Members PsySocial: Festivals and Psychedelics

Members Monthly PsySocial

Join us for our monthly social event for Psychedelic Society members designed to build a community of like-minded souls as we explore, share, network, and discuss the things that matter most.

Theme: Festivals & Psychedelics

For many people in the UK, festivals are their first experiences of psychedelics. It can be wildly magical to experience altered states of consciousness in these spaces that feel so different from normal life. But with huge amounts of stimulation, other drugs, lights, music, and a propensity to get separated from the safety of friends, they are also one of the riskiest settings for tripping.

At this month's social we will be speaking with PsyCare UK, a welfare organisation that has been providing harm reduction services for people at festivals for over ten years. Many people experience emotional, psychological, and practical difficulties at music festivals and this crew has seen it all. We will be speaking with them about the risks of psychedelics at festivals, tips for safety, and the approaches they take to support those in crisis.

We will be meeting at Love Shack, a vegan restaurant and cocktail bar spread over three beautiful exposed brick arches in the heart of Hackney, East London. A variety of delicious food, drinks (including mushroom cacao!) will be available for purchase. We kindly ask that you arrive by 19:45 to avoid interrupting the facilitated part of the evening.

Schedule

19:00: Arrive, socialise & order food
19:45: Last arrivals
20:00: Q&A with PsyCareUK
21:00: Socialise & network

Guests:
 

PsyCare UK is a charity that provides welfare and harm reduction services at music festivals and events throughout the UK and internationally. They have been operating for over 10 years during which time they have earned a reputation for the specialist and compassionate services they offer at events of all sizes.

Amanda Guzinska

With 10 years experience holding space for partygoers in need, supporting volunteers, and doing much of the coordination for PsyCare UK, Amanda is uniquely positioned to comment on all things Welfare - from the data and our laws to real world application and how the scene has evolved over the years.

Yuli Gates

Born in Soviet Union, Yuli moved to the UK later in life and studied nutrition, before becoming certified as a health coach and started working for the NHS as a Social Prescriber. She started volunteering with PsyCare this year, attending 8 festivals over the summer. Yuli has completely fallen in love with the charity and has been trying to play an active part in helping it grow via social media and spreading awareness. She also volunteers for the PAR campaign to help reschedule Psilocybin in the UK to allow for more research.

Olivia Gorzynska

Olivia has a background in Psychology and Neuropsychiatry, and is currently working in the NHS as an Assistant Psychologist. She hopes to pursue a career in psychedelic research and therapy. Olivia joined PsyCare this year and has volunteered at Gottwood and Garage Nation festivals.

Angi Pendleton

Angi works for a children’s charity, is a mum of two and co-founded a community primary school in Hackney. She has been volunteering for Psycare since 2021.

Not a member yet? Join here from £5 a month. Members are also welcome to bring up to two non-member guests. All tickets must be purchased in the member's name.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

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