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SUMMARY:Creation and Life Itself
DESCRIPTION:Science\, Art and the Sacred Series \n\n\n\nCreation and Life Itself \n\n\n\nSeptember 2\, 3 and 4\, 2026 \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Lauren Cole\, Nicholas Colloff\, Isabel Hawkins\, Angie Hobbs\, Peter Reason\, Shelly ValdezCurated and Chaired by: John Pickering \n\n\n\n9:00am PDT  | 12:00pm EDT  | 5:00pm BST  |  6:00pm CEST3-hour live sessions9 hours of live presentations\, discussions\, questions and answers.This event is LIVE online. All registered participants will receive the recording. \n\n\n\nTicket Prices:75.00 euros; 40 euros Solidarity ticket for those in financial difficulty. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProgram\n\n\n\nWednesday September 2The Pregnant Philosopher with Angie Hobbs Medieval Women Mystics: Authority and Suppression with Lauren Cole \n\n\n\nThursday September 3AKANAL Indigenous Cultural Exchange: A Catalyst for the Creative Process with Isabel Hawkins and Shelly Valdez \n\n\n\nFriday September 4One Foot in Eden: Paradise Lost and Found with Nicholas ColloffWill there be singing? What can poetry say at a time of catastrophe? with Peter Reason \n\n\n\nAbout the Event \n\n\n\nAt its best\, being ‘human’ means being creative. Here\, ‘creative’ means more than just poetic language or beautiful images. It speaks to something primordial in nature\, since life itself is creation. Our meeting will look at the complementary ways in which science\, the humanities and spiritual traditions recognise this and how that might inform the lives we lead\, singly or collectively. \n\n\n\nAll human cultures have Creation stories. They reflect our wonder at life itself and the enchanting diversity of Creation that it brings forth. To tell and re-tell the stories is part of being human. \n\n\n\nScience is sometimes accused of disenchanting Creation; in fact\, it has enhanced it\, since the wonder remains. Scientists like David Attenborough express as much love for living things as poets or mystics have done down the ages and as people living in animistic cultures do now. \n\n\n\nAnimistic Creation stories are of a transformative relation between beings of all kinds that continually and reciprocally bring one another into existence. So\, in that view\, simply living and being human is to be creative\, where ‘creative’ means more than just making poetic language or beautiful images.  \n\n\n\nLuckily\, we live in a time when science\, the humanities and the arts are becoming more open\, in complementary ways\, to recognising this. Our meeting will look at how that might inform the lives we lead\, singly or collectively. \n\n\n\nWe will investigate what ‘being human’ and ‘being creative’ might have meant in the past\, what it means in our time. We will look at creativity in science\, in the arts and humanities and in spiritual traditions\, paying particular attention to women’s voices\, those heard and those not. We will\, for example\, hear from speakers on Hildegarde of Bingen and Julian of Norwich\, as well mystical traditions from South American cultures. \n\n\n\nBeing human\, all too human\, is difficult. Being more than human\, particularly so. Creativity in some sense extends\, even transcends the human condition\, and we will explore what philosophy and the humanities have to say about that. \n\n\n\nNow is a particularly appropriate time to do it\, as both creativity and what it is to be human are brought into question by the rise of the machine. \n\n\n\nPlease contact Eleanor if you would like more information about this event at: eleanor@paricenter.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers and sessions\n\n\n\nClick on a title to expand \n\n\n\n\n\nThe Pregnant Philosopherwith Angie Hobbs+\n\n\n\n\n\nPlato stimulates creative thought in a variety of ways\, all aimed at stimulating our non-rational as well as our rational faculties. In order to explore fundamental ethical questions about how to live and what sort of person to be\, he creates dialogues involving a vibrant cast of characters (never himself)\, and the conversations invite us to see the connections between belief\, character and life. We are enabled to form a sense of the shape\, structure and narrative of a life — both models to emulate and models to avoid. The dialogues often deploy vivid imagery — such as the Allegory of the Cave in the Republic — and in much of this imagery Plato plays with gender expectations\, such as the pregnant philosopher (male as well as female) in the Symposium and philosophical statecraft as the art of weaving in the Statesman: these gendered images invite us to rethink questions of sex and gender and ask whether Plato is in fact saying that sex and gender will ultimately be transcended in the truly philosophic life. In several dialogues imaginary utopias also encourage us to envisage different ways of thinking\, living and being. It is intriguing how often this agent-centred\, dialogic approach\, which embeds individuals in their social contexts\, has appealed to women philosophers\, particularly during the last 70 years\, and this is a topic we shall also explore. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAngie Hobbs is Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy Emerita at the University of Sheffield. She gained a degree in Classics (First Class) and a PhD in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge\, and her chief interests are in ancient philosophy and literature\, and ethics and political theory from classical thought to the present\, and she has published widely in these areas\, including Plato and the Hero; Why Plato Matters Now was published by Bloomsbury in 2025.  