Meet The Team
Joan Sleigh
Born and raised in a Camphill community in South Africa, Joan is the Project Leader of the World Social Initiative Forum (WSIF), a global forum (network) of individuals, NGOs and institutions focussing on research and practice in questions of personal development, social change and human dignity. Joan has a background in Waldorf Education, as pupil, class teacher and teacher trainer in Cape Town, and served as a member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society in Dornach for 7 years. She returned to Cape Town, studied an Executive MBA and graduated in leadership research and development. Alongside the WSIF, Joan currently consults in teacher education, adult self-development and authentic leadership practices.
Khalil Rossouw
Experienced arts facilitator and coordinator, Khalil Rossouw, brings over seven years of expertise in marketing and administration, blending his creative background in theatre, dance, and music with administrative and organisational skills. With a foundation in digital marketing, social media management, and content creation, he crafts persuasive narratives and implements successful strategies. Leveraging his teaching experience, Khalil excels in coordinating projects and working effectively with teams. As a skilled moderator with over 4 years experience running meetings and workshops on Zoom, he collaboratively presides over meetings, demonstrating excellent communication and organisational skills. Khalil's commitment to cultural enrichment and diversity aligns with his role as an administrator and moderator.
Angela Katschke
Art Therapist and Consultant
Since 1993, Angela has drawn inspiration from Anthroposophy. In 1999, Angela Katschke earned her degree in art therapy from a German University (HKS Ottersberg: Hochschule für Künste im Sozialen), initiating a career spanning psychiatric, psychosomatic, and psycho-therapeutic medicine across all age groups. Upon arriving in South Africa, Angela specialised in art therapy for traumatised children in vulnerable communities, establishing the Butterfly Art Project bringing creativity and healing through art in October 2010. She has developed several training modules and workshops for Community Art Facilitator training. In April 2022 she handed over leadership to find more time for consulting, training art therapeutic skills and organisational development.
Meet The Faculty
Lisa Romero
Lisa Romero is an author and international presenter on inner development and meditation. Over the past 30 years she has initiated and developed numerous offerings that are easily accessible and available to people all around the world to engage with the inner development path through anthroposophy. EduCareDo, an organisation that Lisa helped found and has contributed to since 2001, pioneered distance education courses in anthroposophy helping anthroposophy reach remote individuals and communities worldwide. Many of the 3000 plus course participants continue to engage with the EduCareDo community living anthroposophy. Lisa’s deep understanding and commitment to the path of unfolding consciousness has supported young through old on the path of self development for world development through the wisdom of anthroposophy. Lisa Romero is an author and international presenter on inner development and meditation. Over the past 30 years she has initiated and developed numerous offerings that are easily accessible and available to people all around the world to engage with the inner development path through anthroposophy. EduCareDo, an organisation that Lisa helped found and has contributed to since 2001, pioneered distance education courses in anthroposophy helping anthroposophy reach remote individuals and communities worldwide. Many of the 3000 plus course participants continue to engage with the EduCareDo community living anthroposophy. Lisa’s deep understanding and commitment to the path of unfolding consciousness has supported young through old on the path of self development for world development through the wisdom of anthroposophy.
Janet Manoni
Janet Manoni is an anthroposophist and a committee member of the All African Anthroposophical Training (AAAT). With 20 years of experience and skills in Sales and Marketing, Media and Communication, Human Resources, leadership, management of vulnerable children, and advocacy work for childhood cancer, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and other birth defects, she brings a diverse set of expertise to her endeavours. Janet is also a Political Analyst and Children's Health Activist. As the founder of Mwanangu Development Tanzania, a locally registered NGO in Tanzania, Janet is dedicated to supporting poor and vulnerable children with cancer and birth defects. The organisation aims to facilitate their access to quality medical treatment, care, and education through Waldorf principles. Janet holds a Masters degree from the University of Pesoa in Portugal, hosted by the Open University of Tanzania, where she is undertaking studies in International Cooperation and Development. Additionally, she is training to become a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher.
Janet's overarching aspiration is to advocate for equal access to education and quality clinical and non-clinical medical services for all children in the Global South.
