CREATIVITY JOURNEYS WITH STARSTONE

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"There is nothing more important & vital to life than creativity, whether you are an artist, academic, business leader or entrepreneur...all successful human endeavour is founded on it..."

ITALY JUNE 2012 RETREAT

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THE JOURNEYS

OUR APPROACH

JOURNEY SCHEDULE

Once something is mastered it seems then effortlessly simple> read more

Our next scheduled Journey takes place in Italy in June 2012> read more

What we mean by Creativity Journeys. Why we use it to encourage change> read more

Contact us

About our last journey - click here

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Our Approach No Frame

Our Approach

We believe that to find and achieve mastery in any avenue of life we need crucial skills and personal attributes. We believe, too, that creativity is the key energy and element without which nothing useful or meaningful can be mastered.Using our experience, skills and professional training, we create unique workshops and retreats which we call "Creativity Journeys". All our work can be summed up in our belief that creativity is constantly in action and present in each human life.We seek to help both individuals and groups of people to find their own unique style and ways of expressing and using their creativity in order to live deeply fulfilling lives.Lying at the heart of all we do is the simple truth that all lives and endeavours are expressions of creativity from the building of a business to the painting of a picture. In all types of activities we are directing the flow of creative energy through thought, emotion and action towards the creation of meaningful prosperous lives for oursleves, our families and communities.No individual or group of people are the same and we seek to design unique programmes relative to clients specific needs and aspirations.Our philosophy applies equally to all types of organisations and individuals. We design, along with our clients, experiences and workshops that suit their own particular desires, ambitions and circumstances. Within this approach we hold clear spaces using techniques best suited to help individuals develop and transform.

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About Us

Our Team

The Team
Anthony E Rogers
Maria Banks
Michael Eldridge

The Team Anthony E Rogers CPCC coach, FRSA, FilmmakerWriter, film maker, workshop creator and CPCC coach. Astonished at the power of individuals to transform themselves and the environements around them. Fellow RSA and co founder www.p10earth.com >more
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Maria Banks CPCC Coach & Human Resource ProfessionalAn experienced HR Management & Development professional and Coach specialising in the human aspect of company transformation, coaching and communication >more
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Michael Eldridge BA (Hons) Fine Art, Cert Ed, ATD, Dip CTIA painter, photographer, educator & workshop creator. He has worked in the USA on a Fulbright Scholarship. He is currently Professor of Painting at Siena Art Institute. A Londoner, he now lives in Le Marche, Italy > more
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Anthony has spent most of his life as a media entrepreneur in the dream factories of film making, marketing and advertising. His creativity spans photography, music videos, documentary, feature films, script writing and he has held the roles of both producer and director. He now is a trained coach from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) living in the UK with his wife and three children.He is still actively engaged in creative work through his writing and filmamking. He also has a passion for enironmental issues and is a founding partner of www.p10earth.com.In 2010 he was invited to become a fellow of the RSA in recognition of his work for the environment .His clients have ranged from Vogue to many high profile international brands such as EMI, Polydor, as well as TV channels Carlton TV UK and the BBC. His marketing business handled all BBC Worldwide brands in the South African market.A few years ago he started a family and took to the hills to peer over his own horizonsHe now works as a coach, mentor and workshop creator woven into his creative work. He offers an over the horizon approach to life, living, creating & coaching, taking his clients both to their future in the outside world but also exploring the inner horizons of the self.

Maria Banks maria banks sq

Maria is an experienced HR Management & Development professional and Coach specialising in the human aspect of company transformation, coaching and communication. She also specialises in aligning company values to the performance and competencies of an organisation and its people. With over 12 years experience of developing and implementing development and change management strategies within the European Energy industry and with a range of global organisations. Maria qualified with the Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and is a trained coach from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and also a graduate of the CTI Leadership Programme. Her experience is diverse having worked with individuals and teams from Microsoft, Ericsson, TXU (Texas Utilities), E.On Energy (Powergen), Fitch Ratings (Italia), McCain Foods GB, Mysis Banking Division-New York, Costain, Royal Caribbean International (Italia).Maria is committed to building on past experience and knowledge and moving clients forward to achieve increased self-awareness, and ultimately improved bottom line results.Her coaching style is impactful, powerful and shifting. Passionate about coaching and deeply committed to her family, Maria values freedom, harmony, connection and integrity in her work and her life.Blessed with boundless energy and with a tremendous appetite for life she shines most when enabling people to connect to who they truly are, to see themselves much bigger so they are able to create the lives they truly want for themselves and for their loved ones.With an Italian family background Maria is bi-lingual with an excellent understanding of the Italian culture and divides her time creating and delivering workshops both in the UK and in Italy.Marias home is in Suffolk, although she shares her time between the UK and her beloved Italy.
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Michael Eldridge mikenew sq bw

