Rob Hopkins

On Sunday 18 June I visited the Institute of Imagination's 'Imagination Lab'. It was called 'Lab Live: Metropolis', and was an interactive, family event. The event was designed for children aged 3 – 12 and their parents and carers to create, play and tinker with different materials, shapes, sounds and functions. It aimed to bring cities to life through a host of interactive activities that enable children to explore their imaginations. While there I spoke to Imagination Lab Associate, Karien Stroucken and to Jennifer Coleman, Director of Development, as well as to some of the parents and children who were there. Find out more about the Institute's work at http://ioi.london/.

Hill Farmstead are one of the most imaginative breweries in the world. Rooted in Shaun Hill's family farm in Vermont, home of his family for over 230 years, they are brewers of remarkable beers that have pioneered 'farmhouse style' beers. Here he talks to Rob Hopkins via Skype.

Tony Whitehead works for the RSPB and runs regular dawn chorus walks. He is also a sound recordist, specialising in recording nature, particularly bird song. After a dawn chorus walk as part of Soundcamp 2017 on the Dartington Estate, we sat under a tree to talk bird song, imagination and the need for quiet.

The 2017 Local Entrepreneur Forum was the sixth, and the best yet. Pitching this year were The Apricot Centre, Woodland Presents CIC, Black Bee Coombe, Yew Media and The Potting Shed, Studio 45. About 150 people packed into the Ballroom, and the event was hosted by Jay Tompt and Hal Gilmore from REconomy, and local singer/performer, Katie Tokus. This podcast gives a flavour of the buzz at the event.

In May 2017, I visited a street in Bristol where a 'Playing Out' session was underway. I spoke to some of the parents, the kids, and also to Daniella Radice of Playing Out.

On the weekend of International Dawn Chorus Day, I attended Soundcamp on the Dartington Estate. After listening to a stunning dawn chorus, I talked to Tony Whitehead, ornithologist and sound engineer, who led the walk, and also to Shelley, Robert and Laura who joined me on the walk.

Martin Shaw is a mythologist, author and storyteller. He is regarded as one of the most outstanding new teachers of the mythic imagination. He is a Visiting Fellow at Schumacher College, and has devised and led the Oral Tradition course at Stanford University in the U.S. Any exploration of the imagination, its current state of health, and how we might best interact with it should include beating a path to the door of Martin Shaw (that sounded far more poetic than was intended). Which, a few weeks ago, one sunny Spring morning, I did.

What does it look like when the pieces of a local food economy start to fall into place? Saturday 29th April 2017 saw the official opening of the premises of Grown in Totnes. I popped along to this fascinating event, and interviewed Holly and Emily from Grown in Totnes, as well as John Letts, an expert on localised grain production who has supported the project. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/GrownInTotnes/.

Sunday 23rd April 2017 was the day of the Totnes Street Games Festival. In the recently-renovated Rotherfold square, parents and children gathered to remember, relearn and encounter street games. The square was filled with laughter, children dashing around, skipping ropes, bouncing balls, chalk drawings. In this podcast, I speak to the organisers, children and parents to capture a sense of the day and why it matters.

My reading of my blog, 'Why we need The Yellow House more than ever', published at robhopkins.net on 7th April 2017.