The Anew School of Facilitation

Leadership Skills for a Changing World

The Next Two Cohorts Now Open For Registration

Cohort 13
19-22 October 2026
Old Mutual House,
Cape Town, South Africa
ZAR 18,000 (€950)

What is the School of Facilitation?

Our in-person, multi-day programme is a deep-dive experience into the world of facilitation and gathering design. In an open and relational setting, a mid-sized, diverse group of participants gather to learn from each other and experience empathetic facilitation in action. 

After the School: What Changes

You leave with more than just frameworks. You leave with a changed practice. What does that look like?

• You design meetings and gatherings that people actually want to attend, where real thinking happens and people leave the meeting on the same page.

• You navigate difficult conversations and group dynamics with more skill and ease, holding space for complexity without shutting down.

• You understand your own way of being as a facilitator (your strengths, your own development frontiers, what kind of gatherings suit you) and how to lead with more confidence.

• You are able to build psychological safety and trust intentionally in a group, creating the conditions for people to bring their whole selves to work.

• You return to your organisation or team with practical tools and confidence to run strategic sessions that actually achieve what they are supposed to.

Why Anew

Facilitation is the leadership skill of our time. In this era of complexity and change, leaders of all kinds find themselves holding space for conversations, guiding groups toward decisions, and navigating diverse perspectives. In other words, being facilitators whether they realise it or not.

At Anew, we are deeply committed to supporting those who step into this role, whether they call themselves facilitators or not. We help leaders, conveners, and change-makers develop their unique facilitation style, refine their leadership practice, and expand their ability to hold meaningful and transformative gatherings.

The way we meet shapes our organisational culture and, therefore, our capacity to create change. Yet too often, these moments are approached without intention, losing the potential for trust-building and deep thinking together. Thoughtful facilitation turns every gathering into an opportunity where people feel heard and real impact is made.

What You’ll Learn:

• What human beings need in 2026 to connect, gather and learn well;

• How we can create spaces for learning, innovation and connection for every type of group or gathering;

• How uncovering the real purpose and outcomes of our gatherings support us to truly meet the needs of our stakeholders;

• Ways to create a Thinking Environment for ourselves and for others;

• Working with the hidden Moods and Emotions that impact our relationships and group interactions;

• Our own below-the-surface Way of Doing and Way of Being and how it impacts the way we show up to facilitate and lead;

• What it takes to design and execute impactful gatherings – from the very first to the very last step;

• Common facilitation challenges;

• Authors, frameworks, guidelines and platforms to include in your own facilitation practice.

Is This Programme For You?

Our programme is a relational, participatory, internationally-orientated, deep dive experience, best suited to individuals who are eager to expand their facilitation and leadership awareness, and who desire a deeper, easeful and intentional learning environment where they can experience excellent facilitation in action and learn from a diverse group of peers. 

Often, our participants find themselves in the following roles in organisations or roles across all fields:

• Executives and Team Leaders

• Facilitators, Trainers and Teachers

• Chiefs of Staff, Activists and Political Leaders

• Wellness Practitioners

• Founders and Entrepreneurs

• Programme and Project Managers

• Consultants and Coaches

TESTIMONIALS

YOUR FACILITATORS

Marike Groenewald and Clinton du Preez bring a wealth of experience and a distinctive approach to facilitation, shaping the Anew School of Facilitation's unique style and atmosphere.

Marike Groenewald, the founder of Anew, is a seasoned leadership and organisational development consultant, facilitator, and coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Law from Stellenbosch University and spent nearly a decade leading people development and training initiatives in politics. In 2016, Marike established Anew, extending her expertise globally in areas such as leadership, facilitation, organisational culture, and change management.

Marike's facilitation style is deeply relational and thought-provoking. She prioritises creating spaces of trust and meaningful human connection, tailoring her approach to meet the unique needs of each participant.

Clinton du Preez is a facilitator and people developer at Anew. With more than a decade of experience in leadership development and political campaigning, he is endlessly fascinated by how people think and work together in complex environments. He's an accredited Design Thinking facilitator through the Design Thinkers Academy in Amsterdam, and splits his time between Berlin and Cape Town.

Clinton's approach is rooted in empathy and genuine curiosity about what's actually needed in the room. He brings joy and attentiveness to every gathering he facilitates, and makes learning easier with a light-hearted touch.

Participants in the Anew School of Facilitation can expect a programme that is both immersive and transformative. The facilitators' combined expertise ensures a learning environment that is supportive, diverse, and deeply connected to real-world applications. The programme offers opportunities to connect with one's unique way of being as a facilitator, deepen understanding of innovative facilitation techniques, and access a global community of fellow facilitators.

Next Dates and Locations

*The programme fee includes conferencing costs, materials, lunch and refreshments throughout the day. It does not include travel and accommodation. And since inclusion and access to opportunities are important to us, please speak to us about payment plans or group and special individual discounts.

**For Cohort 14, we offer a Non-Profit Rate of €1,750 to support access to this opportunity.

Ready to Deepen Your Facilitation Practice?

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REACH OUT TO US

The success of our programmes depends on you being satisfied and getting what you need in your facilitation journey. We will therefore only recommend participation if we think our offer is a good fit for you. If you have any questions or need more information, please email us here.