Members Enjoy ART Conference 2013

On Saturday 9 March, 60 ART Members and ITTS Participants met at Kineton, Warwickshire for the inaugural ART Annual Conference. The day was packed full of workshops and master classes, including a keynote presentation from Mark Regan of Worcester Ringing Centre.

Pip Penney, ART Chairman, said, “Thank you to everyone for coming along, I think the day went really well.”

Commenting on the last 12 months since the formation of the Association of Ringing Teachers, she said, “We have had an excellent first year. We still have many more ideas to proceed with. However, I must say that it has been the sheer hard work and dedication of ‘the team’ which has got us to the point we are at now. I am overwhelmed with the effort so many diverse people are prepared to put in on so many diverse aspects of both ITTS and ART.”

Following the business of the ART AGM, workshops were led by ITTS Course Tutors Graham Nabb and Clare McArdle on safeguarding issues and getting the most out of Moodle. Feedback included “Very informative, food for thought” and “I didn’t realise how much there was on Moodle!”

During the afternoon, Members chose between master classes given by Catherine Lewis and Peter Dale, a workshop on Mentoring by Pip Penney and a session on youth groups from Graham Nabb and Roger Booth. Further sessions included recruitment advice, group teaching and target Learning the Ropes practices.

For many the highlight of the day was the keynote presentation from Mark Regan on ‘Making Things Happen’, followed up by a useful Q&A session. Comments from those present included ‘Inspirational ideas”, “Good to see someone challenging the ‘only in the box’ thinking” and “I learned a lot plus different ways of thinking about ringing”. Drawing on the Worcester experience he urged ringing to adopt a model of “social engagement” linking ringers, the church and the community. Using this model Worcester had launched several bell restoration/installation projects in and around the city and was now promoting the Worcester Teaching Centre in the Cathedral to introduce school children to ringing. Through engaging with the community Worcester is now a city where people expect the bells to be rung and ringers appreciate the need to take responsibility for the noise they make.

The day also featured the premiere of ART’s first video production. ‘Learning the Ropes DVD’ is a new training film which promises to be useful to both teachers and ringers alike.

Feedback from attendees on the day included…

  • So much to take in!
  • Excellent day. Thanks to everyone for making ART successful
  • Many thanks for rejuvenation of enthusiasm
  • An interesting day which exceeded my expectations
  • A very useful and educational day, thank you all!

Looking ahead to next year’s event, Pip Penney said, “I would like to see the event evolve beyond an AGM with additional lectures, workshops and master classes to a dynamic event that is a ‘don’t miss’ day in the calendar of our Members”.