I know…

How would you like to go to a city that you love, and have a whole load of resources at your disposal to work with a bunch of extraordinary young people on the very edge of society, utterly failed by the system for the summer… You’d get to be their friends, and devise any creative means you can to draw out anything that really matters to them, but you can write a research paper since you’re there, that might actually affect something (maybe). In fact, why don’t we even pay you for the privilege, and throw in a house, and an incredible (slightly batty) research community into the mix? And while we’re at it, we’ll even fly you off for free to meet some mental professors around the country to give you some more ideas, and clear lots of space in both the institutions you’re working in for you to basically do whatever you like (within reason) to inspire these young people about the extraordinariness of their lives and their own stories.

But we would tentatively suggest that you try out this new idea which links in with some ideas a number of others are chewing on… which involves building a kind of learning treasure map (or ‘archaeology’ of learning) by starting with an object which fascinates the individual, and helping them to spin out stories and maps of themes and questions into which to learn… because it’s actually quite good. And it might actually even work.

While you’re there you can even meet a squillion other incredible individuals carrying ideas of massive potential for change (of course they can be found in these marginal places. where else?), make some new friends, learn some more about Bristol and even have some proper space for solitude. And here, by the way are some new threads to follow about exclusion, ‘delinquency,’ learning, silence, prayer, creativity and the workplace …

Um, no thanks. Actually I’m a bit busy right now.