Resurgence Summer Camp 2022
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Explore creative ideas for change
Fri 1 - Sun 3 Jul 2022
Venue: Green & Away, The Fold, Bransford, Worcester, WR6 5JB
This will be our 21st Resurgence Summer Camp at Green & Away. Join us for the Resurgence Summer camp - a small, friendly, off-grid gathering - and share ideas for a greener future.
Everything I imagined it to be - wonderful poetry, talks, music, stories, food, cake, bar, showers, weather, wildflower walk, location, solar panels, people, baby bell tent... inspired!
Linda ScrutonResurgence summer camp is a weekend of inspiring talks, workshops, music, storytelling, poetry and craft - a weekend that brings the ideas and ethos of Resurgence & Ecologist to life.
This annual gathering is unique and limited to just 140 places.
Ticket price includes all meals - so you can enjoy delicious vegetarian food cooked on site by the lovely Green & Away volunteers.
We are once again holding the Resurgence summer camp at the glorious Green & Away campsite - described by a previous participant as 'a small corner of paradise'.
Detailed travel information will be sent with confirmation of your booking.
Take a look at the site - pictures from Green & Away
Programme
Speakers
Achieving the impossible - lessons from an Olympian turned climate activist and unlocking your potential workshop • Laura Baldwin
Laura Baldwin achieved the seemingly impossible when she qualified to represent Team GB at Athens 2004. The Olympic sailor and two-times Olympic sailing coach turned to climate activism in 2019. Now a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion and Ocean Rebellion. A member of the Green Party England and Wales Executive Campaigns Committee, representative of England and Wales Green Party on the Global Greens Climate Emergency Working Group focused on COP27. Founder of an active Transition Town group. Co-founder of GreensCAN. World Olympians Association Environment Committee member, a driving force in Champions for Earth and a desperately protective mother who stepped out in front of an oil tanker in April in an attempt to stop this suicidal system in its tracks. Laura is involved in the Just Stop Oil campaign.
www.greens-can.earth/laura-baldwin
Fertile Edges - Cultivating hope in the time of collapse • Maddy Harland
How do we stay energised and with a sense of personal and collective agency in a world of dangerous climate change and geo-political conflict? How do we remain engaged without resorting to despair or 'toxic positivity'? Maddy Harland brings tales of fertile edges, grassroots activism, and transformative adaptation framed with a realistic sense of the possible and a smattering of the seemingly impossible.
Maddy is the Editor of Permaculture magazine. She started her first business in 1981, a natural food shop in Portsmouth. By 1991, Maddy was practising wildlife gardening and conservation when she discovered Bill Mollison's ideas about permaculture; ideas that changed her life. Maddy and husband Tim founded a publishing company, Permanent Publications, in 1990 to publish information that would 'empower people'. By 1992, they had launched Permaculture magazine - 'Earth care, People care, Future care'. Maddy also co-founded an educational centre for sustainability in East Hampshire in 1995 and is a trustee of Common Earth, a charity mandated to assist the Commonwealth and other nations in making their diverse and often highly vulnerable communities sustainable and resilient to the impact of climate change. Her book Fertile Edges celebrated 25 years of Permaculture magazine. Her writing shows a profound connection to the land - as she herself says, to the 'fertile edges' where things are wilder and a bit more interesting.
Power of Love • Satish Kumar
As gravity holds the physical world together love holds the metaphysical world together. Love provides solutions to all our problems. Through love we can find the meaning of life.
Satish Kumar is the Editor Emeritus of Resurgence & Ecologist. A former monk and long-term peace and environment activist, Satish Kumar has been quietly setting the global agenda for change for over 50 years. Inspired in his early 20s by the example of the British peace activist Bertrand Russell, Satish embarked on an 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage. Carrying no money, he walked from India to America, via Moscow, London and Paris, to deliver a humble packet of 'peace tea' to the leaders of the world's then four nuclear powers. In 1973 Satish settled in the UK becoming the editor of Resurgence magazine. He has been the guiding spirit behind a number of now internationally respected ecological and educational ventures. He co-founded Schumacher College in South Devon, where he is a Visiting Fellow. His autobiography, No Destination, first published by Green Books in 1978, has sold over 50,000 copies.
Humans and Machines: What's Guiding Your Wellbeing in 2022? • Ian Tennant
We crave time in the natural world away from the hustle-and-bustle of our 'normal' lives. Why is this quality time so important to us? The modern world bombards us with unhealthy manmade signals and rhythms - such as artificial light - that distract us from the natural rhythms that have supported us for millennia. There is growing evidence that we should be very cautious about exposure to too many of these artificial stressors. In this workshop we'll explore the new understanding of humans as bio-electric beings and what this means for your wellbeing. You'll have the chance to reflect on a set of healthful lifestyles habits you can adopt as a 'Precautionary Principle' to reduce your exposure to manmade threats without having to flee for the hills.
