Rob Hopkins

Robert Macfarlane: "the metaphors we use deliver us hope, or they foreclose possibility"

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

They say you should never meet your heroes. They’re wrong. I recently had the huge honour of spending almost an hour in conversation with Robert Ma...

Maggie Jackson on 'Distracted' and the fragmentation of attention

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're talking about technology and the fragmentation of attention with Maggie Jackson. After an early career as a foreign correspondent, Maggie ...

Vanessa Andreotti on imagination and how our dreams are tamed

08 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I recently taught at Schumacher College, and spoke about the work I am doing about imagination.  Afterwards, a few students came up to me and said "y...

Dawn Chorus 2018

06 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I went to the Soundart Radio SoundCamp's dawn chorus walk this morning (6th May 2018). Here's how the dawn chorus sounded.

David Sax on imagination and the revenge of analog

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David Sax is a journalist living in Toronto, Canada, and he is the author of the book The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter. I found ...

Lise van Susteren on 'Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder' and its impact on the imagination.

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A while ago I was reading a report about the psychological impacts of climate change, and came across the term ‘pre-traumatic stress disorder’. I...

The Bank Job: an interview with Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn

12 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When I was recently at the #CTRLshift2018 conference in Wigan, one project that many people were talking about was Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn’s ...

Daniel Raven Ellison on “what if London were a National Park City?”

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is a website about the power of “what if?”, and how, in a time of existential challenges, we might take “what if?” ideas and make them a ...

#CTRLshift2018

30 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It was billed as “an emergency summit for change”, and it was a call that drew around 150 people from across the UK, and even some from further af...

Kieran Egan on "the ability to think about the possible"

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you spend any time reading about the connection between education and the imagination, one name comes up repeatedly.  Kieran Egan has been writing...

Raphaël Lambois on Brasserie Coopérative Liégeoise

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

While in Liege I visited Brasserie Coopérative Liégeoise, a co-operative brewery who make beers which source all their materials locally. Raphaël...

Pascal Hennen of Les Petits Producteurs

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pascal Hennen is the manager of Les Petits Producteurs, a fantastic shop opened in Liege as part of the Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise network of c...

Christian Jonet on Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with Christian Jonet of Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise exploring the project's beginnings, evolution, and what it has led to. We we...

Eric Holthaus on imagination: "Our brains are constantly being encouraged to give up"

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Holthaus was once called ‘The Rebel Nerd of Meteorology’ by Rolling Stone magazine and is a journalist who writes about climate change. In 2...

Dan Schacter on the memory and the imagination.

16 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When looking through research into imagination, memory and the brain, one name that keeps appearing is that of Dan Schacter. We recently interviewed ...

Douglas Rushkoff on the present, the future, and the imagination

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How does our relationship with digital technologies alter our relationship with the future, with the present, and with our imaginations? It’s a que...

Sarah Woods on imagination and “the crisis of what comes next”.

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If it is true that we are living through a time in which our collective imagination is increasingly devalued and undernourished, what might be the rol...

Gillian Judson on imaginative education and being a 'perfinker'

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I don’t know about you, but most of my time at school did very little to foster my imagination. It tended to be viewed as though I had brought a nau...

Donna Rose Addis on the hippocampus, the future and brain networks

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the research stage of the book I am writing on imagination wraps up, it was a real treat recently to chat to Donna Rose Addis, a Professor in Cogni...

Adam Gazzaley on the brain, distraction and the imagination

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, a photographer, an entrepreneur, an inventor, and an author.  He is a Professor at University of California, San...

Evin O'Riordan on brewing and the imagination

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most fascinating craft breweries in the UK can be found nestled in a series of arches beneath a railway bridge in Bermondsey in London. For...

John McCarthy on the captive imagination

06 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

John McCarthy on the captive imagination by Rob Hopkins

Matthieu Ricard: "I think the Buddha might have got rid of Twitter with his palace"

03 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk.  After completing his PhD in cell genetics in 1972, he has lived for 50 years in the Himalayas and studied with m...

Manish Jain on imagination, 'unschooling' and learning.

31 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Manish Jain is deeply committed to regenerating our diverse knowledge systems and cultural imaginations. He has served for the past 17 years as Coordi...

Dr Larry Rosen on activism and imagination in the age of the Distracted Mind.

23 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Larry Rosen is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at California State University. He has been a teacher for 45 years and has been studying the impa...

Sven Birkerts on imagination.

07 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sven Birkerts is an American essayist and literary critic of Latvian ancestry. He is best known for his book 'The Gutenberg Elegies', which posits a d...

