From July 21 to 25, the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) programme hosted a residential creative communications programme at Hawkwood, The Centre for Future Thinking for a group of AFSEE Senior Fellows.
Hawkwood is an arts and educational charity that provides courses and facilitates training, situated in a rural location in the Cotswolds, England. Hawkwood has been running for over 75 years, offering a curated programme and space for learning and residencies in the arts, wellbeing, sustainability, and transformative leadership.
AFSEE collaborated with Alicia Carey, CEO of Hawkwood, and her team over the past year to design a bespoke creative communications programme for AFSEE Senior Fellows. This year marks the first of a three-year partnership with Hawkwood.
We believe creativity, personal development, and a connection to the natural world can inspire individuals and society to shape a more equitable, sustainable future.Alicia Carey, CEO of Hawkwood
The specially curated weeklong residential programme provided Senior Fellows with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of creative communications and storytelling. Attendees had the time and space to develop their creative communication projects, with the environment specially designed to encourage growth and focus.
After a competitive application process, this year’s selected Fellows were: Ahmad Abu Hussien (Cohort 2023-24), Amanda Segnini (Cohort 2021-2022), Eko Octavianus (Cohort 2023-24), Esther Mwema (Cohort 2019-20), Jane Sloane (Cohort 2017-18), Katy Rubin (Cohort 2023-24), Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero (Cohort 2021-22), Lily Jamaludin (Cohort 2022-23), Madhuresh Kumar (Cohort 2021-22), Mauro Fernández (Cohort 2020-21), Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam (Cohort 2020-21), Stephanie Akinwoya (Cohort 2022-23), and Tyehimba Salandy (Cohort 2020-21).
To sustain the work I do — advancing labour struggles, facilitating workshops, training workers, strategising, and organising with unions — it’s essential to pause, to breathe, and to reconnect with creativity. This retreat was an opportunity to learn, to find inspiration, and to return with new tools not only for my own practice, but for the everyday work of collective organising as well.Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero, AFSEE Senior Fellow (Cohort 2021-22)
The programme included sessions on various aspects of creative communications, such as how writing can contribute to social change and how to navigate breaking into the publishing industry. Speakers included Alice Jolly, Ally Wilkes, Lisa McKenzie, Oli Munson, and Tatevik Sarsgyan. AFSEE was also excited to welcome two AFSEE Senior Fellows, Katy Rubin (Cohort 2023-24) and Ruby Hembrom (Cohort 2021-22), along with Dana Walrath, from the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health (GBHI), to conduct panel sessions.
Along with the daily panel sessions, ample time in the programme was dedicated for Fellows to focus on their individual writing. Fellows also met one-on-one with their writing tutors, Arji Manuelpillai, Catherine Davidson, and Esme Allman, and received feedback on their work.
The retreat focused on a specific theme each day: Connect, Feel, Dream, Play & Improvise, and Action. As well as the creative writing activities, the Fellows took part in various wellbeing activities. Most mornings began with a wellbeing activity such as forest bathing, rest, tai chi, or yoga.
Madhuresh Kumar (Cohort 2021-22) shared his thoughts on one of the activities, ‘I joined a forest bathing session, an ancient Japanese practice of slowing down, awakening the senses, and reconnecting with nature. It wasn’t just a walk in the woods; it was an invitation to pause, breathe, and notice the life teeming around us.’ Madhuresh wrote a blog post about the forest bathing session with Dee Aebischer, as well as reflections on Dana Walrath’s panel and the mindful photography session with Ruth Davey.
AFSEE is looking forward to continuing the residential creative communications program with Hawkwood, The Centre for Future Thinking over the next two years, offering an opportunity for the AFSEE community to come together, learn from one other, and enhance their storytelling and creative communication skills with guidance from the dedicated Hawkwood Team and other experts in the field.
Thank you to Alicia Carey and the Hawkwood team for hosting the Atlantic Fellows for Social & Economic Equity for a writing retreat. It was a week filled with inspiring discussions and writing in incredibly beautiful surroundings. Thank you also to the wonderful speakers and tutors for making the week so special.Professor Armine Ishkanian, AFSEE Executive Director