wild stories
listen, explore and share the stories in your heart and inspire others
with andy raingold and martha tilston
sat 28th sept to wed 2nd oct 2024
dartmoor national park, devon
“The space to explore self and stories, especially those you didn’t know you’ve been longing to tell.”
In the wild woods of Dartmoor, we invite you to gather in beech tree cathedrals around fires of alchemy and the babbling brooks of the rushing waters of our hearts. We will rest, pause, breath and listen to the land and its wisdom, letting the stories that we long to speak bubble up from our depths. We hope to spark the embers of magic and inspiration, growing the stories of our hearts learning, inhabiting our deepest questioning, drinking in gifts and biting into the apple of myth. Later, we will sing and celebrate in the moonlight of a creative energy bigger than us. After these timeless days and nights together, we will journey out of the camp, the saplings of our ideas now becoming rooted trees of hope and transformation, that may branch out into the world beyond.
What is wild stories?
An immersive learning journey to find your authentic voice and inspire others. Through creating an oasis of calm, connection and curiosity, this camp takes a deep dive into story and what it means to be alive and human in these times. We take time to stop and listen in nature so that you can touch the stories in your heart and develop your capacity to tell these stories to a range of audiences to inspire and weave change.
The course combines theory and practice, and fosters a supportive learning environment that will enhance your confidence and nurture your personal and professional growth. There will be lots of invitations to create in different ways, trying a number of different creative doorways to your story - including sharing myth and story around the fire, song, poetry, creative writing, unlocking imagination and lots of laughter. You will be guided and mentored on your creative process, where your stories might lead to concepts for books, film, articles, blogs or social change projects
Come join us and be part of a growing number of change makers who are taking action to accelerate new, inspiring stories for our communities, our species and our world.
Why stories?
“What might save us from the consequences of our blindness may not be wave machines or wind farms, treaties or political movements – but stories.” Paul Kingsnorth
We are at a pivotal moment in human civilization, living in a time of monumental transformation and challenge. How can we respond in a way that brings the best of ourselves? How do we meet our concerns and fears, while also weaving a more hopeful, caring and beautiful world around us? We feel that the stories we tell are an essential part of the answer. The old stories of who we are and how to live need to give way to new stories of regeneration and interconnection. We must remember what we truly value and conjure new ways of being that allow life - in all its forms - to flourish. This course will focus on stories for connection and the great turning.
“The greatest breakthroughs of the 21st Century, won’t occur because of technology. They’ll occur because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human.” Futurist John Naisbett
why wild?
Do you feel that your narratives can sometimes feel a bit stuck and repetitive? Can you feel a bit hemmed in by routines, technology, structures and concrete? Are you looking for a lightning bolt of inspiration which will help you access the deepest layers of your psyche and intiution? By immersing ourselves in nature in a supportive space, we can shed some of the layers of conditioning that might be getting in the way and connect to our deeper truths - both indvidually and collectively. Not only is this camp taking place on a 62 acre rewilding project - but we use the inspiration from the land to help rewild ourselves and our societies. Perhaps what we are missing most in our lives are ways to let go our sense of seperation and reignite our wildness.
Who is it for?
You do not need to be an aspiring storyteller to come to this experience. We are all storytellers. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are telling stories every day, in our offices and kitchens, on our streets and footpaths, at our hairdressers and market stalls, in our dreams and social media posts.
This course is for anyone - professionals, community organisers, activists, artists, social entrepreneurs and all those who are curious - who are looking to harness the incredible potential of story and creativity to inspire positive change in people’s lives. Our team experience as storytellers using a range of different mediums - including film, television, music, public speaking, writing, voice, myth, political influencing and social change. We will help you craft and powerfully share some of the new stories our world needs.
What will you come away with?
Stories! As well as tools, techniques, knowledge, skills, support and more confidence to tell these stories for personal growth and social change within your sphere of influence. The intention is that you come away adapting and evolving how you tell stories in your work and personal life with bundles of creativity and inspiration so that you can have greater impact, supporting you to help create the change you would like to see in the world.
“An equal focus on personal discovery and the craft of stories… The whole experience was transformational and unforgettable with masterful facilitation and space holding.”
