Dear Friends,
Small is Beautiful was the slim but mighty volume, written by E.F. Schumacher in 1972, which inspired both a global movement and, later, the founding of Schumacher College at Dartington Hall in Devon. ‘Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology toward the organic, the gentle, the elegant and beautiful,’ wrote Schumacher. He encouraged his readers to reimagine economics ‘as if people mattered,’ and, in an age that valorised endless expansion, he uplifted the values of humility, modesty and community.
Founded in 1990 by Satish Kumar and others, Schumacher College was a haven and a shining light for many. News of its recent closure has sparked an outpouring of grief for an institution that was more than an educational centre; it was a centre for community, a place of refuge and hope. As a leader of a charity working with similar themes, I know how precious these spaces are. And I know how hard it can be to strike the right balance between idealism and pragmatism: to hold a subtle, values-led space for bold thinking and personal transformation, while also being able to balance the books.
My heart goes out to everyone working to hold a small but beautiful space together in these times, and maybe you—reading this now!—are one of those people. Whether you’re supporting the life of a faith community, a neighbourhood garden, a new education initiative, or just holding a space open in your heart for a new vision of the future, it’s tough to swim against the current of our times. It takes courage to protect what’s small and beautiful. I hope that what we offer at St Ethelburga’s can be a source of nourishment to you. Please do join us at one of our upcoming events, many of which are donation-based or have bursary places for those in need.
In November we have an exciting new offering: a four-day intensive training in partnership with Dialogue for Peaceful Change. This is being offered at a special introductory rate and is a fast-track route to becoming a mediative facilitator, equipping you with a toolkit and methodologies for managing all aspects of conflict, used by organisations globally. On 8 October we’ll be hosting a special contemplative practice gathering in honour of St Ethelburga’s Feast Day. Join us on Tuesday, 12 November, for an evening to celebrate Inter Faith Week, with a special edition of contemplative practice followed by a sumptuous vegan meal later on.
This coming Tuesday, Listen to the World will take us deep into the rich Shona culture of Zimbabwe with Anna Mudeka’s performance of Music from our Ancestors. Then in November our soundscape travels to Iran for Delband, an emerging group of skilled musicians performing ancient and modern songs and new compositions.
Lastly I’d like to leave you with a blessing for a small and beautiful space that is dear to my own heart. I read this aloud sometimes to open a new gathering in the tent at St Ethelburga’s, such as our monthly Contemplative Practice Tuesday evenings:
Blessing for a Bedouin Tent
May you be sturdy.
May your roof be sound,
your shelter, warm, your doors, open.
May you protect us from wind, rain, weather.
May the memory of tent dwelling endure here,
the lifting of poles, the lashing of ropes,
the folding back down.
One day every living thing
will fold down to meet the ground.
May we hold our own impermanence more gently,
having spent some time together inside of yours.
With warmest wishes,
Clare Martin and the St Ethelburga’s Team
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