Humanity is a storied species - everything we do from forming partnerships, to buying stuff, to moving house, to getting a new job… arises from the stories we tell ourselves and each other about ourselves and each other. If we’re going to shift to a new way of being, the route will be led by the stories we can build of how it will look and feel, how we’ll be more alive, more connected, have a deeper sense of being, belonging, becoming…
So - how do we tell stories of transformation in ways that engage everyone, that give everyone the agency, support, encouragement and freedom to be what they need in any moment - in every moment?
This week's guest is theatre maker and champion of access, Jenifer Toksvig. Jen is creator of the Copenhagen Interpretation, which takes concepts of uncertainty and fluidity evolved to describe the quantum process in physics, and applies them to theatre, to the telling of living stories in a shared space in a way that fosters connection, creativity, and personal growth. Clearly we on Accidental Gods believe that the stories we tell ourselves and each other of ourselves and each other - and our place as more or less conscious nodes in the web of life - are crucial to how we navigate this moment of total turmoil in our cultural, energetic and biophysical worlds. We not only need new stories, we need new ways of telling those stories, new ways of experiencing different ways of being and this, it seems to me, is what Jen is creating.
When I first learned of the Copenhagen Interpretation, and The Broad Cloth that arises from it, when I first took part in Jen's gathering of a Fairy Tale, it felt as if someone was opening doors in my mind; that here is a way safely to explore the emergent edges of interbecoming that are where the magic happens. So I wanted to bring some of this magic to the podcast, to let Jen tell her story and to see if we could bring it home for you. So here we go, stepping into a place of magic and emergence, people of the podcast, please do welcome Jenifer Toksvig of the Copenhagen Interpretation.
Jenifer Toksvig
https://linktr.ee/toksvighttps://www.jenifertoksvig.com/
The Copenhagen Interpretationhttps://www.worldanvil.com/w/thecopenhageninterpretation
Open Space Technology - Harrison OwenOriginal: https://openspaceworld.org/wp2/what-is/Original: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_space_technology
Our version: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/thecopenhageninterpretation/a/open-space-article
Joseph Campbell - The Hero's Journey (aka 'arrow narrative')https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey
Ursula K. Le Guin - The Carrier Bag Theory of Fictionhttps://stillmoving.org/resources/the-carrier-bag-theory-of-fictionhttps://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Ursula-Le-Guin/The-Carrier-Bag-Theory-of-Fiction/24443320
Navigator of Current See: Diana Finchhttps://www.dianafinch.info/
Navigator of Gathering: Ess Grange
https://slgrange.com/
Navigator of Accompanying: Flo O'Mahony / ZooCo - Perfect Show For Rachelhttps://www.wearezooco.co.uk/shows/perfect-show-for-rachel
Copenhagen Model: The Fairytale Libraryhttps://www.instagram.com/the_fairytale_library/
Copenhagen Model: The Broad Clothhttps://www.worldanvil.com/w/thebroadcloth
The Broad Cloth: producing partner, ScandinaviaThe Field Station on Ingøya - Oliver Dawehttps://www.fieldstation.no/https://www.oygrid.no/ - this is Harald Hansen, Oliver's husband, who is working in renewable energy on the island
https://www.favli.no/ - this is Harald's company for renewable energy work elsewherehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ing%C3%B8y
The Broad Cloth on the Isle of Wight: partners
- Ventnor Exchange, host organisationhttps://ventnorexchange.co.uk/
- Lisa Kerley, caretakerhttps://memoriesofthesea.uk/https://farmingmemories.com/
- Art Ecologyhttps://www.artecology.space/
- Arc Biodiversityhttps://arcbiodiversity.co.uk/
- Wolfguard Viking Reenactmenthttps://www.wolfguardiow.co.uk/