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Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Social Entrepreneurs Programme - applications now - Do you know an aspiring social entrepreneur who is looking for some help getting started?
Friday, 7 March 2014
"it is like tuning an instrument" - Flowform Design - generating rhythmical, swinging or pulsing, movements
Flowform Design ....
"it is like tuning an instrument"
Flowforms are vessels whose precisely sculpted shapes act sympathetically upon the water in them, generating rhythmical, swinging or pulsing, movements. This occurs even though the water enters in a steady flow. The process can be compared to the creation of a sound in a wind instrument. Development of these forms requires much experimentation – the shape of any one design of Flowform may take years to perfect, it is like tuning an instrument
Since the initial discovery of this phenomenon over thirty years ago, many designs have been created to give a very wide range of water movements. There are Flowforms with delicate water movements suitable for smaller enclosed spaces all the way up to very vigorous movements which can enliven large open landscapes. In some the movements are reminiscent of a heart-beat, in others of a slower ‘breathing’. There are designs which give a musical sound and others which produce a sound more like that of waves lapping on a shoreline. These qualities have proved especially valuable in therapeutic situations and school environments.
The benefits of Flowforms are by no means purely aesthetic. Because Flowforms have been designed with respect for the inherent nature of water, and with the wish to enhance its life-supporting capacity, they are now in use in the food processing industry, agriculture, horticulture and as an integral part of natural water cleaning systems.
References, ``Sensitive Chaos``, Theodor Schwenk,Rudolf Steiner Press,1999
``Flowforms``, John Wilkes, Floris Books, 2003.
Patterns on water as a demo during one of Simon's workshops on Flowform design
The key areas in which we work typically fall into four main categories:
Simon Charter
Educational & Play
You could say education starts to happen through play. From early learning years through to adulthood, people never lose their curiosity with nature and water. The ‘water workshops’ we stage lead to a deeper understanding of the connections between water and life. Children especially can relate to this by engaging in interactive water play environments – not prescribed or over-engineered experiences, but ones that are open to exploration, self-discovery and natural connectivity. We aim to make this accessible to everyone through imaginative design, use of natural materials and ongoing product development.
Therapy & Wellbeing
Over the years, we have been exploring the relationship between naturally moving water, its therapeutic qualities and how it can bring about a sense of wellbeing. During this time, we have worked with a number of medical practitioners, therapists (conventional and alternative), Feng Shui masters, mental health managers and heads of special needs educational establishments and communities, all of whom understand the value of healthy, naturally moving water and the environment it creates. Projects have included a sensory garden for a special needs school; water gardens in a number of mental health rehabilitation units; a water cascade for a healing garden within a young offenders’ institute; and water features for several memorial gardens.
Environment
Water plays a vital role in the organic and biodynamic approach to the life of a place. In combination with biological filters or reed-beds, Flowforms can improve the water quality of both sewage and non-sewage wastewater, for example from laundry and showers. Through effective circulation and oxygenation of the water, it can be used for irrigation or returned to open nature in a condition that adds quality to the environment. The management of liquid manure and farmyard run-off are also areas we can greatly improve; the reconditioning of stored rainwater is another. We also design and build natural waste water treatment systems for commercial and domestic settings and systems for stirring biodynamic preparations for farms and other agricultural settings.
More may be found at: http://flowforms.com/
Soil management seminar, 31 March 2014, Whitchurch-on-Thame, for growers and gardeners, those working on land, students and apprentice
31 March 2014 - Seminar event - Soil management - Tolhurst Organic, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, RG8 7RD
http://www.organicresearchcentre.com/?i=events.php&event_id=271
Soil Management Seminar31 March 2014
Soil management seminar for growers and gardeners, those working on land, students and apprenticesVenue: Tolhurst Organic Market Garden, Hardwick Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Reading, RG8 7RDFew people realise just how dynamic and wonderful the soil is beneath their feet. Get down to real basics, and back to earth, with this popular and stimulating seminar run by organic experts, Iain Tolhurst and Roger Hitchings. The seminar covers all aspects of soil, from its creation to its final use. It encourages the delegate to revere and cherish this precious resource.The seminar is a participative workshop, with trainees joining in, sharing their ideas and questions with their group; and working in groups as part of the day’s activities. At the end of the day you will go home with a much better understanding of what your soil is, how it works, and how you will be able to ensure it is still there for the future. We will be looking at soils, so if you bring a sample along, we may get to have an in-depth look at it.Course cost (local and organic lunch included):Reduced price for eligible participants (see below) £50 + VATFull price for participants not-eligible for funding £100 + VATOn-line booking is available herePlease check information on discounts below before booking.You can also register directly and pay by cheque, BACS or credit card by contacting Gillian Woodward.
