We Not Me
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Episode 56 - Building communities, the surreal way
Show Notes
“I don’t fit in”. It’s something everybody feels, at least at some point. We're all struggling to find our place. And if we let systems define us, we'll always be at odds with ourselves. But as Robin Hutchinson discovered, if we identify the situations where we feel more comfortable and can cope better, then we can take ownership of it all.
Robin describes himself as a very lucky person who has had opportunities come his way. His organisation, the Community Brain, creates playgrounds for adults that allow people to reconnect with joy and passion, and to have permission to be brilliant. Robin believes that the joy of his imaginative events is taking people to a place of absurdity and allowing them to play, which changes their attitude towards where they live and brings communities closer together.
Takeaways from Dan and Pia
- Engagement means that everyone involved is able to write a sentence for themselves in the story of the project at hand.
- Robin’s organisation gives people “permission to be brilliant”.
- He sets the bar for his team, but knows when to step aside when someone has a skill that can fill a gap.
- We are bound together by the fact we all share different and unique challenges.
- In any relationship, we must give 100% of ourselves. If we only give 50%, then the other person only gives 50%. We must contribute our whole selves.
- Be brilliant, not grey.
Links
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Meet the guests
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Robin is a Director of The Community Brain, with much of his work focused on encouraging people to engage with ‘place’ not ‘space' and influencing the design and regeneration of community assets, like the High Street. He is a founding Trustee/Director of The Rose Theatre, Kingston, and Chair of the charity Creative Youth, organisers of the International Youth Arts Festival, held annually in Kingston. Robin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University for works in the arts and communities and an MBE in the 2015 New Years Honour’s list.
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