Art of Hosting

Where did it come from?

All of the most practiced conversational methods are more than 30 years old.  Each of them has a wide and committed international following.  So why aren’t they common practice?

The co-founders (or maybe we should call them the co-finders) of The Art of Hosting wondered this too.  They could also see, that while each practice was powerful in its own right, no one practice worked all the time.  Each had begun to experiment with the blending of different methods in their own practice.

But it wasn’t until 2001 that the Berkana Institute initiative From the Four Directions brought a number of practitioners together at Castle Borl in Slovenia.  There, using Open Space as an organizing system for the gathering, they began to explore more deeply how all these practices might fit together.  The Art of Hosting & Harvesting Conversations That Matter was born. *

From that early, loose group of far-flung colleagues, an international network grew.  People began to ask for training, the training developed into three days and now it has been offered all over the world.  Additional trainings are now being developed as our practice of hosting, harvesting and working with other tools and approaches deepens.

The Art of Hosting has no formal structure, no appointed leader, no accreditation programme and no controlling body.  It is based on a practitioner community that is committed to learning and generous with its sharing and support. An international group of stewards hold the deeper practice pattern and assure the quality of the training and the integrity of the community.