How did you learn about Art of Hosting (please add the date and place) and what attracted you to it?
I first heard about the Art of Hosting from other facilitators and then read about Toke in Christina Baldwin's book "StoryCatcher". I contacted him to work on a facilitator's conference with me in 2007, and my first AoH training was 2008 in Melbourne.
What attracts me to it is how it creates a container for powerful work and that it is a practice, not a methodology. I also love that it is hosting, not facilitating, creating a space where everyone can step in, step up and do wise work together. And I'm really grateful hosting happens in teams. I was so ready to be part of team and work with the wisdom of the circle!
Tell us about your experience with Art of Hosting as part of your life and work. What would you say your competence in it is? (new, starting practitioner, experienced practitioner, steward)
My first AoH training was in September 2008 and I immediately joined another in October. We've had two AoH trainings in New Zealand, the first with 92 present. Since then I've been on many hosting teams for trainings and strategic meetings and also stepped into the stewarding circle. I'm keen to support teams wherever they are to do great work and bring forward their brilliance.
What is the primary field/topic/focus in your hosting work?
What I'm bringing to AoH is my love of story and narrative practice, as well as a passion for hosting and harvesting conversations that matter and creating containers where people can step in, step up and co-create wise action together.
Where do you live/work?
I live and work wherever my bag is! Right now I live in Copenhagen.
Are there interests/passions that you'd like to share?
I've spent half my lifetime in the Northern Hemisphere and half in the Southern. Now I see myself as a wanderer helping to weave the world together with each conversation. I've had a go at six languages, but English and German are the ones I can work in. I'm passionate about questions, stories, metaphor, vision, and deep listening. If you've got a great movie, I'll bring the popcorn!
Thank you Mary Alice for your kind welcome! Perhaps we'll meet in Geneva. I am very excited to be part of AoH! We had our first AoH training in Finland this April and now we are making final preparations for next training sessions in Finland. All the best and take care!
Thank you, Mary Alice! Great to be here and happy to find out that this forum exists. I thought I did upload a foto, but I'll try one more time. Looking forward to explore, learn and share :)
Hi Mary Alice, thank you for your warm welcome and invitation to join your group. I am excited to be "here" and will gradually find my feet and show my face. Would you mind if I share your 4Million Dream Guide with some of our students? We're teaching a course in design for social innovation in NYC and I'm looking for hands-on examples like that. AI applied.
Thanks for the warm welcome, Mary Alice! I have posted my picture and will indeed contact Augustine and Natasha. I am very much interested in bringing AoH here to India also. Look forward to some great learning here!
thank you for your welcome, Mary Alice. nice to connect with a familiar face! as i write this these lovely photos are passing by and remind me of the energy present in this work! hope to see you again soon. and i will try to find a decent photo that is not 10 years old!
Dear Mary Alice, thank you very much for the warm welcoming! I've got a picture now and I'm connecting to groups and people I know from the Network. Do you know if there is a group e-mail for global network or/and a Global more general group of discussion I can join?
Thanks for the welcoming message Mary Alice! I fixed the web address too.. not sure why I put the pobox..daahh.. ;) I shared what my partner and I do here in Oz and worldly ..an educational program called Awerenses Shows which brings awareness to the youth through music/workshops..it is new, but we want to expand! please have a look if you have a time... anyway, Im happy to be be part of AOH in the cyber world.. however, would love to connect with people here in Australia for possible workshop in the real world.. do you have any leads? thank you!
I'll look around the coming weeks to experience how much I can learn from you. Because every day I learn so much... that makes live intens and beautiful. I will say hi to Wout Jan from you.
Hi Mary Alice! Thank you so much for the welcome and for your hosting last weekend! It is changing my life work forever... :-) ...and I'm happy there is nothing to organize here - just pure enjoyment...
Don't worry about the delay. I can imagine that you are busy!
"Unfortunately" I will be with my lovely social work students tomorrow at 10:30. However I am in the office from now until about 15:30 and would be able to talk but have realised that my new phone here prevents me from phoning international numbers.... I should be able to talk from about 14:30 tomorrow. Would either of these time frames suit you?
