A Nest of Gentle Makers

I am so delighted that you have chosen to find out about A Nest of Gentle Makers. We are a small team working to provide beautiful, restorative retreats. We hope you will be able to find out everything you need to know about the retreats we are running in 2020. We first started holding retreats in May and October 2019 and we are really looking forward to holding retreats in 2020.

What I believe:

That taking time for oneself is so important in this very busy world we live in.

That spending time outdoors is very beneficial to our mental health.

That taking time to connect with nature, will help you to connect better with yourself.

That connecting with nature, yourself and others, will help unlock your creativity.

That there is joy in the as yet unknown connections that will be made at these gatherings.

Accommodation is rustic with no power in the shepherd’s huts. There are shared toilet and shower facilities. Most of the activities will take place in the large central ‘Carpenter’s Barn’ which is heated by a wood-burner, but we rely on our guests to wear adequate warm clothing and sturdy, waterproof footwear. We will have some sofas and chairs in the main barn but this is not a hotel with a lounge area 😉

The cost of the retreats is not cheap, we acknowledge that, but this is necessary to cover the costs of exclusive hire of a beautiful site, surrounded by woodland, with two creative teachers providing five hours each of formal tuition in the workshops and plenty more informal tuition over the weekend. Our resident yogi is on hand to offer three classes of yoga over the weekend and a lot more wisdom throughout! There is opportunity for a guided walk and of course the price includes sleeping accommodation and all meals, tea and coffee and cake.

The ability to fully switch off. There is no wi-fi. No electrical power in the shepherd’s huts. This is the perfect opportunity to detox yourself of the internet and technology. Warm your shepherd’s hut in the early evening by lighting your little wood burning stove, climb into your bunk in a lined sleeping bag with a duvet over the top. Read your book by the light of your torch, and if you are lucky, you will hear the call back and forth of the owls in the trees.

The opportunity to bring your own project to complete alongside the formal creative classes. That’s absolutely fine by us! Many people have things they want to make and do and just need the time and space to do it. You might want to just come and absorb the beautiful surroundings and, if you want to, share in the company of others. The focus is on gentle creativity in an un-pressured and unhurried environment.

Watch Our Video Here!

“Among the Nest of Gentle Makers- I inhaled, exhaled, moved, rested, was still, was nourished and nurtured. I talked, listened, laughed, shared, cared, looked, discovered, created and returned to being me.”
Photo Credit: Alaine Shaw 2019

Diversity and Inclusion

At A Nest of Gentle Makers it is important to us to welcome all adults of any age, ethnicity, cultural heritage and religious background, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

We encourage all of our attendees to see beyond any perceived ‘difference’ and to foster a spirit of kindness and inclusion.

Obviously this is, and will continue to be, a work in progress and we welcome any feedback you may wish to give us, to enable A Nest of Gentle Makers to become the diverse and inclusive family we all wish it to be.

You may have been aware recently of some fairly heated discussions on social media regarding diversity and inclusivity in the making world. This is something that is uncomfortable to talk about and it is difficult to admit one’s own biases. I really want to make A Nest of Gentle Makers a welcoming and inclusive community. This topic does require us all to examine our outlook and to be open to change. The retreats must be truly welcoming to all people and I would like to remind all those who come to the retreat that this is the responsibility of us ALL.

I am delighted that a new organisation has been started by Jeanette Sloan working to amplify and celebrate the work of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) working in the fibre Industry and will ensure that this work is BIPOC-led, and BIPOC-centered. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the important work that Jeanette and her new organisation will be undertaking. They are in the process of obtaining crowdfunding for a new website and organisation. In the words of the project founder, Jeanette Sloan:

“Our remit is to celebrate the talent of BIPOC working with fibre and to improve the representation of BIPOC in the fibre industry. We hope the website will be the first port of call for anyone to use, whether it’s a publication looking for a tech editor, a consumer looking for an indie dyer or a student looking to interview a knitwear designer. All BIPOC working in and with fibre will have the opportunity to be included for free, thereby enabling them to be recognised and rewarded for their work; something we believe is long overdue.”

“Building a website and resource portal isn’t easy or cheap, so we have taken the decision to launch a crowdfunding campaign aimed at consumers and companies. My hope is that these positive, practical steps will improve the industry for everyone, making it as richly diverse as the community it serves and that the legacy of BIPOC in Fiber will serve both the industry and community for many years to come.”

Please read all the project information and see the campaign at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/bipocinfiber. You can also watch the video below, where Jeanette explains more about the project.

https://vimeo.com/356374725

Interested in Coming Along?

If you are interested in joining me on a retreat sometime and would like to receive more information and updates as they are released, please sign up to the mailing list via the Contact page, or send me an email to anestofgentlemakers@btinternet.com Thanks!

Contact

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