TONI SPENCER

Toni is an artist, consultant, mentor and facilitator working across multiple disciplines. London born and Devon based, she has been working at the intersection of social, ecological and culture change for 25 years. She creates spaces where grit, grief, messiness, and laughter are welcome and where new kinds of wisdom and power can emerge.

Some of Toni’s recent work includes: Radical Ecological Pedagogies (From the Roots Up) with ULEX and facilitating for Mycelium Group. She is a curator at The Emergence Network, leading on Vulture: Courting the Otherwise in a Time of Breakdown and is  a tutor and mentor on Call of the Wild and professional trainings with WildWise.

Independent works include [the pause… in practice], poddd, Living Deep Adaptation (online), Kissing The Void; Deep Adaptation and the Creative Spirit and ‘The Feral Kitchen’. Toni has taught on the faculty of Schumacher College (Educational Practice, Ecological Facilitation as Leadership, Embodied Eco-literacy, Sacred Activism, Ethical Entrepreneurship) and at Goldsmiths, University of London (EcoDesign).

With a BA in Fine Art and an MSC in Responsibility and Business Practice, she has trained in a diverse range of practices from The Work That Reconnects to trauma informed leadership, alongside many years of ‘living life as inquiry’.

Previous professional work has been with organisations including Encounters Arts; the Transition Town Network and St Ethelburgas.

http://www.tonispencer.co.uk/

RUTH BEN-TOVIM

Ruth is a cross-disciplinary artist, educator, process designer and community facilitator. She specialises in participation and ‘The Art of Invitation’. She began work in London as Artistic Director of Louder than Words  theatre combining new writing and live art. From 2004 - 2020 based in Sheffield and now Totnes, Devon, she was the Creative Director of Encounters Arts midwifing over 80 social and ecologically driven creative projects and public interventions across the UK, that brought people together across different backgrounds, sectors, ages and cultures  to look to the past, acknowledge the present and vision for the future.  Recent work includes facilitating creative peoples assemblies for Climate Justice Just Transition Donor collaborative and the Climate  Heritage Network as part of the UNFCCC climate talks. Ruth held local and national roles  in the early stages of Extinction Rebellion and was one of the founders of the Culture Declares Emergency movement. Currently Ruth facilitates Town Anywhere a large scale community visioning process initially designed for the International Transition Network, co-delivers The Art of Invitation training course initially designed for Schumacher College and is one of the co directors of Walking Forest a ten year international project combining women, trees and activism.

https://encountersarts.wixsite.com/legacy

https://www.walkingforest.co.uk/

https://www.culturedeclares.org/

Liliane Uwimana

I am a sister, wife, mother, and a passionate advocate for human relations. Born as a refugee, I learned from a young age that true integration begins with understanding oneself and one’s identity before embracing others and their differences. This early insight into the importance of self-awareness and empathy has profoundly shaped my approach to both personal and professional relationships.

With a degree in Business Management focused on Human Resources, my career has been dedicated to building meaningful connections. I currently support Human Relations at DBI and manage the Jabulani CIC project. My work is deeply rooted in fostering strong relationships within the workplace and beyond.

In addition to my current roles, I bring 5 years of experience working with startups, where I’ve been instrumental in creating spaces where entrepreneurs and visitors feel a strong sense of belonging. This experience has highlighted the need for traditional business models to evolve in response to the diverse and growing community we serve. By thinking outside the box, we’ve been able to foster wealth creation and innovation. This background equips me to offer valuable advice and mentorship to startups, particularly those from deprived or diverse backgrounds with unique approaches to business.

Inspire by my deep belief in the power of connection, I’ve embarked on a transformative journey with Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC). This coaching model, centered on relationship and systems intelligence, has reshaped how I show up in every interaction and is now guiding my path toward becoming a Relationship Coach. I am dedicated to fostering deeper understanding and empathy, both personally and professionally.

As a Black woman and a neurodiverse individual, my experience is rich with diversity. I lead from a place of empathy, advocating for inclusion and equity. I believe that true change comes when we begin to see others as a reflection of ourselves. My lived experience as a triple-diverse individual enables me to approach the world with unique insights and a basket full of personal lessons.

I am also a passionate speaker and advocate for women's voices. I believe in the importance of women understanding and embracing the value and strength they bring to the world, regardless of their background or ethnicity. By sharing positive and uplifting narratives, I am hopeful that we can begin to dismantle the divisions and inequalities created by systems designed to keep us apart.

My personal journey of self-discovery has taught me the value of showing up authentically, embracing compassion, and creating space for others to do the same. As I continue to grow, I am committed to helping others find their strength and build meaningful connections that enrich their personal and professional lives.

Anairda

Anairda is a Latin American artist and activist resident in the UK who believes in art as an agent of social change and healing. She's been involved in the climate and feminist movement for over 10 years through groups such as Art Not Oil, the Climate Camp, the Plymouth Women's Network, the Plymouth Hub for Climate Justice and her own project Feminist Fusion. She has organised community and art events, participated in environmental protests, given talks and workshops on Climate Justice, Ecofeminism, Art & Social Change and performs her music regularly.

Anairda is a vegan and follows the indigenous spiritual traditions of the Americas.

Dr Stephanie Pratt

Independent scholar and art historian

As Associate Professor (Reader) of Art History at Plymouth University, UK, and a member of the Dakota people, Stephanie was one of a very small group of Indigenous North American academics working in the UK from the 1990s. She is now an independent scholar and cultural advisor. Some of the arts and public institutes she has consulted for include: the National Portrait Gallery, London; The National Maritime Museum, London; Exeter City Council; Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery; Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery’s The Box and Plymouth’s Maritime Museum. Recently, she was appointed as Indigenous Academic fellow at the National Trust, UK from 2023-2024, a first at the NT. Her book, American Indians in British Art, 1700-1840 (Oklahoma University Press, 2005) was the first study of its kind and she continues to publish research papers concerning Indigenous Americans and the visual arts.

Sandhya Dave

Sandhya created ‘Devon Diversity Consultants’ & is an educator with Devon Development Education offering explorations and training around systemic racism, cultural competency & the decolonising of our minds & institutions. She regularly trains on the Global Centre’s Cultural Champions and coordinates the Devon Windrush Group. She mentors on a Devon wide multicultural history project called Telling Our Stories Finding Our roots.

She was a focaliser for Trees For life in Scotland, planted trees in the foothills of the Himalayas and helped set up Moor Trees in Devon. She co-created Devon Earth and Faith Network and has taken part in the Occupy Movement & Extinction Rebellion non-violent protests.

She is also a body based therapist, trained in Shiatsu Bodywork and Gestalt Counselling with experience in private practice, mental health wards, communities and schools. She ran ‘Growing Resilient Communities’ in Exeter connecting people of diverse backgrounds to learn healing techniques inter-generationally and offers Resilient Roots, a brave space for People of Colour. 

Her ancestral roots are Indian, having grown up with the ecological religion of Hinduism, alongside a meditation practice of 25 years. She believes in the power of stories for personal and planetary change & how sharing stories can help us to change the narratives we hold & believe. She is passionate about her part in offering to help create a more harmonious planet through our human emotional needs being met so that we have all have an ease of being. Sandhya now mentors others in guidance with their work and life purpose.

Sandhya lives her life being guided by her strong principles of justice for all beings, not just human. She is a shape shifting mischievous goddess who likes to play!