Report to 2008 IFF Assembly of the IFF Academy Committee

IFF Academy

Report to IFF Board for IFF Annual General Assembly May, 2008

Whereas much of the business of the IFF reflects Member-to-Member discussion of issues, the IFF Academy is the space created by the IFF for the development of Practitioners. Originally conceived as the umbrella for the Competency and Quality initiatives by the IFF, the Academy continues to maintain these themes but also is the incubator for ideas that lead to increased competency and proficiency of Practitioners, both in their praxis with the public, and also with the larger professional field, which includes development of the Practitioner within his or her community and national organization.

The Academy has developed four areas: the IFF Competency Project; the IFF Educational Materials Discussion Forum; the IFFAcademy Journal and Research List; and the Open-source Academy QualityWorkshops.

A brief note about the Academy Quality Workshops. The concept for the Quality Workshops was to have options for practitioners to help other practitioners develop their quality as Practitioners. Thus, rather than a ‘top –down’ approach, these workshops would come directly from the passion and practice of practitioners. These workshops would be available for sharing with other practitioners. We see the internet as an active tool in documenting and sharing these workshops, bringing together practitioners with similar interests, and through these workshops, increasing the practice of the Method.

Current Activities (Since May, 2007)

1. Competency Project. Workshops have been presented in Europe and North America. Competency team will present the final draft at this Assembly. We also note that there was an article in German by Wolfgang Saeckel in the Feldenkrais FORUM 58/ Vol 2. in 2007 and another by Sandra Bradshaw in a newsletter of the Canadian Region of FGNA (Winter, 2008)
2. IFF Educational Materials (online) Discussion Forum. While this online forum has had very little activity in the past year, we strongly encourage use of this centralized forum for discussion of Dr. Feldenkrais’ original materials as a tool for learning.
3. IFF Academy Research.
• The IFF Research List, available on-line, was last updated early in 2007. We are waiting for the upgrades to the Website to continue.
• The IFF Academy Research Journal. Volume 3 became available in September, 2007. Thanks to the editor, Staffan Elgelid. Volume 4 is in process.
4. Open-Source Academy Quality Workshops. The following activities have been undertaken: 
• Skeletonian Harmonists (Moving Bones) was presented at the Feldenkrais Professional Training in Hamburg, and at a Northern Bavarian Regional Meeting of the German Feldenkrais Association FVD.

• PRISMA blue– “Six Perspectives on Greater Quality in Feldenkrais Practice”, Version 8 has been translated into English
• PRISMA yellow “Embodiment of Scientific Concepts” Version 5. workshop was run with Scientists, Munich July 2008; and another for Practitioners (Version 4)
• PRISMA red, “ATM Teaching – experiencing, creating and verbally communicating complexity”, Version 1 (new Format) February 2008.
• Global Intercontinental Academy Day (in process). Workshop has been designed, and we are waiting for funding to proceed.

1. Coordination.
• IFF Academy Committee. The IFF Academy Committee met monthly, using Skype technology to minimize teleconference costs. The Academy Committee is process and outcome-oriented. For example, it assisted the Board in identifying the need for repairing the IFF Website, and found a competent consultant who is now working on the project. The Committee met in Munich in May, 2007.
• IFF Academy Coordinator. The Coordinator role was significantly underused. Factors included no budget for early 2007 and website problems.

Themes for 2008-09

In 2006 the IFF Academy Committeeperceived that in the various continents, there was a feeling that Member Practitioners were not getting the benefits of their fees. At the Face-to-Face meeting 2007 in Munich the team proposed a three-continental cross-cultural workshop. By offering a similar workshop on three continental areas (European, North America and Australasia), the Academy could excite practitioners with the possibilities of international sharing and thus inform them of the very direct benefits of the IFF. Further, the descriptions of the various open-source workshops already available might also inspire further international participation. This project is now in preparation for starting August 2008.

Budget for the IFF Academy.

The Academy Committee has heard very clearly that the IFF is feeling very strong budgetary constraints. Thus the Committee reviewed the ways that the Academy functions and services are provided to the Professional community. The Budget for the IFF Academy for the current year represents significant reductions from previous budgets. The greatest reduction is from the winding-up of the IFF Competency Project. Additional reductions are to be found in almost all areas, from the Academy Coordinator, to the Face-to-Face meetings, Translations and even Telephone.

Overall. The IFF Academy has had the role of examining the needs of Practitioners and searching for ways to enhance Practitioner competency and deepening our understanding of the field of practice of the Feldenkrais Method. The Academy has a lively cross-culturalmodel that re-invigorates Practitioners by encouraging them to develop and practicetheir own ideas and to share these ideas with other Practitioners, especially through the medium of the Internet and the IFF Website.An IFF Academy Culture of practitioner-oriented co-learning, evaluating &documenting has emerged and experienced by hundreds of practitioners worldwide. This is unique within the Feldenkrais professional community.

Someone once asked Dr.Feldenkrais if he recommended people have tight abdominal muscles – or relaxed ones. He replied, “Intelligent ones. Ones that will be tight when they need to be tight, and relaxed when appropriate.” So it is within our organizations.  Should we focus only on the Members of our organization, or should we be totally inclusive to all Practitioners beyond our borders? We need to be intelligent; not habitually tight and exclusive yet not so loose as to lose our identity. Perhaps the IFF Academy can help provide this kind of intelligent balance.

Respectfully,

The IFF Academy Committee:

Robert Black, rblack@somaticjourneys.com

Daniel Clenin, danielclenin@access.ch

Barbara Pieper, mail@barbarapieper.de

Janie Randerson, janie.r@xtra.co.nz

AcademyCoordination: academy@feldenkrais-method.org

April 2008, On behalf of the IFF Academy.