Could you please send me the invitaion to the event in the university in Australia if possible? I can't seem to get hold of Toke. Things really seem to be moving here and everyone seems to be getting interested in this way of working together!
I'll come back for a few hours on sunday maybe. I'll add my photo for sure. Thank you for accepting me in the community. It is new for me but I have found it very mind and heart filling with positive energy. Thank you very much!
Thank you, Mary Alice, for the kind welcoming message. Funny that you out of all people welcomed me as I meant to get in touch with you about the Story Dojo in Copenhagen. Not sure about anything in Switzerland though?? Is there an email address I can use to get in direct touch with you? Much love from Berlin, Wiebke
Thank you Mary Alice for the lovely welcome :) I'm happy to be connecting in here and to explore and share. The vVirtual Story Dojo looks great, congratulations! I'm hoping to be join the UK event. I'm due to come back mid-end May so just in time. If you are in need of or open to additional supporting members of hosting team, please let me know! Lots of love from the Canaries x
Ha Mary Alice, thanks for the kind welcoma. Lovely to be here. It is long overdue! Picture is added. Thanks for the reminder. We've actually met before at the AoH training in Karlskrona in 2012. Marien and I were both there, together with a few other mates from Utrecht!
Good morning Mary Alice, found your friendship request and it actually worked :-) lovely picture of you! Have a great weekend and see you around ther artofhostingning :-) Silvia
Dear Mary Alice, thank for your welcome! Although I joined 5 years ago, I have not really been active until now... so it's the perfect time to be welcomed :-) The Tell and Draw experience with you, Sabine and the other participants was so envigorating... I suspect I am going to be around here on a regular basis from now on ;-) hugs
Thanks, Mary Alice. Let me find my way around this site. I am sure there is lots to share and to learn as well as to contribute. Looking forward to a fruitful interaction :)
hi, I am new to this arena and keen to find out what is happening in New Zealand, and how I can learn from whatever is going on. Most of the NZ posts I have seen have been a couple of years old, but I understand that you are based here .. fi you know of anything local, please could you let me know? thanks ..
Maaike Boumans
thank you for your kind welcome Mary Alice! :)
Sep 10, 2012
Jan-Erik Tarpila
Thank you Mary Alice for your kind welcome! Perhaps we'll meet in Geneva. I am very excited to be part of AoH! We had our first AoH training in Finland this April and now we are making final preparations for next training sessions in Finland. All the best and take care!
Sep 14, 2012
Katie Boone
Hello Mary Alice!
Thank-you for the add! Photo has been added to my profile as well :)
I'm so excited to be a part of this community!
~Katie
Sep 18, 2012
Russell
Thank you, Mary Alice,
The photo is up. Also, my granddaughter, a month old in 2 days is named Mary Alice so what a nice coincidence.
I'm looking forward to learning from you all.
Russ
Sep 18, 2012
Martin Sande
Thanks for the warm welcome!
Sep 25, 2012
tatiana schreiner
hello Mary Alice, thank you for your kind welcome. i am glad to be connected with you all. cheers!
Oct 13, 2012
Hanna Liv Leanderdal
Thank you, Mary Alice! Great to be here and happy to find out that this forum exists. I thought I did upload a foto, but I'll try one more time. Looking forward to explore, learn and share :)
Oct 29, 2012
Hannah du Plessis
Hi Mary Alice, thank you for your warm welcome and invitation to join your group. I am excited to be "here" and will gradually find my feet and show my face. Would you mind if I share your 4Million Dream Guide with some of our students? We're teaching a course in design for social innovation in NYC and I'm looking for hands-on examples like that. AI applied.
Oct 29, 2012
Eden Fuchs
Thanks Mary Alice! The rocky mountains are indeed the most inspiring wearing sandals.
Oct 30, 2012
Kathryn Kylee
Thanks for the warm welcome, Mary Alice! I have posted my picture and will indeed contact Augustine and Natasha. I am very much interested in bringing AoH here to India also. Look forward to some great learning here!
