My sister-in-law, Fern Smith, is an artist who is conducting an interesting experiment. Fern is keen to engage people in discussions about the ideas represented in her art and found the traditional art exhibition was unsatisfying. Over the last couple of months Fern has invited small groups of people to her house for a soirée to look at and talk about her art. So far the response has been enthusiastic.

My sense is that people yearn for deeper conversations yet opportunities for dialogue seem to be disappearing from the workplace. People are just scurry from one pressing deadline to the next. This sense of busyness is perhaps one of the reasons why there is a growing interest in narrative techniques, Open Space and World Cafe. Let’s bring back the soirée.