Dr Ian Tennant is author of Restoring Balance, a guide to the evolving field of human wellbeing. He has 20 years' experience working in the field of human and environmental health. His early career included working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Inflammation Research based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He went on to work on regional and national environmental initiatives, including several years at the The Resurgence Trust. These days he works face-to-face with people helping them make simple choices that are inexpensive and improve their health.
In conversation with Marianne Brown • Lisa Schneidau:
Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller, author and environmentalist based in Devon. Originally trained as an ecologist, Lisa has worked in the nature conservation sector for the last 25 years across the UK, in roles including farm advisor, river surveyor, political lobbyist and conservation director.
She has been a storyteller for over 15 years, and tells stories that inspire, provoke curiosity, and build stronger connections between people and nature. Lisa is the author of Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland (History Press, 2020) and Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland (History Press, 2018). Her latest book River Folk Tales will be published in summer 2022. Marianne Brown is editor of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine. Prior to that she was Vietnam Bureau Chief for Deutsche Presse-Agentur and a freelance radio and print journalist for the BBC, the Guardian, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle. She has covered breaking news in the UK, Kenya and Vietnam. She has a keen interest in the medium of audio as well as print, and has produced a series of podcasts for Resurgence.
Wonderful Voices: how and why birds sing and what happens when we listen • Tony Whitehead
The world is full of bird song. But how do birds make these sounds? And why? And what do they tell us about the natural world. And what do they tell us about ourselves? In this talk Dartmoor based naturalist introduces the beauty of birds and their song and how listening is more important than ever in the climate and ecological emergency.
Tony Whitehead lives and works on Dartmoor. He has had a lifelong passion for birds and their song. For over twenty years he has lead walks and run courses in Devon that help people discover bird song. Tony works for RSPB.
Music, Storytelling and Poetry
The Music of the Trees • Geoff Robb
Geoff Robb, winner of the 2018 Brighton Fringe Live Music Award, shares an evening of magical storytelling and virtuoso guitar that promises to transport you out into the woods. A master of the acoustic guitar with an intricate, richly harmonic style, Geoff has performed to audiences across the UK and Europe, at venues ranging from Buckingham Palace and The House of Commons to Glastonbury Festival. 'The Music of Trees' show earned him rave reviews at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe.
Inspired by the wonder of the natural world, 'The Music of Trees' weaves together tales of our woodland folklore and history with a suite of new original compositions featuring Geoff's signature blend of classical, jazz, Celtic and Spanish influences.
For a taste of what to expect:
Michael Stanton and Band
Michael Stanton plays soulful music, inspired by various world and traditional folk music styles including Celtic, Afro-Brazilian, Latin American, West African, Armenian and Zimbabwean influences. He is a song-writer, teacher, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist - playing guitar, piano, keyboards, bass, percussion and santoor.
His music finds expression in many different situations, ranging from conventional gigs in various bands, to singing circles, festivals, workshops and ceremonies. Michael's music has been described as:
"A sound reminiscent of the folk Traditions of Celtic Europe and Armenia, Brazil and Native America, Zimbabwe and West Africa; a sound to remind us we are all connected in this great mystery of life."
"Inspired by love for nature and ancestral wisdom, Michael's soulful music offers a sincere voice to the heart of the world..."
Michael first came to the Resurgence Summer Camp as a guitarist with Ombiviolum and makes a welcome return with his new band, George Fogel, Lizzie Ogle, and Arjun Magee, who play music influenced by Celtic, West African, Afro-Brazilian and Latin American musical styles.
The Tangle of the Commons (performance storytelling) • Lisa Schneidau
'The Tangle of the Commons' tells the story of the British landscape and our relationship with the wild things around us, seen and unseen. Who really owns this place - how well do we share it - and what happens if humans push things too far? Here are some of our ancient folk tales, laced with history, ecology and a hefty dose of the ridiculous, to provoke thought and inspiration about the land we usually take so much for granted. Expect malevolent fairies, dastardly robber kings, determined farmers and a particularly disgruntled wild pig.
Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller, author and environmentalist based in Devon. Lisa's storytelling is a warm mix of ancient tale and keen observation of the natural world, casting traditional stories in a contemporary context. With an ecological background and over twenty-five years working in wildlife conservation, Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to her audience.
Matt Harvey
Matt Harvey is a writer, poet, and enemy of all that's difficult and upsetting. Matt's way with words has taken him from Totnes to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships via Saturday Live, the Edinburgh Festival and the Work section of the Guardian. He is host of Radio 4's Wondermentalist Cabaret, creator of Empath Man, and author of The Hole in the Sum of my Parts, Where Earwigs Dare and Mindless Body Spineless Mind.
