Being British: Colonised and Colonisers

Exploring our Roots, Conditioning, and Potential as Catalysts for Healing

Online | English

What will we be exploring in this Lab?

This Lab will explore the layered nature of being British — both the ancestral and collective wounds we carry, and the impact these wounds have had on the rest of the world. How does the hierarchical conditioning that sustained the British Empire both at home and abroad live on in us today? What does it mean to carry legacies of perpetration from crimes committed in former colonies? And what would it mean to collectively heal? We intend to discover together the resources that can support the evolution of a new form of British identity, aligned with a more authentic, inclusive future.

Who is invited to participate?

We are inviting white British people who have been born and raised in the UK to come together to support one another to explore how colonial histories live inside of us. Recognising the vital importance of addressing the global legacy of colonialism, our intent is to grow our collective capacity to come into more authentic relationship with peoples and communities harmed by past British actions. You do not have to still be living in Britain to participate.

More about the journey of the Lab

We will explore what it is to be British by via dialogue in the whole group and in breakouts, and using various forms of creative expression, movement, poetry, and art where appropriate. Themes to include: * The original rupture with the sacred, and resourcing ourselves by restoring what’s been lost * How we use silence, language and humour mask painful truths * The use and abuse of power * Wholing ourselves together by re-membering what it is to feel * Grieving what’s been lost and what we have done * Asking what is ours to do and finding possibilities in the times we are living in.

When will we be meeting?

We will meet approximately every three weeks from 1900-2100 UK time on: 25 Feb, 11 Mar, 1 April, 22 April, 13 May, 3 June, 24 June, 15 July, 5 Aug, 26 Aug, 16 Sept, 14 Oct, 4 Nov, 25 Nov, 16 Dec 2026.