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Tuesday 08:00 - 16:30 Thursday 08:00 - 17:00

Creative Conversations

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Creative Conversations

Institute for Creative Conversation

“Fostering narrative practices & stories of meaning”

We are a collective of professional and passionate colleagues who work towards creating connection and collaboration in the South African context - rich in diverse cultures, communities, religions and traditions. We believe in the rights of each person we encounter, whether through training, workshops or counselling conversations to dignity, acceptance, hospitality, respect and to be listened to. Central to who we are and the way we work is an exploration of ways to weave narrative practices and pastoral theology into a meaningful ‘Narrative of Care’. This invites us, in the words of Trevor Hudson, co-founder of the Institute for Creative Conversation, a “personal encounter with the pain of our shattered and fragmented community” (1999)

03/09/2026

What can a photograph tell us about who we are?

A photograph may capture a moment in time.
But it can also hold a story.
A relationship.
A memory.
A place we belong.
Someone we have loved.
A version of ourselves we have forgotten.
A moment that changed us.

A photograph can become entry points into the stories of our lives — opening conversations about identity, belonging, relationships, values, memory and the ways we have come to understand ourselves.

This isn't a photography course!

It's an invitation to look again.
To look at photographs.
To look at our stories.
And perhaps, sometimes, to look at ourselves differently.

Join us online on Friday 17 September from 14h00 to 17h00 and explore the possibilities of photographs as resources for identity, meaning and connection.

For more info or to register visit www.creativeconvo.org or [email protected]

21/08/2026

What does it mean for a community to grow older without growing smaller?

I had the privilege of spending time this week with the Methodist Church Women's Auxiliary at their annual Connexional Meeting, reflecting with them on a question that many churches and organisations are facing:

What happens when the community we have inherited is ageing—and how do we create space for the generations that aren't yet at the table?

I was struck by the generosity with which the women engaged the question.
Because this isn't simply about "getting younger people in." It is about asking deeper questions:
• What is it about our community that is worth carrying forward?
• What have we perhaps become so accustomed to that we no longer question it?
• Where might we need to make room for different voices, different experiences and different ways of participating?

And perhaps most importantly:
• Can we honour what has been while remaining open to what is still becoming?

I don't think the answer is to discard traditions or try to become something we're not. Perhaps it is about becoming curious again. Listening. Experimenting. Making room. Allowing a new generation not simply to join what already exists, but to bring something of their own to it.

Thank you to the Women's Auxiliary for the invitation, the honesty of the conversation and the willingness to think beyond "the way we've always done it."

19/08/2026

What can a photograph tell us that words sometimes can't?

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately.

I have photographs that I return to again and again. Some are beautifully composed; others are not particularly good photographs at all. But they hold something for me - a person, a place, a particular season of my life or a version of myself that I've almost forgotten.

Sometimes I look at an old photograph and realise that I remember something completely different from what the photograph actually shows.
And sometimes, years later, I notice something I had never seen before.

Perhaps that's what fascinates me about photographs.
They don't change but we do. And so the story we see in an image can change too.
A photograph can hold memory, but it can also hold identity, relationships, loss, belonging, joy, longing and hope.

Over the years, I've become increasingly curious about what happens when we stop treating photographs simply as things that preserve memories, and start allowing them to become doorways into stories.

Sometimes an image gives us access to something we haven't yet found words for.
So, I'm curious - is there a photograph you return to—and what does it tell you now that it didn't tell you then?

Image: Nicole Dickson - Doorways or Stray Dogs? India (2013)

04/08/2026

In this experiential workshop, we'll explore how photographs can become powerful companions in pastoral and therapeutic conversations.

Drawing on narrative practices and creative conversation, you'll gain practical skills and confidence to use personal photographs in ways that invite reflection, deepen listening, and create opportunities for re-authoring conversations.

Whether you're a counsellor, pastor, educator, coach, or simply someone who loves the power of story, this workshop will offer fresh ways of seeing—and helping others see—their lives through a different lens.

31/07/2026

Whether we're aware of it or not, the images we hold of God shape the way we pray, respond to life's challenges, relate to others, and understand ourselves.

Some of these images have nurtured us. Others may no longer serve us as well as they once did.

Join us for an engaging, reflective workshop as we gently explore the images of God that have shaped our stories. Through conversation, reflection, and shared learning, we'll consider how these images influence our pastoral practice, our spirituality, and the ways we accompany others.

