Fern Smith and Philip Ralph are life-partners who live together in mid-Wales having created Emergence after years of work as professional storytellers in the realms of theatre, television and film.
Short biogs below – for more details on their individual practices, follow the links to their websites.
Fern Smith
Fern is an artist, facilitator and wilderness guide, trained at the School of Lost Borders in California. She was Fellow for Wales on the Clore Leadership Programme in 2009/10 and received a Creative Wales Award from the Arts Council of Wales in 2016/17. She first Quested with David Wendl Berry of Earth Encounters in 2011. Since then she has been bringing earth-based practices and the Four Shields consciously into her work. She has trained and has experience in a variety of facilitation methods. Her background is as a theatre practitioner and co-founder of Volcano Theatre. She developed Emergence in 2010, creating spaces for transformation, nature connection and dialogue. She is an associate of the Annwn Foundation, and is a registered craniosacral therapist with Craniosacral Therapy Wales, celebrant and Relational Dynamics coach.
Website: www.fernsmith.uk
Philip Ralph
Phil is co-director of Emergence and, for the past five years, has been training alongside Margaret Wheatley on her Warriors for the Human Spirit programme. He has studied Way of Council, undertaken personal Vision Quest and assisted Pippa Bondy of Ancient Healing Ways in guiding others. Phil offers a unique hybrid of storytelling and stand-up with his One-Eyed Man practice and has taught story and transformation at Schumacher College. He is also an award-winning writer and performer.
Website: www.philipralph.com