She contributes regularly to TV\, radio\, podcasts and other media around the world\, including 27 appearances on In Our Time on Radio 4.  She works in a number of policy sectors\, including the U.K. Civil Service\, National Health Service and Health Research Authority. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos\, the Athens Democracy Forum\, the Symi Symposium\, the Houses of Parliament\, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Abbey\, and been the guest on Desert Island Discs and Private Passions. She was a judge of the Man Booker International Prize 2019 and was on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council 2018-9 for Values\, Ethics and Innovation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedieval Women Mystics: Authority and Suppressionwith Lauren Cole+\n\n\n\n\n\nThe infamous Shakespearean line “get thee to a nunnery” conjures images of oppressed women forced into convents against their will and left to rot. But in medieval Europe\, the convent could be a space of education\, liberation\, and authority for women\, especially those who experienced mystical visions. Hildegard of Bingen derived such authority from her visions that Popes and Emperors wrote to her for advice. She even called the Holy Roman Emperor “a little boy or some madman” for his political decisions – and he apologised to her. In this session\, we explore the lives of mystics such as Hildegard\, Margery Kempe\, Catherine of Siena\, and Marguerite Porete. Through these examples\, we examine how these extraordinary women could command authority over the most powerful men of the time\, as well as the fiery consequences if they got it wrong. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLauren Cole is a PhD History Candidate and Presidential Fellow at Northwestern University. Her research centres on medieval mystics\, medicine\, and manuscripts in Europe\, with a particular focus on Hildegard von Bingen. Lauren is also a public historian\, creating videos on medieval history for over 95’000 followers on her Instagram and TikTok accounts (@MedievalLauren). Lauren splits her time between London\, Mainz\, and Chicago. You can find more on her website: https://medievallauren.wordpress.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\nYAKANAL Indigenous Cultural Exchange: A Catalyst for the Creative Processwith Isabel Hawkins and Shelly Valdez+\n\n\n\n\n\nOur shared\, two-part presentation will explore how the YAKANAL Indigenous cultural exchange program\, based at Laguna Pueblo\, New Mexico\, United States\, acts as a living bridge between Indigenous Knowledge and contemporary creative practice. \n\n\n\nPart I of our presentation will give context of YAKANAL’s work and impact\, drawing from more than twenty years of knowledge exchange among Pueblo communities of present-day New Mexico and Maya\, Zapotec\, and Mixtec communities of Mesoamerica. Through images\, stories\, and a short video\, we will share how Indigenous-led cultural exchanges can provide multigenerational participants with immersive opportunities to learn and create in relationship to place. \n\n\n\nPart II of our presentation will focus on creation stories as frameworks for balance\, reciprocity\, and responsibility—principles that guide sustainable creative practice for all humans\, regardless of background. Indigenous knowledge systems do not simply recount stories—they articulate a “Science of Place” expressed through food sovereignty\, artistic practice\, traditional medicine\, architecture\, cosmology\, beekeeping\, and social organization—all embedded in the lifeways of Indigenous communities today. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIsabel Hawkins\, Senior Scientist (she/her/ella)\, grew up in Córdoba\, Argentina\, where the beauty of the night sky and a childhood visit to the Planetario charted the course of her career as an astronomer and science educator. Reaching for the stars\, Isabel came to the United States as an American Field Service exchange student when she was sixteen. In 1981\, she received a BS in physics from UC Riverside\, where she was asked to join Phi Beta Kappa. Subsequently\, she obtained an MS and a PhD in astrophysics from UCLA. Before joining the Exploratorium in 2009\, she spent 20 years as an astrophysics researcher and science educator at the University of California\, Berkeley\, Space Sciences Laboratory. Isabel’s work at the Exploratorium is focused on NASA\, NSF\, and museum-funded efforts related to Latinx audience engagement\, such as Solar Eclipse\, GENIAL: Generating Engagement and New Initiatives for All Latinos\, and Cambio\, a professional development approach for building Latinx-focused cultural competence in museums. Through cultural astronomy\, she fosters science pluralism by making visible The Cultural Roots of STEM (science\, technology\, engineering\, and mathematics)\, a research synthesis effort that has been funded by the NSF. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific bestowed on her the prestigious Klumpke-Roberts Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy\, an honor that she shares with fellow awardees Carl Sagan\, Isaac Asimov\, Julieta Fierro\, and Tim Ferris\, among others. Isabel is also a consultant for the Smithsonian Institution\, a volunteer coordinator for the YAKANAL\, Indigenous Youth Cultural Exchange program\, and a 2018 to 2022 Fulbright US Global Scholar. Her interests include salsa and bachata dancing\, yoga\, drawing Maya classic period glyphs\, and the study of native languages. