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 2019. They are ideally suited to adults old and young, those with skills already and those with lots to learn. We know how busy everyone’s lives are so we hope you can enjoy the time with us, whether you want to be busy making, busy relaxing and doing yoga, or busy finding a quiet place and reading a good book – you will be most welcome.
A Nest of Gentle Makers Retreats are ideal for those who want some rest and relaxation and maybe want to learn a new creative skill, complete an ongoing project or simply spend some time enjoying the peace and quiet. Come and absorb yourself in the beautiful surroundings and if you want to, share in the company of others. The focus is on gentle creativity in an unpressured and unhurried environment. And if you just fancy a well deserved lie-in that is fine too!
Watch Our Video Here!
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.
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!
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