We are very happy to welcome you to a sneaky preview of Bertha Stories, our exploration into focussed digital publishing.
Bertha Stories is a limited collection of stories that unpack Bertha’s ways of working, what we mean by holding and creating space and what the outcomes of these methods look like.
Where in the past we would spend a year creating and building a physical book containing a collection of our stories, we’re now shifting our focus to sharing our stories digitally and in more bite-sized chunks. We’ve chosen this method because it will allow us to more easily connect with our network while providing an opportunity to share the work of those we support beyond our mailing list. Importantly, sharing this way also gives space for our stories and content to evolve and grow alongside us rather than retrospectively. We want the way we communicate to be alive and breathing, a space that more actively reflects our work and the work of those we support.
Bertha Stories will look at our Fellowship programs, where we open space for deeply complex discussions and problems to create understanding, theory and ideas about how we tackle the hardest issues; delve into the goings on in our Bertha Spaces that have been created with care and love, but are also deeply intentional in how they are designed, staffed, curated and run; reflect on our grant funding and what being a relationship based funder looks like in practice; and finally, what activating our network through convenings and Impact Funds means – it is our ongoing belief that bringing people together to listen, connect and have fun together is the easiest and most fundamental way to jumpstart new work and opportunities.
In solidarity,
Laura Horwitz, Bertha Foundation CEO
Sammy Richards, Communications Manager
We are very happy to welcome you to a sneaky preview of Bertha Stories, our exploration into focussed digital publishing.
Bertha Stories is a limited collection of stories that unpack Bertha’s ways of working, what we mean by holding and creating space and what the outcomes of these methods look like.
Where in the past we would spend a year creating and building a physical book containing a collection of our stories, we’re now shifting our focus to sharing our stories digitally and in more bite-sized chunks. We’ve chosen this method because it will allow us to more easily connect with our network while providing an opportunity for sharing the work of those we support beyond our mailing list. Importantly, sharing this way also gives space for our stories and content to evolve and grow alongside us rather than retrospectively. We want the way we communicate to be alive and breathing, a space that more actively reflects our work and the work of those we support.
Bertha Stories will look at our Fellowship programs, where we open space for deeply complex discussions and problems to create understanding, theory and ideas about how we tackle the hardest issues; delve into the goings on in our Bertha Spaces that have been created with care and love, but are also deeply intentional in how they are designed, staffed, curated and run; reflect on our grant funding and what being a relationship based funder looks like in practice; and finally, what activating our network through convenings and Impact Funds means – it is our ongoing belief that bringing people together to listen, connect and have fun together is the easiest and most fundamental way to jumpstart new work and opportunities.
In solidarity,
Laura Horwitz, Bertha Foundation CEO
Sammy Richards, Communications Manager
Our Stories so far
The Land Dilemma: from Occupation to Home.
During their 2023 convening the Bertha Challenge team facilitated the ‘Land Dilemma Day’ where Fellows and Alumni worked with members of the local community, land and housing activists and members from the local legal advice office to discuss a future development plan for a recently occupied piece of land in the area.
Issue No.2
Lesotho Uncovered: Diamonds in the pockets of Government.
It was the day before Christmas when Pascalinah Kabi, in the office of Lesotho’s Centre for Investigative Journalism, loaded the final story of her investigative series onto their website. In this series, she focused on the drinking water of rural communities living in extreme poverty on the banks of ever-increasingly polluted drinking water.
Issue No.1
Bertha Retreat: Radical Hospitality in Action.
June 15th 2023 marked the opening of Bertha Retreat in its new home, the York site on the Boschendal Farm. For the Bertha Retreat team ensuring the Retreat felt like the communities’ space was at the forefront of their planning, and the work they are continuing to do.
Issue No.1
Bertha Retreat: Radical Hospitality in Action.
June 15th 2023 marked the opening of Bertha Retreat in its new home, the York site on the Boschendal Farm. For the Bertha Retreat team ensuring the Retreat felt like the communities’ space was at the forefront of their planning, and the work they are continuing to do.
Watch this space, more coming soon!
Learn more about this work.
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