The poetics of place
with Sophie Craven
Tickets: https://ticketpass.org/event/EEUBKB/the-poetics-of-place-2
In uncertain times of ecological crisis, we have a lot to defend and to protect. But what are we defending, and what are we protecting? In the Western world, we have experienced a radical separation from the world around us, leading us to believe and behave as if ‘nature’ is not people, and people are not nature.
The etymology of ecology is oikos + logy, i.e., the study of house or home and family or kin. In this day-long inquiry, we will delve into what it truly means to study our home; i.e. to re-entangle ourselves within a wider web of interspecies relationships. For this we will work with the Penryn woodland as our ecological collaborator.
Join writer, artist and facilitator Sophie Craven for an intensive exploration into the poetics of place. Drawing on thinkers such as Bayo Akomolafe, Sophie Strand, Robert McFarlane, Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti and others, we will thread theory into practice with a variety of exercises, discussions and makings.
Essentially, we will co-develop an inquiry into what it means to become intertwined and entangled with the landscape around us.
Using the ancient woodlands of Penryn, as well as The Convivial’s learning space as our campuses, we will explore what it means to ‘world the world’ (Mika et al) through eco-phenomenology, post humanist theory and practice, and storytelling.
This workshop is suitable for anyone with a keen interest in ecology and environment, place-based research and arts, eco-imagination and storytelling. A reference list will be provided at the end of the workshop.
Workshop structure
Session 1 – 10-12pm: Becoming chosen
Group introduction
Short presentation on Goethian observation, phenomenology and the sensuous world
Observations + exercises in the Penryn woods
Lunch, 12-1pm
Session 2 – 1-3pm: Becoming entangled
Short presentation on posthumanism, porosity and entanglement
Observations + exercises in the Penryn woods
Break - 3-30pm
Session 3 – 3.30-5pm: Becoming story
Short presentation on the grammar of animism and narrative ecosystems
Storytellings in the Penryn woods
Closing circle
Costs and tickets
There are just 12 spaces available for this day-long workshop. Please refer to the following suggestions when booking your place:
No spare income – pay what you can / reach out regarding other-than-financial forms of exchange
Low spare income – £10
Medium spare income – £30
High spare income – £50
Supporter ticket – £70
A simple vegan lunch will be supplied as part of the cost. Tea, coffee and a selection of fruit will be available for free, and a selection of soft drinks at a small cost.
Reviews from the pilot Poetics of Place workshop (Nov 2025)
“I was quite in awe of the depth of knowledge and conversations I witnessed, and really, truly felt inspired by all that I learned in the circle discussions, and experienced in the woods. What a beautiful day it was!“
“I have nothing but praise. Sophie naturally creates an atmosphere of ease for people who have never met before, and she soon made us feel like we'd known each other for ages. I also loved how Sophie took everyone's personalities and preferences into account, and never forgot to mention that there are options and alternatives to the way she proposed to do things.”
Facilitator
Sophie Craven is a writer, artist and facilitator based in Cornwall, UK. She graduated from SOAS university in 2016 with a BA in Arabic and Social Anthropology, and a specialisation in memory, imagination and heritage sites (with fieldwork taking place in the West Bank of Palestine).
She worked in learning and facilitation for seven years, including co-founding The Slow Work Garden, before completing her MA in Poetics of Imagination at Schumacher College / Dartington School of Arts in 2024. Sophie is coordinator and host of The Convivial, and her current research interests include sacred landscape, ritual, mythopoetics and psyche.
Tickets: https://ticketpass.org/event/EEUBKB/the-poetics-of-place-2