Saturday 9 December 2017, 10am- 4pm
Hallam View, Owen Building (opposite Millennium Galleries) City Campus
(Hallam View is just above main reception – follow signage at entrance/ask at reception)
All welcome
Whilst much has changed since Pope Gregory described universities as ‘wisdom’s special
workshop’ in the early 13th century, the heart of the matter for many of us teaching at or
learning in them remains the same: We want to think in new ways, be challenged in our potential,
discover ways to improve the world around us and be inspired and learn from those around us
despite inevitable differences.
On Saturday 9 December 2017, the University opens its doors to any members of the public
interested in thinking together, discovering shared meaning and learning for the sake of
transformation on both an individual and social level. The format of the day will be a Bohm
Dialogue* – a method for people from a diverse range of backgrounds to meet together to listen,
think and discover meaning together as a microcosm of society, in this case of Sheffield Society.
Rather than start with a set topic, a Bohm Dialogue starts with ‘no agenda’ – the group must
discover together what they need to talk together about in order to learn and discover new
shared meaning:
Dialogue, as we are choosing to use the word, is a way of exploring the roots of the many
crises that face humanity today. It enables inquiry into, and understanding of, the sorts of
processes that fragment and interfere with real communication between individuals, nations
and even different parts of the same organization. In our modern culture men and women are
able to interact with one another in many ways: they can sing dance or play together with little
difficulty but their ability to talk together about subjects that matter deeply to them seems
invariable to lead to dispute, division and often to violence. In our view this condition points to
a deep and pervasive defect in the process of human thought.
Dialogue is a way of observing, collectively, how hidden values and intentions can control our
behaviour, and how unnoticed cultural differences can clash without our realising what is occurring.
It can therefore be seen as an arena in which collective learning takes place and out of which a sense
of increased harmony, fellowship and creativity can arise.
*Does this account of wisdom and discovery speak to you? If so, please join in!
(NB: This is not a drop in, attendance from 10am is required, please pass this invitation on to anyone
you know who will be interested to participate).
Light refreshments will be available and there will be a one-hour break for lunch.
Feel free to just turn up – or for more information or to register attendance (to help us get an idea
of numbers), contact Hester Reeve, Reader in Fine Art, Sheffield Hallam University
h.reeve@shu.ac.uk.