A Critical Inquiry into the Theory and Practice of Genius Loci in Practical Skill Therapeutic Education

This essay is written as part of an MA in PSTE at Ruskin Mill Centre For Practice & Huddersfield University

In this essay, I will explore both the theory and practice of genius loci, examining how a genius loci audit is conducted and considering its implications for the Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE) curriculum. I will also discuss the role of place-based education in empowering students with special needs. Alongside this, I will critique the tendency to romanticise genius loci and assess the limitations of Goethean observation in capturing the full complexities of place. Finally, I will summarise my findings, offering a conclusion on the potential of genius loci to enrich both PSTE at Ruskin Mill and broader educational frameworks.

To begin, I will introduce the concept of genius loci, outlining its importance within Ruskin Mill and its relevance to education more widely.

Introduction to Genius Loci

Place is more than just a location; it is the foundation of our identity, shaping how we see ourselves and the world. In ancient Rome, the term genius referred to a protective spirit or guardian of a place, person, or community, illustrating the reverence people had for their environments. However, in our globalised and technological world, the distinct sense of “placeness” is fading (Relph, 1976, p. 134), leading to feelings of disempowerment and disorientation (Wilken, 2013, p. 344).

Gruenewald (2003) notes that conventional educational systems often overlook the significance of place, resulting in a disconnection that diminishes students’ experiences and identities. He further questions: “What educational forms promote care for place? What does it take to conserve, restore, and create ways of being that serve people and places? What does it take to transform those ways of being that harm people and places?” (Gruenewald, as cited in Hutson, 2011). Ruskin Mill provides an answer: “By synergising these elements [from a genius loci audit] a dialogue between past, present, and future can be formed to help guide schools, individuals, and communities towards a shared sustainable vision of development of ‘self’ and ‘world.’ Through this process, students come to acknowledge the ‘world’ as a collaborator and educator and begin to put sustainability, ethics, and ecological thinking at the forefront of their own curriculum design” (Mathie & Wals, 2022, p. 41).

At Ruskin Mill, genius loci is emphasised as the first of seven fields of practice (Gordon & Reakes, 2024) informing Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE), a research-based approach for working with young people with special needs. Place-based education can be particularly beneficial for autistic students, helping them meet sensory needs, gain skills, and find natural rhythms for self-regulation (Friedman et al., 2024). PSTE evokes a strong sense of place by acknowledging the environment and reflecting this in the workshops and crafts available to students (Mathie & Wals, 2022, p. 40).

Key genius loci audits conducted by Margaret Colquhoun and Ruskin Mill staff in 1994 and 2006 have guided the Trust in developing the landscape and telling the story of the genius loci through its curriculum (Gordon, A., & Cox, L., 2024, p. 6). This focus on place is particularly important for the students at Ruskin Mill, who often have autism and challenging biographies. Engaging in grounding activities like farming or craft work helps them anchor their narratives, revisit developmental stages, and find therapy in the rhythms of nature and the educational context.

Studying genius loci can allow us to understand the essence of a place, fostering a deeper relationship with it and instilling a sense of responsibility toward the land (Colquhoun, para. 1). In education, grasping genius loci can be a powerful tool for developing curricula that create environments promoting belonging, autonomy, and meaning.

Conducting a genius loci audit

When you arrive in a new place, one of the first questions you may ask is, “Where am I?” This question lies at the heart of a genius loci inquiry. As you undertake the inquiry, the question evolves into, “Who are you?” This journey often invites us to pause and connect with the landscape more deeply. As Dante remarked:

“How often, by chance in a happy and moving day, have we not encountered the edges of a wood, a summit, a spring, a simple grassy space, that asks us to stop thinking and listen to something more profound than our heart! Silence! The gods are here” (Dante, as cited in Hunt, 2022, p. 36).

Many students at Ruskin Mill relocate from across the country to a place that is unfamiliar to them, often carrying the experience of feeling let down by their previous environments, including late diagnoses, school expulsions, and a lack of nurturing settings. Although most students will not conduct a genius loci audit, they still form a relationship with the spirit of the place and gradually uncover its essence throughout their placement.

At Ruskin Mill, new staff participate in a genius loci walk, where they learn about the history of the valley and visit the workshops scattered throughout the landscape. This walk allows them to consciously engage with the place. When I first arrived in Nailsworth and Ruskin Mill, I attended two genius loci walks and also conducted my own genius loci audit (Warland, 2020) as part of the biodynamic course. Through actively engaging with the genius loci, I developed a deeper understanding of the valley by researching the four kingdoms of nature and quickly felt a sense of belonging that I hadn’t consciously experienced before.

