Sooooo…onto our next speaker this Wednesday, 11th….
Is there a ‘science’ to happiness? And how can you become a master of wellbeing?
What is the happiness index? Why are some countries choosing to adopt it as a measure of progress rather than the GDP?

How do individuals ‘function’ best in society?
What makes a flourishing community? — And why is participatory democracy so important?

How could wellbeing science move us past the cul-de-sac of runaway consumer capitalism and lobbyland politics?

These are just some of the questions that Andrew Willoughby, Research Director of Community Wellbeing CIC and an associate of the University of Cambridge Wellbeing Institute, will be answering in his interactive talk.

Andrew Willoughby is currently running a wellbeing pilot project for the Foresight Commission, and has been running community wellbeing projects in Australia and the UK for the last 25 years, including a number of very successful wellbeing projects in especially deprived communities. He continues to advocate for a wellbeing approach to social policy across the world, and has plenty of research to back up his joyful approach to living.

This will be an entertaining and highly informative talk for anyone interested in creating healthy communities and DIY wellbeing.

We will also be joined in after talk discussion by Saamah Abdallah from the New Economics Forum – Britain’s leading think-and-do tank – advocating for a people and planet centered economy.

http://www.neweconomics.org/about/saamah-abdallah

http://www.neweconomics.org/

Jonathan Kay – often dubbed ‘the king of the fools’, will perform a totally unique one off comic play that brims with the power of the fool that lies in all of us! There will also be a question and answer session with this world renowned master of the ‘Fooling technique’ in the second half…Not to be missed!

“Jonathan Kay is one of the most inspiring and free-thinking theatre practitioners I have ever met. He is a unique, genuine and natural communicator. A one off. As a teacher and a performer, he is funny, frustrating and challenging all at once. He cuts through pretension, contrivance, cliché’ and ego. There was no hiding place. I learnt a lot from him. I would urge anyone to sign-up to his courses and to see his shows. He is a philosopher, a fool and a much needed voice of sanity.”

Jeremy Stockwell, Tutor at RADA 1994-2004, Associate of National Theatre Education
“Stupid, silly, intriguing, delightful, strange and unsettling”. – Guy Dartnell, Performance Artist

“I’ve always recommended anyone to do this workshop…it will be an extraordinary journey.” – Toby Jones, Actor for the National & Harry Potter films

“Making them laugh at themselves to understand themselves. It is what a good fool is supposed to do.” – Guardian

“Brilliant… he leaves the audience dizzy” – Independent

“Every show is different. Nothing is predictable and all of it is the product of a mischievous mind. Kay is one fool you’ll suffer gladly.” – Edmonton Journal, Canada

“The ultimate theatre of possibility!” – Time Out

http://www.jonathankay.co.uk/

Inspiring Mind Forums are hosted by Paradox, – your friendly neighbourhood One-legged, Existentialist, Stand-up, Beat-poet and Inspiration Engineer

Performance starts at 8pm
Delicious food available from 6.30pm
£5 entry

Next up this Wednesday, 25th we’ve got Dan Hurring, the founder of Sunrise Celebration – an award winning Ethical festival – and a recognised expert in sustainable living in the UK. He has a wealth of knowledge as to how individuals and communities can live off-grid and reduce their impact on the environment while also having a lot of fun! He is determined to one day turn his skills in temporary community creation into something more permanent and is plotting the future Sunrise micro-nation…

Come and find out some of the realities behind creating a truly sustainable festival, and what has made the Sunrise community so successful.

Get your questions answered on what steps you can make if you want to live ‘off-grid’ and live in a ‘low-impact’ way.

http://www.sunrisecelebration.com/

http://www.sunrise-offgrid.co.uk/

Inspiring Mind Forums are hosted by Paradox, – your friendly neighbourhood One-legged, Existentialist, Stand-up, Beat-poet and Inspiration Engineer

Delicious food available from 7pm
Talks from 8-10.30pm

Come early to get a good seat!

£5 Suggested contribution

18th April
‘The Moneyless Manifesto’ with Mark Boyle

After studying Economics for six years Mark was so disillusioned with our current economic and Monetary system that he decided to live without money for (what turned out to be) 2 1/2 years! His adventures in foraging for food, running his laptop of solar power and using washed up cuttlefish bone and wild fennel seeds for toothpaste are recounted in his first book The Moneyless Man:

“A pleasure to read. An Important experiment which has relevance for everything from global sustainability to local community. Boyle tells it with wit, good humour and generosity of spirit.” Patrick Whitfield – Author of Permaculture in a Nut shell

“Mark Boyle is one of the prophets of the Transition Movement and what he writes is important. But this book is also a wonderful, funny and thoughtful glimpse into the future.” David Boyle – Author of The New Economics a Bigger Picture

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moneyless-Man-Year-Freeconomic-Living/dp/1851687874/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1297805296&sr=1-2

Mark also founded Freeconomy the world’s fastest growing alternative economy

http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/home

His forthcoming book is entitled “The Moneyless Manifesto”

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Moneyless-Man/337563553259?sk=wall