[Admin]

1. – Who are you?
2. – Where are you from?
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.
4. – What brings you to this Community?
5. – What brings you to the Summerhill Festival of Childhood?

[TreeClimber]

1. Henry Readhead, deputy principal of Summerhill School, director of A.S.Neill Summerhill CIC, tree climber, festival creator, SFC administrator.

2. England, Leiston

3. Born and been apart of Summerhill School for most my life, Summerhill was founded by A.S.Neill in 1921. I’m also a director of the newly formed non-profit A.S.Neill Summerhill CIC, which was set up to support school start ups, offer courses for practitioners and facilitate research, all of which aiming to restore happiness and well-being in individuals and society through the fulfillment of childhood.

4. I’m wanting to have some conversations and start collaborating on some projects together for the festival.
One specific idea is to build the Summerhill Festival tree so I’m gonna need some people who can help with that.
But also I’d like to do a surprise flash mob too!! 😃 … But I guess I’ve already spoilt that surprise!! 😂

5. The ultimate goal of unity!! The state of the world today scares me and the collective unity around the festival values I believe is actually the answer to the worlds problems, so nothing to big!! 😊

[Kata]

1. – Summerhill parent, Summmerhill Festival of Childhood organiser, teacher, dreamer, animal lover, avid reader and thinker, language fan, unofficial groupie of Summerhill School.
2. – Hungary
3. – I’m an outsider. Yet.
4. – part of the job :DDDD
5. – the love for Summerhill

[Mike Weimann]

1. Activist for equal rights without age limits for more than 30 years. Participant in IDECs since 2003. Co-Founder of the Democratic School “Netzwerk-Schule” in Berlin in 2008. Member of EUDEC from its start. Currently active as Festival-Ambassador for Germany.

2. Berlin, Germany

3. See point 1.

4. Lack of better ideas.

5. My bicycle will do it, hopefully.

[Alena Mogila]

1. Alena Mogila, a teacher who never knew she’ll ever become a teacher. My soul is from the forest, my head is from the see, my hands are from the village, my feet are in the road…
2. I am from Russia, based in the UK.
3. There are 18 pupils but there is no school building. All my students are with me online, between two countries, two homes. Our school does exist. Our school – it is a virtual space where we follow two simple rules: be honest, be yourself. We call the school “Pear Tree”.
​4. ​A dream. Really! The dream. You know if you ever have read a book about something thrilling which looked like a never reachable miracle… It is Summerhill for me – always was. That is why.
5. A lucky chance. Never thought I would reach the UK, never thought I would knock on the Summerhill community door… I want to see and try its values and principles. I want to learn from the community, I want to share my knowledge and experience with the community, I want to be a part, I want to be useful.
Thank you for this great opportunity )

[Angel Acevedo Lopez]

1. – Angel Acevedo, always a student, but recently also a teacher at a private school.
2. – I’m from Puerto Rico, born and raised in Bayamon, really closed to the capital San Juan.
3. – I’m going on my own as my school isn’t really democratic.
4. – I’ve been interested in Summerhill and democratic education since I found out about those concepts back when I started taking classes at the university.
5. – Summerhill has been such an inspiration to me so learning that there was going to be a celebration of the whole century of its mission and accomplishments felt like the push I need right now, when I’m not feeling that good at my work to remind me of what I believe in and not settle in as a test grader and keep on looking for more humane and respectful ways teaching.

[Evangelos Vlachakis]

1. – Evangelos, cinematographer and democratric education activist
2. – Atthens, Greece
3. – EUDEC Greece and the Association for supporting alternative forms of education and emncipatory pedagogy.
4. – member of the volunteer team iin international relations
5. – My desire to visit Summerhill School and to meet intersting and like minded people of all ages and places. Actually , I will make the trip to England with my daughter who is the protagonist of the documentary film I am shooting since 2016 ttitled “Melina in Wonderschooland” . The festival will be our last stop before we stop filming, You may learn more about our film and make a donation to our self funded production by visting this link.

[Evangelos Vlachakis]

i am looking for participants at the festival who work in democratic schools or study in one of them anywhere in the world , willing to discuss on camera their experience. this footage may be used in our documentary eventually and the video files will be archived for historical documentation of the festival. the participants will have to sign a clearance form and any non adults interviewed will need a permission from a parent.
i would really appreciate your collaboration on this project and i will be happy to meet you at the festival.

[Charlie Moreno-Romero]

1. – Charlie, general coordinator of Suvemäe-TKG, a democratic school within a public school in Tallinn, Estonia.
2. – I am Colombian with strong roots in Estonia, my second home.
3. – Suvemäe-TKG is a pilot project that was founded in Tallinn (Estonia) in 2019. Our goal is to advance in the integration of democratic education foundations in the public education sector. We support mechanisms for youth participation in their communities and their involvement in problem-solving processes. At the same time, we focus strongly on the development of emotional and social intelligence and the development of critical and divergent thinking.
4. – Everything! I feel alive and encouraged when surrounded by people who believe that educational alternatives need to be collectively constructed and learning is a life-long process.
5. – To learn from others and share our experiences during the last years.