Namaste,
Kathryn
Nov 7, 2012
Abraham Drennan
Thanks Mary Alice! really looking forward to connecting in with this community. thanks so much
Nov 9, 2012
Hana Dusuky
Thanks Mary Alice! Glad to be part of this circle :)
Nov 11, 2012
Viviana
Hello Mary,
Thank you very much!! Interesting space to share community experiences! !!
Nov 16, 2012
MARINA MOSCOVICI MENDES
Hi Mary Alice,
tkanks for the message. I'm gonna change my profile as you suggest, and I'm glad to be here join this group.
Nov 20, 2012
Rebecca Beaton
Hi Mary Alice, thanks for the welcome message! Am planning to fill out my profile a bit more. Look forward to connecting again,
Rebecca
Nov 21, 2012
Janet Chilton
Hi Mary Alice, thanks for the welcome message. A fellow Hoosier? In New Zealand? Wow! Looking forward to hearing more about your wanderings. Cheers!
Nov 26, 2012
Lisa Rossetti
Thanks for a warm welcome, Mary Alice. I am new to AoH so I would appreciate advice about learning more. I have joined AoH UK group.
Nov 29, 2012
teresa konechne
thank you for your welcome, Mary Alice. nice to connect with a familiar face! as i write this these lovely photos are passing by and remind me of the energy present in this work! hope to see you again soon. and i will try to find a decent photo that is not 10 years old!
Dec 2, 2012
Gabriel de Almeida
Dear Mary Alice, thank you very much for the warm welcoming! I've got a picture now and I'm connecting to groups and people I know from the Network. Do you know if there is a group e-mail for global network or/and a Global more general group of discussion I can join?
Cheers! Hope to keep in touch.
Dec 5, 2012
Usha Selvaraju
Thank you Mary Alice for welcoming me to the online AoH community - very happy to be here!
Dec 16, 2012
Lisa Gravel
Thank you for your message Marie Alice! :) I'm really happy to meet the online AoH community and connect with more inspiring people!
Dec 16, 2012
James Alexander Arnfinsen
Thanks Mary. Now with picture as well=)
Dec 16, 2012
Katherine Trajan
Thanks for the welcome Alice. Happy to be part of the community!
Jan 7, 2013
Juliana Zago
Thanks for the welcoming message Mary Alice! I fixed the web address too.. not sure why I put the pobox..daahh.. ;) I shared what my partner and I do here in Oz and worldly ..an educational program called Awerenses Shows which brings awareness to the youth through music/workshops..it is new, but we want to expand! please have a look if you have a time... anyway, Im happy to be be part of AOH in the cyber world.. however, would love to connect with people here in Australia for possible workshop in the real world.. do you have any leads? thank you!
Jan 15, 2013
Erika Maria Kleestorfer
Thanks, Mary Alice. I look forward to exploring more and more here... Have a good day. Erika
Jan 31, 2013
Yolanda Eijgenstein
Goodday Mary Alice,
I'll look around the coming weeks to experience how much I can learn from you. Because every day I learn so much... that makes live intens and beautiful. I will say hi to Wout Jan from you.
Enjoy,
Yolanda
Feb 24, 2013
Abraham Drennan
Thanks Mary Alice. I look forward to connecting to you and learning from this community. cheers!
Feb 28, 2013
Jivan Wells
Hi Mary Alice!
Thank you so much for the welcome and for your hosting last weekend!
It is changing my life work forever... :-)
...and I'm happy there is nothing to organize here - just pure enjoyment...
LOVE you always
Mar 27, 2013
Sophie Dishman
Hey Mary Alice,
Nice to hear from you. We've already started and I'm optimistic!
How are things with you? Would it be possible to have a brief chat before you go tomorrow? If not, I wish you all the best for your travels
Take care,
Sophie
Apr 11, 2013
Sophie Dishman
Hi Mary Alice,
Don't worry about the delay. I can imagine that you are busy!