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nOne Foot in Eden: Paradise Lost and Foundwith Nicholas Colloff+\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe poet\, Edwin Muir\, enjoyed a paradisial childhood\, which\, though rudely interrupted\, provided a sustaining sense of innocence and wonder through which he subsequently beheld the world and wove artistic practices that sought to widen and deepen consciousness into a ‘second\, renewing innocence’ that was a paradise regained. \n\n\n\nHe employed artistic\, spiritual practices that deepened attention\, reverenced\, and used dreams and other imaginal states\, and cultivated good memory to develop works of great originality and of gently transforming power that he felt could take people on a pilgrimage to their originating light\, where “that strange quarry you scarcely thought you sought” would reveal itself and you would find “Yourself\, the gatherer gathered\, the finder found.” \n\n\n\nThough he worked within the ‘Western tradition’\, he had an openness to the Spirit that bloweth where it will\, and was sustained\, nurtured\, and challenged in a long\, loving marriage to Willa Muir\, herself a writer. In his practices and his work\, he has much to inspire us about the potential for a creative\, spiritual life. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNicholas Colloff\, when not posting art on Facebook or walking through the woods\, is the Director of the Argidius Foundation\, a Swiss family foundation that helps develop social and environmental enterprises\, principally in Africa and Latin America. He studied theology\, philosophy\, and the psychology of religion at university\, after which he helped found the Prison Phoenix Trust that teaches meditation and yoga to people in prison\, and from this discovered a gift for starting things (and leaving them in better hands so that they flourished).  \n\n\n\nThis has included a microfinance bank in the Balkans\, a charity focused on community mental health in poor communities in the Global South\, and a social investment fund. Through the auspices of Temenos and the friendship of the poet and Blake scholar\, Kathleen Raine\, he was privileged to meet and know Cecil Collins in the latter years of his life\, and through Kathleen to know one of Edwin and Willa Muir’s closest friends. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWill there be singing? What can poetry say at a time of catastrophe?with Peter Reason+\n\n\n\n\n\nIn 1939\, as fascism arose across Europe\, the German poet Bertolt Brecht asked ‘Will there be singing in the dark times?’ and responded with a ‘Yes’: ‘there will be singing about the dark times’. Similarly\, in response to the Palestinian tragedy of the Nakba\, Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish asked what poetry can say at such a time. \n\n\n\nAs global warming proceeds even faster than forecast\, as the oceans warm to record temperatures\, as fires break out across the Northern Hemisphere\, as more humans die of heat stress\, as ecological breakdown and the Sixth Extinction of living beings gather pace\, both warnings from scientists and Western political cultures appear powerless to budge us from our destructive path. What can poetry say? Theodor Adorno told us that ‘To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric’. Is this also true today? \n\n\n\nFacts are said to be sacred; but we need more than facts. Guardian arts correspondent Charlotte Higgins tells us that poetry is ‘the only language for these times of violence and chaos’. Canadian poet Robert Bringhurst writes of poetry as ‘stepping in tune with being\, bearing and echoing the music and heartbeat of being’. \n\n\n\nThis presentation of songs and poems will reflect on different ways in which poetry and song can respond to the present climate and ecological catastrophe. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAs Director of the Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice at the University of Bath\, England\, Peter Reason was an international leader in the development of participative approaches to action research. In these forms of experiential inquiry all are co-researchers\, contributing both to the thinking that forms the research and to the action that is its subject. He published widely\, co-editing the Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice and co-founding the journal Action Research. \n\n\n\nSince retiring from his academic position\, Peter has focused on writing that links the tradition of nature writing with the ecological crisis of our times\, drawing on scientific\, ecological\, philosophical and spiritual sources. He is currently engaged in a series of experiential and co-operative inquiries exploring living cosmos panpsychism in relation to Rivers. His books include Spindrift: A wilderness pilgrimage at sea; In Search of Grace: An ecological pilgrimage\, and most recently (with artist Sarah Gillespie) On Presence: Essays | Drawings and On Sentience: Essays | Drawings. He is currently preparing Living in a Sentient World: An inquiry with his colleagues Freya Mathews\, Andreas Weber\, Stephan Harding\, and Sandra Wooltorton. \n\n\n\nPeter is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bath.
