Shadow Dance
July 27th- August 1st 2024
A retreat to embrace our light and darkness.
YOU BELONG HERE
Touch&Play embodies an international movement, a spirited and adventurous family rooted in various local communities across the globe.
With a blend of sensuality, embodiment, playful, and heartfelt connection, Touch&Play invites individuals to explore their authenticity and relational dynamics in safer and supportive spaces. It acknowledges that embracing life is not just about celebrating strengths and virtues, but also about acknowledging one’s limits, and shadows, fostering a holistic journey of self-discovery and growth.
DANCE & EMBODIMENT
We delve into the depths of our being, connecting with our physical, emotional, and energetic bodies. Tapping into the rich reservoirs of energy that reside within we find integration, empowerment, and a deeper sense of wholeness.
KINK & SELFEXPRESSION
We embrace the diversity of desires and identities, fostering an environment where individuals can authentically explore their unique emotional and erotic landscapes.
RELATIONSHIPS & COMMUNITY
We recognize the importance of building supportive, nurturing connections with others, cultivating spaces where vulnerability is celebrated and relational growth is encouraged.
The Journey starts here
With curiosity, playfulness, and vulnerability, we seek to deepen our connections with ourselves, each other, and the natural world, cultivating emotional, somatic, and erotic intelligence along the way.
Touch&Play is a vessel for the exploration of the Relational Body to explore itself. Offering supported ways in a consensual environment to expand into a fuller expression of who we are. The UK gathering is growing its roots strongly in the principles of Contact Improvisation as an embodied and individuated practice along with a shared language and consent frame works.
Each day we explore, we play, we dance creating connections as we go.
It’s time to explore all of your selves in a beautifully crafted and held week at Earth Spirit, near Glastonbury.
About Touch&Play
Be part of the movement
Touch&Play is run by a small team that runs several events around the globe in collaboration with local organisers.. The UK event has been going consecutively for 3 years and we’ve developed a loving community that is all about EMBODIED RELATIONS. We heartily encourage self-care and care for one another as we explore together, connected to our bodies natural wisdom, in relationship. We encourage regular pauses and down time to help the body settle and reconnect from heightened modes.
The Touch&Play community
We are all participants embracing the mind of the beginner
We are so proud of the people who feels called to Touch&Play and by attending this event you’ll gain access to our community. We are folk who enjoy touch and authentic movement and relating. We pride ourselves in dynamic consent practices that encourage us all to take care of ourselves and one another. If you’d like to meet people who share these values this is the place for you.
We are building the team
The full team of teachers, artists and support team will be announced by the end of April. Meanwhile, you can get your tickets at earlybird prices.
TEACHER’S APPLICATION
IS NOW OPEN
This year we invite you to dance in relationship with yourself and others with the theme of shadows and light.
Perhaps the shadow is simply the parts of us we keep hidden, even from ourselves, so consider:
- What do you hide from others, why?
- What do you present to the world, as yourself?
- Who decides what’s light and what’s shadow?
- Does your shadow and or light scare you?
Perhaps the light represents the parts of us we show the world and are proud of. We welcome you to express your full selves in playful self-expression. Consider:
- Do you long to express your hidden depths?
- What would happen if you allowed yourself to dance with both?
- How can you bring light to the dark and dark to the light?
- How can you cultivate the courage to dance your fullest self?
- How can your light light the other(s)
Touch&Play explores the relational body. When we dance, touch and play with others consider:
- What do you do when faced with the others’ shadows?
- Can you stand in the light of another?
- What are our collective shadows as a group as a society?
- What areas of this festival intrigue and repulse you?
We believe that play can take many forms and can help us see that beauty lies in every nook and crevice. We can express in dance, in words, in sexuality, in deep emotions and in vulnerability. This year’s workshops will explore this theme sensitively, expressively and lovingly. You are cordially invited into the shadow dance.
What you can expect here?
Contact Improvisation and Authentic Movement
- Dance – with aries styles
- Cuddles, Connection and Bodywork – with non-sexual spaces
- Conscious Sexuality – including evening temples and play spaces
- Caring Kink in the ‘Fungeon’ – accessible to beginners or seasoned kinksters
- Play Fighting and other wild adventures – To be confirmed
- Authentic Relating – meet other wonderful people like or unlike you!
- Nature Exploration – set in the beautiful Somerset hills near Glastonbury.
- Eating Together – Beautifully prepared food every breakfast, lunch and dinnertime!
- Relaxing In The Spa – with luxurious a hot tub and sauna!
- Support In Your Process – even is not a psychotherapy, it can be therapeutic. We are trauma informed practitioners we provide spaces and support for you as you journey through these amazing experiences
What does include?
- All inclusive meals: Each day we share breakfast, lunch and dinner, lovingly provided by the luxurious venue.
- Three ‘Intensive’ tracks: At the beginning of the event each participant will choose to be part of a closed group that will journey together for 5 days, meeting each morning to explore an intensive deep dive along with a skilled facilitator.
- Afternoon taster workshops: Each day there will be a smorgasbord of delights available for your choosing, allowing you to freely choose what peaks your interest in the moment and allowing you to meet others outside of the intensive group.
- Held Rest And Digest Spaces: This year we want more time for digestion, but with some availability of ‘holding’. These include things like bodywork, verbal connection, led walks and meditation spaces. Part of this is to recognise that our nervous systems can be activated by the intense experiences at these wonderful events and so support is sometimes needed. We want to support this process.
- Unstructured rest: You can of course access the hot tubs, sauna, wild spaces, cuddle corner and dining room anytime to allow for rest and/or connection.