A living, learning exploration of working together, leading, following,
collaboration and citizenship in the times we live in.
2 days online followed by 3 days in person
Liberation means you don’t have to be silenced
Toni Morrison
We live in times of rising populist and authoritarian leadership. The withering away of state provision, the threats of deportation, the contempt for rights, the attacks on checks on power, the denial of existence of diverse identities, the imperialist designs on other territories: all of this can provoke a sense of impotent outrage.
But, as Judith Butler has written, this situation is maintained by our willingness to believe in the power being exercised; or, in Mark Fisher’s words, to submit to the sense that there really can be no alternative. The myths spun by so-called charismatic, “strong” leaders can be hard to liberate ourselves from.
So perhaps now is the time to attempt to stand back from the hold of these passions and seek to deepen our grasp of the alternatives. On the one hand, to explore ways of being together that foster democratic practices, and the opportunities for a freedom that is equally shared. And on the other, to understand the forces (individual and social) that can seek to derail this.
Rationale
This group relations conference can be seen as part of such a response. The first two words of the conference title, “Making Space”, perhaps most succinctly express the intention: to seek to understand what is involved in making space for the other rather than denying them. And simultaneously, to explore how we make space for ourselves individually – finding (or not) ways to experience creativity and potency in the social arena. These then are the broad purposes of the conference. Importantly, our stance is that purposeful exploration of such themes requires an openness to the unspoken/unknown in ourselves, and in the group: in other words, the unconscious.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The conference sits within the tradition of Group Relations.This offers an exploration of democratic thinking through experiential learning about leadership, followership, collaboration and competition.
So, the conference will provide bounded opportunities for the study of small group and large group dynamics and our contribution to them.
In the spirit of democratic thinking we are introducing several ways for participants to contribute to the design of parts of the conference.
In the weeks following the conference we will be hosting an online review event, to consider the impact of the experience.
This is our invitation to you…
What is it?
This Group Relations Conference is an experiential learning opportunity. It aims to help you:
- Develop insight into how you take up your role in complex settings.
- Build your understanding of group and social processes.
- Encounter how others take up their role in groups.
- Explore the dynamics of change.
- Consider broader cultural processes that impact on group and system functioning.
Who is it for?
The Conference is suitable for anyone curious about the impact of self on group, and group on self. You may be in a leadership role, an executive, a student of the human sciences (business administration, social science, psychology, psychotherapy), a community organiser, or simply a citizen seeking to explore the context in which we live, learn and grow. No previous experience is required.
What happens in a Group Relations Conference?
Group Relations is an approach to group work, with its roots in systems-psychodynamic thinking. A Group Relations Conference consists of a number of group sessions, some with pre-allocated membership, some with self-forming groups. Consultants work to support learning by highlighting whole group dynamics. This may include attention to “beneath the surface” processes, blind spots, hidden meanings, and the emotional realities that lie behind our everyday talk.
The first Group Relations Conference, the Leicester Conference, was held by The Tavistock Institute in 1957. Today, they are hosted worldwide, by a wide variety of organisations, committed to the simple vision of learning through the experience of being together.
Stepping into the conference might initially feel like joining any other public meeting. There are many familiar features: a handbook sets out the programme, there are the usual formalities of registration, then an opening welcome event at which the staff are introduced, and the conference director makes some opening remarks.
But then something unusual happens. A space opens up which is not filled by a sequence of pre-determined speeches. There may be silence, there may be reflection or suppressed tension, or someone finds the courage to speak. The essential framework is the space denoted by time and task. Within this there is the possibility of exploration.
At its simplest level a group is a collection of people who’ve come together to engage in some shared purpose or task together. This inevitably means that people find themselves taking up, or being pushed into roles. Some of these roles may be task-focussed: a group leader, a team player, a follower. Some of these may not apparently be so: a group saboteur, a group sceptic, the silent participant, and so on.
There may be a feeling that we’ve been here before. After all, by adulthood, all of us have been in many groups: family constellations, school situations, social groups, voluntary associations, work teams. What is the combination of personal history, of how we read what is happening, and of what is “given” to us by the group, that leads us to play the parts we play in these contexts?