Meditation and Movement
Georgie Gilmore
We will host our first 'Resurgence Earth Festival' at this year's Summer Camp. Let us gather to celebrate the high time of summer, the abundance of nature and honour the powerful energies of Earth and sun with guided meditation, self-reflection, and nature-connection practices.
Resurgence Earth Festivals are an opportunity to honour our nature and the nature of the Earth. Embark on a journey that will bring you into greater harmony with yourself and with the natural world.
Qi Kong Bamboo sticks • June Mitchell
June will be teaching Qi Kong with bamboo poles, a form of Quigong that she learnt at Plum Village - the first monastic community founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the West. The 16 movements were devised by an elderly master. Through the practice of Qi Kong we can become aware of our breathing and come home to our body, fully present for ourselves and whatever we are doing.
June is the life-long partner of Satish Kumar and a former co-editor of Resurgence magazine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pluOjzBHS4
Yoga - Joanna Al-Zuhairi
Joanna is a mental health nurse, yoga teacher, homeopath and meditator. As a mental health nurse she organises stress management classes and spiritual mental health workshops. Joanna has taught yoga for 15 years in various settings: health clubs, mental health groups and private classes.
http://naturelax.co.uk/facilitator.php
Workshops
Printing Workshop • Rachel Marsh
T-shirt and banner printing workshop. This workshop is suitable for beginners. Inks and materials for banner printing will be provided. Please bring a T-shirt that you would like to print on. Spend as long as you like or just drop in to join us - but we promise you'll be hooked in no time.
Rachel Marsh is a letterpress printer working from a print shed at the bottom of her garden in north Devon. She makes artist's books and print ephemera (like postcards, posters and cards), which often explores using type as image. Rachel has recently been on sabbatical from her role designing Resurgence & Ecologist magazine at Resurgence.
Voice Workshop • William & Awantika
William Tooby is a founding director of The Fold CIC. He is an eco-facilitator and a voice coach passionate about singing raga. Originally drawn to India to better understand music in the seventies before becoming an organic farmer, he went on to sing a cappella with various groups before focusing on raga. He loves to facilitate others in finding their own unique and embodied voice.
Awantika sings Classical Indian Ragas, Semi-Classical and Bundeli folk songs of which she has collected some 2000 from around her home town of Khajuraho. She is an exceptional Kathak dancer. She won the University Youth Festival of Indian Classical Vocal competition and regularly sings on All India Radio. She sensitively combines song and dance and is inspired by nature. She founded the 'Awantika Arts Centre for Music and Dance' in Khajuraho where she trains local and international students. Awantika composes, performs and directs internationally.
Please wear loose comfortable clothes.
Open Space Sessions
Open Space is an opportunity to work together with whatever comes up from our weekend. You can choose to offer sessions or to attend sessions, which can be on something you are passionate about (for instance Extinction Rebellion or the role out of 5G), or perhaps a continuation of a talk or workshop that people would like to explore further. If you have something that you would like to share, come along and participate in an interactive session. If there's something you'd really like to know about, you can suggest a topic and see what emerges.
Open Mic around the Fire
The open mic around the fire returns this year. This is your chance to share a song, dance, sing, or perform solo or with friends. Bring instruments, a poem, a song and join in the entertainment.
Keep a look out for programme updates.
Join our mailing list to stay informed
Accommodation
If you are bringing your own tent, there is no need to book and no extra charge.
If you would like to hire a luxury bell tent or standard tent accommodation from Green & Away, this must be booked directly with Green & Away. Accommodation ranges from standard, unfurnished tents to furnished bell tents, complete with mattress and bedding.
Onsite camping, bell tents and yurts available.
Details on how to book accommodation will be included in your confirmation email when you book tickets for the Summer Camp.
Food
The delicious food is lovingly prepared using the quality, local where possible, mostly-organic ingredients and served by the lovely volunteers at Green & Away. The ticket prices include all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
The food will be vegetarian. Green & Away can also provide vegan meals, and cater for allergies/intolerances, such as gluten, so long as at least 2 weeks' notice is given. If you are booking less than 2 weeks before the event starts, Green & Away may not be able to cater for dietary intolerances other than gluten. If you have other dietary preferences, Green & Away respectfully ask that you bring supplementary food with you.
Media Resources
High resolution images for press and media can be obtained through our Media Resources page
Refund Policy
Requests made prior to 01 Jun 2022 will be considered at our discretion and will be subject to a £10 admin charge. After this date, refunds will only be made if the event is full and we are able to reallocate the space.
For more information email: [email protected]
The Resurgence Summer camp is a fundraising event for The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity registered in England and Wales, Charity number: 1120414.
Illustrations on this page by Linda Scott
