Summer School Experience

The 8th GASI Summer School brought together a wonderful group of participants from Austria, India, Italy, Rwanda, New Zealand, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, the United States, Serbia, Finland, Hungary, Greece, and the United Kingdom.

We all met at Roffey Park, a comfortable conference centre set in parkland near London. Over five days, surrounded by woodland and meadows, we participated in social dreaming, median groups, and small and large group work.

An important aspect of the Summer School was the opportunity to take part in art groups and supervision workshops.

We ate together and, at times, walked, swam, and enjoyed the saunas, jacuzzis, and steam rooms. We also shared a barbecue and a lively dance, with music played from many of the countries represented. One evening, many participants spent time in nearby Brighton, which was hosting a Pride festival.

There were six presentations in total, four of which were given by students currently engaged in group analytic training.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Descent into the Maelstrom was used in several presentations to evoke both group analytic endeavours and the complexities of contemporary life, including current conflicts, power relations, and historical contexts. The ideas of Norbert Elias, Frantz Fanon, and the Bhagavad Gita, among others, were used as a springboard for further conversation.