Chris Chapman
Lead Facilitator
Chris is a leading creative facilitator of large and small events,
both in Ireland and internationally, who has worked widely across the
public sector in Ireland.
Chris has a particular strength in working with diverse complex
systems and so-called ‘wicked’ problems, helping people to gain fresh
perspectives and to find positive engaging ways forward.
Chris is a leading member of the global community of practice The Art of Hosting and has an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies from the University of Surrey Business School, focusing on the interface between personal, organisational and societal change.
Martin Hawkes
Lead Researcher
Martin Hawkes, a founding trustee of the Burren College of Art, has been the lead researcher for the Symposium conducting interviews with leading figures and practitioners across the field of education.
While his background is in the public service, commercial banking and
entrepreneurship his chairing of a second level school for the past 25
years has given him a deep interest in the area of education. More
recently he has co-presented a programme entitled ‘creative difference’ for cohorts of post-graduate students from NUI Galway which has opened his thinking to the nature of creativity.
Concern with climate and other evidence of profound systemic change has led to his recognizing the need for a shift in the nature of education to match the demands of a future which will be radically different from the past.
Mary Hawkes-Greene
President of Burren College of Art
Mary’s career in education has ranged from teaching in Italy, France and Israel, to designing programmes for inner city Dublin communities, to working with government agencies on education policy for itinerant Irish traveller children.
Central to all of these has been her commitment to the arts in education and firsthand experience of the educational value of living in diverse cultures. These beliefs were actualised in setting up the Burren College of Art in 1994, providing an alternative model of art education for an international audience in an inspirational setting.
A subsequent exploration of creativity and business extended Mary’s commitment to the concept of universal creativity and to broadening the remit of the Burren College of Art.
Hilary Bradbury
Distinguished Expert in Action Research Theory and Practice
As a professor for over twenty years (USC, University of Oregon), and Editor in Chief of the premier peer reviewed Action Research journal (Sage), Dr. Hilary Bradbury’s expertise brings a transformative action research (“learn by doing”) approach to social and organisational change.
In her role as director at AR+ Action Research Plus Foundation, she supports educator-change leaders and universities in becoming more responsive to our eco-social crisis while also mentoring faculty and PhD students in their social change projects.
Hilary was awarded the George and Cynthia Mitchell Young International Scholar Award for Sustainable Development and has authored dozens of journal articles and chapters as well as shepherding the bestselling series Handbooks of Action Research. Her most recent book is How to do Action Research for Transformations (Elgar Publications).
Grattan Donnelly
Group Facilitator
Grattan is a Regenerative Leadership Coach, trainer and group facilitator. All his coaching sessions are ‘walk ‘n talks’ outdoors. Coaching in nature creates a sense of ‘time and space’ which contributes to a deep learning and transformative experience for clients.
He believes that business-as-usual is contributing to the climate, biodiversity and environmental crises, and the real crisis is a crisis of imagination. The work he does supports and challenges clients to ‘see with new eyes’ and to do the inner work necessary for outer transformation. Working with business leaders, entrepreneurs, people in the public service and NGO’s since 2007, Grattan is passionate about the role of coaching in helping leaders better navigate complexity and respond more wisely to the meta-crisis.
He co-facilitates the “Courageous Coaching – having conversations that matter course”, designed and delivered in association with ReSource @BCA. He is an Honorary Life Fellow and Founding Council Member of the Association for Coaching, Ireland. He is associate faculty with the Irish Management Institute on their Diploma in Executive Coaching. He is a qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher.
Ali Warner
Arts Facilitator
Ali is an arts facilitator, workshop leader, singer and host. She
draws on her strengths in arts practice and hosting to convene
gatherings that have energy and aliveness, and help to bring about the
evolution of individuals and groups.
She has experience in a wide range of contexts, from large public and
private sector organisations to community groups and arts ensembles,
where she leads experiential whole-system leadership programmes and large-group events which can include visual harvesting as an additional contribution to the learning & engagement process.
As a core practice, she also has an ongoing inquiry into the voice
and how it can be expressed in its many forms, allowing it to more fully enrich our individual and community lives together.