Earth Moves Cooperative
Paula Ishtar Biography
Qualifications:
Paula has an MSc in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Transpersonal Psychology (from Middlesex University)
and a B. A in Psychology and Women’s Studies (from Liverpool John Moores University).
She also has professional qualifications in teaching adults and in Holistic Therapies.
She has stress management and counselling qualifications.
Paula has a City and Guilds Science Technician Cert.
She is a mental health first aider and has completed diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding courses.
Paula also has a certificate in Mindfulness.
Coronation Community Champion winner.
Past Roles;
Psychology Tutor for Liverpool City Council for twelve years. Also, sessional work teaching Psychology for Sefton Council and
other educational institutions.
Dance work; From 1998 to the present, Paula has been running a dance business. She has presented dance in therapeutic, community, entertainment, educational and team-building contexts.
National and International Pilgrimages to a variety of Neolithic and other sacred sites. Paula has run many Women's empowerment workshops and retreats in the UK and Europe. She has spoken at many events in the UK and abroad on the subjects of Feminine Spirituality, Embodiment, and Middle Eastern Dance, performing all over the UK, Europe, and America.
Previous Clients; Paula has delivered sessions and courses to many organizations, including Women's Aid and various corporate, charitable, and community organizations. Paula has had many clients, including Homotopia; Liverpool Gay Pride, various schools and colleges; Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, Cosmopolitan Magazine, ITV; BBC 3, Glastonbury Goddess Conference, The Green Gathering, The Greenbank Project, The RSPCA, Age UK, Wirral Multi-Cultural Organisation, Wirral Change, Granby Children's Centre, Conscious Camp, Indian British association, BBC Online, Zoe's Place and many more.
Dance Background; Paula has attended many dance classes and workshops with international teachers in contemporary dance, contact improvisaballrooml Room, Flamenco, and Indian classical dance.
Her primary training, focus, performance, and teaching work has been in Oriental (Middle Eastern) dance.
Writing; Paula has been published in various international journals about dance and spirituality, including Spirit and Destiny, Kindred Spirit, and Archeology Review. Her courses on The Psychology of Self, Sociology, Shamanism, and The Divine Feminine, have been published by an international correspondence school; ‘The British School of Yoga. In the early years was a former columnist for Kerrang magazine.
Show Creator; Paula is the creator of 'Club Orientation', a vaudeville cabaret. The show is a mix of drag dance and music performances. The show features themes of Divine Feminine, values, and diverse community performances. This has been in operation successfully for fifteen years, running out of various venues with around twenty performers and technicians.
Horticulture /Permaculture One of Paula Ishtar's most enduring hobbies is horticulture, and she has created several gardens. She enjoys growing plants for food that also have an aesthetic value. Paula is learning about permaculture and advocates this holistic and ethical approach to gardening and growing food. Paula is interested in the research and application of ecopsychology.
Family and cultural background
Paula Ishtar's paternal grandparents were professional international dancers and had their dance school in Liverpool. Ishtar's father also taught dance on cruise ships and practised fine art.
Paula has a daughter and a grandchild. Paula also shares her life with two Siamese cats a Chihuahua and two Pythons.
Other Passions
Paula plays guitar and writes songs. She enjoys reading, film, science, ancient history, cooking and ecological interior design. She is a practitioner of meditation
and yoga. Paula enjoys live music and performances from a variety of genres.
