April
Wake Up Your Artist retreat in Germany with refugee fundraiser news and a week’s worth of relaxation recordings, a new song inspired by friends at the Yorkshire environmental camps and some summer dates.
“Every person is a world to explore.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Love
For those who came this time and for those who may be interested in coming to another one sometime – some photographs and words on the Arts week at Plum Village Centre in Germany just passed in April. The loving creation of Larissa Mazbouh, myself and Larissa have been running the week for two years now, this year with support from Annica Bauer, our yoga and movement teacher from Hamburg, soon to be taking a year in Plum Village France, bs. The week is a programme of workshops around creativity and how to hold it in mindfulness; we painted, wrote, sang, danced, laughed and cried together! We’ll be sure to do it again later this, or next year again if you’d like to know more please do just send a message.
and…a big thank you for all who supported our wish to raise funds to give someone with a refugee background a place on the retreat. Wonderful Ahmad from Syria, now living in Germany joined us – the fundraiser is open another week if anyone would like to still donate https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/wake-up-your-artist-refugee-places
A new song… last year I made some visits to the camp of peaceful protestors at Kirby Misperton who were raising awareness of fracking in North Yorkshire. The news from there is that the equipment intended to frack there has been removed looking like a change of heart from the companies involved, more can be found here as the story continues and links to other similar actions of environmental peaceful protest.
‘Oh Friends’ recently finished and recorded here at the Green Note in Camden, at their wonderful monthly singer’s nights. They run once a month (second Tuesday, come songwriters for a nurturing environment and listeners to join a wonderfully respectful audience)
This Summer I’m involved in a few events I wanted to share about
Roots into reverence Pilgrimage
Second year I’ve been involved in this beautiful Pilgrimage walk and sleep over in Firle Church. Run by two friends Beth and Jess, the event an idea out of the St Ethelberger’s Spiritual Ecology course Beth took part in, looks at our connection to the land and our spirit with walking, silence, sharing and singing and movement led by Jess. I have the happiness and honour to be leading some singing and making some improvised music with friends Dutch singer/songwriter Michiel de Koning and Jordanian multi instrumentalist Kareem Ghandour – like the Arts retreat we are funding refugee places also if you can and would like to support that do send a message – event is on May 19th
The Catholic worker farm festival
The CWF provide accommodation, food, English lessons, counselling and other services for 19 destitute (without access to public funds) female asylum seekers (who we call our ‘sisters’) and their children, at no charge. All of the women are street homeless, and are referred to the CW Farm by refugee services/agencies. The CW Farm /Mary House meets the physical needs in relation to shelter, food and clothing, but just as importantly enables the guests to live in a supportive and loving environment.
Their Annual music festival runs June 29th – July 1st I’ll be playing on the 1st.
The weekend after is the Stroud Sacred Music festival; I’ll be doing some workshops at this festival and playing a set of songs – the festival started as an idea among friends in the autumn of 2014 with ‘the idea to create an event that promotes unity and peace, the plan was to do this by celebrating the power music has in bringing people together and breaking down boundaries’
Joe Holtaway 