Exploring Rudolf Steiner's contribution to the transformation of economic Life

Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, Nov 15-20, 2024
A residency with Christopher Houghton Budd, UK Economic and Monetary Historian and Associative Economist offering a range of workshops intended focused on the financial literacy needed to navigate life today

Now emeritus, economic and monetary historian, Christopher Houghton Budd is visiting Australia for the first time since 2009. During his absence, he has continued to explore and elaborate Rudolf Steiner’s contribution to our understanding of modern economic life, especially as regards macro financial issues, school financing, financial literacy and such concerns as farm succession and farming economics generally. During his absence, he has especially focused his efforts on introducing Steiner’s work into mainstream contexts with works such as Finance at the Threshold – Rethinking the Real and Financial Economies (2011) and Beyond Gold – Hayek, Keynes and Steiner in Concert (2024). His many workshops continue to involve installations and the use of pastel-illustrated black panels – an important medium well-known for its use by Steiner and Josef Beuys in their own expositions on economics.

On this visit, CHB is offering a residency comprising several stand-alone workshops, which can be attended singly but are also designed to build cumulatively on one another. Beginning with a keynote introduction to the theme of the day and Rudolf Steiner’s contribution to it, each workshop then elaborates this theme in the context of Australia and participants’ particular emphasis and experience. In the mood of installations, the workshops will make great play of the use of pastels on black paper (a.k.a. PowerPointPlus) and each day ends with a focus on what can be done to give effect to the ideas.