This is the invitation to learn that is present in a Group Relations Conference. There may be surprises ahead as we confront how we influence, or fail to influence others, and how we deal with what others tell us about ourselves. To the extent that the group situations seem “familiar” to us, there is the capacity to review group dynamics from other phases of life that we took as set in stone.
In sum, then, a Group Relations Conference is designed to provide a setting for deep learning about self, about role, and about group in the context of organisation and society. This inevitability involves encounters with issues of authority, power, leadership, followership, and indeed the themes of this conference: pulling together, pushing apart, power, difference and democracy. No previous experience is required. Only curiosity and a desire to learn.
Two pathways
The conference offers two opportunities, Pathway A and Pathway B (Training).
Pathway A is open to everybody. You do not need to have any earlier experience of a group relations conference. This pathway includes membership of all conference events, including small study group, large study group, organisational events and review groups.
Pathway B (Training Group) is open to those with two or more earlier experiences of participation in a group relations conference, who wish to develop their consultancy skills. In addition to membership of a range of conference events, this includes further specialist groups for developing consultancy approaches and opportunities to practice these approaches. The Training Group is limited to 6 places.
Conference Staff Team
What they said about us:
“Transformative, and thought provoking whilst challenging”
“A rich and inspiring conference”
“An engaging and eye-opening experience”
“It was immersive, profound and well-structured – felt like a retreat as well as a conference”
“It’s given me a much deeper understanding of personal boundaries, of how I perform in groups, and of intimacy”
Conference Information
Times and Venue
All London Times, (UTC +0)
The Venue is central London, 5 minutes’ walk from Kings Cross/St Pancras International Station:
Voluntary Action Islington
200A Pentonville Road
London N1 9PJ
Accommodation is not provided.
Evening Meal is provided on 21st November 2025
Lunch is provided on 22nd November 2025
Refreshments are provided each day.
(On Saturday 22nd November there will be an informal conference dinner at a nearby restaurant. Details will be available nearer the time.)
Conference Fees:
There is also an option to pay in 3 instalments, interest free. Please select 
option on the payment page.
Closing Date for Application: 7 November 2025 17:00 London time (UTC+0).
There is a limit of 36 places.
Cancellation Terms
Cancellations received by 31 October 17:00 London time (UTC +0) are 100% refundable.
Cancellations received by 7 November 09:00 London time are 50% refundable.
No refund can be given on cancellations received after 7 November.
HOW TO CONTACT US
For more information or if you have any questions, please email us at opusgrouprelations@gmail.com or complete the form below.
We look forward to welcoming you to the conference!
ABOUT OPUS: AN ORGANISATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF UNDERSTANDING IN SOCIETY
OPUS is a member-led charitable foundation, which aims to promote understanding in society. Founded in 1971, it stages an annual programme of conferences, listening post events, consultancies, and group relations events. Visit www.opus.org.uk
In 2024 and 2025 OPUS events have included:
- Fifty years of fighting sex discrimination
- Vulnerable Children in a Vulnerable Society
- Workshop on Power, Powerlessness Modern Day Slavery
- Pulling Together, Pushing Apart: Power, Difference and Democracy: International Group Relations Conference
- A Social Dreaming Experience at the Time of Covid 19: Book Launch
- The International Listening Post: Listening Post
- Leadership – Charismatic or Inspiring: Scientific Meeting
- TRANSITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS: Diversity, Risk and Sustainability: International Group Relations Conference
- Climate and Democracy: Listening Post Event
- Does your Computer have an Unconscious Mind? Talk and Discussion
- Group Relations Conferences and Organisations as a Fractal of Society: Lecture
- Journeys into the Unknown – Re-acting , Responding, Relating: Group Relations Workshop
- Longing to Be Known – Twins and Identity: Workshop
- Practice Supervision Groups
- The Many Myths of Money: Talk and Discussion
- Turbulent Transitions – Living through a Time of Crisis: Annual Conference