Portfolio | Thinking Space: Public Philosophy Projects

Our past projects span philosophy through play in nurseries, immersive philosophical theatre for school children, climate summits for students and professional ethics sessions for NGOs. Besides our hundreds of hours of philosophy lessons in the classroom, we've done philosophy in all kinds of curious places including festivals, art galleries and woodland. We have teamed up with artists, scientists, boxers, medics, poets, academics, clowns, civil servants, teachers, activists and musicians – as well as many professional philosophers – to create innovative projects throughout the UK and internationally.

Projects

Grace and Amber worked with musicians, photographers, scientists actors and clowns on this 2010-11 project with Foulstone School.

Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) commissioned this purpose-written course in 2018 to enhance philosophers' academic teaching and outreach.

Thinking Space have worked with Shire Oak Primary school since 2011 on this partnership project promoting P4C.

In 2015, Grace and Liz worked with the Discovery Museum in Newcastle to develop philosophical enquiry materials for history teachers.

Grace worked with Brudenell Primary to support the staff in embedding P4C throughout learning and teaching.

We regularly host and speak at conferences on philosophical enquiry including this one in 2015 where Peter Worley was our invited keynote.

Children from Meynell Primary School worked with Grace in 2011 on this immersive philosophical enquiry and literacy project.

Grace consulted on and appeared in this 6-part BBC 2 documentary 'The World According to Kids' in 2016.

Trainers Darren and Grace contribute to the SAPERE Level 3 Course which includes the ethics, politics and pedagogy of P4C.

Grace worked with Theatre Cap-a-Pie to produce immersive philosophical theatre for young people including 'The Happiness Machine' in Stoke 2008 and Sheffield 2011.

We offer SAPERE-validated level 2A and 2B courses designed to help teachers deepen their practice and schools embed P4C.

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art worked with Grace and Liz to run public philosophy workshops to coincide with their major 2015-17 exhibitions.

Between 2016 - 2019, Thinking Space worked with SAPERE to support and train a network of 12 rural schools doing regular P4C.

In 2010-11, Amber and Grace worked with the whole staff at Chaucer College to explore creative ways to teach thinking.

We worked with the 2017-19 National Collaborative Outreach Programme engaging young people in conversations about their future.

In 2019 Grace delivered this new course for tutors and lecturers on the possibilities of enquiry within academic teaching.

In 2015-6, Thinking Space worked with Blue Cabin, Strong Voices and Beacon Hill Arts to devise approaches to philosophical enquiry suited to the needs of learning disabled students and their teachers.

In 2011, Grace worked with Artforms Leeds to devise enquiry training and materials for drama eduators linked to the global Occupy protests.

Since 2015, the trainers in our team have trained thousands of teachers on this SAPERE-validated two day course.

Grace was Philosopher-in-Residence at Askern Spa Junior School from 2014-17 working once a week with every class.

Thinking Space was awarded the Forum Prize in 2018 for this public philosophy event at the University of Leeds.

In 2012, Thinking Space invited young people from Shire Oak primary to Leeds University to demonstrate their skills to academics, teachers and parents.

Thinking Space worked with Tyne and Wear Archive and Museums in 2014. to tour schools in the north east exploring ideas in their collection with local children.

Grace and Lizzy of SAPERE worked together to write about the significance of P4C in higher education.

Thinking Space have worked on numerous projects that take thinking outdoor including this work with Foulstone High School in 2010.

Liz and Grace have devised workshops for fellow facilitators in Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal through the SOPHA Network

In 2009, Grace worked with Leeds Playhouse to devise and tour an enquiry workshop to explore their production of The Worm Collector, by J.C. Marshall.

Grace worked with EYFS teachers from Brudenell School in Leeds on this 2011 project.

Liz and Grace co-ordinated this international conference on philosophy in schools, hosted by the University of Leeds.

Grace worked with Amanda on this series of philosophy workshops for adults hosted by Leeds libraries in 2018.

Philosophy in Schools

Grace was philosopher in residence at Askern Spa Junior School in South Yorkshire between 2014 and 2016. During the project, she worked with all twelve classes and their teachers to instigate weekly enquiries like this one. In this film Grace leads a class with children in Year Six on what it means to change.

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Philosophy in Communities

Thinking Space was commissioned in 2017 by Newcastle's Laing Gallery to work on this National Portrait Gallery project. Intended to explore a special exhibition of portraiture, Grace and Liz worked with the curator Madeleine, to devise a series of events for communities in the North East including these enquiries on self-image, identity and the idea of the artist.

Philosophy in Universities

Leeds Philosophy Exchange is a projects that brings primary school pupils, teachers, philosophy students and postgraduate tutors together in weekly enquiry, sharing ideas and insights about philosophy and education. Grace initiated the project in 2011 and it now runs as an accredited module for Leeds University philosophy students with the support of Brudenell Primary and Shire Oak Primary, the school that features in this film from 2014.

Philosophy Advocacy

In 2019, The Centre for Engaged Philosophy at Sheffield University put on a major event defending the benefits of philosophy in schools. Speakers included teachers, P4C practitioners, leaders, academics and public intellectuals. You can see all the speeches here.

Grace spoke at the event on the role of philosophy in environmental education.

Testimonials

I don't think I have ever worked on

anything quite as interesting as this.

Pete Brashaw
Teacher at Meynell Primary School Sheffield.

Inspirational and very thought provoking. This is potentially very powerful stuff

for museums and galleries.

Adam Goldwater
Learning Manager at Tyne & Wear Museums and Archives, Newcastle

We are delighted that we have been privileged to work with Grace. Her knowledge has constantly pushed the level of learning into previously unimagined areas.

Jill Harland
Head Teacher at Brudenell Primary, Leeds