A Painter, photographer and educator who has taught Creativity Workshops for the Open University (UK), and was for fifteen years a Course Director at the University of Arts in Bournemouth (UK) He has worked in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship where he held workshops for private and corporate institutions, and lectured at The San Francisco Art Institute and at The Soc for Photographic Education in Carmel, California.He is currently an active educator; one who has had vast experience in the teaching of creativity both in Europe and the United States.He has been trained as a co-active coach (CTI) specialising in creativity, and is equally at ease operating with groups as he is on a one to one basis.As a co-director of Starstone,www.starstone.me he runs creativity workshops in Tuscany and in Le Marche. In 2011 he begins a series of Word and Image workshops in London, teaming up with Colin Pink, 2011 Oscar nominee, playwright and Poet.He is English by birth but lives in Italy where he has his studio in the magical Sibillini mountains of Le Marche where he operates SibilliniSlow with journalist BernieWarnerhttp://sibillinislow.com/Sibillini_Slow/He is Professor of painting at Siena Art Institute http://www.sienaart.org/You can see his paintings on his websites www.michaeleldridge.net and www.redandblue-artfactory.com; his photography on http://treesandsky.me/The author and critic , Massimo Duranti writes of his paintingMichael Eldridge is a rare master of painting whose landscapes are flights of fantasy, both retinal and mental, which appear to us as an intense energy of heat and colour. He uses a rich and sharp palette and confronts us with layers and surfaces which challenge our sense of normality. The results are improbable visual maps of lands and nature; dreams of an ideal never-land.He has for some time worked in the shadow of the Sibillini mountains in Le Marche, producing a seemingly limitless quantity of work, only part of which finds itself framed and forced into the world outside of his imagination. He is, too, an excellent photographer and his images in this medium follow his paintings in essence. You not only see them but can almost hear them and feel their heat and smell the landscapes he depicts.He is an avid traveller and his work is often an amalgam of things he has experienced; rivers and gorges, different climates, lakes and roads along his way. He is like a bird in the air, looking sometimes at a synthetic world as did the Futurists with their aeropitturi; but he flies slowly, precisely measuring and freezing the moment so that the landscape doesnt slip away beneath your gaze. So his vision penetrates surfaces, chooses its own height and temperature and takes you aside to experience and seize the ephemeral.From the sky he sees and captures light and energy and plays in the space between earth and heaven and delights in the inter-play between them, not just in the light of day but often in the dark of night.These arid, bare, landscapes show only a rare tree, sometimes the trace of an animal, but never human presence; a complete absence of human activity; an exclusive relationship between him and the Universe.His painting is pure abstraction, especially in his use of colour. There is no detectable influence from any school or other artist, except perhaps the Fauves in his use of colour and in a looser sense, with the abstract painting of Rothko.Eldridge is a multi-faceted cultural operator whose significant life experience in Europe, USA and Africa has molded him into a painter whose work reveals a wealth of original ideas that will not fail to arouse interestMassimo Duranti,Author, critic, curatorExhibitions1972 The Public Gallery, Ryde, UK: Mostra personale dipinti.1973 The Sidling Gallery, Dorset UK: Mostra personale dipinti e stampe. 1975 The Wessex Gallery, Southampton: dipinti, Wessex artists. Mostra collettiva1978 The Russell Coates Gallery, Bournemouth Gallery, Collettiva dipinti, Contemporary British Artists, 1981 Photographers over the Rainbow, Bristol. Mostra personale fotografica1982 Photographers Gallery, London: Fotografia 'West Coast States'. Mostra personale fotografica 1983 La Rochelle Gallery, France 'Made in Britain' Collettiva fotografica 1984 Milan: Fotografia contemporanea internazionale, collettiva1985 Hastings Gallery, UK: Fotografia, 'Moments'. solo show1986 Interim Arts , London: fotografia contemporanea, collettiva1987 Theatre Gallery, Winchester UK, dipinti. solo show.1988 Cloisters Gallery, Siena Italy, dipinti e scultura. collettiva.1989 La Brera Gallery, Milan, quadri. solo show1989-95 Inizia ad organizzare mostre collettive in collaborazione con ballerini, musicisti, filmmakers e poeti 1989 Poole Gallery, UK, collettiva dipinti1998 Colle (?) Gallery,Toscana, Italy: Personale dipinti1999 Insieme con il fotografo Simon Larbalestier, concepisce e crea il sito web "cult art" Physik Garden, www.physikgarden.com. Sito d'arte on-line e forum dove ne è il coordinatore e dove scrive e pubblica 'Le Cronache di Spider' oltre alla galleria virtuale, Glasshouse, dove sono esposte le sue opere pittoriche e fotografiche.. 2000 The Physik Garden; una collaborazione e con le foto da Simon Larbalestier, La Arcos Gallery, San Francisco. 2000 The Physik Garden; una collaborazione e con le foto da Simon Larbalestier, La Galleria di Houston, Seattle, Stati Uniti d'America. . 2006 Atelier D'arco Amoroso, Ancona, Dipinti, The Red & Blue Art Factory. Una collaborazione con il pittore Lorenzo Viscidi. 2007 Galleria Bluer, Padova. Dipinti, la collaborazione con Lorenzo Viscidi Red & Blue Art Factory. 2007 Dipinti, Red & Blue Art Factory con Lorenzo Viscidi, 2008 Donna Irene Ristorante Galleria, Padova 2008 Perugia, one man show; "Dell'aria e dall'aria, del cielo e dal cielo"2010 Marmaris, Turkey, two man show with Steve Maxwell 'Trees and Sky' www.treesandsky.me He has curated the following photographic exhibitionsAt the Primavera Fotografica in Barcelona on two occasionsAt Les Rencontres in ArlesPhotography Spring in PraguePhotographers Gallery in LondonThe Galleria Fotogafica in Barcelona
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Our Journeys No Frame