100% fee reduction available for young people from BerkshireIf you are 26 or under, resident in Berkshire and training (student/apprentice) to or starting a career in agriculture, you may qualify for one of our Gordon Palmer Memorial Trust bursaries. Please do NOT complete the on-line registration form, but e-mail Gillian Woodward with details of your address, age and circumstances to check eligiblity.
50% fee reduction for English producers and others obtaining a living from agriculture or agricultural productsEligibility includes producers and employees of producer groups, supply chain businesses, direct retailers, small consultancy businesses, but not multiple retailers, government departments, agencies or public bodies including universities. Participants must be living/working in England.To benefit please download, complete and sign the funding application form (243 kb pdf file) and send to Gillian Woodward at ORC. You can still register and pay on-line.This project has been supported through the Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
New venue for Flowforms Open Conference - NOW NO CHARGE, donations only - 'Water: Nature's Mediator' - November 1st – 3rd 2013 (Friday evening to Sunday lunch)
Flowforms Open Conference - 'Water: Nature's Mediator'. November 1st – 3rd 2013 (Friday evening to Sunday lunch)
Now at the ..........
Foundation for Water building.
http://www.foundationforwater.org/
Contact Philip Kilner
p.kilner@rbht.nhs.uk
if you would like to come along to this unique event (Space is now limited so contact in advance to be sure of a seat)
Water: Nature’s Mediator
An enquiry into water and its role in our environment and in human life
Water
is an essential constituent of all known life forms, including our
human form. In each living organism, water provides the medium for
ever-changing fluid and semi-fluid processes of exquisite complexity and
order. At the same time, water is a crucial dynamic constituent of our
larger scale Earth environment.
An
aim of this conference is to approach environmental issues via the
subject of water. Water’s very nature is participatory. The conference
is to be participatory , appreciative and exploratory in mood. Through
panel presentations, discussions, interactive experiments, observation
and creative artistic engagement we aim to gain appreciation of water’s diverse roles and qualities and, with respect to them, review our own ways of life .
We feel water has great educational
potential, relevant to our current time. In addition to the outline on the
webpage we (Simon and Philip) would like to consider:
Vortex geometry, as
studied by Lawrence Edwards. This is lawful yet variable – part of a way
of moving – approachable through the path curves of projective
geometry. Projective geometry can be related flexibly and specifically to natural
forms. Can its study help us develop flexibility of thinking to
meet challenges in a contextual way?
Climate Change – the recent IPCC report: The
recently published 5th report of the International Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/
represents judgements drawn from studies of global environmental dynamics by teams
of experts worldwide. A 36 page 'Summary for Policy Makers' has been drawn up: http://www.climatechange2013.
In it, a series of key points are highlighted and plots
representing changes of emissions, temperatures, icecap extents etc., are
grouped on the final pages. The document is phrased without emotion or hype.
Consideration of it is sobering. How will our great-great-grandchildren look
back on our generation – a generation becoming aware of the likely
consequences of our rates of consumption of fossil fuels... and continuing to
use them anyway?
This last thought may cause you, like us, think twice before
travelling far for a meeting. If we meet as a relatively small group, may it be
with no less interest, creativity and intention to learn together!
Simon
Charter and Philip Kilner
On behalf of the International
Flowform Association, the Foundation for Water
and The Science Group
of the AS in GB.
Open Conference - 'Water: Nature's Mediator'
to book a place for this event please Contact Philip Kilner...........
p.kilner@rbht.nhs.uk
See the booking form for cost and booking accomodation at Emerson College for this event. Accommodation at Emerson is limited, so please book early if wanted.
