How to waste tax

About a year ago, I came across an invitation from the Brighton and Hove Modernisation Team (whatever that is), which was directed to managerial staff at both Brighton and Hove City council and several local health service organisations.

The invitation was to a leadership workshop held in Brighton entitled The Dance Of The Fool and sub-titled "The Way of The Fool as a means for transformational and inspired leadership".

I quote extracts, which, I can assure you, are not taken out of context:

"Leadership is often seen as a very serious business. It means taking on responsibility, being accountable, carrying out tasks other people rely on. All true, and taking it too serious (sic) often hampers the success of your role. What often is very needed (sic) in modern leadership is relatively, creating fun, out of the box thinking and most of all connectedness (I despair!) with your deepest intent to help others."

The workshop was to be presented by a Floris Koot, from the Netherlands, who has interests in "anthropology, chaos theory, tantra, alchemy, archetypes and crazy wisdom. He is professionally working as a corporate fool, artist and trainer in business consultancy."

Attendees were to "explore the powers of your inner fool and how to connect them to leadership issues on a personal and organisational level", and were to be "challenged with playing, dialogue, bodywork, myth, impulse and intuition training, visualisation, dance, storytelling, humour, situational role play, chaos and paradox".

The cancellation fee was £100 so I dread to think how much the workshop cost. It is horrifying to realise what our local council (and the health service - another bottomless pit) is prepared to spend our money on while bleating that it's short of funds for the service it is set up to run.

I wonder whether this sort of thing has been sacrificed to contribute to the reduced council tax increase just announced? Unlikely, I suspect.

-CL Fone, Brighton