URL:https://paricenter.com/event/creation-and-life-itself/
LOCATION:Online
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SUMMARY:Consciousness as a Fundamental Aspect of Reality
DESCRIPTION:Consciousness as a Fundamental Aspect of Reality \n\n\n\n A weekend workshop with Federico Faggin and Donald Hoffman (via Zoom) \n\n\n\nPari\, Italy – October 16-19\, 2026 \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Federico Faggin and Donald Hoffman with Jonathan Allday \n\n\n\nThe event will start on Friday October 16 at 16:00 and end on Monday October 19 after lunch. \n\n\n\nPrice: 825.00 euros\, which includes: \n\n\n\n\nprogrammed activities and materials;\n\n\n\na 3-night stay in private accommodation;\n\n\n\nbreakfast\, lunch and dinner at the local restaurant featuring locally sourced produce and traditional dishes;\n\n\n\nwater\, wine\, and coffee are provided with lunch and dinner.\n\n\n\n\nDownload information\, terms and conditions for this course. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout the event\n\n\n\nOver the last twenty years\, it has become more acceptable to discuss the hard problem of consciousness in more than simply materialistic terms. Philosophically\, at least\, while not yet completely mainstream\, panpsychist\, idealistic and dual-aspect approaches are now on the table. \n\n\n\nIn this immersive workshop in the beautiful medieval village of Pari\, we will meet and engage with two thinkers who\, in their own independent ways\, have transcended their materialistic upbringing and early thought to come to the same conclusion: consciousness is not simply some ‘froth’ on the complex electrochemical workings of a material brain\, it is a fundamental and irreducible aspect of reality. \n\n\n\nDuring two full days and two half days\, there will be presentations\, conversations and discussions\, all framed so the non-expert can grapple with the issues at stake. Topics will range from establishing that consciousness is fundamental towards starting to explore the consequences of adopting that approach and what it might mean for society and our view of what it is to be human. \n\n\n\nAll participants will stay in accommodation in and around Pari. Engagement will continue over meals taken together\, and potentially long into the evening at the restaurant and bar which forms the nerve-centre and heart of the village. On one of the evenings\, we will take a short walk into the nearby olive groves and sit and talk around a fire while watching the stars. Accommodation and all meals are included in the workshop fee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProgram\n\n\n\nFriday October 16 \n\n\n\n\n4:00pm Introductions\n\n\n\n4:30pm [Session 1] Presentation with Jonathan Allday An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics\n\n\n\n\nSaturday October 17 \n\n\n\n\n10:00am [Session 2] Presentation (Jonathan Allday): An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Pt 2\n\n\n\nQ&A and group discussion\n\n\n\n12:00pm [Session 3] Presentation: Federico Faggin\n\n\n\n4:30pm [Session 4] Q&A and group discussion\n\n\n\n5:30pm [Session 5] Presentation: Donald Hoffman\n\n\n\nConversation: Faggin\, Hoffman and Allday\n\n\n\nQ&A and Group discussion\n\n\n\n9:30pm Showing: Play Copenhagen\n\n\n\n\nSunday October 18 \n\n\n\n\n10:00am [Session 6] Book Launch: Federico Faggin\n\n\n\n4:30pm [Session 7] Dialogue: Federico Faggin and Jonathan Allday\n\n\n\nQ&A and Group discussion\n\n\n\n5:30pm [Session 8] Conversation: Faggin\, Hoffman and Allday\n\n\n\n9:30pm Fire and astronomy\n\n\n\n\nMonday October 19 \n\n\n\n\n10:00am [Session 9] Wash-up discussions\n\n\n\n1:00pm Lunch and departure\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAn event at the Pari Center is not akin to a conventional conference in a city hotel or a retreat in an overdeveloped resort. It is an invitation to experience a beautifully preserved medieval village in the Tuscan hills\, where life unfolds at a naturally slower pace and where the time and space needed for clarity\, creativity\, and meaningful connection emerge with ease. \n\n\n\nAt the Pari Center\, learning extends beyond the exchange of ideas—it becomes a lived experience. As David Peat described it: Pari is an ‘alchemical vessel’; a rare environment where reflection and renewal can give rise to genuine transformation. It is a place for those seeking more than the accumulation of knowledge\, for it offers the opportunity to cultivate insight\, broaden perspective\, and inspire lasting change. \n\n\n\nYour time here is shaped by shared experience: traditional Tuscan meals\, conversation with leading presenters and fellow participants\, local wines\, and genuine connection with the village community. Set against the quiet beauty of the surrounding countryside\, every element encourages you to step away from the demands of everyday life and into a more intentional way of being. \n\n\n\nThe Pari Center brings together internationally recognised thinkers\, scholars\, and innovators across disciplines. Its programmes explore the deeper questions of human experience—what shapes us\, what connects us\, and what is emerging within us and our world. Through rigorous inquiry\, dialogue\, and participatory engagement\, each event is designed to expand understanding and open new possibilities. \n\n\n\nIf you are looking for more than a conventional learning environment\, the Pari Center offers something rare: a setting where ideas become experience\, and experience can become transformation. \n\n\n\nDiscover why so many participants return not just with new knowledge\, but with a changed perspective. \n\n\n\n\nInformation\n\n\n\nTerms and conditions (PDF) \n\n\n\nAdditional Information about the Pari Center (PDF)
