We are very pleased to announce that on 17 and 18 September 2009, two exciting and stimulating workshops are going to be held at Thomas River. Both of our guest speakers are from USA and well renown for their individual talents and accomplishments.

The first workshop will be conducted by Janine de Nysschen, a 'Change Maker and Purpose Strategist' on 17 September from 9am-12 noon. Originally from South Africa, Janine's motto is 'change is never impossible' and she was part of the core team that transformed the post-apartheid intelligence structure in South Africa. Moving to USA in 2001, she joined Microsoft with the task of bringing change to the world through software solutions. With 20 years of strategic experience, she launched Whytelligence Inc. and now concentrates on businesses who seek to increase their impact and performance.

Janine's workshop will cover subjects ranging from how entrepreneurs and businesses are dealing with a difficult economy in US, to how to create a purpose blueprint for your business. This will include;

• Showing you how to lead in a way that inspires passion and loyalty
• Creating a culture that lets our business thrive from inside
• Helping you hire the right people to grow your business
• Marketing so that customers connect with your passion
• Developing new business ideas that align with your purpose
• Exploring more possibilities that take you to the next level of business

The second will be a 'Creative Workshop: Opening doors and Communicating with Your Artwork' and will be held on 17 September, 2-4pm and the following day, 18 September from 9am-4pm. Carrie Knowles is a well known writer and artist who has achieved various awards for both her fiction and non fiction and has also had anthologies, short stories and poetry published. After having held many art exhibitions in both US and Australia, she decided to open The Free Range Studio in 2005 where she could not only work as a writer and artist but also teach.

Carrie's objective for opening the studio was to create a place where both artists and writers could share ideas and work together, pooling their artistic resources for the development of art. With her belief that 'Art helps us communicate across racial, gender, age and cultural boundaries and it makes the world a more manageable, more humane place in which to live', the workshop will help artists of all mediums to explore:

• Your life and your artwork
• Where you have been, are now and would like to be in the future
• To use your work to inspire others
• Build relationships with other artists in the community

This is a wonderful opportunity for business people as well as those involved or interested in the arts, and we urge all members and friends of the eScape Route to attend these workshops. Lunch, teas and snacks will be provided on both days for the cost of R40.00 per day. There is no charge for the workshop so, should you wish to attend one or both of these sessions, please contact the eScape office, 043 683 1521, or pop into 54 Hill Street for catering purposes.

We hope to see you there!