Sign up for future lectures and workshops on Flowform design
and applications. Events in the UK and worldwide will be posted on our website
at www.flowforms.com
The Foundation for Water building. New venue for conference, Water: Nature’s Mediator: 1 – 3 November 2013
Foundation for Water building (Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JX)
We invite you to help us take the late John Wilkes’ work for water much further out around the world.
John was a paradigm changer, who shared new insights into the profound character of water and also invented extraordinary technologies to help water support life, out of his deep understanding of dynamic flow in nature.
John was an inspiring teacher to many around the world, and his life was spent helping water in every way he could. And as we know, water quality is one of the most urgent issues facing our ailing planet.
We honour John’s life work to help water by developing it further around the world. His aim was to help water support life. Please help us continue to do this.
About Foundation for Water’s Work
Foundation for Water is the UK charity John Wilkes set up in 2008
with the purpose of helping water support life. Wilkes also built a
research centre in Emerson College (UK) in 2002, and coordinated
significant research design activities there, much of which was
voluntary work by qualified scientists, mathematicians and designers
supporting his breakthrough insights into water’s dynamic role vital to
nature’s health.
Worldwide, there is much discussion on how to heal the planet in this
time of environmental crisis, and healing water’s poor condition is a
major aspect of this challenge.
The task now is to build a professional organisation around legacy of John’s life work, so that the Foundation for Water can respond effectively to the urgent issues facing water worldwide, while developing his work further.
Read more about our plan
Please click below to read about them.
Education
Research
Technology
Water projects
Water 2050
All donations will help us continue our unique work for water. Thank you.
We completed Stage 1 Development of John’s charity, the Foundation for Water, during 2011 and 2012.
We set up communication systems, developed long term plans, restarted research and education courses and best of all, purchased the centre John built back in 2002, along with an acre of research land.
To achieve this we raised £65,000 during 2012, and received two long term loans from generous supporters.
Now we want to complete Stage 2 Development in 2013
We invite you to help raise this amount and thereby become part of John Wilkes’ work for water.
With Stage 2 Development we will create an operational organization, the next step to becoming financially self-sustaining by the end of 2015 through our existing activities, each of which can attract income to enable further development
Our Five Focus Activities for Water
John Wilkes had many supporters and colleagues worldwide who helped him achieve a remarkable amount over 40 years.
Now is the time to create a scaled up organisation around his legacy to help water where ever we can.
We need funding urgently to take the Foundation for Water to the next level of effectiveness.
We will use the Stage 2 funds to …
The water humanity uses is often poor quality. So, we add chemicals, and use machinery to filter and oxygenate it.
Why? Because we separate it from nature, which knows how to look after its water.
John Wilkes understood this issue profoundly – and developed practical answers.
The key is to move water through ‘complex dynamic flow’ – as happens in nature. Then it becomes a ‘liquid crystal’, highly oxygenated and vitalized.
John Wilkes invented ‘dynamic flow’ technologies with tremendous potential to improve water quality worldwide. They return water to nature, while it is still being used!
This Flowform technology needs scaling up for high volume situations, and for villages in the developing world.
Many
people know something of John’s extraordinary work for the world. If
many of us help we can raise the £90,000 by July 30th – and take the
next crucial step forward to help water support life.
The Foundation for Water work depends primarily on donations at this stage of it growth and we ask you to help by Donating and also becoming an Ambassador to enthuse other donors to act for water.
Conference is now for donations, not as publicised costs and so offers great value to all.
About
John Wilkes
John was a paradigm changer, who shared new insights into the profound character of water and also invented extraordinary technologies to help water support life, out of his deep understanding of dynamic flow in nature.
John was an inspiring teacher to many around the world, and his life was spent helping water in every way he could. And as we know, water quality is one of the most urgent issues facing our ailing planet.
We honour John’s life work to help water by developing it further around the world. His aim was to help water support life. Please help us continue to do this.
About Foundation for Water’s Work
Foundation for Water is the UK charity John Wilkes set up in 2008
with the purpose of helping water support life. Wilkes also built a
research centre in Emerson College (UK) in 2002, and coordinated
significant research design activities there, much of which was
voluntary work by qualified scientists, mathematicians and designers
supporting his breakthrough insights into water’s dynamic role vital to
nature’s health.
