Seminars
DUVERSITY SEMINAR SERIESwith Anthony Blake
The DuVersity seminar series came out of Anthony Blake's encounters with some remarkable people. His academic background was in physics and the history and philosophy of science, endowed with a thirst for meaning. At an early age he encountered John Bennett, one of the leading exponents of Gurdjieff's fourth way, David Bohm one of the twentieth century's important quantum physicists and Edward Matchett, teacher of design and 'genius'. He spent 15 years in close association with John Bennett, right up until Bennett's death in 1974 when he was then one of the staff assisting in 'The Sherborne Experiment'. He carried on investigation and experiment, inspired by Bennett's example, embracing such practices as social dreaming and dialogue - just as Bennett had taken on board the spiritual elements of Subud and Sufism and many other influences - in the search for what he had called 'integration without rejection'. Over the 80s and 90s, Anthony's seminars started with the idea of 'inner movements', then went on to explore some of the projects Bennett had opened up enquiring into such things as time and higher intelligence, continuing with the approach called 'the working group' which brought together fourth way practice with modern psychology and techniques. He cofounded the DuVersity in the 90s and lanuched a series of conferences bringing together proponents of several spiritual movements. By 2000, the seminars began to take up the thread of systematics as ways of integration and fulfillment. An outline of this series can be found here. Since 2000 the seminars have evolved to include ever more diversity, especially of the arts of music, dance and theatre. And also to bring together mulltiple talents with creative inputs in a performance of meaning rather than teaching and explaining.
Forthcoming
HIGHER MOVING CENTRE
A DuVersity Event Claymont Court, West Virginia 7-10 May 2020 This is the third in a series of seminars devoted to exploring the movements and potential of the moving centre as indicated by Gurdjieff. They explore the ‘hidden depths’ of the body and the pivotal role of action in realising who we are. The primary thing in this is movement and not consciousness (which is a secondary phenomenon). We will use Gurdjieff movements to reflect the inner reality to us. Work on movements will be bracketed by music, poetry, art, visualisation, virtual reality and even algebra. We will begin with the movement of babies and may end with our prayers and the discovery of ourselves on the world stage. A great deal depends on our imagination! Many contributors will be involved. Here is the line up as it stands now in February (it may evolve further). Curt Golden: Guitarist. Senior member of Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft Lavinia Plonka: Feldenkrais instructor and movements teacher Roberta Chromey: movements teacher Darlene Franz: Classical oboist Ruben Yessayan: pianist Steven Rhodes: Researcher in the spontaneous development of movement in babies Mattias Ribbing: Grandmaster of memory Jason Joslyn: Developer of Virtual Reality systems Michael White: Travelogue writer and poet Travis Jarrell: Dancer Anthony Blake: Philosopher and writer. Head of research for the DuVersity This is a participatory seminar based on Gurdjieff’s principle of the harmonious development of the Thinking, Feeling and Moving centres. Gurdjieff spoke of higher centres of thinking and feeling and we seek to complete the trinity. This is supported by the belief that over the last few thousand years, the felt centre of gravity of intelligence was first intellectual and then in the heart but, in our time, it is moving into the body. What the ‘body’ really is, is mysterious. It may be the closest thing to will.
