JOIN US IN A DISRUPTIVE 11-WEEK COURSE REIMAGINING POSSIBILITIES
MARCH TO MAY, 2023
18 participants will be invited to join us on this journey:
- Eleven on-site gatherings
- Connecting with other community enthusiasts
- Living systems theory & practice
- Challenging your assumptions
- Gaining new perspectives on ‘wicked’ problems
- Sharing learning experiences with the Befriend Team
- Learning more about yourself and your unique gifts and talents
- A celebratory graduation ceremony like no other
What is the Possibility Fellowship?
This course is an exploration of what’s possible for you and your communities.
Some of your presumptions might be challenged, and there might be times where you doubt yourself…
but don’t worry, this is all part of the growth journey we go on!
The course is personal, interactive and a little bit wild.
There’s a danger you could become more cheerful, exuberant and want to dance.
Curious to try it out before you commit?
Course hosts Nicola and Peter are hosting a free taster workshop on Wednesday 01st March, in Kwinana, 12pm – 1pm.
In this workshop, you’ll get to experience some fun mini-activities, connect with other curious travellers, and see if the Fellowship is a good fit for you!
(Plus, there’s be tea, coffee, cake & lots of laughter… not a bad way to spend an hour!)
“How do we think our way through the messes we’re in
when the way we think is part of the mess?”
– Nora Bateson
What you will discover on this journey
Expect it to be rich in disruptive theory and practice:
- Gift Discovery (Discover what’s unique about you and how to share this)
- Human-centered design (Place real people at the centre of what you do)
- Storytelling (Grow bridges between you and me, us and them)
- Warm Data (Appreciate information and communication that can’t always be measured and is very real)
- Mindfulness (Be here now with grounding body & breath-centred practices)
- Social Entrepreneurship (Learn how to do ‘good’ in the world in a way that’s meaningful and unique to you)
How much does it cost?
Our intention is to create a genuinely inclusive space in which any ‘possibility enthusiast’ can flourish, irrespective of their financial circumstances. Whilst the course is valued at over $2,000, we invite you pay-what-you-can and/or offer an exchange.
Your offering will not affect your chances of being accepted onto this course. Instead, we will look at your Expression of Interest to better understand your passion and the alignment with what the Fellowship can offer you on your journey.
Where will it take place?
The 2023 Fellowship will happen in the Kwinana area. All venues are accessible via public transport and have wheelchair access, free parking and are close to food outlets, amenities and parks.
Our Approach
You are in the center
The focus is on you — your stories, gifts and passions — whatever it is that lights your fire! Over 11 weeks, we’ll invite you to imagine, nourish and grow your own vision and seedling project. You can work solo or partner with one or more of your fellow participants. The course is highly interactive — rich in theory, games and creative practice.
What past Fellows say
“I feel like a trampled blossom that has suddenly been revived with so much nurture.You and Nicola gently beckon me to show up as I am. And actually find value in my journey.” – Sharon Soares
“Your endless creativity during this Course has given us surprises all along the way. This was a course without a detectable rudder, steering us unerringly toward our own greater identity and therefore our greater inspiration.” – Carla van Raay
“When I started I was in limbo. Do I walk back on the path I was going on, or do I try to find something different, something new? I learned that my community work doesn’t have to be grand, that it can start from the people all around me. The Fellowship experience gave me clarity about my gifts and confidence to give them.” – Leo Wu
Is the Possibility Fellowship for you?
Regardless of what stage of your life’s journey you are at, this course could be for you. Here are some questions that may help you answer that question.
- Are you passionate about growing more inclusive communities for all?
- Do you or others close to you have first hand experience of barriers to belonging and participation?
- Are you longing to make a difference and uncertain of the best way forward?
- Or are you already actively engaged as a leader, policy maker, community connector, activist, scholar or social entrepreneur?
- Do you feel overwhelmed by all the complex problems our world is facing?
- Are you looking for inspiration, hope and some fellow travellers?
Our vision is an inclusive, connected world. We exist to spark human connection between people from diverse backgrounds, to grow inclusive communities in which all people are valued and belong.
What is most important to you?
We support you to find your purposeful direction. Perhaps you’d like to bring about something new in your community, or maybe you’d like to go about things a little differently. Perhaps there’s something you feel called to contribute in your community — whether you see yourself as an (emerging) leader, change-maker, connector, activist or an ordinary citizen who likes to help others. Together, we’ll enquire, create, design, explore and play to find, nurture and bring your callings to life.
