
This is a co-created, co operative event model that has been shaped and influenced by many people’s input, offerings, excitement, creativity & hard work over the years. We continue to shift and change our event structure so please take a look at our new & current format.
We look forward to sharing space, food, skills while exploring the needs of our community for future gatherings and workshops.
Let’s see what we can create together this Spring!
The gathering emphasizes traditional living skills from many different perspectives. It does this without subscribing to any one belief system, way of living, or ideology.
Each Gathering is a bit different as we take turns in the various roles and welcome new instructors to share these traditional skills. We are excited to celebrate and learn from these talented makers who have put together comprehensive workshop offerings for those interested in exploring the craft. Each workshop will have its own area. Immersive weekend workshops will be broken up into 4 three hour segments between meals. This format aims to help us delve deeper into the craft while remaining focused and grounded. These workshops will be by preregistration only as there is limited space. We will also have a variety of shorter 1-6 hour workshops being offered onsite which participants can sign up for on a first come basis onsite at the gathering. These workshops may have a materials fee or suggested donation to support the instructor so please bring cash on hand for them.
This is an experimental model and we look forward to engaging in dialogue around how it works and what we can do to make our gatherings accessible and supported.
BASE CAMP CONTRIBUTION: Supports site preparations, sustainable land practices, food, materials & organizational costs. We look forward to creating a transparent financial model. This co-operative structure allows us to question the nature of energy exchange and sharing. All proceeds will be put towards maintaining and contributing to the landscape for future gatherings and generations to come…
WORKSHOPS FEES: Workshop fees are way to support instructors in being able to share these skills. Each instructor sets their workshop fee according to their material costs, preparation times, & personal values of energy exchange.
Immersion workshops have the base camp fee included in the cost upon checkout.
KIDS: Children & Youth are an important facet of our social fabric, they are the ones who carry us forward and it is important to create a space where they can feel supported in participating. Our kids camp area will have several stations/activity centers open to engage with as well as our outdoor school program for those who sign up for camp. Young children must always have adult supervision.
VISITORS: We would like to offer the opportunity for people to come and check out what we are up to at the Skill Share. A Day pass allows people to come and explore the nature of our gathering and have an inspirational outdoor experience. Take a tour of the workshops and have a tea around the fire
REFUND POLICY: Out of consideration for organizers and workshop facilitators we hope that everyone carefully considers their ability to attend in advance of purchasing tickets. If you are unable to attend perhaps finding someone to take your place or getting in touch asap so that others are able to sign up. We will have a no refund policy accept for exceptional circumstances. Please get in touch if something comes up for you.
We will come together for Breakfast, light lunch, and dinner as a large group, and have the option of listening to a talk or watching a demonstration while we eat at the lunch hours. Everyone is asked to come prepared and bring their own camp dishes and cutlery, there will be a dishwashing station to clean up as well as snack station and food donation. Everyone is also invited to bring a salad green, bread or fruit contribution to support our Counter Culture Kitchen. We are very fortunate to have an amazing Kitchen staff this year who will be creatively preparing vegetarian cuisine. If you have special needs or dietary restrictions we do ask that you come prepared to supplement your meals accordingly. If you eat meat please feel free to bring some and cook it over the fire.
This is a campout styled gathering, which means you need to come prepared for all weather conditions. We are very fortunate to have many amazing buildings and shelters to work with and explore on the property. Our toilet situation is a workshop that everyone gets to participate in. We are working with a humanure composting system that is a fertile way to transform our droppings into compost so that in the future we can use the to feed the fruit trees. This action allows us the opportunity to reflect on how we view our “waste” and see how this ‘no so alternative method’ can help us connect to the land & cycles of life. Thermophilic bacteria are super cool, we mean hot!~
We are looking forward to inviting 6 artists onto the land one week before the gathering as an artist residency. Residents will be invited to explore their relationship to the environment through this spring’s theme of “natural order”. Who knows what will happen, poetry, music, sculpture, performance, drawings, site specific installations… Residents will then have the opportunity to share what they have created with everyone attending the skill share. Please check out the artist residency page on this website to find more info.
There are many ways to engage with the gathering. perhaps you want to observe and bounce around helping out where you can. There are many special tasks that need doing, and there is a sense of purpose and humbleness that comes with being in service to others. Please get in touch if this is something you are interested in we are also looking for people to come out to the farm early and help set up. Become part of a team in supporting the event function. This type of experience can help build meaningful relationships and skills in surprising areas. It might even take you on an adventure up the mountain. There is a limited number of volunteer positions.
The Makers Market is a space where everyone is invited to share they’re wears. Please feel free to bring what it is that you create and participate. This fall with weather proof market area!
This Spring we are experimenting with a new structure for our workshops. We are starting with 12 workshop options and the posssibiltiy of adding more:
> 4 weekend immersive workshops (total of 12 hours)
> 4 one day workshops (total of 6 hours)
> 4 + half day workshops (total of 3 hours)
Participants are encourgaed to preregister online when purchasing their tickets to garrentee their spot in a workshop. Each workshop will have a limited number of spaces available and have its own cost/materials fee that will be in addition to the Base Camp Ticket.
Alternatively we welcome you to purchase a Base Camp Ticket which allows you to come to the gathering and choose to sign up for one or more of the workshops being offered onsite throughout the gathering. if there are any spaces that remain open in them.
We will have several demonstrations and talks attend also over lunch hour and in the evenings. Some of the offerings may include skilled crafts such as: spoon carving, basketry, natural dying/pigments, sheep/deer skin tanning, bee keeping, spinning/wheel/drop spindle, fire making/bow drill, blacksmithing, cordage, plant spirit medicine, body movement, salve making, meditation, therapeutic modalities, sewing/embroidery, weaving, ,rawhide rattle making, cyclical moon bodies circle, stone carving, survival skills, bike mechanics, archery, leather craft, social permaculture, bio fuels ….etc
So many possibilities!~ >>
Coming together .
Sharing experience.
Listening & learning.
Engaging in play.
We are looking forward to having a really fun program for our youth camps this year. Stay tuned 🙂
TIME | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY | MONDAY |
---|---|---|---|---|
7:30-8:00 | --------- | Early Morning Activity | Early Morning Activity | --------- |
8:00- 9:30 | --------- | BREAKFAST | BREAKFAST | BREAKFAST |
9:30- 10:00 | -------- | Opening Circle | Opening Circle | Closing Circle |
10:00-1:00 | 12 onward arrival set up. | WORKSHOP | WORKSHOP | Finish up/clean up |
1:30-2:30 | ---------- | LUNCH | LUNCH | ------------ |
2:30- 5:30 | -------------- | WORKSHOP | WORKSHOP | ----------- |
6:00-7:00 | LIGHT DINNER | DINNER | DINNER | ----------- |
7:00-11:00 | Fireside Frequencies | Dancing & Body Movement Open Mic Music Night | Fire Ceremony - Honouring the Season | ----------- |
"GROWTH AND COMFORT DO NOT COEXIST." Ginni Rometty