Salons are about:
Connecting you with lots of interesting and diverse people in your community
Stimulating and inspiring conversation with compelling, absorbing questions
Sharing and supporting each other’s most positive aspirations
Getting to swap stories, share opinions, wisdom and life lessons
Inspiring each other and generating possibilities
Creating opportunities for positive conversations about our future in Ireland and globally
Encouraging a spirit of inquiry and curiosity
Challenging assumptions, examining the basis for beliefs, encouraging open-mindedness and dialogue
Conversations Salons are:
Somewhere anyone needing some inspiration or an open-minded space can rock up whether 19 or 90, unemployed or a CEO, long-time local or a new member of the community
An open-hearted inclusive place, an incubator zone for new ideas and possibility thinking
An organic, exciting, affirming, positive, empowering culture of exploration, sharing and networking, recognising all available resources, human, cultural, environmental, artistic, intellectual, etc.
A forum where people can talk about what really matters to them, their burning issues
A perfect place to brainstorm, problem solve, ponder, discuss, philosophise and reflect on the issues and dilemmas that most fascinate and perplex you!
The Inspiration for Conversations Salons Past and Present
- Conversation Salons most definitely borrow inspiration from by the French Enlightenment salons of the 18th century. These were attended by the free thinkers, bohemians, artists, revolutionaries, eccentrics and philosophers of the day, who were at the cutting edge of cultural and social change. They were dynamic events, incubator spaces for ideas that literally changed the world, where deeply challenging questions about the nature of society, the quality of people’s lives and the rights of all were raised.
- A little book called The Why Café by John P. Strelecky, where a random stop in an unremarkable looking café changes his life forever because the food menu also contained three questions about the meaning of life. These questions resulted in three transformational conversations with three people he meets at the café.
- Our pal Polly Akhurst of Talk To Me London who believes having a simple conversation with a stranger increases well-being and people’s sense of belonging to a community.
- Theodore Zeldin and his Oxford Muse dinners where you dine with strangers and explore a range of intriguing questions.
- Many wonderful like-minded colleagues around the world running an ever increasing number of similar type projects like Tea with Strangers.
- But most of all the brilliant inspiring people who come to our salons!