Goethean inquiry plays a pivotal role in understanding genius loci. Goethe’s approach to science was based on observation and intuitive engagement with natural phenomena, contrasting with the more empirical, reductionist methods of traditional science (Fischer & Nassar, 2015, p. 10). He advocated for a deeper, imaginative perception, believing that“a delicate empiricism[,] which makes itself utterly identical with the object, thereby becoming true theory” (Goethe, as cited in Reakes, 2022, p. 85), would reveal the truths of the natural world.

Practitioners are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the experience of the place, observing without imposing preconceived ideas. Ruskin Mill has refined the genius loci audit, building on the ideas of Colquhoun and Brook while making the language more accessible. Much like Dante, when observing a landscape for a prolonged period, we can feel a sense of awe; all of our feelings about a place, whether positive or negative, help inform the genius loci audit through the stages towards establishing the intention of a “locally individualised curriculum” (Gordon & Reakes, 2024, p. 37).

I argue that Goethean observation counterbalances the scientific paradigm’s tendency to quantify knowledge by introducing a qualitative way of knowing. Through group collaboration in a genius loci inquiry, subjective insights transform into objective knowledge. Goethean observation requires significant practice, and many practitioners suggest starting with plants before moving to places.

The genius loci is fluid, shaped by evolving historical narratives. For example, the history of the Cotswolds is often celebrated for its wealth, architecture, rolling hills, and pleasantness. However, during a 2020 genius loci audit, I discovered an 1839 report on the hardships faced by weavers in the Nailsworth and Horsley valleys. A doctor described the extreme poverty, noting:

“All the diseases consequent on poverty are found here in full vigour, and the constitution is so prostrated that, if an endemic appears, the people fall under it due to their extreme debility” (Miles, 1841).

This contrasts sharply with today’s romanticised view of the Cotswolds.

This raises an essential question: how do we incorporate this acknowledgment of trauma into the genius loci and the curriculum, especially for students who engage in weaving, one of the college’s signature crafts? This reflection also highlights a limitation of Goethean observation: by focusing only on the present, we risk missing hidden layers of history. Observing a place that has rewritten its history, where once-poor weavers’ homes are now occupied by affluent families, requires more than just present observation.

Genius loci audits begin with studying the four kingdoms of nature, through a Goethean observation, bracketed from preconceived notions. I propose conducting this observation after historical research, allowing the landscape to resonate with the narratives we uncover. For example, when observing a mill, we can contextualise it within its historical framework, enabling us to imaginatively sense its past, present, and future. This layered understanding enriches our perception of place and creates a more nuanced genius loci audit.

Implications for the Curriculum

The genius loci directly informs the craft practices within Ruskin Mill provisions. At Ruskin Mill College, wool crafts such as spinning, weaving, and felting are known as the signature crafts, formed out of the landscape and the legacy of the Cotswolds. Meanwhile, at Glasshouse College in Stourbridge, glasswork is the signature craft due to the tradition of glass production dating back to the 16th century (RMT, 2024). Both signature crafts are informed by the genius loci, and both crafts hold pedagogical potential for students. These crafts connect students with the history of a place. We can then see how a genius loci directly informs a curriculum and how this study could be employed in various places around the world to inform a curriculum.

Beyond the architecture of the curriculum, there is a requirement for staff to instil the genius loci into interactions and sessions with the students. Students carrying out signature crafts need to connect with the materials and the history. Students working in wool sessions will observe the shearing of the sheep each year, directly relating to the source of the material—the same sheep that they may have cared for or even watched being born during their farming sessions at Gables Farm. They may felt a slipper or weave a blanket, which they will have to decide whether to keep for themselves, gift to someone, or sell in the farm shop.

For the genius loci to emanate through the student’s journey, they need to be present for the whole process, which requires careful pedagogy. As students explore the landscape, they build their sense of the genius loci. Through interacting with the soil, water, animals, plants, clay, wool, birds, seasons, food, weather, peers, staff, and community, they begin to understand themselves more, allowing them to reach their potential. The students are co-creators, and together with staff and the genius loci they have re-imagined the landscape (Gordon, 2020, 41:39) and still continue this process. Students have individual learning plans and respond to an open landscape differently; for many, it is overwhelming at first. The genius loci audit needs to be understood by staff so they can incorporate this into individualised sessions for students while also creating space for students to play and explore the environment. Ideally, students become curious and self-motivated through their experience of the genius loci. For example, a student finds snake eggs in the compost pile and, with support, conducts research to identify which snake it may be, learn about a snake’s reproductive cycle, what it eats, and why it would lay eggs in a compost pile.

