About the IFS Open Space gatherings

The date for our 2023 gathering is Saturday 13th/Sunday 14th May.

As usual, we’ll be meeting at the Penny Brohn Centre, near Bristol.

We’ll opening for bookings in early 2023.

Welcome to the website of IFS Open Space. You’ll find information here about the annual weekend events, details of how to book (when open) and how to contact us.

The first IFS Open Space weekend took place in 2018 and the gatherings have taken place every Spring since. The aim is to support a growing UK Internal Family Systems community, to have a channel for IFS enthusiasm and ideas, and to share our learning and our ‘not-knowing’.

Not a training or a conference, the weekend events are a way of coming together as a community of IFS practitioners to learn, explore and have fun, making the most of shared time with others who love IFS too. The gatherings are open to those who have completed (or are in the process of) an IFSI Level 1 training. We see our community as beyond the UK borders and participants from overseas are very welcome.

The gatherings have taken place at the Penny Brohn Centre near Bristol, apart from in 2021 when the Covid pandemic meant that we moved online.

We gather around a question related to IFS and use the Open Space process as a way to make the most of our time together. Our weekends start with us co-creating the agenda, with time and space available for exploration of whatever matters to the people there at the time. Those present are totally invited to do whatever is right for them and their parts, and people are encouraged to follow their IFS interests and passions, including if that means shifting in the middle of something to go where they’d rather be. We are relaxed but conscious about time, and trust in the Self-leadership and Self-organisation of the group.

Each year has attracted more participants and each year there has been a rich feast of conversations on a range of topics to do with IFS. We have talked a lot, laughed, played, sung, meditated, walked, and danced together. With time to work, rest and play, there’s something to satisfy all parts.

Initially the hosting team was Angela Hayes, Liz Martins, Annzella Gregg, Toni Buffham, and Marion Blain.

From 2020 the hosting team has been Liz Martins, Toni Buffham and Sarah Burns.

Our admin support has been provided by Carolyn Caldwell. For our online gathering in 2021, Filip Nowak provided technical support.

For more information, you can listen to an IFS Talks podcast from 12 September 2020 titled: ‘The UK IFS Open Space: A Talk with Liz Martins‘. From about 13 minutes in, Liz talks about the origins of the event, describes Open Space, gives a flavour of what’s happened in previous gatherings, and makes links between IFS and Open Space.

You can find more information about IFS at www.ifs-institute.com and about Open Space at www.openspaceworld.org

You can join our mailing list at http://eepurl.com/dFqPwL

What participants have said

“it stimulated my mind and heart”

“nurturing, creative, fabulous… I came away feeling so good”

“never before have I experienced such exquisite, beautiful freedom”

“an incredible opportunity to explore a range of IFS topics with highly creative and open-minded colleagues, in the safety of a perfect venue”

“a buffet of deliciousness”

“I’m grinning from ear to ear and my heart is full and warm and overflowing. That expresses how the weekend has been and also how my parts long for the connection and community and how blessed I feel to be part of, and belong to, this community”

“IFS and Open Space is a match made in heaven” 

“…..the conversations, the listening, the open heartedness, the courage, the sharing and the willingness and humility and humanity to just come into a space and say I don’t know anything about this but I’m interested“

 “a warm space for connection”

Private: 2022 Gathering

What’s possible when we reconnect and renew with IFS in community?

You are warmly invited to the 5th annual weekend gathering of the IFS community in the UK and beyond. Booking will be open from 10.00.am Monday 21st February. The details of how to do this are below. 

After last year when we met online, we are DELIGHTED to be meeting back in person at the Penny Brohn centre.  We’re looking forward to the peaceful setting, the 4 acres of beautiful gardens, the fresh healthy food. Most of all, after two years of Zoom meetings, we’re looking forward to being in the same room together.

We’d like to invite the parts of you to join us that love to learn, to explore, to dance, to walk, to laugh, that want to chat in corners and have stimulating conversations in small groups. Parts that appreciate freedom and choice to do whatever feels right for your system in the here and now. 

We particularly extend our invitation to those parts of you that love what IFS offers the world and want to spend time in warm connection with others that love it too, meeting old friends and making new ones.

As usual we’ll convene using Open Space as a process, trusting in the wisdom of self-organisation and Self-leadership.  Together we’ll co-create a programme for the weekend that will encourage and allow each of us to follow our IFS interests. On Saturday evening we’ll have a shared dinner and then spend our evening in whatever way feels best.   

