After completing our undergraduate degrees in Drama and Dance, we put off joining the ‘real world’ a little longer by gaining a Post Grad in Playwriting and beginning an MA in Choreography. In the early 2000s, Ted spent most of his time drumming in both a punk band and a ska/two-tone outfit, whilst Laura poured countless hours into studying Dance history through the lens of gender theory from a bedsit in East London. Both of us had that special blend of academic ability with a love of the Arts that meant that we fitted brilliantly into no particular professional capacity. Neither of us knew which path we truly wanted to follow and there didn’t seem to be anybody to help us figure out who we were outside the safety of the education system. Ted then tried his hand at teaching music for what was initially a two week contract… 

We met whilst teaching in a Performing Arts department in Manchester, having completed our teaching qualifications. But after six years there, teaching Drama and Dance A Level and directing/choreographing various shows, we decided that before committing to the expected house in the suburbs and the slide towards middle age, we needed an adventure. That adventure came in the form of a one-way ticket to Vietnam and a place on an English Teaching course. Whilst tearing up the streets of Hanoi on ‘Nacho’, a black 125cc moped, and lodging in an international house-share – being looked after by an elderly Vietnamese couple, we had suddenly found life. The early morning market runs, exercises by the lake, street food, the architecture, the smells, the warmth and openness of the locals was a world away from the relentlessness of teaching in the UK. However, we still felt the pull of the ‘adult’ and Ted decided to return to ‘proper’ teaching which took us to a British International School in Guangzhou, China. That same Summer, Laura qualified as a Pregnancy Yoga teacher in the beautiful Tuscan hills.

Teaching teenagers and primary aged children from around the world was both a challenge and a joy, but what really inspired us was the chance to explore South East Asia. We loved learning stock phrases in Thai or Korean and, honestly, the best times were pulling up at a local restaurant, perching on plastic chairs and putting our faith in a menu that we couldn’t fully understand. We’ve been blessed to experience such a range of cultures and dip into the rich histories of everywhere from Mongolia to the Philippines. Despite this sense of feeling ‘alive’, the desire to start a family took hold and we returned home. 

During this time, we were joined by our beautiful boy, Toby, and Laura took her yoga experience and began supporting new and expecting mums. A couple of postcodes and schools later, the call to adventure grew loud again and we packed up, sold all our belongings and landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2019. Having barely unpacked, news of the pandemic began to creep into the collective conscience and there was no choice but to cut short our second South East Asian stint. This took us to a boarding school in rural Suffolk where, whilst Ted was adding parenting 13-18 year old boys to his skillset, Laura worked as both teacher and therapeutic facilitator in children’s homes, Autism units and Mental Health services. 

And this is where it began to click. The change of pace, the slowing down, the beautiful big skies and soft light of Suffolk opened up enough space to face some home truths. We were both burnt out: Ted was exhausted and isolated; Laura’s long-standing battle with chronic pain had taken its toll. This was the jumping off point into what became years of self-development, personal growth, questioning our futures, and deep dives into the work of such figures as Dr Gabor Mate, Dr Richard Schwarz, Peter Levine and many more. Ted discovered the power of brotherhood, clarity of purpose and embodied leadership through a series of workshops and mentoring with Craig White, culminating in a three week trip to Peru and the peak of Machu Picchu with 12 other men. Laura deepened her studies and practice through Embodiment/Somatic coaching and meditation qualifications, whilst discovering a new connection to nature through @The Wild Path School. 

Through a lot of soul-searching and personal therapy, we faced our own stories, our dis-ease with our current circumstances and began to look at our futures with a sense of possibility rather than inevitability. What started as late night conversations about the limitations of the education system and our concerns about the health and wellbeing of both the next generation and the world at large, became a commitment to addressing what we now consider to be the most important issues of our time. 

Western society has become fragmented, divided and individualised. The demands of work, both professional and in the home, leaves too little time for true connection to others. Young people have such limited opportunities for healthy initiation into adulthood. Having grown up through the pandemic, being handed an unstable climate and entering the world of work during a cost of living crisis, Gen Z are, understandably, questioning traditional systems and existing metrics of ‘success’ (wealth, home ownership, family etc). 

We’re living through one of the fastest, most transformative periods in human history. Technology continues to shape how we live, work and relate to each other. The skills that mattered yesterday – memorising arbitrary facts in order to pass standardised tests, are not the skills that will matter tomorrow. Automation and AI is already redefining the job market. Old blueprints designed for the industrial age no longer hold the same weight and people are waking up to the reality that a new world is unfolding. All bets are off and the landscape is ripe with opportunity; instead of reacting and retreating under the uncertainty of what that means, we believe in equipping young people with the skills to navigate change with confidence and integrity, becoming the innovators and leaders the world needs.  

The modern world demands something entirely different: values based decision making, adaptability and resilience, creative and critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills, empathy and emotional intelligence. Outdated models trained people to fit the system. New systems require people to shape it. 

Safe to say those late night conversations gradually evolved into a mission that felt impossible to ignore – The Affinity Project was born. We can’t wait for you to join us in this vital and exciting movement that promises you self-discovery, meaningful connection, true belonging and much love and laughter along the way! 

We’re so glad you’re here and we can’t wait to work with you.