"Whatever Makes Your Dough Rise" - Work-In-Progress 2018

Learning the phrase “Whatever Makes Your Dough Rise” was one of many gifts I brought back from a Fellows’ retreat last week at the Good Work Institute in the US. Here is an update on my recent texts, talks and xskool workshops.

XSKOOL WORKSHOPS 2018
Our xskools are about city people reconnecting with the land and rural communities at the scale of the bioregion.

Grottole, Italy
In southern Italy, we’re working with @CasaNetural on ways to unlock value with-and-for the people of Grottole.

Pontio, North Wales
If the health of people, and the places where we live, are connected, what kinds of business can help them thrive together? Our collaboration with Pontio explores live approaches to innovation that are centred on people and place, tech enabled, and design-led.

Devon, UK Ecological Restoration by Design
Our 2017 short course at Schumacher College, with Lisa Maria Enzenhofer, explored ecological restoration at multiple scales of geography and time. We looked at micro-environments in former factories; regenerative agriculture; civic ecology.

Hjulsjö, Sweden
At our annual summer school with Konstfack, we crafted and test small actions to do with soil fertility, ecological and economic value, biodiversity, food webs. We asked: how best might we support ongoing actions in rural situations like this one?

Catania, Sicily
During our short course on City-Rural Connections @Abadiracademy in Sicily we visited local projects, such as a permaculture orange farm, and discussed ways for city people to reconnect with rural projects.

VIDEOS

City Rural (Re)Connection @AbadirAcademy

From #bioregions to #opencoops (15m conversation with @Terry_Irwin )

Atelier-Luma (Luma-Arles, two minutes)

MAK Frankfurt: Commoning Xskool Workshop

What one skill should a young designer have today? (two minutes @Elisava)

Earth Repair: The Kinds of Growth We Need (@CMUDesign, one hour)

How to connect people and nature (Arising Architecture)

Podcast on #place and placelessness with #alexaclay #ericadorn

MOST POPULAR TWEETS

Manifesto For Utopias Are Over: Cities Are Living Systems

At GalGael in Glasgow, 21 of these amazing boats have been built – and with them: skills, community and a sense of purpose for 951 people

Concerning the word “development”: We Are All Emerging Economies Now 

India’s slow trains are *far* more modern than today’s vulgar high-speed vanity projects

This summary by @davidbollier of a complex but life-critical subject is a work of art in itself 

For John Berger, living in the present is “an escape from prescriptions, prophecies, consequences and causes”

Something good is emerging from these multiple crises: “Value in the Commons Economy”

in cities, “a wide variety of emergent ecosystems are developing before our eyes” =

For me, ‘factory finding’ (which is what @thisismakeworks do) has so much more potential than a bunch of 3d printers

BOOKS PUBLISHED IN 2017

How To Thrive In The Next Economy: Designing Tomorrow’s World Today Paperback edition from Thames & Hudson

Progettare oggi il mondo di domani – Ambiente, economia e sostenibilità Italian edition from Postmedia. See also Che Fare interview with @tbonini ‏

Cómo Prosperar en la Economía Sostenible, Diseñar Hoy en el Mundo del Mañana Spanish edition from Experentia. See also Vanguardia interview with @LluisAmiguet Experimenta interview with @vegapindado and Vice interview with @LauraConde5

  새로운 미래, 어떻게 번성할 것인가 Korean edition from Ahn Graphics

KEYNOTE TALKS

Pune, India Design Conference, How To Thrive  In The Next Economy
Mumbai, Indian School of Design & Innovation How To Thrive  
Bangor, Pontio Innovation, Back To the Land 2.0
Milan, Domus Academy, How To Thrive  In The Next Economy
Madison, Central Michigan University, How To Thrive  In The Next Economy
Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Transition Design 
Montpellier, Passansdesign, D’une Métropole vers une Nioregion
Stockholm, KTH, Ecological Restoration by Design
London, Open Coops , Panel Discussion
Chiang Mai, Craft Reveals Conf, Making As Connecting (by video)
Devon, Schumacher College Earth Talk, Back To The Land 2.0
Devon, Schumacher College, Ecological Restoration By Design
Catania, Sicily, Abadir Acxademy, Relational Design 
Aarhus, Denmark, Arising Architecture, Back To The Land 2.0
Seoul, Moon Gallery, How To Thrive  In The Next Economy
Seoul, SSMC, Smart Mobility at the Service of Civic Ecology
Seoul, Korea National University, Knowledge Ecologies
London, MozFest, Internet of Things
London, WorkTech Academy, Building Alternative Communities 
Barcelona, FITCat, Sustainable Tourism
Matera, Italy, Back To the Land 2.0