On behalf of the international Karl König Institute for Art, Science and Social Life, I am excited to announce that the Institute is now establishing a North American branch!
This inspiration, which first arose with Diane Kyd, lit up strongly with the Institute team. Diane approached Camphill Soltane’s Board and Executive Director, Beth Barol and the Soltane community; they are generously offering to host the Institute’s office in their library in Whitsun Hall. We hope to be able to contribute to the new phase of community development in Soltane, too.
Recognizing the importance of this initiative for North America, Camphill Foundation Executive Director Karen Murphy, with vision and verve, coordinated with the Foundation’s board to secure a grant that principally funds the Institute’s work during the first three years.
A supplemental grant proposal has been made to Camphill Village Copake Foundation; as of the deadline for this issue of the Correspondence we are awaiting a positive outcome!
The Institute will also implement a fundraising program to support its further work and so we are already seeking for our friends and supporters!
The main projects of the Karl König Institute in North America are designed to benefit both the Camphill Movement and the broader needs in North America. During the next three years, these are:
- An Oral History film/interview project with individuals still living who knew Dr. König
- A first-time exhibition across North America of Karl König’s original drawings to accompany Rudolf Steiner’s “Calendar of the Soul,” coupled with events and conferences related to deep ecology, the climate crisis, and the breathing of the earth and human soul
- An ‘Aesthetic Leadership’ course for the next generation (and present leaders) in Camphill communities, in collaboration with Camphill Academy and Soltane
- Development and creation of audio books of Karl König’s works in order to expand his audience and also make his work more available to young people today
- Support for the ongoing and developing archival activities in the region and in the individual Camphill communities
Work at the North American office of the Karl König Institute will commence at Michaelmas this year under new Administrator and long-time Camphill coworker, Deborah Grace. Deborah will be working closely with Institute CEO Richard Steel and Board member Cornelius Pietzner. A strong cooperation with the Camphill Association of North America, the Camphill Foundation, the Camphill Academy, and of course with Camphill Soltane has already begun to show fruits. And a North American support group has formed to support the Institute in its new developments.
We look forward to sharing more in the next Correspondence. And we hope you may want to learn more now by going to the Institute’s website: www.karlkoeniginstitute.org
Please note that we are enthusiastically planning a “soft opening” for the Karl König Institute branch in North America. It will be on October 15 at the beginning of the meetings of the Camphill Association and will be hosted by Camphill Soltane.
I want to offer heartfelt thanks to all who are contributing to this remarkable step – both here and very discernibly from across the threshold. Grounding the Institute’s work in North America will certainly make Camphill’s and Karl König’s healing impulses substantially more available to the needs we will have to meet on behalf of humanity, now and into the future.
Richard Steel
CEO, Karl König Institute