The task now is to build a professional organisation around legacy of John’s life work, so that the Foundation for Water can respond effectively to the urgent issues facing water worldwide, while developing his work further.
Read more about our plan
What is John Wilkes’ legacy regarding water?
It is held in our Five Focus Activities for Water.Please click below to read about them.
Education
Research
Technology
Water projects
Water 2050
All donations will help us continue our unique work for water. Thank you.
5 Year Development Plan: 2011 – 2015 in three stages
We need to build an strong organization around the legacy of John’s insights and innovations. Only then can we effectively meet the many requests coming to us to help people understand and improve water around the world. Some existing requests are to help village water in India and mining dams in Chile, run education courses in London and in Bucharest, research stagnant ponds in Canada and develop new technologies in Holland.We completed Stage 1 Development of John’s charity, the Foundation for Water, during 2011 and 2012.We set up communication systems, developed long term plans, restarted research and education courses and best of all, purchased the centre John built back in 2002, along with an acre of research land.
To achieve this we raised £65,000 during 2012, and received two long term loans from generous supporters.
“The work of John Wilkes continues to inspire me today as I uncover further layers of his thinking through my contact with the Foundation for Water. I am grateful to John for opening that door in my consciousness.”Peter Wilder, Wilder Associates, Urban & Environmental Design, London
Now we want to complete Stage 2 Development in 2013
To take this second step we need £90,000 by the end of July this year.
We will use the money to establish a working organisation, with regular staff members.We invite you to help raise this amount and thereby become part of John Wilkes’ work for water.
With Stage 2 Development we will create an operational organization, the next step to becoming financially self-sustaining by the end of 2015 through our existing activities, each of which can attract income to enable further development
Our Five Focus Activities for Water
- EDUCATION: share a profound understanding of water and its vital importance to nature
- RESEARCH: conduct research into nature’s effective ways of creating good water quality
- TECHNOLOGY: develop eco-technologies to restore good water quality, using nature’s methods
- WATER PROJECTS: with associates, install sustainable water projects worldwide as examples
- WATER 2050: challenge humanity to return our planet’s water back to its 1950 quality by 2050, through the creation of a comprehensive interactive ‘world water website’ and action network
John Wilkes had many supporters and colleagues worldwide who helped him achieve a remarkable amount over 40 years.
Now is the time to create a scaled up organisation around his legacy to help water where ever we can.
We need funding urgently to take the Foundation for Water to the next level of effectiveness.
We will use the Stage 2 funds to …
- Scale up activities and develop more income from
- research programme for 2013 summer
- education –2013/14 School of Water programme
- technology – new fish ladder and municipal water treatment designs
- water projects - income from water improvement projects
- Hire new staff who can help grow their job into full time positions
- research technician (half a week, all year)
- development manager (half a week, all year)
- Stage 3 Development fundraiser (contract)
- Maintain operations
- administrator (2+ days a week)
- director (2+ days a week)
- running costs of the operation (minimum)
“We need new kinds of technologies which express a new ‘water consciousness’ and ways of living in harmony with nature.That is the significance of the work of John Wilkes’ and his international network of co-workers.”Gary J. Coates, Professor, Dept of Architecture, Kansas State University
Technology from the heart of nature
The water humanity uses is often poor quality. So, we add chemicals, and use machinery to filter and oxygenate it.Why? Because we separate it from nature, which knows how to look after its water.
John Wilkes understood this issue profoundly – and developed practical answers.
The key is to move water through ‘complex dynamic flow’ – as happens in nature. Then it becomes a ‘liquid crystal’, highly oxygenated and vitalized.
John Wilkes invented ‘dynamic flow’ technologies with tremendous potential to improve water quality worldwide. They return water to nature, while it is still being used!
This Flowform technology needs scaling up for high volume situations, and for villages in the developing world.
“As water recycling becomes more important its energetic properties need to be brought within the radar of water providers. Financial support for Foundation for Water’s work is vital as a contribution to tomorrow’s sustainable world.”Richard Thornton Smith BSc PhD, Honorary Research Fellow Leeds University
Many
people know something of John’s extraordinary work for the world. If
many of us help we can raise the £90,000 by July 30th – and take the
next crucial step forward to help water support life.The Foundation for Water work depends primarily on donations at this stage of it growth and we ask you to help by Donating and also becoming an Ambassador to enthuse other donors to act for water.
