Encounters Shop Blog - Weeks 3 and 4

Encounters Shop is open Tuesdays 11am-5pm and Wednesdays 11am-7pm in The Gallery at Dartington.

Here’s some of the riches that people left on the shelves of the shop this week…

What is your favourite view?

The light through the trees, Twilight, Looking over St Ives, The magic of the river Dart, The courtyard lit up coming out of a late night concert, The river walk at sunset, The sea from the cliffs at Bantham, The darling fritallias in spring on the banks, In the half yellow, half green field, Looking at the sky where the 2 birds flew over my head and reminded me of the mysteries unfolding, Nature, Looking across the tilt yard to the Great Hall from the end of the witch hazel walk, The flowering witch hazel trees, Pink moon, Roe deer in the fallen oak field, Walking up the drive view to the left, The hills in bloom in summer, The Barn cinema screen, Full moon, The sunrise over Iona (My cat) as it takes me for a walk around the gardens, Swimming back to shore Swimming out to sea, The sea during sunset, A smile on my daughter’s face.

Recipe Cards

In the centre of the Elmhirst Dining table in the middle of the shop is a recipe card asking people to leave behind a Recipe for creating a sense of belonging at Dartington. Here are some samples

• An event for locals- created with locals to involve the local community. A celebration. Maybe a reflection on our history
• A Handful of fantastic special people, add a bucketful of enthusiasm, a dash of inspirational landscape/environment, shake, will create a unique mix. Dartington is special because of the people who live, work, visit here. (Helen age 29)
• Include everyone, dumb things down a bit to help people in on what’s happening

Memories and Stories

Using a map of the Dartington Estate visitors are invited to leave a memory or story about a particular place.

• I have a lot of fun with my friends doing activities show and clubs at the radio station (Morgan, age 11) * Of moss and pigeons and snowdrops and buds bursting from old crabby wood, of my life coming back in flow, of hope and love and growth. These feelings and thoughts coming as I sat in the rain with a Robin briefly in my hand, sharing my sandwich. I again felt blessed to be alive
• Summer school parties in the common room, Higher close – Daniel Barenboim fooling around on the piano (Yvonne)
• I was walking up to Dartington, my son had died a couple of weeks earlier, he was only 32, I was in a bit of a state. I bumped into Louise who worked here and she said are you all right? I told her, had a cry and she said why don’t you come and be part of us, be a volunteer, I came into steward in the Great Hall the next day and my life absolutely changed thanks to Dartington. I’ve been volunteering for twenty years, It changed my life. (Jill, over 21)

Visitors Comments

• Need more of this at Dartington’
• I didn’t realise that there was any scope for development of community ideas within the Estate! I’m stimulated to formulate some ideas…
• Its creative, its art, its productive
• Inspiring, thought provoking and personally exciting

We’ve also got Planting the Seeds of Change, the Lake of Tears and Lost Animals but you’ll have to come in for that…

Blackboard Questions

Each week we are asking a different set of questions on a large blackboard and visitors add their own chalked answer..

My Personal reflection

In these last two weeks we’ve heard lots of stories about people who’s lives are being being affected by changes at Dartington including the way staff are being re- organised and the physical moves tenants are having to make around the estate. I’m left asking if its possible to make macro changes and also to pay attention to really micro human details or if that’s a contradiction in terms? I wonder what’s needed for both to be able to happen?

Ruth Ben-Tovim from Encounters ruth@encounters-arts.org.uk , www.encounters-arts.org.uk, call 07870 698333