Our Journeys

The Journey
Italy June 2012
About our last Journey

The Journey A Starstone Creativity Journey The process of travelling from one creative place in yourself to another so as to realise and create desired change.Why does this focus on creativity matter? We humans are creating all the time. No exceptions. What we are creating depends on who and where we are and how we are present in the world. We may be creating chaos or beauty, fear or harmony, successful enterprises or limping along businesses, a film, a novel, a design, an advertisement, there is no limit. From the moment we wake up we are creating something that day and every day thereafter.It is of course obvious and most people would agree with this. What matters is that many of us are creating automatically without any clear understanding of how we are doing it. By becoming aware of this process and by placing our attention on the available controls of this process we deepen and develop our ability to prosper and to fulfil our lives.Who should undertake such a journey?Anyone. Really, we mean it. It would benefit anyone to develop and move towards greater conscious creativity..It is not just for creative types as some of us are called. We are all creating all the time, creative types have simply made different choices that make them appear more visibly to others.Creativity fuels entrepreneurship, organisational development, scientific and artistic endeavours. It makes no difference what your role in life is, you are either using creativity well or you are not.Who will benefit? You, your team, community, organisation, and family; everyone benefits when one person takes these journeys.

Italy June 2012 No Frame

Le Marche ItalyJoin us for this exciting and uplifting retreat. We journey deep into creativity, mystery and the creation of life in the moment.For more info please click on brochure below.

BROCHURE ITALY STARSTONE RETREAT 2012.pdf

About our last Journey Annabel Belgium said.......There was so much loving presence that was open and kind, that the creativity unleashed like a fountain from our heart. It was a safe environment, no one was criticising the others' piece of art, and we just created like children, with joy and lots of fun.I did not feel blocked in any way.It was great. Thank you!Annabel Belgium also said......The haikus keep pouring out and I found them on the co-active network too! We changed the world with our creativity. We were great, don't you think?Since the workshop, I started singing too. Just like that. I sing, improvising songs as I go. It releases things in me. Feels great.Love to you all.A new sensation I open my mouth and singSounds that surge through me.Alexandra Belgium thought .......Thanks for all the fun and laughter.It was really a priveledge to meet all of you.I am defenitely on for the haikus. Here is my first line:Working on my mind...Annaluna Belgium said........I also had a great time with you all.I enjoyed the people, the workshop, the creativityHere is my Haiku:Imagine me with,abundance money comingfrom warm ItalyMonique - Milan offers......Im still revelling in the beauty of the weekend and wish we were still there playing, creating and laughing! What a wonderful experience and it was really a pleasure meeting and connecting with you all....The memories are there forever!Heres my haiku:Working away nowStaring at my creationReminds me of you.

