This September a successful residential version of Kinship took place on Dartmoor. Six of us took to the moors to try out the frameworks that have mostly been practiced in the studio. Previously Kinship took place over a one- or two-day workshop but it had always been felt too short and needed more time to explore and reflect. I have always wanted to spend more time in meeting other animals so this new extended version gives large swathes of time outside in wild spaces… and wild they were!
Below is a short reflective passage from one of the participants…

I have a small wilding arising that shelters. I remember our feet as we danced. The sense of us dancing together all listening, attentive, beside. Following cow paths, following a maze of sheep choices. Cow choices and sheep choices are not the same. Changing textures of ground, my weight on springy surfaces damp and dry, meeting them, reading them FEET. The pleasure of moving alone with you all in my peripheries, my far. A strong sense of being with creatures. Lying, standing, resting, grazing, chewing, moving through, marking the land briefly, foraging. Trust is strong. Making small dances. […]
What returns, what remains. I am elsewhere, there, in the moss. My absence manifests in missed trains, forgotten chores and desire to touch and be touched by cold, cold air, cold water, to tread and know my steps.
Carolyn (Dartmoor, September 2017)

For more writing, check the Writing/ Reflections page from the top menu. And for photos – the Gallery from the same menu.