Alex Schlegel on imagination, the brain and 'the mental workspace'

04 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Schlegel is a cognitive neuroscientist, which he describes as being about “trying to understand how the structure and function of the brain cre...

Deborah Frances-White on improv and the imagination

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Deborah Frances-White is a comedian and writer who also delivers seminars to women in business on subjects including charisma, diversity and inclusion...

Felix Beltran on how Barcelona en Comu are reimagining democracy

07 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Felix Beltran is a translator, a festival organiser, and a member of Barcelona en Comu, the remarkable bottom up movement that is bringing new democra...

Josiah Meldrum on imagination and beans

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Josiah Meldrum is one of three founders of Hodmedods British Grains and Pulses (https://hodmedods.co.uk/), founded in 2012 to source and supply beans ...

Learning to improvise with the Spontaneity Shop

26 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2017 I attended a weekend workshop run by the Spontaneity Shop, their Level 1A Improvisation training. It was taught by Jeremy Finch, an...

Hannah Fox on how a community's imagination reshaped a museum.

04 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you were appointed to run a museum, with very little budget, a very small team, and a sense that the place had run out of directi...

New Lion Brewery Sessions 2017: The Proper Ornaments

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Proper Ornaments brought our New Lion Brewery Sessions at Sea Change Festival to a close. Their brilliant short set is recorded here in full. Wh...

New Lion Brewery Sessions 2017: Jim Ghedi

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our second New Lion Brewery Session was Jim Ghedi. Here is his brilliant set in full. Jim Ghedi is a 6 & 12 string guitarist and folk singer from th...

New Lion Brewery Sessions 2017: Seamus Fogarty

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our 2017 New Lion Brewery Sessions, part of Drift Records' brilliant Sea Change Festival, brought 4 very different artists in to play in the Brewery. ...

New Lion Brewery Sessions 2017: Ryley Walker

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As part of the Sea Change Festival in Totnes, New Lion Brewery hosted 4 performances. Ryley Walker packed the brewery out for his set, which was, as ...

The Tooting Twirl: "let nobody say after today that it’s not possible”

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday 16th July 2017, Transition Town Tooting held their 'Tooting Twirl' event, and rather wonderful it was too. I popped along to see what was h...

Julian Dobson on imagination and 'places of possibility'.

11 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Dobson is a writer and facilitator specialising in regeneration, placemaking and social change. He is author of 'How to Save Town Centres'.

Talking imagination and participation with JR

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

JR calls himself “an artist until I find a real job”. His work, around the world, is amazing. I was fortunate to get to speak to him, as somehow...

Bruce Alexander on addiction and imagination.

27 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Alexander has spent his whole career as a psychologist working on the topic of addiction, and wrote the seminal ‘The Globalisation of Addictio...

A trip to the Institute of Imagination's 'Imagination Lab'.

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday 18 June I visited the Institute of Imagination's 'Imagination Lab'. It was called 'Lab Live: Metropolis', and was an interactive, family ev...

Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead.

24 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Tony Whitehead on why listening to the dawn chorus matters

17 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Whitehead works for the RSPB and runs regular dawn chorus walks. He is also a sound recordist, specialising in recording nature, particularly bi...

The Totnes Local Entrepreneur Forum 2017

14 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The 2017 Local Entrepreneur Forum was the sixth, and the best yet. Pitching this year were The Apricot Centre, Woodland Presents CIC, Black Bee Coomb...

Playing Out in Bristol

14 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The voices of Dartington Soundcamp 2017

10 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On the weekend of International Dawn Chorus Day, I attended Soundcamp on the Dartington Estate. After listening to a stunning dawn chorus, I talked t...

Martin Shaw on Imagination

04 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 V...

The official opening of Grown in Totnes' processing premises

30 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 pre...

An afternoon at the Totnes Street Games Festival

25 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sunday 23rd April 2017 was the day of the Totnes Street Games Festival. In the recently-renovated Rotherfold square, parents and children gathered to...

Podcast: Why we need The Yellow House more than ever

07 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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

Josh Golin on toys, marketing, and when Barbie goes bad.

17 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Golin is the Executive Director of the Campaign for Commerical Free Childhood, an advocacy organisation that works to protect children from the h...

10 years of Transition Town Totnes

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

March 9th 2017 was the 10th anniversary celebrations of Transition Town Totnes. As part of an event in Totnes Civic Hall which also launched the town...

Richard Heinberg on 'America First'

05 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As part of a series looking at Donald Trump's 'America First' concept, we talk to Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow at Post Carbon Institute and author ...

Cormac Russell on Asset Based Community Development

23 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Cormac is Managing Director of Nurture Development and a faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute at Northwestern Univ...

