about love, at work: how the actions of love can help create more loving workplaces
about love, at work is the latest in a series of performance, delegated performance and participatory performance art works inquiring into the nature of love initiated by Robert Laycock and inspired by the writings of author and activist bell hooks. about love, at work is a collaboration between Robert Laycock, Duncan O’Brien and Julie Scanlon.
about love, at work is an invitation to contemplate the extent to which hooks' ingredients of love can be applied to the world of work.
“The word "love" is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would all love better if we used it as a verb. I spent years searching for a meaningful definition of the word "love," and was deeply relieved when I found one in psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's classic self-help book The Road Less Traveled, first published in 1978. Echoing the work of Erich Fromm, he defines love as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." Explaining further, he continues, "Love is as love does. Love is an act of will-namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love." Since the choice must be made to nurture growth, this definition counters the more widely accepted assumption that we love instinctually. To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients-care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication.” From All About Love: New Visions, bell hooks, 1999
We’ll be learning a bit more about bell hooks' ideas about love, taking part in a silent coaching session about love and exploring how the actions of love could help create more loving workplaces. You’ll also receive a free copy of about love, here, now, everywhere, all the time session hosting guide intended to elevate consciousness about love within our family units, workplaces, teams and other formal, informal and social groups.
As places at this event and the complimentary about love, here, now, everywhere, all the time session hosting guide are limited, please only register if you fully intend to take part - many thanks.
About North East Together
Our collective mission here at North East Together is to create the conditions, and platform for, collaboration to become the norm in the north east and to nurture a healthier social change system. Together we can do this.
We believe that bringing people together to tackle social injustice will create positive change - in our communities, organisations and the social systems we live and work within. Our network offers mutual support, enables collaboration and inspires social leaders. We offer a series of dynamic network events; whole day events, self-organised collaborative working groups; pathways into coaching; and independent social change events. It’s for leaders from the voluntary, charity, social enterprise, education, public and private sectors. It’s for experienced, new and future leaders of organisations, work, and ideas.
North East Together is hosted by Yes We Can.