Transition Network UK Conference

The 2012 Conference held at the Battersea Arts Centre, London, was six days long, more of a "Festival of Transition" than a formal convergence. It included a two day Thrive Training, a REconomy Day, Youth Symposium and National Hubs days. Here is a video of clips from the main weekend event of workshops, gatherings, open space, caberet and Transition High Street group process.



Full reports can be found on the Transition Conference 2012 blog.

Transition Network UK Conference 2012 - 13-18 September

This year the Transition Conference will take place in London, hosted by the Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), and the conference aims to provide a weekend of events and workshops that explore the theme of "Building Resilience in Extraordinary Times".
The programme has 5 distinct elements, which can be attended as stand-alone events or in combination:

• Main Transition Conference: Friday 14^th September (6.00pm) to Sunday 16^th September (4.30pm)
• REconomy Project Day: Friday 14^th September (10.00am to 5.30pm)
• Youth Symposium: Friday 14^th September (10.00am to 5.30pm)
• National Transition Hubs gathering: Monday 17^th September (10.00am) to Tuesday 18^th September (1.00pm)
• Transition THRIVE training: 2 full days, Thursday 13^th (9.30am to 5.30pm) and Friday 14^th September (9.30am to 5.00pm)

Main Transition Conference
The main Conference gives you the chance to connect with people from all over the UK - and the world – who have taken the Transition approach into their hearts, lives and communities.

Whether new or experienced in Transition this will be an opportunity to plunge into a rich pool of ideas, inspiration and practical learning, refresh your energy and make new friendsThe theme this year will be explored through a wide variety of activities and processes including programmed workshops, an Open Space afternoon, walks and visits, and a great Saturday evening of entertainment, including an open mic slot. It will draw in elements of the REconomy and Young Transition conferences happening the previous day.

The full programme is now available.

REPORT: Coming Together -Transition Conference 2011

What was the story of the conference? Last year Stoneleigh's talk on peak oil and the financial crisis burst upon the scene and shocked us into looking at the future as a unified group. This year the strands were many and subtle and required time to reflect on. One common response to the weekend's full-on networking and activities and celebrations was the need for core messages people could take home to their initiatives and transition towns.

Calm. Focused. Mature. Engaged were the words used by everyone. A willingness to get involved with Transition at a deeper and more committed level. A willingness to accept challenges and break the tyranny of superficial communications. What kind of culture do you want to create? was a key question asked by Nick Osborne of Transition Glastonbury.

A lot of the discussion was happening at the edges. Like the conversation about livelihoods, the national hubs getting together and organising themselves as networks, the people from Barcelona and Madrid talking about Transition in the squares of Spain. How Transition and permaculture provided a central organising structure when everything seemed to be falling apart . . .

Meanwhile I'll leave you with one of my favourite conference videos taken from the Social Reporting workshop I ran with Ed Mitchell and David Wilcox. Mike Grenville, editor of the Transition Network news talking about change . . . and those butterflies.



For full report, including write up of the sessions, recordings, videos and photographs, check out the excellent Transition Conference blog 2011 Charlotte Du Cann

Transition Conference 2011 - 8-11 July

This year’s Transition Network conference will take place between July 8th and 11th at Hope University, Liverpool. Although, like last year, and like last November’s ‘Diverse Routes to Belonging’ conference, we will offer great virtual coverage for those around the world who can’t make it, still nothing beats being there in person.

Imagine immersing yourself for 3 days in the latest thinking on Transition, hearing from the most ground-breaking projects, going deeper into what it’s all about, putting faces to names you only know from reading them online, meeting hundreds of other Transitioners from all over, and going home revitalised, refocused and refreshed.

That’s what we’re talking about. There will be 3 sessions of workshops, 10 in each. Here is a taste of some of what is being planned:

How to work well together as groups; Kids in Transition The role of the Arts; Inner Transition; An update on Transition local currency projects; Community Supported bakeries, shops, farms, breweries…. Social reporting; Social Enterprise; Constellations; Action learning; Creating a new local food system: stories from various projects; Group dynamics; ‘Engaging words’: how your writing style can affect your effectiveness; Investing for Transition; Transition education Transition and health; Engaging and working with your Council and more!

There will also be tours of Liverpool and the opportunity to see some of the fantastic projects underway in the city. The workshops are also, of course, only a small part of the overall programme. There will also be many opportunities to meet other Transitioners and find out what they are up to, including the chance to meet in theme groups, so you can, for example, connect with all those who share your passion for local energy, food or education. There will be some large group activities, which were, for many, the highlight of last year’s conference.

Also, this year the team are trying a different approach, substituting Open Space, which has been a focal point for each of our previous conferences, with the Fishbowl technique, which will allow a much deeper exploration of some of the more charged and pertinent issues that you bring to the conference (a questionnaire will be sent round before the event to gather your thoughts on what those subjects should be). Our hope is that this will bring more focus and will be more insightful. Rob Hopkins

For further details contact Transition Network

Transition East Summer Gathering - 25/6 June

Last year Glenn and Jeannie hosted the first gathering of Transitioners from Suffolk, South Norfolk and North Essex at their farm in Framsden. This year they’re making their farm available for a two day gathering from 10.00 on 25th June, so come along to meet other Transitioners, share experiences, swap ideas, enjoy each other’s company and celebrate.

There’s even a village Barn Dance in a C15th barn – that’s something you definitely can’t get at Glastonbury!

In true Transition fashion, this will be a self organising weekend, with agenda and workshops arranged using Open Space. Workshops are expected to start around 13.30 on Saturday and to continue on Sunday.

Camping is free and self catering, on grass or in a barn. A loo and shower are available.

The (optional) barn dance starts at 7pm on Sat 25th and costs £5 (children £2).

Transition East summer gathering 25th/26th June - Hill Farm, Framsden, Suffolk IP14 6HAContact Glenn & Jeannie for more info and if you want tickets for the dance please let them know asap: hillfarm@helmingham.com or jeannie@hillfarm.eclipse.co.uk or 01473 890737.

Pic: recent meeting of Transition East food projects at Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm, Ipswich

Kerry @ Otesha - End to End tour 2010

As those of you who read the blog know (see 26-28 July), Otesha are writing a weekly newsletter as they cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats. If you want to keep track of how they, and Kerry in their midst, are doing, you can read the newsletter at the Otesha website, or you can sign up to get it by email.

NR3 - Magdalen Street International Community Arts Fair meeting - Wednesday 23 June

Some of the NR3 group came up with the idea of running a community street arts event in September and are looking for people who are interested in being involved. We felt that this would be a way of celebrating the great local, international shops along the street. As well as the ones involved in sustainability such as the sewing equipment stores, vintage clothing and secondhand goods. There are also a number of artists involved in the NR3 group that could help make the event interactive for the public.

We want everyone to be involved, not just transitioners but all the local tradespeople.

We are having a meeting at Karen's art space on 27 St Augustines Street on 9th June at 7 pm to discuss it further so please come along and invite anyone who may be interested. (Helen Simpson Slapp) Contact helenofnorwich@hotmail.com for more details.