[Melanie Eden]

1. – Who are you? Moo , lover of spiritual ecology, singing with, mad activism, devout buddhist, survivor of all sorts spiritually emerged, trans-discplinary artist-love the blurring of worlds – life /art/learning- theatre of consciousness. Re-imaginer of Education- very curious about the outer reaches of self-directed learning scenarios that are honouring indigenous knowledge systems…grassroots community led… in this whole unlearning paradigm for adults….
2. – Where are you from? Gundungurra and Darug Country
3. – What is the name and location of the organisation, school or company you are a part of and tell us a little bit about it. I have been supported by ADEC to come along. Australasian Democratic Education Committee… I am in the early stages of connecting with them – so far a bunch of caring/kind/awesome elder women.
4. – What brings you to this Community? I have always found myself most comfortable with children. A chunk of my childhood was somewhat removed as grew up in an unsafe environment and went into shutdown/dissociation. I live with complex ptsd and I think there is less pressure to be anyone/anything with children perhaps? During my early 20s I had what the bio-medical model would call first episode of psychosis – and interestingly living in an alternative community I launched myself into self-directed learning/or unlearning as a natural inclination to heal. So now I see the value in self-directed learning. Not only as a way to learn but also as a way for wellness. I volunteered at a hospital for 3 years and was so angry and upset by what I witnessed that I made a promise to devote myself to preventing children/adolescents from entering the revolving door of psychiatry this led me to explore education.
5. – What brings you to the Summerhill Festival of Childhood? To build relationships and learn from people who have experience, and are endeavouring in similar explorations. To share and give what I can to support movements, shifts.