[Sara [SACEMAilustradora]]

1. – Sara Cendan Masip, author of a personal books collection (Coleccion Musas), drawer, doula, and free education teacher. Chill personality. Disco dancer. Passionate about enjoying life doing many things.
2. – I’m from Spain. Born near Paris. I speak Catalan, Spanish, French and English (speak slowly, at first, please! hehehe)
3. – El Brot de la Xicola (you can find it on FBK) is a small familiar educational community in the Montseny rocky mountains (Arbúcies, Girona, Spain). We don’t live together, only day activities. With kids until 3 to 12 y.o. at this moment. Since 2018, we came from free alternative unschooling movements that began in 2007, in this area.
4. – After to assist to a Henry’s workshop in Barcelona, I had the opportunity to make 2 small stages at Summerhill School in 2019. That experience touched me a lot and I became like a groupie of Summerhill School staff and their precious energy.
5. – I am in the volunteers’ sack, since the first announcement, in 2020.

[Megan]

1. Im Megan, a 20 years old student who happens to love democratic education and it’s community!
2. The Netherlands
3. My whole school life has taken place at Democratische school de Ruimte in Soest and it made me realise that even after I was done with school that I didn’t really want to part ways with it.
4. Curiosity
5. The volunteering team, I have just met them a few times but I am really happy to be a part of such a nice group of people 🙂

[Ilze]

1. – I’m Ilze: Pedagogical Sciences student, traveller, free spirit.
2. – the Netherlands
3. – I’m not part of any organisation, just following my own curiosity and interest.
4. – I was asked to do a presentation on Summerhill and democratic education for one of my classes and have since developed a deep interest and curiosity.
5. – To meet likeminded people and perhaps gather some inspiration for a potential research project.

ps. I haven’t booked my ticket yet because I’m still in my mind about it being strange if I just show up on my own, without knowing anybody. Are there more people going to the festival solo?

[Maro Tzoumerkioti]

Hi Ilze,
I know two more people who are coming on their own UK and Greece). If you email festival@100yearsofsummerhill.co.uk you will contact Reinier who is one of our precious volunteers and he is also from the Netherlands! We will all be a big companionship at the festival (and will have tons of fun)!!

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Maro Tzoumerkioti.

[Melanie Eden]

sure!
solo adventures are plump for transformation
BOOK!

[Angel Acevedo Lopez]

I’m going on my own, too and I don’t know if there will be anyone I know there but I just feel the need to celebrate the 100 years of Summerhill so I will be there.

[Tobias Hoendervangers]

1. – Tobias
2. – The Netherlands
3. – Democratic School De Ruimte in Soest, the Netherlands. http://www.deruimtesoest.nl
4. – Getting excited for the festival, curious to see what’s going on here.
5. – Working at a democratic school inspires me deeply, and these gatherings add an extra level of inspiration.

[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.

[Neven]

1. – Who are you?
A: My name is Neven. I am a magician and educator currently trying to combine these two passions to raise more awareness about democratic education and entertain people at the same time.
2. – Where are you from?
A: I am originally from Croatia but currently living and working as a learning facilitator in Germany.
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.
A: I am working as a learning facilitator at Democratic School Infinita. The school is located in the Schleswig-Holstein state, particularly in a cute small village called Steinhorst. We have about 90 students and about 15-ish staff members. We have something called Mentor work at our school. Basically, every kid chooses one of the staff members as their mentor, and the mentor and the mentee meet 20 mins per week. The goal is to give the students dedicated time to help them learn about themselves and the world through coaching. The system has showed great results so far as it helps the students feel supported by knowing they will always have an adult person who they can rely on in the school.
4. – What brings you to this Community?
A: I am looking for accommodation, particularly if someone has one spot in their tent!
5. – What brings you to the Summerhill Festival of Childhood?
A: Passion for democratic / self-directed education. It is going to be my first live conference and I am stoked!

[Henning Graner]

1. – Who are you?

My Name is Henning Graner, Co-founder of a democratic school and staff member at that school.

2. – Where are you from?

I live in Berlin, Germany

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.

Netzwerk-Schule in Berlin is a Democratic School which was founded in 2008. I’m also member of the EUDEC Council, assigned to research and theory generation.

4. – What brings you to this Community?

I am a long-time participant of IDECs and EUDECs. My first IDEC was the one in Albany, NY, in 2003. My first EUDEC was the one in Leipzig, Germany, in 2008.

5. – What brings you to the Summerhill Festival of Childhood?

My apparently incurable addiction to Democratic Schools and to the folks living this nightma… this dream! 😂

[Author]

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