Finally, we’ll invite you to share a window, a glimpse, into your project or inspiration at your graduation celebration.
You don’t need any “grand ideas” for making the world a better place to sign up for this course. We simply start with the things you care about, and the difference you would love to make in your community, and go from there!
Meet Peter and Nicola, your hosts
Peter and Nicola-Jane le Breton are Befriend Hosts and Thinking Partners at Befriend. Together, they nurtured the idea for The Possibility Fellowship into being, launching it last September with a cohort of 18 community-minded people. They’re excited to invite you to join us for the next round of the Fellowship, 2023! Both Nicola and Peter are Warm Data Lab Hosts certified by the International Bateson Institute in Sweden, and in the last couple of years, have introduced the Befriend community to a number of warm data lab conversations!
Peter has experience in business, government and academia. He is a warrior for social justice, freedom and human potential. He has a PhD in Transformative Studies from California Institute of Integral Studies and awards from Murdoch University and the Australian Government for outstanding contributions to student learning.
Nicola has a passion for nurturing authentic relationships and safe spaces in which people can open their hearts and minds and reflect together on what matters. She has Diplomas in Community Services and in Conservation & Land Management and is a graduate of Storytelling Beyond Words, at Emerson College in the UK. She is a Master Facilitator of the Core Gift Discovery™ process.
What ‘s next?
- Click the button below to head over to Humanitix, where you can register your Expression of Interest by clicking the ‘Get Tickets’ button. You will immediately receive an email confirmation.
- Either Nicola or Peter (the course leaders) will contact you by phone or text to arrange a brief chat. This is so we can learn a little about you, you can learn about us and the course, and we can respond to any questions or concerns you may have.
- If, after we have chatted, you wish to proceed and we accept your application, we will offer you a place.
- Once you are invited to join The Fellowship, you can pay the course fee you have nominated—or we have agreed alternative contributions—which will secure your place in the course!
- Resister your EOI by midnight Saturday 4 March (the sooner the better)
The Final Showcase for the most recent Fellowship; a glimpse into each unique project!
We’re thrilled to showcase the Final Weekend Program from the September – November 2022 cohort of Possibility Fellows. This program details the unique projects each Fellow has been nurturing, and offers you a glimpse into the things they are compelled to contribute to community.
This co-designed program accompanied the final weekend ‘presentations’, held at The Platform on 26-27 November. This last gathering was a chance to come together in community, to celebrate the journey we’d all been on as individuals and as a collective, learn from each other and of course, graduate as a Possibility Fellow!
Gathering dates
| Saturday 11 March 2023 | 9am-5pm | Introductory Weekend |
| Sunday 12 March 2023 | 9am-4pm | Introductory Weekend |
| Wednesday 22 March 2023 | 9am-1pm | Gathering |
| Wednesday 5 April 2023 | 9am-1pm | Gathering |
| Wednesday 19 April 2023 | 9am-5pm, 6pm-9pm | Ritual Gathering, Shared Meal Out |
| Wednesday 3 May 2023 | 9am-1pm | Gathering |
| Wednesday 17 May 2023 | 9am-1pm | Gathering |
| Friday 26 May 2023 | 6pm-8.30pm | Festive Sharing |
| Saturday 27 May 2023 | 9am-5pm | Festive Sharing |
| Sunday 28 May 2023 | 9am-5pm | Festive Sharing |
Some FAQs!
And if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please do get in touch!
“Would the Fellowship be suitable for me if I don’t have a particular project in mind?”
Absolutely. The most important attribute is that you care for others and are passionate about community, by which we mean living well together. Previous Fellows ranged from those who were uncertain of their direction and what to do next, to those who have been involved with a project for a long time and looking for new possibilities within their field.
“The Expression of Interest form seems rather daunting. How in-depth do you want the answers to be?”
Your EOI serves two purposes. It gives us a taste of who you are, what you have done, and what you care about. And it gives you a chance to reflect on how the Fellowship might benefit you. We highly recommend you keep your responses as brief as you like. The last thing we want to do is make it hard for you to apply for the Fellowship. We’re also super-happy to fill out the form on your behalf during a phone chat
“Guys, I love this, but money is SO tight right now and I can’t afford it...”
We know that money is tight for many people. Fortunately, the Fellowship is a partially funded course, and we can offer deep discounts. We’re also open to periodic payments, exchange arrangements and in-kind contributions. We ask you to offer what you want to and can afford. The bottom line is that even if your financial circumstances are dire, we will bend over backwards to make it possible for you to join us if you are passionate about living with integrity and generosity and learning together.