The Village Our next Village is on Wednesday 16th December, 3-4.30pm. In this December edition of our quarterly reflective forum, join us for conversation, listening and connection, on the challenges of this season in the University, and what supports and sustains us as we move through it.Contact Susie Feest or Kitty Wheater to join the mailing-list, and receive the calendar invite. ‘The anthropologists Natasha Myers and Carla Hustak argue that the word “evolution”, which literally means “rolling outwards”, doesn’t capture the readiness of organisms to involve themselves in one another’s lives. Myers and Hustak suggest that the word “involution” – from the word “involve” – better describes this tendency: a “rolling, curling, turning inwards”. In their view, the concept of involution better captures the entangled pushing and pulling of “organisms constantly inventing new ways to live with and alongside one another”.’Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life Dec 16 2026 15.00 - 16.30 The Village A forum for all University staff, for reflection and inspiration around university culture and purpose. In an institution of this size, it’s easy for networks and communities to feel ambiguous, disparate, and even conflictual. At the Chaplaincy we host The Village: a forum for staff in the UoE ‘mega-city’ looking for conversations in which to make sense of, and draw inspiration for, our experiences in the university behemoth. In an output-focused landscape, we appreciate the simplicity of gathering people together in a welcoming space. Our conversations and listening practices foster the connection, time and space we need collectively and as individuals to re-imagine what’s possible in university culture, purpose, and community. The Village meets quarterly, with a different focus for each season. This article was published on Thursday 8 October 2026
The Village Our next Village is on Wednesday 16th December, 3-4.30pm. In this December edition of our quarterly reflective forum, join us for conversation, listening and connection, on the challenges of this season in the University, and what supports and sustains us as we move through it.Contact Susie Feest or Kitty Wheater to join the mailing-list, and receive the calendar invite. ‘The anthropologists Natasha Myers and Carla Hustak argue that the word “evolution”, which literally means “rolling outwards”, doesn’t capture the readiness of organisms to involve themselves in one another’s lives. Myers and Hustak suggest that the word “involution” – from the word “involve” – better describes this tendency: a “rolling, curling, turning inwards”. In their view, the concept of involution better captures the entangled pushing and pulling of “organisms constantly inventing new ways to live with and alongside one another”.’Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life Dec 16 2026 15.00 - 16.30 The Village A forum for all University staff, for reflection and inspiration around university culture and purpose. In an institution of this size, it’s easy for networks and communities to feel ambiguous, disparate, and even conflictual. At the Chaplaincy we host The Village: a forum for staff in the UoE ‘mega-city’ looking for conversations in which to make sense of, and draw inspiration for, our experiences in the university behemoth. In an output-focused landscape, we appreciate the simplicity of gathering people together in a welcoming space. Our conversations and listening practices foster the connection, time and space we need collectively and as individuals to re-imagine what’s possible in university culture, purpose, and community. The Village meets quarterly, with a different focus for each season. This article was published on Thursday 8 October 2026
Dec 16 2026 15.00 - 16.30 The Village A forum for all University staff, for reflection and inspiration around university culture and purpose. In an institution of this size, it’s easy for networks and communities to feel ambiguous, disparate, and even conflictual. At the Chaplaincy we host The Village: a forum for staff in the UoE ‘mega-city’ looking for conversations in which to make sense of, and draw inspiration for, our experiences in the university behemoth. In an output-focused landscape, we appreciate the simplicity of gathering people together in a welcoming space. Our conversations and listening practices foster the connection, time and space we need collectively and as individuals to re-imagine what’s possible in university culture, purpose, and community. The Village meets quarterly, with a different focus for each season.
