Philip Cowell is a writer, clown, mindfulness teacher and is especially interested in making words stand out (sing!), finding the body (where did it go?), and thinking and feeling things. Philip has been published by Poetry Review and Ambit and runs workshops on everything from letter writing and singing to mindful movement, curiosity and more…
2 Minute Interview:
How does your workshop relate to being in the NOW?
Our curiosity, like our hair, or the way we walk, is unique to us. And rather than being a given, it’s something we can work on (phew). The present moment is probably the only place we have to explore it. It’s certainly one of the best ones. So let’s get started… now.
What are you most looking forward to doing within your slot at NOW?
I love meeting whoever turns up for the workshop – they’re the right ones! – and creating an environment where people can be a bit spontaneous, or indeed can open up to whatever comes up for them. I always love bringing people back to their bodies, which is definitely a part of this workshop. I’m just curious, after all.
Any tips on how the audience can most benefit from your workshop?
Just turn up, and if you’re worried about turning up, well that’s the first bit you can be curious about. Bring your worries with you, we’ll look after them. Curiosity is shorthand for kindness. We’re going to be extremely generous to ourselves as we explore what’s going on for us right here, right now.
At Deptford Lounge:
“What a curious feeling!” said Alice; “I must be shutting up like a telescope.”
How curious can we be? Anxiety, embarrassment, boredom, ambivalence, excitement: everything’s in the mix and it’s all up for grabs in this playful workshop that Alice in Wonderland would approve of. Our base will be the present moment, so we’ll go from there. It’s a kind of kindness training in the face of local and global anxiety. How generous can we be to ourselves and others in the act of curiosity? (NB Philip will be leading 2 workshops at Deptford Lounge – one on ‘Performance Day’ and one on ‘Families Day’).