As the trees begin to shed their leaves, turn their sweet sap inwards, and curl their roots towards that ever-burning heat deep at the core (maybe not scientifically correct, but gee, doesn’t it just feel sweet as a metaphor). We bring to you a gathering to stoke those embers.

We have been offered an amazing space by our friends Nicholas & Julian, and are able to co-create a very small, low-key event at very short notice. Our hosts will invite some of their friends, we in turn are offering spaces to you. It has been a while since we last met, or maybe we have yet to meet.

DETAILS

The event will be held over the weekend of 8-11 November. The nearest station is Gobowen. The cost will be £65-85 including food, across 3 tiers of contribution. Please pay what you can afford to, from the options once you've joined.

We want to open the space up to workshops, talks, discussions, games, play and parties. Please bring all you can offer, this is a co-collaborative event, so whatever happens is what we make happen.

Because this event is at such short notice, we will be considering applications as they come in. We will be using a structure outlined in this document, please do read; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qm3iMC0fpxNAoi3CqnDOCiVJqZCo_IYDkKv0s_vdtQE/edit?usp=sharing

Please transfer the fee when you apply in order to secure a place by 1st of November so we can order the nourishing food, reserve a minibus service from the train station and all other costs it takes to cover this magical weekend.

We have some rooms available at the venue too, at £30 a head for the full weekend, again, options can be found in sign-up , but otherwise we will all be putting our tents up in a cosy barn together.

Lastly, we are considering organising coaches to site, especially as this is a short notice event. These are likely to be heading out from London or Bristol, dependant on who wants to come. We have an estimated cost, please do register your interest if you might want to travel en masse from London by an alternative to a train.

PRINCIPLES

Based on the principles for the Rewylding (http://bit.ly/2q1SJ6m) and Nest (https://www.burningnest.co.uk/event/principles/)

CREATION: This is a co-created event, everyone contributes time and energy: the more we put in, the more we get out. We leave our cash at home, as there’s nothing to buy.

EXPLORATION: We make now count and find the courage to express our true selves. We are not afraid to be vulnerable, to ask for help, and care for ourselves and each other.

CONSENT: We deeply respect our boundaries. Permission is not assumed, we check-in with each other verbally and non-verbally. We are aware of power imbalances and understand that consent can be revoked at any time. We thank others for expressing their boundaries and know that they do not have to explain themselves (see Doing it Better, produced for Winter House https://sexmenus.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/dib.pdf).

COMMUNITY: We welcome all and strive to include everyone. We respect each other’s identities taking care with our language, assumptions and behaviour. We value cooperation and collaboration and work together to create a force far stronger than the sum of our parts.

PRIVILEGE: We are aware of our privilege that allows us to participate in events of this nature and recognise that within our community people experience privilege and oppression in varied and intersecting ways. We use the event as an opportunity to continue breaking down systems of oppression both within and outside of our community.

LEGACY: We finish our stay on good terms with our hosts and having strengthened our community. We aim to leave no trace, taking responsibility for our impact and caring for our environment.

PALs

We ask you to buddy up with at least one PAL before you arrive. We ask your PAL to nominate you as part of the application process. This means that you must have at least one person who knows you and knowingly vouches for your behaviour here. This is to ensure that everyone has access to support from, and is held accountable by, at least one other specific person. You can’t PAL someone you don’t know, you must know them and trust them. If they need support you will be their first point of care. If their behaviour is not on par we expect you to act (e.g. interrupt their unwanted actions, talk to them and explain what went wrong, escort them home, etc). Your reputation is tied to your PAL and you may be asked to leave with your PAL if they are asked to leave.

*The PAL system was created by Kinky Salon and is free to use under Creative Commons.

We also have some ground rules from our hosts Nicholas and Julian that you need to be acquainted with before you arrive;

Firstly, this is a home to our hosts. It is deeply important that we treat it with the respect we would ask others to show our homes. If something is broken or doesn't work, or if something gets damaged, let the core team know ASAP!

We have space at the venue to camp us all indoors, so we can keep those chill winds at bay, and enjoy a spot of communal sleeping. There is a barn on site, big, cosy, and HEATED, that we can put our tents in! However, to make sure everyone can enjoy it, please consider sharing tents during the event, or at least not bringing your giant 10 person yurt just for you.

We cannot have pets in this space, so please, leave any dogs, cats, chinchillas or crocodiles at home.

If you want to travel from Gobowen (the nearest station) to site by taxi, make sure you book in advance, there is no taxi rank or cab office. There are some taxi numbers below;

JEFF’S/BURGESS TAXI - 01691 656565

HIGGINS TAXI - 01691 652901

OSWESTRY CABS - 01691 661663

OSWESTRY TAXIS - 01691 658658

A TO B TAXIS - 01691 671072

RAY’S TAXI 07966 325967

Much love and Autumn squish to all from all the Otterwestry team,

xXx