
Why Eldership?
Who is it for?
Open Event - 21 May 2022
Programme Structure
Funding
Core Team
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​"For... communities, and nations to succeed today and survive tomorrow, they must be deeply democratic – that is, everyone and every feeling must be represented. “

- Arnold Mindell
This programme is for those who are seeking to be a force of positive change in the world and who wish to facilitate change within their community's.  The programme has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Emergence Foundation. 
​

What is an elder and what is eldership?


​Our definition of Eldership is informed primarily by Arnold Mindell, the founder of Process Work. It is not based on age or status.  

An elder brings the capacity to hold, with integrity, disparate agendas and life experiences and facilitate those conflicts that are essential to a community's wellbeing.

​Eldership does not aim to provide solutions or quick fixes.  Rather it provides a space where the collective wisdom of the community is given a voice in which to express itself and heal.


"Elders themselves have made the leap from one-sidedness to compassion … eldership grows in part from having experienced the issues yourself, having known yourself as both victim and oppressor.” (Sitting in the Fire, p. 51).

Eldership and leadership?

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"How many times have we wished for wise leaders who are able to not only express themselves well but also make skilful decisions in each moment of their work? How often have we placed hope in a leader, dreaming that they will take the direction we have been waiting for, only to be disappointed by one poor choice or another? Leading skilfully is challenging..." 

Keep reading

Why Eldership in the Community?


According to Imran Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, whilst the pandemic has brought some together, it has also created more division: 
​
“the pandemic has driven all types of movements which are based on protection of identity groups, [identity groups being] those groups people feel kinship to”  (source: Guardian, 19/10/21).  

​These growing divisions and with them the deepening marginalisation of those who find themselves without a voice are according to researchers from Kings College complex in origin and longer in the making than either Brexit or the pandemic.

What we are seeing is the erosion of those spaces in which voices and opinions that we regard as 'other' can be heard and witnessed. Spaces which embody deep democracy enable diversity to be woven into our communities.  If we are to provide our communities with the ability to endure and embrace a world that is undergoing convulsive and rapid changes it is vital that we nurture those spaces.

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Eldership enables an openness to conflicting points of view and the welcoming of all voices with the aim of bringing individuals, organisations and communities together to learn from one another.

Who is the programme for?

  • It is for those who are seeking to learn how to be a positive force for change in the world particularly in their existing community.​​
  • We are interested in engaging people from all walks of life and welcoming and including diverse experiences. ​
  • Those applying are likely to have some prior experience of personal development/growth work.​
Participants from the 2021 pilot programme sharing their experiences.

What will the programme offer?

The programme develops the skills and psycho-spiritual maturity to facilitate conflict, difference and polarisations between and within individuals and communities. 
​

Outcomes:


  • Provide a theoretical and experiential framework for participants to develop a greater awareness and understanding of what separates and divides us as individuals and communities. ​​
  • Encourages and supports awareness of the diversity within us. We all marginalise aspects of ourselves and tend to project those aspects onto people that we see as ‘other’.  By getting to know our own inner diversity, we can move towards encountering individuals as they are rather than letting our unconscious assumptions guide us.​
  • Develop the capacity to hold multiple and often conflicting points of view.​
  • Provide the space for difficult and often seemingly impossible conversations.​​

Saturday, 21 May 2022
​
Open Event: Introducing Eldership in the Community 

Facilitated by: Milan Bijelic

Explores and positions Eldership and its role in the community.

The programme starts with an opportunity to hear how challenges in community have inspired people to step into their eldership.  

​In this session we will be joined (via zoom) by Innocent Musore (Rwanda), Ellis Beardsmore (Scotland, UK), Tanja Radocaj (Belarus),  Vassiliki Katrivanou (Greece) and Tariq Bashir (Yorkshire, UK).  
​
The first half of the day will be open to the wider community particularly those represented by a participant on the Eldership programme.

book tickets via eventbrite

Guest Speakers

Innocent Musore, Peace Building Activist, Founder GER-Rwanda
Ellis Beardsmore, Co-founder: Beyond the Box
Tanja Radocaj, UNICEF Country Representative - Belarus
Vassiliki Katrivanou, Greek Council for Refugees
Tariq Bashir, Dialogue Facilitator, Yorkshire (UK)

Programme Structure
​

Saturday, 11 June and Sunday 12 June 2022
Embodying Eldership (2 days) - more information

Facilitators: Hayley Stevens and Owen Stevens

5 workshops drawing upon Process Oriented Psychology:
​

Saturday, 2 July 2022
​Rank, Power and Privilege (1 day) - more information

Facilitators: Leah Bijelic and Owen Stevens

Sunday, 3 July 2022
​Uncertainty (Eldership beyond the known) (1 day) - more information

Facilitators: Milan Bijelic and Owen Stevens

Saturday, 30 July & Sunday 31 July 2022
​Facilitating our own conflict (2 days) - more information

Facilitators: Leah Bijelic and Milan Bijelic

Saturday, 17 September & Sunday, 18 September 2022
​Connecting inner work with world work (2 days) - more information

Facilitators: Leah Bijelic and Milan Bijelic

Saturday, 19 November & Sunday, 20 November 2022
Groups and facilitation (2 days) - more information

Facilitators: Leah Bijelic and Milan Bijelic

Saturday, 14 January 2023
​
Closing Event
​

This event is also open to others* and is an opportunity for the participants to share their experience(s) of Eldership over the 9 month programme. 

* those who attended the first event will be invited to return and if space is available it will also be open to others from the wider community.

​Facilitators: Core Team

Mentoring and Project
5 x 2.5 hour group mentoring
​

Project: participants will identify an existing challenge - opportunity - conflict in their community that they hope will benefit from their involvement in the Eldership programme. 

The scope of these projects may be Eldership within their family unit, their work space or another community in which they are already involved.  This is not about creating a community project but more about bringing Eldership into community relationships as they currently exist.


Mentoring: participants will work in 4 groups with a facilitator, to explore the practical application of workshop themes to their project.

​Total - 5 mentorship sessions of 2.5 hours each. Dates will be agreed between group members and their facilitator and will be held via zoom.  Facilitated by: core team.



Programme Funding: A Pay it Forward Model
​

Due to the generosity of the Emergence Foundation, the big room cic is able to fund the 2022/23 programme.  The cost of providing the programme is £1,850.00 per participant (based on 18 participants).


It is our hope that this will be first of many programmes therefore we have considered how it will be funded into the future.    In keeping with the generosity of the Emergence Foundation, we have adopted a pay it forward model.  As part of the registration process, candidates are asked to consider their contribution towards future Eldership programmes and enabling others to attend regardless of economic circumstances.


There are many ways to contribute.  Whether you are able to make a financial contribution or not will not have a bearing on the success of your application.  


Other costs associated with this programme, ie, travel, accommodation (if needed) and meals are the responsibility of the participant as is the cost of seeking extra support (if required). 

Core Team

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Milan Bijelic
link to profile
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Owen Stevens 
​link to profile
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Leah Bijelic 
link to profile
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Hayley Stevens
​link to profile
If this programme interest you personally or if you would like to nominate someone from your community, please contact us at:

​eldership@thebigroom.org

or Register your Interest
​

Download
Programme
​Information
eldership_in_the_community_-_info_pack_april_22.pdf
File Size: 10380 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Registration Form
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  • the art of living
    • eldership in the community
    • authentic artist
    • screenings
  • about
    • beginnings
    • the space
      • enquire
    • ethos
    • funding
  • blog
  • gallery