This is not about finding the "right" image of God. It's about becoming more aware of the stories we carry and creating space for fresh possibilities.

Whether you're involved in pastoral care, ministry, counselling, or simply interested in deepening your own faith journey, you're warmly invited.

28/07/2026

We spend so much of life striving, rushing, and carrying.

But what if, instead of striving to find God, we discovered that God has been gently drawing us all along?

Join us this August as we pause to reflect on the tender heart of God revealed in Hosea 11—a God who leads with affection, compassion, and faithful love.

Drawn to the Tenderness of God's Heart is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and be reminded that we are lovingly held.

"I gently pulled them to my heart with the cords of affectionate love." — Hosea 11:4

We'd love to share this sacred morning with you!
Come as you are. Leave gently held.

Please contact Anne Hart directly to book your spot.

21/07/2026

Some of the most transformative learning happens through experience.

Have you developed a creative practice, reflective exercise, group process, or pastoral approach that has made a difference in your work?

Why not share it as practice-in-action at the Pastoral Conference in October?

Experiential learning sessions offer delegates the opportunity to experience new ideas, discover practical approaches, and engage in meaningful conversations that they can take back into their own contexts.

We're looking for engaging, experiential sessions that invite participants to learn by doing. Whether your work draws on narrative practice, spirituality, expressive arts, pastoral care, supervision, or community engagement, we'd love to hear from you.

Submissions close on 25 July.

Please submit proposals using this link - https://forms.gle/wEUMczcr85Sfb27R6

17/07/2026

Poster presentations offer an engaging and accessible way to share research, innovative practice, community initiatives, or developing ideas in a visual format.

Rather than presenting to a formal audience, presenters display a professionally prepared poster that summarises their work using a combination of text, images, diagrams, and key findings.

During the designated poster session, delegates are invited to browse the displays, engage presenters in conversation, ask questions, and explore ideas in an informal and interactive setting.

If you are keen to submit a proposal for a poster use this link - https://forms.gle/wEUMczcr85Sfb27R6

Poster presentations provide an excellent opportunity to:
• Share completed or emerging research.
• Present innovative pastoral, therapeutic, educational, or community initiatives.
• Showcase case studies, reflective practice, or programme evaluations.
• Receive feedback and engage in meaningful dialogue with colleagues.
• Network with researchers and practitioners from a variety of disciplines.

For more information, please contact Nicky on [email protected]

06/07/2026

The images of God we carry shape how we pray, how we suffer, and how we care for others.

In pastoral conversations, these images often remain unspoken — yet they profoundly influence spiritual meaning-making, dignity, and hope.

This workshop invites participants to gently explore the stories and experiences that have shaped their images of God and to consider how these images appear in pastoral conversations.

Through narrative reflection, theological engagement, and guided conversation, we will explore how pastoral care can open space for more compassionate and life-giving theological imagination.

Facilitated by Nicole Dickson, this workshop will take place at The Trevor Hudson Pastoral Care at Northfield Methodist Church.

CPD points allocated by CPSC and Excelsus.

To register for to find out more, including group discounts please contact Nicky on [email protected] or www.creativeconvo.org/events-list

30/06/2026

Call for Papers | Pastoral Conference

Some of the most meaningful conversations begin with someone willing to share what they have been wondering, discovering, or learning.

We are delighted to invite proposals for papers at the upcoming Pastoral Conference.

Whether your work is rooted in pastoral care, narrative practice, theology, counselling, psychology, spirituality, community engagement, education, or the expressive arts, we would love to hear how your ideas and experiences are contributing to richer, more life-giving conversations.

We're looking for presentations that:
✨ Share original research
✨ Explore innovative pastoral or narrative practices
✨ Reflect on lived experience and practice wisdom
✨ Challenge and inspire our thinking
✨ Encourage dialogue across disciplines

This conference is more than a place to present papers. It is a space where practitioners, researchers, students, clergy, and caregivers gather to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and strengthen a community committed to listening well and responding with compassion.

If you have a story to tell, research to share, or a question worth exploring, we encourage you to submit an abstract.

Your voice matters, and your work may spark conversations that continue long after the conference has ended.

Address

Brentwood Park

Opening Hours

Tuesday	08:00 - 16:30
Thursday	08:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27834070763

Website

http://www.creativeconvo.org/

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