HAIKUsThese were originally games for children in Japan, sort of party games. Then adults, poets, caught on to their expressive power and began to get serious about it (as adults would) and eventually the formula became whittled down to three lines of five, seven, then five syllables.In the workshop we turned it on its head somewhat and worked in threes within tightly squeezed time constraints, producing a hundred Haikus over the weekend.I have to thank Carol Chan (writer, poet, CTI Coach in San Francisco), for the idea and the CTI Creative artists group for publishing them on their forumMIKE ELDRIDGE

Events

Upcoming Events

Coaches Lunch

Coaches Lunch The Coaches Lunch at The Royal Society of the ArtsThe Coaches Lunch is an informal but focused meeting of coaches from London and around the UK. Over good food and drink professional coaches can hear new ideas, share their own thoughts and approaches to the coaching profession and meet new colleagues.Each lunch is loosely based around a topic and there is an invited guest speaker who may be an expert in a related field or a coach themselves with some interesting insight into the topic. The lunch is open to any professional coach on a first come first served basis and you are welcome to bring a guest..For most lunches the only cost is your lunch and drinks and that of your guest, if you bring one.For more information and to find out more details of the Coaches Lunch schedule please contact Anthony. or go to www.thecoacheslunch.com

Join Us

on the First Wednesday

of every month at the RSA

8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ

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Contact

Form

Info

If you would like to know more about our work then please

get in touch. Although we run regular scheduled Creativity Journeys we also can build bespoke experiences for your organisation or teams, focussed on the goals you are aiming to achieve.

Please let us know and we can arrange an informal meeting to explore and agree on the right approach for you.

Either email us via the contact form to the right or you can contact one of us below.
Email MichaelTelephone+39 328 353 5358Address Italy Sambuco, Sant'Ippolito 8, Amandola (FM) 63021Italia

Email Maria

Telephone

+44 (0) 777 5508 999

Address UK

93 Ipswich Road,

Woodbridge,

Suffolk IP12 4BY

UK

Email Anthony

Telephone

+44 (0) 777 557 2734

Address UK

Beech Hill House

Morchard Bishop

Devon EX17 6RF

UK

Testimonials

Words from people who journyeyed with us

"A Magical weekend! The warmth of the Italian sun, an authentic Italian rustic home, with Maria and Michael who create fun games to reconnect with your inner child and free your mind to get in touch with your true self and purpose, also meeting lovely like minded people. A must for your diary a true inspirational weekend to be remembered."Mags at Breathing Space"Your workshop was fantastic for me, a revelation, because it it opened up many doors of creativity within me which I didn't know existed. It was also great fun and would love to do many more workshops with you in the future.Michael was great at getting the best out of you in a fun way, he is a great teacher, truly great" Franca Holden"Il workshop è stato intenso e profondo.Dolcemente, grazie agli insegnanti, siamo entrati in una condizione di apertura creativa, capace di esprimersi in molti linguaggi : pittura, fotografia, danza.E' stato interessante sentire e sperimentare quanto la meditazione, la spiritualità, la creatività siano in connessione e che non aspettino altro che di esprimersi.Avrei voluto che il workshop durasse molto più a lungo! Bravi"Mauro Magrini"Wow what an experience................... Maria enabled a creative energy to flow that we had'nt realised was there and so when we came up with our logo and strap line it felt as though it had been waiting there for us all along. A truly inspiring experience!Laura and Margaret Sorrell"Michael, it was such a great experience for me, a most wonderful group and atmosphere. Great place too and excellent coaching. I'll be an active promoter for your workshops from now on!'"Maria, Udine, Italy"What I particularly enjoyed was Mikes invitation to think about ourselves and our perfect places, both in our imaginations and in reality. And he gave us ample time to participate in his thoroughly relaxing exercises. It was a profound experience for me."Hazel, UK"Planet Whale is our project......and we turned to Maria Banks. Its one of the best moves weve ever made. With great insight, skill and passion, she immediately grasped the heart, soul and mighty purpose of our endeavour, enabling us to focus our talents wisely and put us firmly on the road to success. As one of our key mentors she continues to do so. Truly inspiring."Ian Rowlands co-founder of planetwhale.com "A beautiful experience, both inspiring and transforming. Indeed a unique occasion in which I discovered that I am so much more than I ever imagined.A wonderful opportunity to grow and have fun too. You guys are fantastic!" Nieves Lopez, Madrid

Le Marche Retreat

2011