By Kerensa Hodge
My second (or perhaps third) trip to Manchester was yet another enriching experience, shared with colleagues, friends, and comrades. Each visit feels different, bringing a new dimension to the work we do at The Reverse Mentoring Practice, and though it’s hard to capture in words, I’ll do my best to reflect on it here.
The theme of this face-to-face gathering could be described as a “meeting of minds”, creating value through ‘evocative objects’, inspired by the work of Sherry Turkle1. She emphasizes the importance of the value of objects and artifacts in our lives, suggesting that they carry memories and significance. This resonates deeply with me, and I found myself treating this trip as a personal reflection on our shared experiences, of the evocative objects we encountered.
For example, an unforgettable experience was meeting with Andy from Invisible Cities, our well-chosen walking tour guide. A man who met us with what could only be described as a living diary. As we wandered the rain-soaked streets with him, Andy revealed through his diary, the hidden layers of the city. His memoirs captured not only the essence of his own life but also the lives of the countless people whose stories had shaped Manchester. Beneath the familiar streets lay a tapestry of human struggle, resilience, and history—woven into the very fabric of the city.
As a public health practitioner, I was struck by the symbolism of a statue depicting a homeless ‘Jesus’ on a bench, outside a gothic church, reminding me of the importance of reverse mentoring. It dawned on me how vital our work is in empowering others—how it can be a lifeline for those facing depression or even homelessness, in the face of ‘racist or ‘discriminative’ practices.
‘The Homeless Jesus’ (Photo credit: Manchester’s Finest)
Later, we gathered at a south African restaurant, dinner at ChakaLaka South African Restaurant. Laughing and sharing stories about our day. It felt surreal to realize it had been three months since our last meeting. The importance of food and culture was on full display, highlighting the value of coming together.
On the final day, we visited the exploring Manchester Museum, where we were surrounded by nature and historical artifacts. Adriana and I had a small adventure trying to find coffee, feeling like explorers as we wandered through the exhibits. Our fun was temporarily interrupted by an incredible exhibition of Egyptian mummies. The experience hit home for me, as I’ve always told my son that African pharaohs resembled him—noses chiselled off in history books finally restored in these displays.
As I returned to my seat, I found myself reflecting on the transformative experience we were all sharing. We spoke our truths and envisioned our future, no longer strangers but a group committed to advancing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. I jotted down notes, contributing my thoughts, feeling empowered by the conversations we were having.
A highlight of the trip was introducing our special team of content creators. For the first time, I truly understood the importance of helping our community create evocative content—content that triggers imagination and inspires.
I close this blog with a sense of optimism and excitement for what lies ahead. While these thoughts are my own, they echo the collective energy and vision that emerged from this face-to-face meeting. It wasn’t just a gathering; it was a catalyst for the bold steps we’ll take together, driving us closer to our shared goals and fuelling the creative spark behind our marketing plan.
- Turkle, Sherry, editor. Evocative Objects: Things We Think With. The MIT Press, 2007. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hhg8p. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024. ↩︎
Kerensa Hodge, Community Building & Content Creation Associate