The Wytham Abbey project will be closing at the end of April. Click here for our farewell.
A space for groups to reflect on large-scale problems and puzzles
Wytham Abbey is a 15th-century manor house in the Oxford countryside, set up as a workshop venue for people, groups, or organizations to gather and lead people through reflecting and working on globally significant problems and puzzles. Here are some examples of questions workshops hosted at Wytham Abbey would be working on:
How could the world be more resilient to worst-case global catastrophes? What infrastructure already exists and how can it be supported or augmented?
Are there warning signs for scientific agendas that could become destabilizing for society? What are they? Can we change the incentives of the research ecosystems to make people less likely to pursue them?
Where will machine learning be in 3 years, what parts of problems will it more easily solve, and how does that affect where we should put effort and resources today?
If you want to make suggestions or register an informal expression of interest in convening a workshop, please do so with this form. Keep reading to learn about our space and support. To read more about Wytham Abbey’s history and current stewardship, see our page on conservation.
The Space
A large salon for whole large workshop gatherings
25 bedrooms (many of which can be comfortably shared, five are ensuites)
5 additional common rooms with character (e.g the library) that seat 8-20 people each
Indoor dining space for 32
A small private kitchen for anyone with severe dietary restrictions
A lot of garden area & interesting trees
Note: it is a large old house, and gets draughty in winter. Wytham Abbey is a lovely building, but we do not want to represent this as a hotel experience.
Support
We try to meet workshop directors where they are - financially and logistically. We currently run on grants and donations. Before and during workshops we can provide logistical support to help workshop directors achieve the workshop’s aims and assist guests during their stay.
The house is stocked with basic workshop equipment such as office supplies, A/V tech, whiteboards, and more. By default, we will provide buffet-style catering.
If you are new to leading workshops, we would be happy to put you in touch with experienced workshop directors or Wytham Abbey staff who can advise you on formats that have worked well for similar workshops.
