On Oct 28th, bloom consulting gently emerged into the world hosting The Learning Community (TLC), a monthly dinner dialogue exploring what artful participatory leadership could look like.
Bloom is a team of creative facilitators, designers, conveners and artists. We support organizations in harnessing their creative and collaborative potential. At bloom we believe that together we are more intelligent and innovative than we are alone. Our team is made up of Rehana Tejpar, Moyo Mutamba, Brigid Tierney, Naty Tremblay, Natalie Abdou and Naomi Tessler.
TLC is a gathering space for artists, facilitators, conveners and leaders to share skills and learn from one another. We endeavour to come together as a community of practice exploring the intersections amongst art, leadership and community healing.
We see that there is a need for spaces where practitioners of artful participatory leadership can come together as a community and learn what we need in order to be the leaders that the world is asking for, today.
We gathered in circle at Unit 2, a queer positive and POC/radical arts and community space dedicated to building community and bridges.
What went on?
After some playful storytelling exercises to get to know each other a bit, and some intention setting, we gave thanks, broke bread and dove in. The first question we explored in small group discussion, using World Café, was:
What could Artful Participatory Leadership look like?
What we know to be true is that we are living in a world that is facing increasingly complex challenges, and no one of us can resolve these challenges alone. Collectively we are wiser than any of us are alone, and we are at a time in history when more than ever we are being called to find ways of harnessing that collective wisdom, working together, across difference, with shared purpose. Participatory leadership is a term that refers to a way of leading and working together that engages all stakeholders in decision making.
What we know to be true is that the artist has a special role to play in the world. And as artists we are creating and re-creating what the world is. So what is Artful Participatory Leadership? This is what we were curious to explore. To us, artful leadership is not simply using art as a tool for engagement, although that is important as well. What we are curious about is how does being an artist impact our way of being a leader. It’s about the artist as a way of being in leadership that strikes our curiosity.
After lively discussion, each group shared the harvest of their conversations in a creative way. There were songs, poems, and much collective wisdom shared.
What is your special medicine for the world?
We moved into personal reflection with a free write on the question: What is my special medicine for the world? We then sat in partners to share and explore What do I need to learn in order to be the special medicine I am for the world?
We harvested the group’s collective medicines and learning needs. This harvest is what we are drawing from to curate the next TLC gathering November 26th, 6:30 – 9pm at the Institute for Traditional Medicine. We hope that you can join us. Expect an invite very soon.
What folks said about the TLC
I went to an awesome evening of community potluck and world cafe exploring Artful and Participatory Leadership. I loved being asked to free write an answer to the question, What is your special medicine for the world? An extra special thank you to Rehana Tejpar and Moyo Mutamba for creating such a wonderfully supportive learning community – Gennie Brukner.
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