Five days and nights of creative community-building in the beautiful landscape of Penwith, the magical peninsula in the far west of Cornwall. After last year's successful pilot project, we are thrilled to announce JustLive25!
Just Live Camp Dates: 24th May to 29th of May 2025 (summer half term)
Where: The Withy Gardens at Higher Keigwin Organic Farm
West Penwith is a very special piece of land, abundant with ancient archeological sites dotted around, beautiful beaches nearby, and hills of mysterious moor landscape to explore.
Live together, laugh together, cry together, learn together, play together, cook and eat together, sing and dance together, and go on journeys together - you get the drift... Bring your family and commit to the time out of your normal routine, without screens/phones - that way the group dynamic can really develop, and we rediscover pure humanness. Treat yourself to five days of focussing on well-being, creativity, enjoying relationships and making new friends in a wholesome environment.
It's all about enjoying camping out in nature and sharing time and resources in a free and generous way. Food and drink, activities and knowledge, experiences and fun times will be shared. Special skills will be shared in workshops, or one can enjoy just chatting, passing time, or getting involved in children’s activities to ensure that little people also have a brilliant time, and parents get a well-earned break. We'll be cooking and eating together, and we'll hold a general gathering in the mornings in a ‘talking stick’ manner, where people are invited to share their feelings, help envision and organise the day, tell their stories, adventures, and experiences of the last day, with an optional meditation. (There will also be a counsellor on site for a confidential session for people who feel deeply in need of it.)
The Workshop offer will become clearer closer to the time when people have stepped forward with their beautiful offerings. But it is already shaping up to be a splendid programme with workshops themed around
a) Well-being, e.g. Meditation, Yoga, Reiki, Ritual, Energy work, Deep Tissue Massage;
b) Creativity, e.g. Song, Dance (Flamenco, Trance Dance, Free Dance), Music (guitar around the fire, drumming circle), Circus skills, Stage combat fighting, Capoeira, Kinaesthetics;
c) Self-Exploration, e.g. Deep Sharing circle, Astrological chart group constellation, Water confidence training, Discussion group;
d) Ancient Skills, e.g. Metal/Wood/Leather craft, Herbal knowledge, Willow weaving.
We have a very special feature, called WIAWTT, (haha), Meaning: What I Always Wanted To Teach! This is a specially assigned time-slot every day, for an hour, and people can try themselves out as teachers in a special subject they always wanted to teach. Here they have the opportunity of time, place, and students to give it a go. (Last year that was extremely popular).
One word to Kinaesthetics, as many people do not know what it is. Kinaesthetics is a wonderful movement based system, having it's origin in Feldenkrais technique, which helps us to get to know our bodies/movement much better in partner and group work, using anatomical, function orientated, and kinetic exploration. The end result is enjoying dancing together in something that resembles Contact-Improvisation, with joint leading/following. This is highly transformative work and extremely wholesome.
Regarding the ancient skills, we are thrilled to have Rod Hughes and his team in our midst this year. He will give a special knife forging course with casting and fabricating steel/ bronze/ wood/ bone, or leather. Rod Hughes is a master of the art of blade-smithing and sword making. He is known on TV having been featured by the BBC, History channel and on 'Forged in Fire'. He has been passing skills to experienced artisans and young people and runs 'Swordfest', a specialist making event to keep ancient skills alive in Cornwall. In our camp, Rod will be running a three session course to forge, finish steel, cast bronze and shape wood and each participant will take home a knife they have made with their own hands and using ancient skills. (Because this activity has a high expenses rate, we will probably have to charge separately for the knife making course. This depends on the success of this Crowdfunder, so please give generously, people. In all events, there will be a 20% discount for families with more then one child who want to join in the Ancient skills activity.)
There will also be an inspiring talk by Humanitarian worker, author, editor, and Astrologer Palden Jenkins: ‘The Ancient Roots of Cornwall and Their Significance in a Transforming World’. His books include 'The Shining Land' and 'The Only lanet of Choice'. (www.palden.co.uk/shiningland/) and (http://www.palden.co.uk/books-by-palden.html). He also is the creator of Paldywan podcasts (www.palden.co.uk/podcasts/) and the popular 'Aha Classes' in Penzance.
Last evening: creative contributions and celebration with gorgeous food, music, dance, and fire show.
Part of the vision is that everybody should be able to attend, regardless of their financial circumstances. To ensure this, this Crowdfunder appeal is set up beforehand to raise the necessary funds for the fixed costs and expenses. (The site alone, for 6 days, naturally, does not come cheap...) We very much hope that this can be achieved.
A recommended donation guide would be between £80 and £100 per adult, £40 - £50 per child. But, of course, that is up to each individual. (For a 5 day event like this, tickets can cost anything between £400 and £900!)
If we should overshoot the goal in the Crowdfunder we will save up the money for next year and put it towards the purchase of a large community tent. (It costs about £2,000. Gulp!) The JustLiveCamps are going to be an annual institution, hehe.
There are many retreats and camps out there, but most are ticketed events from which many people are excluded, due to their restricted financial circumstances, especially creatives and people who work in the alternative and health sector. This is why events like ours are a counter-program to the capitalist model. We can have amazing times, healing and fun times in a different, more natural set-up!
What matters will be the people’s spirit and generosity in what they bring to the camp! It's all down to us.
There will be tents for gatherings and activities, a central fireplace to cook on and sit around, a kitchen area and washing-up area, two compost toilets (toilet rolls provided), two hot showers and woods, moor walks and beaches in the vicinity. You can camp or come with a van. If you have no vehicle there is a bus service to Morvah from Penzance and St Just.
You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/just.live.camp and on Instagram at @kernowjustlive