David Bell has been teaching, training and facilitating groups for over 25 years. With a varied background in psychology, philosophy, mythology, languages, drugs work, counselling, management, coaching and paragliding, he has a wealth of experience promoting self-awareness, willingness, acceptance, communication and working with risk. He is fascinated by stories and making what matters to us become a REALITY! Here we put some questions to him.

How d'ya get in to this?

I was thrown in at the deep end! I co-facilitated a weekend residential in Eyam in 2004, half way through a two year course to train drugs counsellors. The aim was to stimulate insight into the importance of self awareness in the counselling relationship. It was great fun, enriching and transformative. The learners enjoyed it too!

WHAT do you get out of it?

Fun, challenge, reward - what else is there? 

what ideas are you working on now?

Some big things and some not so big:

• developing an Event protocol that includes having an actual "product" as an outcome, like an artefact to take home or a service delivered, something tangible;
• making double lock encryption funny (!) or making more of the inherent intrigue in music, its simultaneous opacity and lucidity;
• exploiting aspects of nature (osmosis, homeostasis, metabolism, catalysis) both literally and as metaphors - there are some clues there for those who are interested!

PS I'm always working on building the range of ways to surprise. 

paraglider pilot?

In the past. I had a serious injury in 2017 and decided it was no longer for me. Here's lovely 8 minute video with some beautiful music: Llangollen Gaggle

where did your approach come from?

I've always been interested in the BIG questions in life - how do we know what is? What's the point? Who am I? How to tell if something is right or wrong?

I think the stories we tell to make sense of things, being socially constructed, are simultaneously robust and yet remarkably fragile - a bit like those eggs the Blue Peter bus stood on (can't find it so here's Richard Hammond's version.) So our Events play with those stories.

I also pay great attention to the gap between comfort zone and stress - that's where the learning is! You might notice that ideas on FLOW keep cropping up on this website.

Do you always support the underdog?

That's what I'm drawn to. I'm also passionate about excelling and I try to recognise excellence in unusual, as well as usual, places. Promoting social justice means to me levelling the playing field (where possible), and realising the difference between what we can change and what is not worth banging our heads against. I could go on... (He does, here.)

Also, there's an interesting article on Social Justice in Counselling here.
 

what is your favourite bit of kit or activity?

Pens that don't work? Hint: always look beyond the obvious!

does it ever go wrong?

Are you serious?! A central idea in the experience is trial-and-error learning. Any such slip ups are great opportunities to model learning from our mistakes!

One thing that stands out, however, is when the group broke into my vehicle! One of the trip wires was inside but they needed the keys to get in. And the keys were not to be found until later in the Event, after they had gathered various other bits and pieces that were needed for the conundrum. Tripping the wire in advance of this would mean sabotaging the rest of the plot. They would be quicker to the solution but have no idea what it meant! A bit like being excited for your party only to fall asleep then wake up when all the guests had gone...

A small task party  approached the car park. I knew they couldn't get in and spoil the fun so I continued merrily videoing away. I was thinking "They're too early and haven't got the keys. Ah well, at least they know where the vehicle is for later." The next thing I knew they were in and ransacking all the kit!

There was an unexpected skill set in the group.