“Life-changing… Really helped with confidence building and ideas stirring.”
the facilitators
Andy Raingold: Change maker, speaker and nature facilitator
As Co-Founder and Director of Change in Nature, Andy supports people and organisations to make meaningful action in this pivotal time. He is a facilitator, coach, speaker, environmental campaigner and social entrepreneur with a wealth of experience leading people through transformation. Throughout his career, he has used story as a key medium to drive social change. For over seven years, he worked in the corridors of power with CEOs, Government Ministers and thought leaders to drive environmental change - giving talks, writing articles, publshing high level political reports and becoming a key social influencer. At Change in Nature, he facilitates deeper connection through creativity, imagination, myth, deep time stories and embodied practices to radicaly shift perspectives. In 2018, he hosted a regular storytelling fireside evening in Bristol. He has written for the Guardian and been interviewed on BBC Newsnight, The Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4, The Independent and Guardian Environment Podcast.
martha tilston: Musician, writer, director and actress
Martha Tilston has developed a successful musical and film making career with a large and loyal following worldwide. She has played her music on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and festivals and released several critically acclaimed albums. In the world of film making, Martha has gained nominations for best arts film for The Clifftop Sessions and recently released her feature film The Tape which she writes, directs and performs in. Martha also studied theatre and lectures in song writing, performance and the telling of story through song. Her passion is unlocking the creativity and story in all of us.
Course Objectives
In addition to any personal learning objectives, we aim for you to develop:
Skills and experience for using stories to deliver messages that affect audiences and shape attitudes for social change
Connection to your authentic self and others; and building empathy
Stories to activate hope (drawing on the work of Joanna Macy) and connection (shifting from old stories of separation to new stories of inter-being and inter-connection, drawing on the work of Charles Eisenstien and others)
Communication skills to engage your audience
Deep listening skills and techniques
Techniques and tools for creative thinking
Experience seeking the wisdom and guidance of nature - and transmitting this to others through the stories you tell
Clarity on personal goals and objectives - how to tell more impactful stories to inspire change
Inspiration, confidence and ideas to apply the learning into your professional and personal life
A deeper personal connection with nature
“A deeply supportive community experience that will leave you uplifted, deeply inspired and on a steady path to creative change-making.”
“I have a renewed belief in my own talents and strengths. A portal to change and transformation, and to seed the change that is perfect for us.”
Secret Location: Dartmoor national park
We use a secluded and magical 62 acre woodland in Dartmoor National Park which is exclusively used to rewild nature and rewild people. The woods are rich in natural habitats, in badger setts, deer beds and fox dens, including an ancient beech grove, spruce forests, hazel coppice, wild flower meadows, stream and mixed broadleaves. The site is home to an abundance of wildlife and rare birds, including nightjar, wood pipits and the mythical white deer. It is the ultimate escape from modern living with no electricity, road noise or wifi, and replaced with a sky full of stars and the sound of birdsong all around and owls calling at night.
We create a temporary village with fire pits, sheltered spaces, compost toilets and wild camping spots to provide an authentic, yet comfortable, experience in nature. We cook all our meals over an open fire, provide a smattering of solar powered fairy lights and fetch our water from the stream. At the centre of it all is the White Deer Lodge, a large covered area where we gather in the evenings. A place where the old stories are told and heartfelt songs are sung.
“Wild Stories deeply strengthened my faith in humanity and myself.”
“Not only transformational, but full of fun, joy and laughter.”
BOOKing NOW
wild stories was full last year, so early booking is recommended
BOOKING
We are currently offering early birds with significant savings on the full course fee. You are very welcome to book a “low income” place if you feel this applies to you.
We don't want price to exclude anyone. If the course fee is unaffordable for you or you would like to pay in installments, please do get in touch. We’d really like to hear what would be possible for you and may very well be able to reduce the fee if you’d otherwise not be able to attend. Please click here to enquire about one of these places.
For the duration of the residential, we will all be camping in a beautiful private 60 acre woodland and rewilding project near Moretonhamstead, Devon. There will be shared taxis from Newton Abbot if you are taking the train. The train from London takes two and a half hours. This is a camping experience, so please bring a tent and all your camping gear. Camper vans are permitted too! We ask that you bring a packed lunch for the first two days of this course (Thursday and Friday) - all other meals are provided (breakfasts, dinners and lunch on Saturday).