URL:https://paricenter.com/event/consciousness-as-a-fundamental-aspect-of-reality/
LOCATION:Pari\, Italy
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261023T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261026T170000
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SUMMARY:Art of Hosting 2026
DESCRIPTION:Art of hosting / Arte Della leadership partecipativa per la trasformazione sociale \n\n\n\nPari (GR)\, dal 23 al 26 Ottobre 2026. \n\n\n\nUn’esperienza immersiva per esplorare pratiche di leadership partecipativa\, facilitazione e intelligenza collettiva. \n\n\n\nViviamo un tempo caratterizzato da crescente complessità e interdipendenza. Le sfide che affrontiamo richiedono nuovi modi di collaborare\, ascoltare e agire insieme. \n\n\n\nL’Art of Hosting offre pratiche e strumenti per creare conversazioni significative\, facilitare processi partecipativi e generare cambiamento collaborativo. \n\n\n\nQuesto training è un invito a esplorare nuove possibilità insieme ad una comunità internazionale di praticanti. \n\n\n\n\nCliccate qui per info e registrazione\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA chi si rivolge\n\n\n\nQuesta formazione è dedicata a persone che lavorano con gruppi\, team e comunità e desiderano facilitare processi di cambiamento collaborativo. \n\n\n\nInvitiamo: \n\n\n\n\nfacilitatrici e consulenti;\n\n\n\nleader e manager;\n\n\n\neducatori e formatrici;\n\n\n\nimprenditrici sociali;\n\n\n\noperatori del settore pubblico e del terzo settore;\n\n\n\ncomunità e reti collaborative;\n\n\n\nartisti e anime creative\n\n\n\npersone interessate al cambiamento sistemico e alla trasformazione sociale.\n\n\n\n\nCosa imparerai\n\n\n\nInsieme esploreremo pratiche\, prospettive e metodologie partecipative per coinvolgere gruppi eterogenei e lavorare con complessità\, cambiamento e conflitto. \n\n\n\n\nImparerai a:\n\nprogettare iniziative collaborative;\n\n\n\nfacilitare conversazioni generative;\n\n\n\nutilizzare i metodi dell’Art of Hosting;\n\n\n\nlavorare con complessità e processi emergenti;\n\n\n\nraccogliere apprendimenti e intuizioni attraverso l’harvesting;\n\n\n\ntrasformare idee e visioni in esperimenti concreti;\n\n\n\nintrodurre la leadership partecipativa nei tuoi contesti professionali e comunitari.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIl luogo\n\n\n\nPari Center · Toscana\n\n\n\nIl training si svolgerà presso il Pari Center\, un borgo medievale immerso nella natura nel cuore della Toscana. \n\n\n\nUn contesto che favorisce apprendimento\, connessione e momenti informali di incontro. \n\n\n\nIl corso è residenziale e i partecipanti potranno soggiornare nelle strutture del borgo\, raggiungibili a pochi minuti a piedi. \n\n\n\nPari è facilmente raggiungibile in macchina e con mezzi di trasporto pubblico.
URL:https://paricenter.com/event/art-of-hosting-2026/
LOCATION:Pari\, Italia
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261126T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261127T190000
DTSTAMP:20260818T224300Z
CREATED:20260818T224047Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260818T224300Z
UID:10000466-1795712400-1795806000@paricenter.com
SUMMARY:Escaping the Cave
DESCRIPTION:Escaping the Cave:Plato in Science\, Art and Spirituality \n\n\n\n26–27 November 2026 \n\n\n\nLocation: Cambrige\, UK \n\n\n\nKeynote: Professor Angie Hobbs FRSAWith Dr. Jonathan Allday\, Professor Paul Bishop\, Mark Vernon \n\n\n\nConference Chair: Professor Alison Liebling \n\n\n\nA free public lecture followed by an intimate one-day conference exploring the continuing relevance of Plato’s thought to science\, philosophy\, art\, spirituality and contemporary life. \n\n\n\nJointly sponsored by the Institute of Criminology\, University of Cambridge and the Pari Center. \n\n\n\nChoose How You Would Like to Attend\n\n\n\nThursday\, 26 November \n\n\n\nPublic Lecture with Professor Angie Hobbs — FREE \n\n\n\nFlourishing\, Character and Justice: Why Plato Matters Now \n\n\n\nAttendance is free\, but advance registration is required. \n\n\n\nPlease book a FREE ticket to reserve your place at the lecture. \n\n\n\nFollowing the lecture\, there will be: \n\n\n\n\n18:30–19:15 Drinks Reception\n\n\n\n20:00 Optional Group Dinner at a Local Restaurant\n\n\n\n\nIf you would like to join us for dinner\, please indicate this when reserving your free ticket below so that we can include you in the restaurant booking. \n\n\n\nDinner and drinks on November 26 are not included. Each guest will order and pay for their own food and drinks