Art in Action

Discussion of the SES, particularly in the UK.
actuallythere
Posts: 180
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:05 pm

Art in Action

Postby actuallythere » Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:03 am

http://www.artinaction.org.uk/The-Organisers

"Art in Action Sponsor and Organiser the School of Economic Science

The 600 volunteers who help to organise and staff Art in Action are students of philosophy at the
School of Economic Science. The course offers students a novel and practical approach to the great questions of life. It takes master philosophies from the East and West and examines how they can be put to practical use. The idea is to escape from the mostly self-imposed limitations to find a lasting freedom. The philosophy course is offered at the following locations throughout the UK. Courses in Economics with Justice are offered at some locations."

woodgreen
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:07 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby woodgreen » Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:24 pm

Yep, Art in Action coming around again, actually there. Quite a few people on the Forum have been and worked for it. Let's hope all this rain we have been having decides to re-dump itself in Oxfordshire during it. Sorry to the innocents who may be planning to go/work. Your post triggered a memory for me - I went to A in A for a second time with someone who was not in the SES - just for a weekend away whilst I was still under the influence. Back in class I was questioned about why I was not "working" at A in A. Duh, no-one in my group volunteered to work, or wanted to go, so I went with my non-SES mate. They could not even organise a work group or a social group to go, but then questioned me afterwards. Some creep must not have liked the fact that I went without the School's control over me, but hey, if you can't do it, don't question us afterwards.
Your post also triggered an odd but relevant recollection - one of the blokes/tutors from the North West School ( Rodney someone I recall) came and sat with me and my mate (my cousin), at A in A, and tried to tell us what our houses were worth. Seemed to be acting as an agent for our wealth. In fact he had previously spun me a line about being in my avenue because he was looking for new property for his company. No way, he had picked up my address from the School and came looking.He was not an estate agent or anything to do with the property market I established later, but i am pretty sure he was just sussing me and my family out for the SES and their potential money take. Maybe part of a slow build up to the undue influence that we have discovered, and which Justice has mentioned again on his thread.

I once thought I had paranoia, but now I know it was just Rodney sniffing around for his masters.
Thanks for the post actually there.
regards , Woodgreen. ( still dealing with the triggers - but I am shooting them back when I can! That's Rodney done).
Ex-SES Member. (Member for 3 years in late nineties).

redwing
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:28 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby redwing » Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:52 pm

With an interest in art we were encouraged to pay a visit to Art in Action.

We had absolutely no idea about the nature of the backing for the event before turning up. So ours are the views of two members of the paying public.

Our observations fall into two categories: the art and the organisation.

Firstly, the art. We didn't see much that we'd really call art. There was a lot more craft and the craft we did see was very traditional. There was very little that was exciting, innovative or new. It was all the sort of thing that Prince Charles would approve of. And so, almost everything we dislike. I was really disappointed at the lack of young or emerging artists and designers. Where were the exhibits of anyone under 25? Our overall impression was of insipid, middle-of-the-road fare dished up to a very white, middle class, middle-of-the-road audience. Fair enough, what's wrong with that? Well, my partner tells me that makes it misrepresentative of the British and international art scene.

Secondly, the organisation. We didn't know the background of the organisation behind the event. More fool us; we should have done our homework and looked at the Art in Action web site and then followed the clues to sites like this one which expose the true nature of SES. Frankly, we feel we've been had. And if we'd known before-hand what we know after a few hours surfing, then we'd have not wasted a journey to Oxfordshire to pay £15 each to an organisation we'd normally steer well clear of.

In hindsight, the link between the two matters - art and organisation - emerges with startling clarity. An early thought on our visit was about how the event is curated. Who chooses which artists can attend? It seems that SES are showing art in their own image: i.e. hidebound, old-fashioned and inward-looking.

The wonderful thing about UK and european art world is the freedom of artists to explore their art without censorship. Art in Action's selection doesn't show the public what art is. It shows us their view of what art should be. And we didn't like it.

One further thought occurs. One of the first tents I saw getting off the bus was a press tent. But checking the news on Google I haven't found one serious review of the event. Clearly, the critics think it's rubbish too and didn't turn up. Good for them. We'll be doing the same next year.

