The work that lives here did not emerge in isolation.

JOYAA is informed by years of enquiry, practice, and community engagement, including a significant body of work developed through the School of Sophia.

The School of Sophia was a long-running educational and community initiative exploring feminine wisdom, embodied spirituality, and relational consciousness. It was aimed primarily at parents and educators, and unfolded through more than 137 online events over three years, including three large-scale online education summits, Festival of the Child, with over 52 interviews of educators, and Tell Me A Story, reaching an international audience in the thousands.

This work brought together educators, authors, facilitators, and practitioners in sustained dialogue around learning, care, creativity, and relational intelligence. Through interviews, talks, and facilitated conversations, it engaged participants in re-imagining education and wellbeing from the grassroots up, with particular attention to emotional literacy, presence, and the relational environments in which children grow.

Alongside live events, the School of Sophia generated a substantial archive of written reflections, recorded talks, interviews, and participant responses — demonstrating both continuity of practice and the capacity to hold large, diverse online communities over time.

The School of Sophia represents a chapter of enquiry that continues to inform this work — not as a destination, but as part of an ongoing practice of attention.

This experience informs JOYAA’s current focus on arts-led wellbeing practices that support connection, emotional resilience and community belonging.