Place-based education can provide “young people with a sense of agency, [and] acknowledges them as producers rather than consumers of knowledge” (McInerney, Smyth, & Down, 2011, p. 4). Brecht emphasised the importance of knowing when to step back, stating, “Every teacher must learn how to stop teaching, when the time comes. This is a difficult art. Only a few are able, when the time is right, to allow reality to take their place” (as cited in Biesta, 2021, p. ix).

Illich’s Deschooling Society (1971) critiques formal education systems and advocates for a radical restructuring of society’s approach to learning. Illich argues that education within the confines of a class, or “schooling,” stifles creativity and disconnects people from their natural ability to learn. Ruskin Mill is a response to mainstream education and provides a place for many students that have been failed by this system. It has slowly built its workshops and incrementally developed its curriculum as it was able to acquire more land across the valley, starting from the rundown Millbottom Mill, whose restoration became the classroom and the curriculum for the first students encountering place-conscious education. The mill, now called Ruskin Mill, stands as a testament to this journey. The expansive landscape allows students to develop in space and time, enabling them to develop their agency in a world that has become increasingly indoor and technological (Williams, C., 2020).

Empowering students through place

Many students have been let down by an education system that prioritises test scores and university preparation, often neglecting to equip them for the real world. As Sobel (2017) observes, “It’s all head, no hand and heart.” He argues that if we keep students’ hands busy and fill their hearts, they will not only be happier but also smarter (Sobel, 2017, p. 5). At Ruskin Mill College, students have the opportunity to direct their own learning through the landscape and the genius loci.

Building a relationship with the genius loci is akin to undertaking a genius loci audit; it takes time to explore and experience the essence of a place. For students to engage effectively, they first need to feel safe and a sense of belonging. The college offers a wide range of workshops in different locations—some near public paths, while others are secluded. Workshops like green woodwork are open to the elements, whereas crafts such as basket making take place in cosy, small settings. When students arrive for a new session, everything is new: the place, the tutor, and their peers. This can be particularly challenging for students with autism, as each new element can feel overwhelming. Some students find change difficult, noticing even the smallest alterations in the landscape. They require time and reassurance to rebuild their relationship with place.

On their first day at Ruskin Mill, students are welcomed by staff in a circle, with a willow arch marking the entrance. In the centre, each student places their name tag on a post, symbolising their initiation into the community. Many students have relocated from across the country and may not have been in formal education for some time. This ritual marks the beginning of their journey. At the end of their placement, during the presentation day, students walk back through the willow arch, completing the cycle that began with their arrival. By immersing themselves in the genius loci through a responsive and meaningful curriculum, students may develop self-generated, conscious action and gain a degree of control over their future decisions, hopefully continuing their engagement with place throughout their lives.

Environments possess the potential to be healing, and Ruskin Mill College is rich with trees, flowing water, expansive views, and sheltered valleys—elements that contribute to a therapeutic landscape. Vander Ark et al. (2020) observes, “Place: it’s where we’re from; it’s where we’re going. Place comes in layers; it is old and new at the same time. Place is central to human development; it is how we comprehend the world; it asks for our attention and care. If we pay attention, place has much to teach us” (p. xii). This insight prompts us to consider: what if reconnecting with the genius loci—the spirit of place—could provide the missing link in how we educate young people today, particularly those with special needs?

Conclusion

In this essay, I have argued that the integration of genius loci into Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE) provides a powerful model for holistic, place-conscious learning. Through conscious engagement with the landscape, hands-on learning, and a deep respect for the spirit of place, PSTE creates a unique educational experience that nurtures the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the philosophies of thinkers like Goethe and Steiner, this approach challenges the conventional boundaries of education and offers transformative possibilities for students, particularly those in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) environments.

It becomes increasingly clear that the spirit of place is not just a passive backdrop to education but an active participant in the learning process. Genius loci, as understood and applied within Ruskin Mill, provides a framework with potential applications in other educational provisions and in other domains of life that are in desperate need of a revival of place.

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