The tale of the Einkorn Gruit

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

New Lion Brewery has collaborated with Grown in Totnes to produce an Einkorn Gruit. But what is Einkorn? And why would you make a Gruit with it? Ne...

Rob Wilson on making beer from surplus bread

10 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Hopkins meets Rob Wilson of Toast to find out about a new social enterprise that's making bread from surplus toast. www.newlionbrewery.co.uk www....

Podcast: The Totnes Caring Town Fair

14 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday 12th November in Totnes, Caring Town Totnes held an event that brought together 30 different organisations who offer care in the town. It...

Marie-Monique Robin on 'Qu'est ce qu'on attend?'

24 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Film maker Marie-Monique Robin discusses her new film 'Qu'est ce qu'on attend?' ('What are we waiting for?') with Transition Network's Rob Hopkins. Th...

The Late Dr. David Fleming – Community, Place and Play.

13 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016 - 20:00 to 22:00. With Rob Hopkins and Shaun Chamberlin. Already a key influence on the Transition movement, Green Party...

Derk Loorbach and Rob Hopkins on Transition and research.

08 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

At the 7th International Sustainability Transitions Conference in Wuppertal, Germany, Rob Hopkins and Derk Loorbach took part in a session called 'Res...

James Yorkston at New Lion Brewery

01 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In the final 'New Lion Brewery Session' that took place during the Sea Change Festival, James Yorkston played on our stairs. Here is his set in full....

Alasdair Roberts and Friends live at New Lion Brewery

01 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

For the second 'New Lion Brewery Session' that took place in the brewery during Sea Change Festival, Alasdair Roberts was joined by Stevie Jones and A...

Ultimate Painting live at New Lion Brewery

30 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday August 26th, Ultimate Painting came into the New Lion Brewery in Totnes to play the first 'New Lion Brewery Session'. They were brilliant. ...

London premiere: what did people think of 'Tomorrow'?

05 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday July 1st 2016, at the Everyman Cinema in Muswell Hill, London, the film that has proved to be a phenomenon in France, 'Tomorrow' ('Demain') ...

Emmanuel and Elizabeth at Pocheco: "Let's change everything"

23 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Emmanuel Druon and Elizabeth Druon of Pocheco about their work, about 'ecolonomie' and much more.

Emmanuel Druon and Elizabeth Dinsdale on 'Demain'

21 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Emmanuel Druon and Elizabeth Dinsdale discuss the impact the film 'Demain' has had on their business, Pocheco, and also on France more generally.

When New Lion Brewery met Wild & Curious

14 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

New Lion Brewery have been working with new Totnes enterprise Wild & Curious, to create two beers for the 2016 Totnes Local Entrepreneur Forum. The c...

Jay Tompt introduces the Local Entrepreneur Forum.

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On May 12th 2016, the fifth Totnes Local Entrepreneur Forum took place. Jay Tompt, its originator and co-ordinator, talked to Rob Hopkins about how...

Andy O'Brien & Chris Speller of Bristol Energy Cooperative

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Hopkins of Transition Network talks to Andy O'Brien and Chris Speller of Bristol Energy Cooperative about their bid to raise £10.5 million for co...

What was it like to pitch at the 2016 Totnes Local Entrepreneur Forum?

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Pitching at LEF5 in Totnes were Iola (iolaweir.co.uk), a start up led by Iola Weir in the theatre arts space with a vision to create local livelihoods...

Helen Royall on 10 years of Transition Stroud

09 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Helen Royall, a member of Transition Stroud, discusses the group's history, achievements and hopes for the future with Transition Network's Rob Hopkin...

'Transition Stroud: 10 years and beyond': a Transition Network podcast.

07 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On 6th May 2016, Transition Stroud held an event called 'Transition Stroud: 10 years and beyond' in the town's Subscription Rooms. Over 200 people at...

Tanya Aertebjerg talks about Det Faelles Bedste in Hvalsø.

25 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Tanja was one of the organisers of the Det Faelles Bedste ('The Common Good') convergence in Hvalsø. Here she talks to Transition Network's Rob Hopk...

Cristiano Bottone on Transition in Italy

25 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

At the Det Faelles Bedste event in Hvalsø, Denmark, Transition Network's Rob Hopkins sat down with Cristiano Bottone of Transition Italy following hi...

Cyril Dion

16 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Hopkins of Transition Network caught up with Cyril Dion to talk about the extraordinary film 'Demain' and the remarkable success it has been, as w...

Bob Hudson on the dangers of devolution

16 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Bob Hudson describes himself in his Twitter profile as "Public policy academic Durham University, Labour supporter. Sunderland AFC supporter. Regular ...