We’ll gather at 10.00am on Saturday, 14th May and leave at around 4.30pm on Sunday 15th. Light lunches and dinner on Saturday are included. There’s some accommodation available at the Centre in comfortable en-suite rooms and, if this is full, there are other possibilities not far away. The Centre is easy to access by car, train, plane and bike.

We don’t know at this stage what the situation will be with Covid in May. However, the Centre is spacious and airy with lots of scope to open doors and windows and to be outdoors. We’ll encourage everyone to make their own decisions about precautionary behaviours. Before the weekend, in the light of the situation at the time, we’ll be in touch, for example, about the need for LFTs before attending.

The places at the weekend are limited and, regretfully, as we would love to welcome all comers, our invitation is for those who have completed (or are in the process of completing) a Level 1 IFS Institute training. This allows us all to have a shared understanding and experience of IFS. We’re aware of the difficulties and frustrations currently of getting a place on a Level 1 and hope to see anyone in this position at a future IFS Open Space gathering before too long.

You can find the costs and details of how to book below. Our fee is about covering the costs and not about making a profit. Any surplus is donated or kept as contingency for future gatherings.

Please be aware that places are limited and that we’ll be operating on a first come, first served basis. No bookings will be taken after 30th April even if places remain (which is unlikely).

The hosting team for this year continues as Sarah Burns, Liz Martins and Toni Buffham. Carolyn Caldwell will be supporting us with admin.

The hosting team for this year continues as Sarah Burns, Liz Martins and Toni Buffham. Carolyn Caldwell will be supporting us with admin.

What is ‘Open Space’?

Imagine a gathering that doesn’t start with a pre-set agenda, but instead an empty one. 

Imagine all the people who are there are the right people because they have chosen to be there and want to really explore and learn about something together. 

Imagine a gathering that doesn’t start with a pre-set agenda, but instead an empty one. 

Imagine a gathering where we are relaxed but conscious about time, and where nobody ever stays where they don’t feel they want to, where it’s okay to get up in the middle of something and follow your two feet to a place you’d rather be. 

And imagine a gathering where nothing drags on longer than it needs to. 

Imagine that gathering is this one, and that there’s an empty agenda up there on the wall with time slots and meeting spaces waiting to be filled by you, right here, right now. 

And all you have to do is step up and announce your session, and whatever happens is what happens, whoever comes are there because it’s right for them to be there, and however long it lasts, is the right length of time for it to be. 

Imagine we are starting right now………. 

(adapted from Paul Levy)

For more information, you can listen to an IFS Talks podcast from 12 September 2020 titled: The UK IFS Open Space: A Talk with Liz Martins where from about 13 minutes in, Liz talks about the IFS Open Space gatherings..

Booking for 2023

BOOKING FOR 2023 WILL OPEN IN FEBRUARY 2023

The gathering takes place at the Penny Brohn Centre near Bristol from 10.00am on Saturday 13th until around 4.30 on Sunday 14th May 2023.

The charge for the weekend includes refreshments, dinner on Saturday, and a light lunch on both days. The fee is to cover costs and is not about making a profit.

COST:

Bookings made and paid for during February and March:

Bookings made and paid for 1st – 30th April:

Accommodation at Penny Brohn is an additional cost. This needs to be booked directly with the centre.

Please note that the event is for people who have completed (or are in the process of completing) an IFS Institute Level 1 training.

3 STEPS TO BOOKING A PLACE

Step 1   Email Carolyn at openspace.ifs@gmail.com to reserve a place. She’ll send details about how to make a payment. She will also send information about booking accommodation at the venue.

Step 2 Make the payment to confirm your place at the event.

Step 3 Book your accommodation directly with the Penny Brohn Centre. It’s possible to stay Friday night as well as Saturday. If you require dinner on Friday evening you will need to book this at the same time. (Saturday dinner and lunches are already included in the fee).

Please email us at openspace.ifs@gmail.com if you have questions before booking.

Subscribe to our mailing list at http://eepurl.com/dFqPwL

Contact

You can contact us by email at openspace.ifs@gmail.com

Details of how to book for the IFS Open Space gatherings will be posted on this site when open.

If you want to be sure of receiving information to events, including when booking is open, you can subscribe to our mailing list at http://eepurl.com/dFqPwL