directly at the restaurant. \n\n\n\n[RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKET – NOVEMBER 26] \n\n\n\n\n\nFriday\, 27 November \n\n\n\nEscaping the Cave — One-Day Conference \n\n\n\n£280 per person \n\n\n\nThe conference is limited to 22 participants\, creating an intimate setting for presentations\, discussion and conversation with the speakers. \n\n\n\nYour £280 ticket includes: \n\n\n\n\nFull-day conference attendance on November 27\n\n\n\nArrival coffee\n\n\n\nMid-morning coffee\n\n\n\nLunch\n\n\n\nAfternoon coffee\n\n\n\nEvening arrival drinks at Trinity Hall\n\n\n\nDinner at Trinity Hall\n\n\n\n\nAll of the above is included in your £280 conference ticket. \n\n\n\nPlaces are limited to 22 participants and advance booking is essential. \n\n\n\n[BOOK YOUR CONFERENCE TICKET – £280] \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPlato’s metaphor of the cave\, an underground vault where back-lit humans observe life’s goings on as a play of shadows on a wall\, has long held a fascination for thinkers. It suggests that the world we experience in our day-to-day business is not all that there is. Rather it arises from structures that are less substantial to our senses\, but equally real\, existing in a layer of reality beneath the commonplace. Philosophically\, the mainstream has moved away from Neo-Platonism\, but suggestions from quantum mechanics\, mathematics and other aspects of science\, along with the philosophy of mind and some modern thinking on aesthetics\, ethics and morality\, suggest that Plato’s ideas are worth revisiting. \n\n\n\nThis two-day event features a keynote presentation by Professor Angie Hobbs FRSA\, with the title: ‘Flourishing\, Character and Justice: Why Plato Matters Now’ on day one\, followed by a single-day conference with other speakers as well as delegate discussions on the relevance of Plato’s thought to modern times. The second day will be limited to 22 attendees and will finish with dinner at a Cambridge college. Lunch will also be provided during the day. \n\n\n\nProgramme\n\n\n\n26th November \n\n\n\n17:00 Public Lecture and Keynote Presentation: Professor Angie Hobbs FRSA \n\n\n\nTo be held at: The Institute of Criminology\, Sidgwick Avenue room B3/4 \n\n\n\nFlourishing\, Character and Justice: Why Plato Matters Now \n\n\n\nWhat might it mean to live a flourishing life? And what is the relationship between flourishing and the virtues\, especially justice? In this talk based on her recent book\, Professor Angie Hobbs explores how Plato can help us with these urgent questions\, and how he addresses the key issue of character formation\, and why it never benefits us to return wrong for wrong. She shows how she has used his methodology\, ideas and arguments in a variety of sectors to address contemporary issues in education\, faith–secular debate\, health care and the civil service\, and invites the audience to discuss with her what further lessons can be applied. We are living in fast-moving and uncertain times and need ancient wisdom more than ever. Plato really does matter\, right now! \n\n\n\nWhy Plato Matters Now (Bloomsbury 2025). angiehobbs.com \n\n\n\n18:30 – 19:15 Drinks Reception \n\n\n\n20:00 Dinner at local restaurant \n\n\n\nBy prior arrangement\, attendees to pay for their own meals and drinks \n\n\n\n27th NovemberConference Escaping the Cave \n\n\n\nTo be held at: The Institute of Criminology\, Sidgwick Avenue Boardroom \n\n\n\nDress code: (for dinner in Trinity Hall) \n\n\n\n\nLadies: smart casual — relaxed tailoring\, smart separates or a day dress\n\n\n\nGentlemen: smart casual — blazer\, flannels and an open-collared shirt; no tie required\n\n\n\n\n09:30 Arrival and coffee \n\n\n\n10:00 Welcome and introductions \n\n\n\n10:30 Presentation 1 Dr Jonathan Allday: A Realistic Approach to Quantum Reality \n\n\n\nThe case for an objectively real layer of potential reality \n\n\n\nFollowed by discussion \n\n\n\n11:30 Mid-morning coffee \n\n\n\n11:50 Presentation 2Prof. Paul Bishop: Plato and Politics in the Classroom \n\n\n\nReflections on the experience of using the “Socratic method” to teach political thought. \n\n\n\nFollowed by discussion \n\n\n\n13:00 Lunch \n\n\n\n14:00 Presentation 3: Dr Mark Vernon: Perceiving The Eternal: Plato’s Ideas\, Blake’s Vision \n\n\n\nFollowed by discussion \n\n\n\n15:10 Afternoon Coffee \n\n\n\n15:30 Pannel discussion with audience Q&A \n\n\n\n17:00 Closing \n\n\n\n19:00 for 19:30: Dinner Trinity Hall\, with arrival drinks
URL:https://paricenter.com/event/escaping-the-cave/
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SUMMARY:Inscendence: A Participatory Enquiry into Awareness\, Presence and Place