Transition Galway Discuss Their ‘A Vision For Galway 2030’ Report

22 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Transition Galway in Ireland recently published their 'Vision for Galway 2030' report, based on many visioning workshops with their community. We tal...

Chrissie Godfrey

12 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Chrissie Godfrey by Rob Hopkins

Chris Johnstone on burnout and balance

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Johnstone (chrisjohnstone.info/) is a resilience coach, trainer and writer, author of Find Your Power and, with Joanna Macy, of Active Hope.

5 Burnout Strategies #5: See success with new eyes and savour it.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience coach and trainer Chris Johnstone (chrisjohnstone.info/) shares his fifth strategy for overcoming burnout, to see success with new eyes and...

5 Burnout Strategies #4: Follow your inner compass.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience coach and trainer Chris Johnstone (chrisjohnstone.info/) shares his fourth strategy for overcoming burnout, to follow your inner compass.

5 Burnout Strategies #3: Broaden your definition of activism.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience coach and trainer Chris Johnstone (chrisjohnstone.info/)shares his third strategy for overcoming burnout, broadening our definition of acti...

5 Burnout Strategies #2: Redefine a good life.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience coach and trainer Chris Johnstone (chrisjohnstone.info/) shares his second strategy for overcoming burnout, redefining what we mean by a go...

5 Burnout Strategies #1: See enthusiasm as a resource.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience coach and trainer Chris Johnstone (http://chrisjohnstone.info/) shares his first strategy for overcoming burnout, to see enthusiasm as a va...

Sophy Banks On Burnout

11 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

As part of our theme on Balance and Burnout, we talked to former Inner Transition co-ordinator Sophy Banks about burnout, how to recognise it and stra...

Sophy Interview Reflecting On 10 Years of Inner Transition

11 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

As Sophy Banks steps back from her role holding Inner Transition, we sat down to ask her for her thoughts on what she has created and the legacy she l...

"How was COP21 for you?"

10 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

En route home from Paris, Emilio Mula and Rob Hopkins paused at Paddington Station. While there, Emilio asked Rob for his thoughts on his time in Par...

Rob Hopkins Speaks At Energy Cities

03 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

On 3 December 2015, Rob Hopkins spoke at a meeting organised by Energy Cities, and hosted by the City of Paris. It was called COPowering change: the ...

Reflections on Day Four in Paris

01 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

On Day Four of the Transition Network team in Paris for COP21, Emilio Mula asked Rob Hopkins how he was finding it being there, and how things were go...

'Place to Brief' at COP21: 30 November 2015, Paris.

01 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

At Place to B, Transition Network's Rob Hopkins took part in an online webcast as one of Place to B's evening events. Here is the audio of it. Along...

Jean-Claude Mensch on 21 Stories of Transition.

24 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Jean-Claude Mensch is the Mayor of Ungersheim in the north east of France. Ungersheim is the last of Transition Network's '21 Stories of Transition',...

21 Stories of Transition: Crystal Palace Food Market, UK.

27 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Hopkins spends a day at the Crystal Palace Food Market and catches up with Karen and Laura who founded it, as well as some of the traders. http:/...

21 Stories of Transition: rise of local currencies #4

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about local currencies, but never from the designers of them. So we asked Rick Lawrence (see image left), designer of the Totnes Pound, ...

21 Stories of Transition: rise of local currencies #3

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about local currencies, but never from the designers of them. So we asked Rick Lawrence, designer of the Totnes Pound, Charlie Waterhous...

21 Stories of Transition: rise of local currencies #2

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about local currencies, but never from the designers of them. So we asked Rick Lawrence, designer of the Totnes Pound, Charlie Waterhou...

21 Stories of Transition: rise of local currencies #1

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about local currencies, but never from the designers of them. So we asked Rick Lawrence, designer of the Totnes Pound, Charlie Waterhou...

21 Stories- Potager Alhambra, Brussels

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Hopkins visits the heart of Brussels in the heart of Europe to see the Potager Alhambra, a remarkable food growing project in the middle of a stre...

Julie Brown on food and fairness

19 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Brown is Director of Growing Communities in Hackney. Here she talks to Rob Hopkins of Transition Network about food, fairness and the experienc...

Nicole Vosper on fairness and prisons

06 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Nicole Vosper writes at www.emptycagesdesign.org and her work focuses on permaculture and prisons, and also on prison abolition. Here she talks to Tr...

The story of 1000Bxl en Transition and the refugee crisis.

01 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We spoke to Julien Bernard about the role 1000Bxl en Transition played in an incredible community-led response to the refugee crisis in Brussels, a re...