Vera G. Klein
Born into a loving family in the Netherlands. Attended Waldorf school from age 10. Became a Waldorf Teacher in her 20s. In her early thirties, she devoted herself to her family with three daughters, whilst continuing research and study. Following divorce, and a burn-out in her forties she began taking her inner life journey seriously. In the process of developing her natural artistry, she illustrated and wrote her first book Fall and Rise -The Art of Crisis, and went on to create a collection of Biography Storytelling Cards.
During that time of upheaval in her life, she became a Biographical Coach, opened her own practice and became teacher at the Dutch Institute of Biographical Training. In these new roles, she was introduced to the International Movement of Biography Work; going on to become the Dutch Institute’s representative member of the International Trainers Forum (ITF) for certificated Professional Biography Trainings based on Anthroposophical Spiritual Science.
On turning 50 she became the director of the Dutch Institute, and simultaneously began a creative working collaboration with Christopher Bee. Gradually she became aware that she was dedicatedly following the path of her Life Mission of contributing to the growth and nurturing of Work with Biographical Development around the World.
Now in her sixties Vera has developed various courses and further trainings which she offers in countries such as Brazil, China, Hungary, Malaysia, and Spain. Her views on people, community building and biographical development have been shaped by life itself and her wide‑ranging love for esoteric, humanistic, biographical literature. Over the years she has drawn inspiration from many movements and teachings, such as Anthroposophy, Buddhism, Gnosticism and Philosophy.
Stacieva Mbuguni
Stacieva Mbuguni is a second-year medical student at Kampala International University. She is the president and founder of Youth Initiative Africa as well as Youth Group Tanzania, both of which are platforms dedicated to African youth in Anthroposophy. Together with these groups, she is currently working on hosting a conference titled “The Gifts of Africa.” The vision of this event, as expressed by Youth Initiative Africa, is to bring together around 100 young people from various African countries to encounter one another and engage with Anthroposophy in a way that speaks meaningfully to their stage of life.
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Paul Hollesen
Paul brings 30 years of international experience to his work as a consultant and contractor to multinational companies, consulting firms, and NGOs. He takes on assignments that bring together his skills in sustainability, organisational effectiveness, and the facilitation of individual and group processes. He acts as a trusted advisor to individuals and senior leadership teams, drawing on his experience in the field of family constellations, systemic dynamics in organisations, and participative methodologies.
Charles Jansen
Charles Jansen is the Art Centre Coordinator and Training Materials Developer at the Butterfly Art Project (BAP). He has ten years’ experience working with the BAP Method, developing therapeutic art projects and facilitating art therapeutic classes with children from 5 years old to youth aged 21, as well as training and mentoring Community Art Facilitators. He is a skilled visual artist, art facilitator and trainer. Charles has studied Adult Basic Education & Training and is currently studying a course in art therapy life coaching.
Robert Burnside
Robert’s focus is on bringing learning and leadership development into the digital age, enabling institutions and individuals to meet the challenges and together co-create a better world. In the role of Senior Learning Advisor for Nomadic Learning, Robert provides guidance and consulting to Nomadic clients to help maximize their impact from learning. He is currently partnering with Joan Sleigh of The World Social Initiative Foundation to curate an approach to human development that incorporates spiritual development. Robert also cooperates with Reka Deak on her development of the Wellbeing Designers Community, the world is greatly in need of better health. Robert lives permanently in Milan, Italy.
Before joining Nomadic in 2016 and moving to Italy, Robert was the Chief Learning Officer for Ketchum Public Relations where he was responsible for creating a learning environment for 2500 global employees. Among other work, he formed lasting relationships with Tsinghua University in Beijing and Tufts University in Boston, developing learning processes to deepen creativity and innovation in communications. Prior to joining Ketchum, Robert was at the Center for Creative Leadership where he provided leadership development globally to Fortune 100 senior teams.
Zaid Philander
Zaid is a social activist, teacher and entrepreneur. He is a self-trained designer and Community Art Facilitator who designs bags made from upcycled materials whilst empowering physically disabled residents from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town. He is a passionate social and environmental activist who manages a NPO that teaches art therapy whilst running I Scream & Red as an eco-friendly social enterprise
He is the founder of I-Scream and Red, an environmentally friendly company that is constantly finding eco and environmentally friendly ways of production within the textile industry. I Scream & Red also manages to source all materials within the vicinity of production so minimal carbon emissions are spent on each item made.
