When was the last time you had a conversation that moved you, opened up new perspectives, made you think about your life, made you laugh uproariously or brought tears of compassion to your eyes? When was the last time someone really listened to you? When was the last time you really listened to someone else?
In this age of digital communication, with its emoji emotions and meticulously curated self-images there is a growing hunger for the old-fashioned nourishment of face to face connection and authentic human stories. For five years, Doris Brett and Kerry Cue have been running salons aimed at meeting this need.
The salons are places where people, many of whom have never met before, come together to reflect on their lives. The stories that emerge in the Salon are prompted by carefully-crafted questions that sidestep the usual narratives, to reveal something fresh and vital - often bringing new insights to old or forgotten experiences.
Personal stories cut through stereotypical thinking and forge true connections and understanding, an increasing rarity in our fractured and divisive era. The stories, large and small, that emerge from the salons are courageous, hysterical, thought-provoking, moving and inspiring. The energy created through listening to, and sharing, these stories is effervescent and participants invariably leave the salon feeling replenished, strengthened and renewed.