It is the understanding of the essence of life and its underlying physics that will inspire us to design a sustainable future.The Foundation for Water deserves support to continue their vital work with water over the next decades.”Prof. Dr. Gunter Pauli, author of “The Blue Economy”, South Africa
Latest news for the conference.... now free of charge to attend, donations towards costs appreciated
Latest news (Tuesday 22nd October) is that the conference is now in the Foundation for Water building and so under donations and not charged as on the booking form and previous notifications.
Please contact Philip Kilner if you want to come and only need use the Emerson College if you want to have accommodation.
email Kilner Philip <P.Kilner@rbht.nhs.uk>
Important change: As we will fit comfortably in the Foundation for Water building, you no longer need to book through Emerson College (you only need to use the Emerson booking form or office number +44 (0) 1342 822238 if you want to book accommodation at Emerson).
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Flowforms Open Conference - 'Water: Nature's Mediator'. Emerson College November 1st – 3rd 2013 (Friday evening to Sunday lunch)
A general water conference at Emerson college organised by Philip Kilner and Simon Charter. November 1st-3rd under the name of the Science group of the Anthroposophical society. We hope many scientifically and medically minded people will attend.
Please note change of venue (Tuesday 22nd October), Change of venue for the conference now at the Foundation for Water building (Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JX) http://www.foundationforwater.org/
Contact Philip Kilner
p.kilner@rbht.nhs.uk
if you would like to come along to this unique event (Space is now limited so contact in advance to be sure of a seat)
At Emerson College
November 1st
– 3rd 2013 (Friday evening to Sunday lunch)
Water: Nature’s Mediator
An enquiry into water and its role in our environment and in human life
Water
is an essential constituent of all known life forms, including our
human form. In each living organism, water provides the medium for
ever-changing fluid and semi-fluid processes of exquisite complexity and
order. At the same time, water is a crucial dynamic constituent of our
larger scale Earth environment.
An
aim of this conference is to approach environmental issues via the
subject of water. Water’s very nature is participatory. The conference
is to be participatory , appreciative and exploratory in mood. Through
panel presentations, discussions, interactive experiments, observation
and creative artistic engagement we aim to gain appreciation of water’s diverse roles and qualities and, with respect to them, review our own ways of life .
We feel water has great educational
potential, relevant to our current time. In addition to the outline on the
webpage we (Simon and Philip) would like to consider:
Vortex geometry, as
studied by Lawrence Edwards. This is lawful yet variable – part of a way
of moving – approachable through the path curves of projective
geometry. Projective geometry can be related flexibly and specifically to natural
forms. Can its study help us develop flexibility of thinking to
meet challenges in a contextual way?
Climate Change – the recent IPCC report: The
recently published 5th report of the International Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/
represents judgements drawn from studies of global environmental dynamics by teams
of experts worldwide. A 36 page 'Summary for Policy Makers' has been drawn up: http://www.climatechange2013.
In it, a series of key points are highlighted and plots
representing changes of emissions, temperatures, icecap extents etc., are
grouped on the final pages. The document is phrased without emotion or hype.
Consideration of it is sobering. How will our great-great-grandchildren look
back on our generation – a generation becoming aware of the likely
consequences of our rates of consumption of fossil fuels... and continuing to
use them anyway?
This last thought may cause you, like us, think twice before
travelling far for a meeting. If we meet as a relatively small group, may it be
with no less interest, creativity and intention to learn together!
Simon
Charter and Philip Kilner
On behalf of the International
Flowform Association, the Foundation for Water
and The Science Group
of the AS in GB.
Open Conference - 'Water: Nature's Mediator'
an event at Emerson College, Forest Row, Sussex,November 1st to 3rd November 2013
to book a place for this event please go to...................
http://www.emerson.org.uk/conferences-2013-0/
See the booking form for costs. Accommodation at Emerson is limited, so please book early if wanted.
Sign up for future lectures and workshops on Flowform design
and applications. Events in the UK and worldwide will be posted on our website
at www.flowforms.com
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