Christopher Bee
Christophori : Author, Therapist, Trainer, Spiritual Ecologist
Born and raised in the UK. Commenced higher education with University Degree as Dip. Psychologist (Sussex UK 1976), whilst launching a portfolio career in Multimedia Media Art, Design & Curation in connection with his ongoing esoteric studies and research (UK, US, FR, ES, DE 1970-1989); culminating in the co-foundation of Sangral e.V.(DE 1988) to facilitate the exhibition and loan of works of art from European collections and studios inspired by Anthroposophical Spiritual Science.
After settling in Germany (DE 1987) he pursued further professional training, i.a. Dip. Artistic & Creative Form Therapy (CH 1991-1994), Consciousness Schooling (DE 1994-2012), Psychotherapeutic and Biographical Counselling (1993-2003); during these years he established (DE 1991) a consulting & teaching practice for Spiritual Psychotherapy, Biographical Healing, Sacral Metamorphosis and Consciousness Soul Schooling.
After moving to Lake Constance (DE 1998), he co-founded a community building initiative Heilwesen am Bodensee to facilitate a dialogical culture via coordination of meetings for practitioners of healing professions in this Four-Country Region (EU 2000-2003).
Subsequently he became a founding (CH 2003) and coordinating (EU 2007-2023) member of International Trainers Forum ITF for professional trainings in Work with Biographical Development represented in the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum. Parallel he initiated (EU 2006) and directed the Christophori International certificated professional training in Applied Biographical Development based on Spiritual Science; now established under independent collegial direction with his continuing mentorship in Germany, Romania and Switzerland. Following inauguration of the biennial Worldwide Biography Conference WBC at the Goetheanum (EU 2001) for professionals working with biographical development, he has co‑facilitated continuity and coordination of programme development (EU 2008-2024).
In 1999 he was called to worldwide representation of the Life Work of Gerhard Reisch (1899-1975); becoming president of the German (DE 2003) and Swiss (CH 2014) charitable foundations which protect and mediate this Archive of Original Pictures and Writings. Christopher Bee is family father of five children by two marriages.
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Eastlynne Nelson- Tansley
Born into a conservative English and Afrikaans family in Germiston, South Africa, Eastlynne grew up with a strong awareness of the social realities surrounding her. As a young person, she became active within the ANC, seeking to transform both her own experiences and her understanding of the wider social environment.
A defining moment in her life came in 1994, when at the age of 33 she joined a Camphill Community as a social therapist and home leader. This step opened the doorway to Anthroposophy—an exploration of spiritual reality in the Light of Christ—and brought with it many initiatory experiences that continue to shape her life path.
In 2014, Eastlynne deepened her commitment to conscious destiny work by becoming a Camphill Community Member, engaging more fully in the processes of soul transformation. Her journey extended into a three-year Active Practical Love training developed by Tessabella Lovemore and culminated in becoming a First Class Member of the School of Spiritual Science within the Anthroposophical Society. Alongside this, she participated in workshops with researchers such as Troels Using, whose work on life beyond the threshold opened new perspectives on the soul’s journey after earthly existence.
Her regular practice of Raphael Conversations in deep listening, together with training through All Paths Divinity School, led to her recognition as an End-of-Life Doula in April 2024. In this work, she accompanies individuals, families, and communities with presence and care at the threshold of life and death, offering support for life review, end-of-life choices, legacy building, vigil preparation, and bereavement processes.
Through these pathways, Eastlynne continues to unite social artistry, spiritual inquiry, and compassionate service, walking alongside others in their search for meaning and transformation.
Ceinwen Smith
Ceinwen is based in Cape Town, South Africa and is happiest exploring the rocky shores and fynbos-filled mountains around her home. She has a masters degree in oceanography and has facilitated workshops, courses and research projects across a wide range of topics based in diverse habitats, from the windswept Antarctic waters to the bush veld of Kruger National Park. Over the past 8 years Ceinwen has been growing her practice of Goethean observation inspired and guided by the work of Craig Holdrege and colleagues at The Nature Institute in New York. In her spare time, Ceinwen plants fynbos gardens at schools and strives to inspire a sense of wonder and pride for our rich biodiversity through her organisation, Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration.
