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The School of Life

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The School of Life is a social enterprise founded in 2008 and based in a small shop in Central London. The School offers a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well, addressing such questions as why work is often unfulfilling, why relationships can be so challenging, why it’s ever harder to stay calm and what one could do to try to change the world for the better.[1] The School also offers psychotherapy and bibliotherapy services and runs a small shop which has been described as 'an apothecary for the mind'.[2]

The School of Life is not affiliated to any religious, educational, charitable or other organisations. It declares itself a place ‘free from dogma’, where participants are ‘directed towards a variety of ideas - from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – that tickle, exercise and expand your mind’ and where participants can 'meet other curious, sociable and open-minded people in an atmosphere of exploration and enjoyment'.[3]


People

The School of Life was founded by Sophie Howarth, a former curator of Tate Modern, in collaboration with a number of writers, artists and educators. The faculty includes philosophers Mark Vernon and Nigel Warburton, writers Tom Hodgkinson, Charles Fernyhough and Rebecca Abrams. Ambassadors for the project include philosopher Alain de Botton, photographer Martin Parr, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, journalist Rosie Boycott and publishers Patrick Walsh, Toby Mundy and Simon Prosser.

Courses

The School of Life offers short courses in five subjects: Work, Family, Play, Politics and Love. According to Reuters, the courses are 'designed to give its students -- mostly urban professionals looking to expand their horizons -- lessons in life and how better to appreciate its quirks and foibles'.[4]

Holidays

The School has estabished a reputation for alternative educational mini-breaks within the UK. On their website they describe their holidays as offering a kind of 'sustainable everyday tourism'[5]. The holidays have been described by The Observer newspaper as revolving 'around one idea: you don't have to go on holiday to have a holiday'.[6]. Holidays have included a weekend at Heathrow Airport led by philosopher Alain de Botton,[7] a trip to the Isle of Wight led by photographer Martin Parr,[8] and a tour of the M1 motorway.[9]

Meals

The School regularly hosts evening meals in Central London restaurants. Those attending are usually strangers who get to know one another during the evening by discussing topics on the 'conversation menu'. According to Time Out London 'there are tasks to accomplish, aphorisms to discuss with the aperitif, questions to bat across the table with a stranger through dinner, postcards to ponder over dessert.'

Sermons

On Sunday mornings The School of Life hosts secular sermons in which cultural figures are invited to give their opinion about 'what values we should live by today' [10]. These theatrical events are usually held at Conway Hall in London. Past preachers have included Tom Hodgkinson on Loving Your Neighbour, Geoff Dyer on Punctuality, Sam Roddick on Seduction and Alain de Botton on Pessimism.[11]. The Financial Times described the sermons as being 'hedged about with all sorts of ironic paraphernalia, designed to reassure the trendy young audience that they are not about to be harangued by a religious zealot'.[12]

Bibliotherapy

The School of Life offers a literary consultation service it calls bibliotherapy.[13]. For a fee, people are able to meet with a bibliotherapist who will talk to them about their reading habits and 'prescribe' books which relate to their interests or concerns. The School of Life's bibliotherapists include the novelist Susan Elderkin.

Psychotherapy

The School operates a psychotherapy service run by Dr Sheilagh Davies, former Consultant Psychiatrist for Psychotherapy at London's Royal Free Hospital. The service is described as offering clients 'a fascinating and valuable tour of your own psyche'[14] and aims to counter the stigma often associated with mental health.

Shop

The School is based in a small shop on Marchmont Street in Central London. The interior is designed by Susanna Edwards and Joseph Harries and features real silver birch trees.[15]. The shop sells a small number of books and gifts and displays information about all The School of Life's programmes and services. Beneath the shop is the School's classroom muraled throughout by the British fashion illustrator Charlotte Mann.

References

  1. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/about-the-school-of-life.aspx
  2. ^ http://www.monocle.com/sections/business/Web-Articles/The-School-of-Life/
  3. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/about-the-school-of-life.aspx
  4. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE52O3RG20090325?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt
  5. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/holidays.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/feb/08/budget-travel-holiday-february-2009-domestic-butlins-pontins
  7. ^ http://www.bahighlife.com/arts-and-culture/Homework-for-the-holidays.html
  8. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3328279/Isle-of-Wight-Bowled-over-by-a-new-way-of-seeing-photography-class.html
  9. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7699343.stm
  10. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/sermons.aspx
  11. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/sermons/past-sermons.aspx
  12. ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4ada8e9c-c7ea-11dd-b611-000077b07658.html
  13. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/bibliotherapy.aspx
  14. ^ http://www.theschooloflife.com/psychotherapy.aspx
  15. ^ http://www.dezeen.com/2008/09/26/school-of-life-by-susanna-edwards/

External links

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