Dates: May 7-10, 2020. The seminar will begin with dinner on Thursday evening and end with lunch on Sunday. Location: The Claymont Society for Continuous Education Charles Town, WV 25414 (See www.society.claymont.org for more information about the Claymont Society) The cost of the event including lodging and meals is $545. ($495 if registered and paid before March 15, 2020.) For more information and to register: Please contact Matt Zenkowich – mattzenkowich@gmail.com
Recent
September, 19-22, 2019, Nashville, Tennessee
recent events MOVEMENTS OF THE SOULMay 9-12, 2019Claymont Court, West VirginiaMedia Package AvailableOctober 23-8, 2018, Nashville, Tennessee Claymont Court, West Virginia, May 10-13 2018
THE DRAMATIC UNIVERSE AND BEYONDNashville, Tennessee, October 13-15th, 2017
MUSIC AND MEANINGSarasota, Florida, March 17-19th, 2017 London, May 22nd 2016 foto Paolo Aizza
Systematics Gathering XVII Nashville, June 24-6th, 2016
Ressurection of the Fourth Way in the 21st Century 30 October - 1 November 2015 Nashville, Tennessee with Anthony Blake Media Package available
Being - Movement November 22nd 2015 - October Gallery London how the Gurdjieff Movements can illuminate our organic life, help us work together and understand how to understand with Anthony Blake and Margit Martinu
2015 Systematics Gathering XVI A NEW START - All and Everything, The Dramatic Universe and the Present Moment The Media Package Making a New Start came out of this seminar 2014 FOUNDATIONS - the profundity and utility of the elementary systems May 2nd-4th Claymont Court, West Virginia The book Elementary Forms of Understanding came out of this seminar 2013 Systematics Gathering XIV A Gathering of Time - death and rebirth of systematics 2012 Systematics Gathering XIII - March 16-18, Shepherdstown |
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Report From Sweetbriar - Participants Speak about The 'Working Group' |
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2011 Systematics Gathering XII - April 15-17, Charles Town Meeting for Meaning - May 20-13, UK 2010 Meeting for Meaning - December 10-13, UK Systematics Gathering XI - March 19-21, Charles Town Collage Connection - July 16-20, New Mexico 2009 Playshop - July 31-August 5, New Mexico Transformative Practice - October 2-4, West Virginia
2009 Systematics Gathering X - March 27-9, Charles Town, West Virginia Transformative Practice - June 4-7th, nr Stroud, UK Dialogue - June 12-14, Vienna, Austria 2008 Playshop - January 18-21, Santa Fe, New Mexico Psyche Integration - February 15-18, St Francis Renewal Center, Delaware Systematics Gathering IX - March 28-30, Charles Town, West Virginia Psyche Integration - April 25-7, Cape Town, South Africa Psyche Integration - June 5-8, The Friars, Aylesford, UK Psyche Integration - June 26-9, St Francis Renewal Center, Delaware Playshop - July 18-23, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2007 Psyche Integration (USA) - February 8 - 11, St Francis Renewal Center, Delaware Systematics Gathering - March 23-5, Charles Town, West Virginia Psyche Integration (UK) - June 7 - 11, St Benedicts, Brighton Psyche Integration (USA) - June 28 - July 1, St Francis Renewal Center, Delaware Psyche Integration 1 day introductory event - June 27, Delaware Continuing Your Quest - August 3-8, Santa Fe Psyche Integration - October 25-8, St Francis Renewal Center, Delaware 2006 Continuing Your Quest - January 20-24, Santa Fe Psyche Integration (USA) - February 16-19, St Francis Retreat Center, Delaware Systematics Gathering - April 7-9, Charles Town, West Virginia Psyche Integration (UK) - May 26-29, Braziers Park, nr. Reading, UK Psyche Integration (USA) - June 22-25, St Francis Retreat Center, Wilmington, Delaware. 2005 Psyche Integration - February 24-27, 2005 St. Francis Renewal Center Wilmington, Delaware Duversity Board Retreat April 1-3, 2005 - Location to be announced Systematics Gathering April 8-10, 2005 Psyche Integration UK - Braziers Park, South Oxfordshire, UK - May 6-8, 2005 Psyche Integration - St. Francis Renewal Center Wilmington, Delaware - June 24 - 26th, 2005 Continuing Your Quest While Opening to The Creative - Aug 5-10, 2005 Psyche Integration - November 4-6, St Francis Retreat Center, Wilmington, Delaware. 2004 Psyche Integration UK - Stroud, England - Oct. 28-31, 2004 Psyche Integration Charles Town, WV - Dec. 1-5, 2004 Dreaming Peace, Seattle WA - Nov. 2004 Systematics Gathering - Charles Town, WV - May 14 - 16, 2004 Working Group, Temenos Retreat Center PA - June 28 - July 4, 2004 Systematics Gathering IV - April, West Virginia 2003 and earlier Astroarchaeological Tour (with Bill Sullivan), June 14th -26th, Peru Humanity - the Emergence of a Global Experience Sensation and Meaning in Movement The Intentional Quest - Gurdjieff in the 21st Century The Intelligent Enneagram - Insight in Action All of Everything; the Process of Understanding - From Systematics to Hyperdialogue Meeting with Morning Dew Working Group - December 3-7,Claymont Court, Charles Town, West Virginia, Working Group Working Group October 30 - November 2 |
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