DESCRIPTION:Inscendence: A Participatory Enquiry into Awareness\, Presence and Place \n\n\n\nMay 31 – June 7\, 2027 \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Jonathan Code and Alistair Duncan \n\n\n\nLocation: Pari\, Italy \n\n\n\nTicket Prices: \n\n\n\nPrivate AccommodationPrice: 1800.00 euros \n\n\n\nShared Accommodation – Private Room with shared bathroomPrice: 1650.00 euros \n\n\n\nwhich includes: \n\n\n\n\na 7-night stay;\n\n\n\nbreakfast\, lunch and dinner at the local restaurant featuring locally sourced produce and traditional dishes;\n\n\n\nwater\, wine\, and coffee are provided with lunch and dinner;\n\n\n\nprogrammed lectures\, activities and materials\n\n\n\n\nThere is a limited amount of accommodation in Pari and you will be placed on a first-come\, first-served basis. We will also be using accommodation just outside of the village—within 3 kilometres. If you are housed outside Pari\, a shuttle to and from the village will be provided. \n\n\n\nEvent: The event starts with dinner on Monday May 31 at 17:00 and ends after lunch on Monday June 7. \n\n\n\nDownload information\, terms and conditions for this course. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout the Event \n\n\n\nWhy Inscendence?\n\n\n\nIn a time riven by fragmentation\, dislocation and conflicting narratives\, this programme invites a collaborative enquiry into ways of knowing and thinking that will delve deeply into the field where land\, body and consciousness meet.  \n\n\n\nInscendence proposes an opportunity for re-orientation by attending to participative awareness\, heightened sensory perception and the wisdom of the body-mind.   \n\n\n\nIn resonance with Pari\, its landscape\, history\, and community\, we will engage with many of the Center’s core themes seeking to open up a creative ground from which new forms of insight\, relationship and action can emerge. \n\n\n\nInscendence—the impulse not to rise above the world but to climb into it\, to seek its core.Thomas Berry\, via Robert Macfarlane \n\n\n\nProgramme Themes and Practices\n\n\n\nOver the course of a week in Pari\, we will engage with:  \n\n\n\nEmbodied and Perceptual Investigation: \n\n\n\n\nExplorations into how breath-work\, movement and posture can expand and transform perceptual awareness\n\n\n\nWorking with our experience of the traditional elements of nature: earth\, water\, fire\, air and ether in a contemporary way\n\n\n\nHeightening the sensitivity of our physical senses: sight\, sound\, touch\, taste\, smell\, as entry points into deeper experience \n\n\n\nUnderstanding the body-mind as a phenomenological instrument\n\n\n\n\nFieldwork in the More-than-Human World: \n\n\n\n\nImmersive sessions engaging with the plants\, stones\, weather and landforms of the Tuscany landscape\n\n\n\nExploration of a range of ways of knowing including Goethean observation and nature-connection practices\n\n\n\nAttending to artefacts\, stories and built structures as relational presences\n\n\n\n\nCreative and Collaboratives Explorations:  \n\n\n\n\nCreative writing\, journaling\, and drawing as practices of attending to lived experience\n\n\n\nSitting in Council / dialogue will allow us to share insights and integrate personal experience into collective understanding. \n\n\n\nConversational ‘tutorial-style’ sessions will be used to explore the intersection between experience and theory\n\n\n\n\nDaily Rhythms—each day will include four main elements: \n\n\n\n\nOutdoor sessions exploring a range of practices and experiences\n\n\n\nThe seeding of ‘micro-practices’ that will provide the opportunity for moments in the day to become an opportunity for conscious awareness\n\n\n\nSitting in Council\, ‘tutorial’ circles and creative sessions to collectively reflect on our unfolding experience and its implications \n\n\n\nPersonal reflection time supported by the quiet rhythms of the village\n\n\n\n\nTheoretical Context: \n\n\n\nWith an emphasis on experiential forms of enquiry\, Inscendence is nevertheless inspired by the insights and practices of a wide range of thinkers from both East and West. These perspectives provide lenses through which our lived experience can be shared and articulated. \n\n\n\nSome of these sources of inspiration include: \n\n\n\n\nThe Implicate / Explicate / Holoflux (David Bohm) \n\n\n\nThe implications of brain hemisphere modes of attention (Iain McGilchrist) \n\n\n\nThe nature of participatory consciousness (Owen Barfield\,)\n\n\n\nThe idea of Authentic Wholeness (Henri Bortoft\, J.W. Goethe)\n\n\n\nThe unity of Mind and Matter from (Gregory Bateson) \n\n\n\nThe explorations of language\, sensory perception and the new animism (David Abram\, Robin Kimmerer)\n\n\n\nPhilosophical Taoism\n\n\n\nNon-dual Shaiva Tantra\n\n\n\n\nWhat May Emerge: \n\n\n\n\nA refined capacity for attentional flexibility and resonance\n\n\n\nA deeper sense of participation in the implicate wholeness of the cosmos\n\n\n\nInsight into how perception constructs (and reconstructs) the world\n\n\n\nA felt understanding of new grounds for coherent action and relationship\n\n\n\nA more integrated experience of self within the context of a conscious whole.