Acts of Beauty & Defiance

A 6-Week Group Coaching Journey in Grounded Imagination for Systems Change.

Transform Systems Through Beauty & Defiance

Our collective challenges demand more than conventional solutions.

Climate crisis. Rising authoritarianism. Deepening inequality. The systems underpinning these crises weren't built in a day - and their unravelling requires something more alchemical than resistance alone.

What if your imagination - channelled into acts of beauty & defiance - could help unravel these systems?

Acts of Beauty & Defiance is a 6-week intimate group coaching experience for changemakers ready to:

  • See the systems you're entangled in with fresh clarity

  • Harness your imagination & creativity

  • Bring a tangible prototype to life that challenges the status quo

This isn't abstract theory or performative activism. It’s real-time, embodied, imaginative, systems-aware transformation.

By the end of our 6 weeks together, you'll walk away with:

  • A tangible prototype: a real, live act of beauty and/or defiance that targets leverage points in systems you care about

  • A deeper understanding of how systems operate, leverage points for change, and how imagination can become a tool for deeper change and regeneration.

  • A renewed sense of where your voice and vision hold power, even in complex or constrained environments.

  • A community of fellow changemakers offering reflection, insight and cross-pollination.

Who Is This For?

This is a space for changemakers, artists, educators, organisers, healers, and all those who believe in a more just & regenerative world, who:

  • Want to understand and influence the systems shaping their lives, work, and communities

  • Feel frustrated by the limits of critique and are ready to explore creative action

  • Long to engage with change in a way that is relational, beautiful, and experimental

  • Are ready to remake the world, and seed actions of beauty in their life and world.

What we’ll cover together:

Each week offers curated readings, experiential exercises, guided coaching, and group exploration. You’ll be invited to apply what you’re learning to your own context and system.

Week 1: Seeing the Water

Understand the systems you’re living and working inside of, including capitalism, patriarchy and the myriad forms of supremacy culture. What are their stories? What do they punish or reward? How does their mindset show up in your workplace, community, movement - or even yourself?

Week 2: Leverage Points for Change


We’ll unpack accessible models of systems change (including the work of Donella Meadows) to help you identify soft spots - places where even a small act might cause a ripple. You’ll begin sensing where beauty and defiance might become a system-interrupting force.

Week 3: Imagining Otherwise

You’ll be guided through imagination exercises to uncover what wants to emerge. You’ll envision acts of beauty or defiance that help remake the world, and how they relate to systems change. There’s no pressure to “solve” or “fix” - this week is about rooting into vision, not perfection.

Week 4: Prototyping Acts of Beauty & Defiance

You’ll take your imagined act and shape it into something real. It could be a conversation, a public event or art project, a community or workplace initiative, a new policy draft, a refusal, or even a literal seed planting. You’ll receive feedback and design support to refine it.

Week 5: Break & Practice

A week to test your prototype, gather feedback, feel what worked and what resisted.

Space to integrate and reflect. You’ll have access to virtual support over this week.

Week 6: Make it Contagious

We’ll explore what your prototype taught you - and how it might continue. You’ll create a mycelial map to imagine the ripple effects. We’ll close with commitment-making, celebration, and shared insight.

Facilitator: Laura Hartley

Hey, I’m Laura, the founder of the Scintilla Centre.

I started working with changemakers through my own experience as a climate and environmental activist. I understand the challenges that change-work can bring, and the skills required for our work to be impactful: relationship building, creativity, conflict reconciliation, storytelling.

My intention - as a coach and as the founder of Scintilla Centre - is to support changemakers in developing the skills, wisdom and community needed to remake the world.

How It Works:

Sessions are 90 minutes over 6 weeks. They are both live & recorded. You’ll also receive a workbook with reflection prompts & tools you can return to.

Week 1: Tuesday, May 27 2025 at 9:30am Pacific | 12:30pm Eastern | 5:30pm BST | 6:30pm CET

Week 2: Tuesday, June 3 2025 at 9:30am Pacific | 12:30pm Eastern | 5:30pm BST | 6:30pm CET

Week 3: Tuesday, June 10 2025 at 9:30am Pacific | 12:30pm Eastern | 5:30pm BST | 6:30pm CET

Week 4: Tuesday, June 17 2025 at 9:30am Pacific | 12:30pm Eastern | 5:30pm BST | 6:30pm CET

Week 5: No session - virtual check in on prototypes!

Week 6: Tuesday, July 1 2025 at 9:30am Pacific | 12:30pm Eastern | 5:30pm BST | 6:30pm CET

What’s Included:

  • 5 x 90-minute live coaching sessions via Zoom

  • A downloadable workbook with tools, exercises, and journaling prompts

  • Readings to deepen reflection and inspire ideas

  • Support to develop and prototype your own act of beauty or defiance

  • Real-world examples to anchor learning in experience

  • Optional small group pods for peer support.

Investment:

Acts of Beauty and Defiance costs £250 (approx. $330 USD).

Joining you’ll receive access to the live calls and recordings, as well as the workbook and tools.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Yes, each week will be recorded so if you miss a week, no problem. However, this is an experiential program so we would not recommend signing up without being able to join the majority of sessions.

  • If you’re in an unsuitable timezone for this cohort but would like to join, email info@scintillacentre.com and we’ll let you know if there’s any coming up more suitable!

  • Live sessions are 90 minutes per week. Allow another hour per week for reading, prompts and ideation - plus extra time in weeks 4 and 5 to test your idea!

  • If you’d like to join up and pay over 2 months, please email info@scintillacentre.com for details.

  • If your circumstances change or the program isn’t for you please email us to discuss.