Wonderful connections and learning moments lie ahead between the evening of Friday 17th August and Sunday 19th August as the TA community from many places converge on the beautiful city of Kochi in Kerala, India.
I am writing this from Bangalore in India, having spent 2 days with some trainees of my (usually) on-line educational TA group. Once again I am loving the vibrancy of this land – people, sights, sounds, aroma’s and such a sense of connection and connecting.
We were privileged to have a preview of one of the conference workshops from a member of the group. Arvind Shivakumar presented a taste of his workshop – ‘Standing on the shoulders of Giants’. Using his skill of data collection and analysis, Arvind has tracked themes of articles in the TAJ over many years. We explored the theme of Empathy and it was fascinating to see how Tudor’s articles in 2011 referenced back authors of many years ago – and how those articles went right back to some of Berne’s writing in 1934. For me it shifted my perception of the rather dry and academic rigour of the need to reference things, to a fascinating emergence of the linking through the ages to tell the ever emerging story of a theme in TA.
It speaks right into the conference theme of ‘The Dance of Culture’ – how TA theory has ‘danced’ through the decades and been reinterpreted to be relevant to current cultures, challenges and emerging world views. It also inspired me to be part of this dance – and to think and write to re-imagine or newly imagine TA theory to be relevant to my lived experience in my communities. The invitation is for you to do likewise!
South Africa is well represented with workshops from Diane Salters, Alex van Oostveen and myself.
India is at the forefront of technology – they have made it possible for you to experience some of the high points of the conference through joining in the Conference Webcast of selected sessions. See www.saata.org/conference2018/webcast to register and get a sense of the amazing spirit unfolding in Kerala!
India is always an exciting mix of work and play – here is a snapshot of me getting a ride back to my hotel by one of my trainees – two wheelers really bring out my Natural Child!
Karen Pratt
TSTA -education