(Passion) Projects
There is something joyful about learning and experimenting and trying out new things. Although we live in an age where everyone is supposed to be a specialist, and although I specialise in communication and science communication training professionally, I believe that we only live once and I want to learn and embrace things that interest me.
Some are real passion projects, where I invest heart and soul and become a specialist. Others are curiosities that hold my interest for a few weeks, months, or even years and I dabble when time allows. Feel free to explore and connect.
Ziyadliwa
My ultimate passion project: oral storytelling! I moonlight as a performance storyteller, telling epic tales and carefully complied folk, fairy, and true tales to grown-ups. Because adults deserve good stories, too…
See: ziyadliwa.com
Sensory Signals
This is a brand new journey for me. I am working my way towards a PhD and before applying for a position (hopefully at Innsbruck University), I am exploring how to bring history to life by tapping into senses.
See: sensorysignals.org
The Story Café
At the moment, The Story Café is a virtual space for storytellers to meet and connect. I run regular gatherings and events for storytellers to come together, but my dream is to turn the space into a virtual performance area. Exciting times…
See: thestorycafe.org
Innsbruck Internationals
I run regular get-togethers for the international community in Innsbruck, usually in person but temporarily online.
The Cosmo Club
What can 8-10 women do when they get together to discuss challenging and sensitive topics? Well, have a great conversation that exposes them to other perspectives, for starters.
This is a face-to-face group that meets in Innsbruck.
See: The Cosmo Club
The Big Qs
Conversation matters. That’s why I run regular Big Qs events where I invite people to explore The BIG questions and skip the small talk. People tap into new ideas, see the world in a whole new way, and sometimes make connections with new people that lead to exciting new things…
See: thebigqs.org
Innsbruck Internationals
I run regular get-togethers for the international community in Innsbruck, usually in person but temporarily online.
Speakeasy
You may have notices that I am interested in communication and conversation. Speakeasy is a speaking club that I run. It’s a bit like Toastmasters, but it’s based on the materials available for Agora Speakers which is open source and keeps membership costs sensible!
I run a “live” group twice a month in Innsbruck, and now it’s online, too.
See: spea.keasy.org
Atalanta
In mythology, Atalanta was a woman who lived life on her own terms. Anything that men could do, she could do just as well… In fact, Atalata means “of equal weight”, and that’s what this group strives for. It’s a group for independent, professional women who want a network of their own to forge connection, learn new skills, and compete. This is a group that meets in Tirol, and it’s a face-to-face group.
See: atalanta.at
Murder by Zoom
This is just a bit of fun. I run online murder and mystery games designed to bring people together from different backgrounds. This is a work in progress…
See: murderbyzoom.com
Frances & Francis
This is a developing passion project. For many years I have been interested in smell, and making perfumes as well as creams and salves. Herbs, aromatherapy, wild ingredients… The name comes from a combination of my and my father’s shared name of “France/is”, because he was interested in natural products, too.
See: francesfrancis.com