"Unfortunately" I will be with my lovely social work students tomorrow at 10:30. However I am in the office from now until about 15:30 and would be able to talk but have realised that my new phone here prevents me from phoning international numbers.... I should be able to talk from about 14:30 tomorrow. Would either of these time frames suit you?
Thanks again very, very much.
Sophie
Apr 11, 2013
Sophie Dishman
Ok. Have a good time. Hope to talk to you soon.
Could you please send me the invitaion to the event in the university in Australia if possible? I can't seem to get hold of Toke. Things really seem to be moving here and everyone seems to be getting interested in this way of working together!
Apr 11, 2013
John Baxter
Thanks Mary! And good to see the spam comments have disappeared as well : )
Jun 16, 2013
Kavita Daswani
Thank you so much for welcoming me Mary Alice Arthur!!!
Jul 28, 2013
Miha Širca
I'll come back for a few hours on sunday maybe. I'll add my photo for sure. Thank you for accepting me in the community. It is new for me but I have found it very mind and heart filling with positive energy. Thank you very much!
Aug 22, 2013
Jürgen Engel
Thanks for the warm welcome Mary Alice, feels really good!
I am keen to attend a training as soon as I can, too bad, both Stockholm and Geneva don't work for me....:-(
Well, hoping for one soon next year....or I'll organize one in Frankfurt...;-)
Aug 22, 2013
Kati Orav
Thank you, Mary Alice:) Feels great to be here and I´ll work with my profile:)
Aug 28, 2013
Jaka Kovac
Thank you Mary Alice, it's nice to hear from you! I'll add photo and more info to my profile in next days... Hope to see you soon!
Sep 13, 2013
Martin Grimshaw
Hey many thanks Mary. Haven't decided on Meaning yet, but a definite possibility. Keep up the good work :)
Sep 24, 2013
Wiebke-Anka Koch
Thank you, Mary Alice, for the kind welcoming message. Funny that you out of all people welcomed me as I meant to get in touch with you about the Story Dojo in Copenhagen. Not sure about anything in Switzerland though?? Is there an email address I can use to get in direct touch with you? Much love from Berlin, Wiebke
Oct 10, 2013
Wiebke-Anka Koch
Thank you, dear. Have already used the website form to write to you. Did you receive that?
Oct 10, 2013
Lucy White
Mar 4, 2014
Dominika Nowak
thank you Mary-Alice, for your warm welcome words! :) let's harvest, harvest and harvest :)
Mar 14, 2014
Tijmen Rumke
Ha Mary Alice, thanks for the kind welcoma. Lovely to be here. It is long overdue! Picture is added. Thanks for the reminder. We've actually met before at the AoH training in Karlskrona in 2012. Marien and I were both there, together with a few other mates from Utrecht!
Mar 14, 2014
Tijmen Rumke
Well thank you :)! Of course a warm hug back!
Mar 16, 2014
silvia mora
Good morning Mary Alice, found your friendship request and it actually worked :-) lovely picture of you! Have a great weekend and see you around ther artofhostingning :-) Silvia
Apr 4, 2014
silvia mora
Dear Mary Alice, thank for your welcome! Although I joined 5 years ago, I have not really been active until now... so it's the perfect time to be welcomed :-) The Tell and Draw experience with you, Sabine and the other participants was so envigorating... I suspect I am going to be around here on a regular basis from now on ;-) hugs
Apr 4, 2014
Sabine Soeder
:-) Big hug to you, dear friend, have fun in London!
May 16, 2014
Uma R
Thanks, Mary Alice. Let me find my way around this site. I am sure there is lots to share and to learn as well as to contribute. Looking forward to a fruitful interaction :)
May 17, 2014
James Wallace
hi, I am new to this arena and keen to find out what is happening in New Zealand, and how I can learn from whatever is going on. Most of the NZ posts I have seen have been a couple of years old, but I understand that you are based here .. fi you know of anything local, please could you let me know? thanks ..
Oct 29, 2014
Evangeline R. Bengaro
thank you Mary Alice :)
Aug 24, 2015