Dr Gavin Andersson
Dr Gavin Andersson grew up on Tristan da Cunha and in Botswana. He worked as a diamond prospector, guitar teacher, and magazine publisher before becoming a trade union organiser in South Africa. Banned by the Apartheid Government in 1976, he moved to Botswana, where he co-founded woodwork cooperatives and became deeply involved in enterprise creation. He later co-founded CORDE, supporting community enterprises, and led a consultancy working across southern Africa and the Caribbean.
Returning to South Africa post-Apartheid, Gavin led a development advocacy organisation, co-created Kwanda, a reality TV show on community transformation, and helped pioneer the Community Work Programme, which benefited over 250,000 people. In 2009, he co-founded the Seriti Institute to strengthen community organisation. A leader in civil society, he served on the board of the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law and helped establish Botswana’s largest newspaper, Mmegi.
Gavin holds a PhD in Development Studies from The Open University (UK) and developed the concepts of Unbounded Organization and Unbounded Governance. He has held academic positions at several universities and worked extensively with the Organization Workshop method. He is a co-founder of Ancient Wisdom Africa, director of the InvestRural Academy, a father of five, a guitarist, and follows African Spirituality.
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Tobias Kaye
Tobias Kaye is a third-generation Anthroposopher. As a world-renowned craftsman he has taught woodturning skills as ‘spirit-awareness’ in four continents.
As the originator of Sounding Bowls he stands behind a musical instrument unique in world history. As a teacher of Saturn Path enquiry he is keen to develop Steiner’s indications on a path of development based on love and relationship and not on a wisdom-tradition or any need for a teacher. As an enthusiast for the Foundation Stone meditation, Tobias offers commentaries and encouragement for anyone to find their own experience embedded within this cosmic text, including those at SoundingBowls.com
Born as the second child of six to a Bio-Dynamic farmer in rural Ireland, he was brought up in Sussex woodlands and had a Waldorf education. This was followed by a good deal of travel. His passionate interest in what makes the world go round led him through a wide diversity of experiences and studies while working in various countries in building, forestry, computing, horticulture, hospitality, child care (including special needs) and on to become a self-employed sculptor using the lathe as his principal tool. After the NHS became his principal customer, Tobias trained up a few other Sounding Bowl makers who are now at work in various countries.
All their output is available through SoundingBowls.com.
Tobias’ youthful delight in the Arts resulted in learning piano, trombone, mouth organ and penny whistle, while singing in choirs. Poetry has always been an important method for grasping passing experience.
Now in his late 60s Tobias still makes the Sounding Bowls, coaches soul-development, runs groups locally and holds workshops internationally. His developing interest in Saturn Path exploration leads him forward.
Welma De Beer
Welma de Beer is a Waldorf teacher, lecturer, applied facilitator and drama therapist (HPCSA registered). She has MA degrees in Applied Drama and in MA Drama Therapy. Currently her interest lies in education, focussing on addressing trauma’s impact on the physical, psychological, and cognitive development of learners through arts based pedagogical interventions. Her PhD focuses on innovating and implementing a healing-centred, professional development teacher programme addressing trauma and building resilience in SA schools. As an active member of Emergency Pedagogy her work is inspired by the safe and clear conceptualisation of how to work pedagogically in the trauma field.
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Joshua Cox
Welma de Beer is a Waldorf teacher, lecturer, applied facilitator and drama therapist (HPCSA registered). She has MA degrees in Applied Drama and in MA Drama Therapy. Currently her interest lies in education, focussing on addressing trauma’s impact on the physical, psychological, and cognitive development of learners through arts based pedagogical interventions. Her PhD focuses on innovating and implementing a healing-centred, professional development teacher programme addressing trauma and building resilience in SA schools. As an active member of Emergency Pedagogy her work is inspired by the safe and clear conceptualisation of how to work pedagogically in the trauma field.
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Craig Tilsley
Craig has more than 35 years of experience in the financial industry, with a career spanning institutional investment systems and consulting. He has developed a strong understanding of how financial and economic systems operate and evolve, and brings a depth of insight into their practical applications. Alongside his professional work, Craig maintains a keen interest in wider developments within the social, political, and AI arenas, exploring how these forces shape and influence the world of finance and beyond.