\n\n\n\n\nOur aim is not to provide answers to the complex challenges of our time but to cultivate a new ground of exploration—a place from which thought\, relationship and creativity may unfold with greater coherence and sensitivity. \n\n\n\nParticipating in an event at the Pari Center is more than joining a program\, it is entering an experience unlike any other. This is no ordinary conference in a city hotel\, nor a retreat hidden within a bustling resort. Instead\, it is an invitation to step into an unspoilt medieval village in the Tuscan hills\, where time slows and life unfolds at a rhythm that allows you to think\, feel\, and reconnect. \n\n\n\nAt the Pari Center\, learning becomes a way of being. David Peat often described Pari as an alchemical vessel—a transformative space designed for reflection\, renewal\, and personal growth. It is a rare and welcoming environment for anyone seeking something deeper. \n\n\n\nYou will share traditional Tuscan meals and conversation with presenters and fellow participants\, taste local wines\, mingle with the village’s tiny community\, and take in the beauty of the surrounding countryside. All of this unfolds within a gentle way of life\, far removed from the hurry of work and the noise of city living. \n\n\n\nThe Pari Center gathers world-renowned thinkers\, scholars\, and innovators from diverse disciplines and traditions. Our mission is to explore the mysteries woven into everyday life: the subtle\, essential questions that shape who we are and who we are becoming. Through rigorous inquiry\, creative dialogue and participatory activities\, we aim to illuminate the origins\, nature\, and possibilities of human experience. \n\n\n\nWe invite you to discover why so many visitors regard the Pari Center not only as a place of learning\, but as a place of personal transformation. \n\n\n\nPlease contact Eleanor if you would like more information about this event at: eleanor@paricenter.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJonathan Code \n\n\n\nDuring a childhood and youth spent in Southern Ontario\, regular immersion in and on the freshwater lakes of Frontenac Park fostered in me a deep ecological and place-based awareness of the natural world. I am to this day never more at home than in a canoe on a lake at dawn\, paddling out as the sun rises and the loons call forth the day. \n\n\n\nMy ecological interests grew and deepened through encounters with the work of Goethe\, Schumacher\, Vine Deloria Jr.\, and Steiner—whose contributions to education\, medicine\, human development\, and agriculture (Biodynamic farming) continue to inform my teaching\, research\, and writing to this day. \n\n\n\nI am particularly interested in the contribution that Goethe can make to ecological thinking (which I addressed in a study of Goethe’s method of exact imagination as applied to the Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)) and in how the Biodynamic preparations are not only stimulants for good composting processes but are also catalysts for a deepening of agricultural consciousness (which I address in Muck and Mind: Encountering Biodynamic Agriculture\, 2014). \n\n\n\nI am currently engaged in a study of traditional fire-craft and its affordances for educational philosophy and praxis. This study grows out of a deep concern for education in the twenty first century (see Crafting: Transforming Materials and the Maker\, 2019)—a concern that what is too often left out in many of our educational endeavors is a sense for who a human being is…and what we can (potentially) become. \n\n\n\nAlistair Duncan  \n\n\n\nAfter a first career as a systems programmer\, architect and programme manager in technology for a couple of global corporations\, fifteen years ago I jumped ship. Since then I  have worked as an eco-psychologist\, workshop facilitator/educator and therapist across a number of contexts particularly  in universities\, disadvantaged communities and with conservation organisations.  \n\n\n\nMy passion is weaving together concrete practices from contemporary psychology\, embodiment modalities and therapies as well as the spiritualities of east and west. Then\, using them to make experiential and practical\, the insights that arise from a range of fields across philosophy\, science and spirituality.  \n\n\n\nTo define my context with a few names. I would cite David Bohm\, Owen Barfield\, Martin Heidegger\, Gregory Bateson\, Henri Bortoff\, Michael Washburn\, David Abram and Kenneth White as my current key co-ordinates. And I am drawing practices from a wide palette\, but the core is found in indigenous tracking methods\, Non-dual Shaiva Tantrism\, Taoism\, and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP). \n\n\n\nI have a first degree in Biology and a Masters in Philosophy\, and have trained in several coaching and therapeutic modalities. \n\n\n\nEverything I do nowadays is based in nature. It’s my current conviction that exploring a deeper sensorial resonance and reciprocity between the human body-mind and the more-than-human cosmos is the starting point for a lived experience of wholeness and a connection into the deep consciousness of the cosmos. And that\, from there\, we may be able to discern a better way to live in these times.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInformation\n\n\n\nTerms and conditions (PDF) \n\n\n\nAdditional Information about the Pari Center (PDF)
URL:https://paricenter.com/event/inscendence-a-participatory-enquiry-into-awareness-presence-and-place/
LOCATION:Pari\, Italy
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