Good luck to you all.

woodgreen
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:07 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby woodgreen » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:17 pm

Thanks for posting redwing, and thanks for your support. It is heartening to know that the Forum and the internet is helping people to find out what the SES is about - the founders of the Forum and the parents who supported the early fight against the School through the Inquiry, will, I hope, take solace from that, even if sometimes they may feel it has been a long journey. It is why I, even though I was in for a short time, continue to post - SES affects people in different ways. They say life imitates art - unfortunately the SES, as you have identified, do not live in the real world of art ( or action probably - they try to get their followers to do the grind).

take care, glad you saw through the facade.

woodgreen
Ex-SES Member. (Member for 3 years in late nineties).

Blissfully Sleeping
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 12:40 am

Re: Art in Action

Postby Blissfully Sleeping » Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:27 am

I would also like to thank you for taking the time to 'sign up' and post, redwing.

It is interesting to ponder that so many affected by the SES/SOP/SoPP lurk here, but few post. Yet you, who has little reason to bother, can engage with us so openly.

I wonder if it is because they still have us, even when we think we are free?

Blissfully Sleeping

Middle Way
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:46 am

Re: Art in Action

Postby Middle Way » Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:05 am

Redwing is in the position of not having any fear about these so-called "schools" and to our gratitude offers a clear perspective free from that or any other notions. The rest of us who have been slowly, slowly stewing in fear for so long with little to no awareness of it until we somehow come to our senses - and then to this forum - just need to remember that we really have nothing to fear any more from those places, no matter how often that fear might trigger from time to time.

actuallythere
Posts: 180
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:05 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby actuallythere » Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:46 am

@Middle Way

Fear of what, exactly?

I ask because fortunately I've never been a member of SES, nor did I go to the schools, so I've never had to experience the fear that you refer to.

Middle Way
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:46 am

Re: Art in Action

Postby Middle Way » Sat Jul 28, 2012 3:23 am

Hello AT. I'm not sure I have too much to add to what I said in my first post: "In the end, the inconsistencies and unacknowledged human frailties leading to unconscious attachment to power over others became too much. Also the ever-present underlying subtle fear I suspect many others also felt: of never quite doing the right thing, never quite measuring up, not giving the right answer often enough".

The fear is mostly low level, so low you are often not aware of it and consequently don't feel inclined to escape from it. Sometimes it ramps up with spectacular bullying episodes when the bully feels threatened, as other posts here have well documented.

I think you can understand this fear AT if you have ever been subjected to a bullying, humiliating,critical teacher, boss, work colleague or partner. As I've noted elsewhere, I don't consider the bullying behaviour at SFSK to be any different to that experienced anywhere there are groupings of people "led" by "leaders" with deep personal insecurity.


MW

actuallythere
Posts: 180
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:05 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby actuallythere » Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:34 am

@MW

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Thank you.

You have my sympathy, respect and admiration for coming to such a clear understanding of what happened and expressing it so well.

Kind regards,

AT

woodgreen
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:07 pm

Re: Art in Action

Postby woodgreen » Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:02 pm

Thanks for the posts folks. The "fear" comes from our deep subconcsious, into which the SES and other similar organisations go willy nilly for their own ends. This fear can take a while to surface, whether within an organisation, or after we have left, and it is combined with our minds struggle to understand what we have experienced whilst being in there. A bit like post-traumatic stress, and sometimes a bit worse, because it can take ages to rationalise what we were doing in there. Were we looking for something - some do. Were we in there because of family -some were. Did we just get caught in our lives by an organisation that had another agenda to ours. I think the latter sums it up for me - got caught in something that had a different agenda to my life. I certainly did not want to join a cult, ( in fact never really knew what a cult was) and when the truth about the SES came out I reacted against them ( quite rightly imo) because they do not tell the truth about themselves from the word go. That reaction did not do me good for a while but it is a natural and right reaction.

And fear was part of it, but only beacuse my mind could not understand it.

As MW and Man On the Street have identified, we can and do get over those fears of the SES. It can take time, and we have to recognise that those fears somehow got implanted into our already fragile subconscious ( or our ego's, or our higher consciousness; our minds are as yet still not fully understood by science) and can be planted by people who basically do not have the strength to care and look after themseles first, at other people's expense. And thus our deep self ( Yes I acknowledge the debate here) can struggle.

But the SES bravado amounts to very little in the end as we are seeing. Fear for people takes many forms - death, money, shame, failure, etc. Negative - which the SES subtley peddle when they are on the back foot. They must be suffering from it themselves, after all they are only human, whether or not they might threaten a court action.

The SES gets exposed here because there are people from all over the world, of different cultures, creeds, and backgrounds, who have seen the failings in the SES and share their thoughts and experiences. All good.

regards, woodgreen.
Ex-SES Member. (Member for 3 years in late nineties).


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