Events 2026

Socratic Dialogue UK are delighted to offer a three-day dialogue in March facilitated by our German colleague, Wolfgang Dinges. We will offer two short workshops reflecting on what happens in a Socratic Dialogue and exploring the role of the facilitator in February and October 2025. Anyone interested in finding out more is welcome to come along to these workshops, which we hope may lead to a facilitator training programme for interested people in the UK.

Booking is essential as numbers are limited. We do not charge for attendance at the events, but participants are invited to make an optional cash donation on the day of £20 as a contribution towards refreshments and room hire. If anyone needs support for travel expenses, it is possible to apply for a bursary. Please contact

All London dialogues take place at Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL.

>> Download the full three-page programme to print.

 

 

February 2026 London Dialogues

Two one-day dialogues, facilitated by Anna Bromley and Julie-Marie ffrench-Devitt, and a Facilitating Socratic Dialogue workshop

Sat 7 Feb – 10.00 am to 4.30 pm, Choice of one of two dialogues
Sun 8 Feb – 9.30 am to 1.00 pm, Workshop on Facilitating Socratic Dialogues

February 7 Dialogue 1: What does it mean to really encounter someone?

Facilitated by Anna Bromley. We encounter many people throughout our day and our lives. But not every meeting feels the same. Some encounters could be superficial, every day and go by without noticing anything special. Other times, encounters can stick in our memory because there was something out of the ordinary about them. You could say that something deeper was going on. Based on personal memories, we will share such situations with one another and try to gain more clarity about what we think and how we speak about such experiences.
10am to 4.30pm
Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL.
Please use this form to register

February 7 Dialogue 2: Manners make humanity

Facilitated by Julie-Marie ffrench-Devitt. This is an updated version of the saying: ‘Manners maketh man’, often attributed to William of Wykeham (a C14th English Bishop).  In today’s fast-paced world, where many of us are constantly busy and often focused on digital interactions, it could be questioned whether manners still matter. Are they simply old-fashioned customs, or should they play a vital role in our lives and relationships, and if so, why? During this Socratic dialogue we will explore the concept of manners and consider whether for example, simple acts of courtesy, like saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, listening attentively, or apologising are an essential feature of what it means to be human, and if so, why?

9.30am to 4.00pm
Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL.
Please use this form to register

February 8: Workshop on Facilitating Socratic Dialogues

Details to follow
9.30 am to 1.00 pm
Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL
Please use this form to register

March 13: What does it mean to ‘manage’ oneself? 3 day dialogue

Facilitated by Wolfgang Dinges. There are countless books and seminars on the subject of ’self-management‘. Quite a market! And don’t we have a deep need to shape our lives consciously and according to our own guidelines, in order to be successful and/or happy? What about our values and even identity? How to deal with obstacles, both external and internal ones? What is good for us and what is not? And how to act accordingly? Based on our own attempts and experiences with this topic, we will try to gain a little more clarity.

Fri 13 March – 4.00 pm to 6.30 pm
Sat 14 March – 10.00 am to 4.30 pm
Sun 15 March – 10.00 am to 1.00 pm
Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, W2 3EL.
Please use this form to register

June 6 Why does truth matter? (Durham)

Facilitated by Sarah Banks. According to some commentators we are living in a ‘post-truth’ era, confronted with fake news, alternative facts, disregard for evidence and dismissal of inconvenient truths as lies (such as human-caused climate change). What counts as ‘truth’, does it still matter and why?

Contact: Sarah Banks at Alington House, 4 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET
10.00-4.30 pm.
Booking essential, please use this form

June 13/14 ‘To be true to myself’ (Suffolk)

‘To be true to myself’, facilitated by Rachel Kellett, in Kaliwoods, Holton Halesworth. What does it mean ‘to be true to myself’? This raises questions about identity and authenticity: ‘who am I?’ and ‘what makes me who I am?’ How do I hold onto my cherished beliefs and values in times of challenge? In what circumstances is it right to compromise; and what if I change my values and views? These are just some of the queries that may be raised as we work together on this topic.
Saturday June 13, 10am to 4pm
Sunday June 14 10am to 12.30pm followed by shared lunch
Kaliwoods, Holton, Halesworth, IP19 8NQ
Booking essential: email, information and if you need accommodation,

October 24/25: Two one-day dialogues and a Facilitating Socratic Dialogue workshop

Sat 24 Oct – 10.00 am to 4.30 pm, Choice of one of two dialogues
Sun 25 Oct – 10.00 am to 1.00 pm, Workshop on Facilitating Socratic Dialogues

If you are interested in attending on either date, please send an expression of interest to . Booking will be opened when the topics are confirmed’.