WORKSHOPS

How can you live the life of a yogi without giving up your everyday way of living?

Join Raga and discover the answer through the essence of ancient Indian knowledge and traditions.

Raga will guide you towards understanding what a purposeful life can be through understanding duty, work and liberation, serving as the very breath of our existence.

Raga D'silva is is the Cultural lead of Out & Wild. Find more about her here.

Jane will be running two workshops, one on street art and one on decoupage 

Want to be the next Banksy? No artistic experience needed, you will learn how to create your own stencil and spray your first street art masterpiece on a poster to take home.

Jane Webb is an artist, designer, curator and event organiser. She has been the recipient of several awards and exhibited at the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum, London Museum and created sculptures & installations for light festivals & events, a public temporary art installation in London’s Leicester square. She is the founder of the art event Illumini, that attracted over 25,000 people. Her work has been featured in press publications, and TV and Radio internationally. She has been commissioned to by an array of clients for making props, art or creating events including: Universal Studios, Imperial War Museum, The London Museum, The National Trust and many local authorities and film and TV shows throughout the UK 

This year Elizabeth Chakrabarty will be running Out & Wild's ever popular writing workshops.

Elizabeth Chakrabarty is an interdisciplinary writer using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality.

Her debut novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, inspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by The Indigo Press, along with her essay, On Closure and Crime.

Elizabeth was shortlisted for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022, for her story ‘That Last Summer’ published in The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022: Crime Stories by Comma Press, and she was also shortlisted for the Asian Writer Short Story Prize in 2016 for ‘Eurovision’ published in Dividing Lines (Dahlia, 2017).

Other recent shorter work includes poetry published by Visual Verse, and creative-critical writing in Gal-Dem, New Writing Dundee, Wasafiri and the anthology Imagined Spaces (Saraband, 2020), and in translation by Glänta and Deus Ex Machina.

She received an Authors’ Foundation Grant from The Society of Authors (UK) in December 2018, to support the writing of Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, and she was chosen as one of the runners up for the inaugural CrimeFest bursary for crime fiction authors of colour in 2022. Elizabeth lives in London.

Join artists Vivian and Tash for a Queer Crafting workshop at Out and Wild 2024. This is a space for folk to come together, make and reflect on the histories of queer crafting.Participants are invited to contribute to a communal quilt that will be worked on throughout the festival.

Participants are invited to embroider and appliqué motifs and text that celebrate the festival and our queer community.

The quilt as an object of care, necessity, intergenerational relationships and community holds huge significance in queer history. AIDS memorial quilts started in 1980's America to bring hope in a desperately sad time and the queer connection to quilting has continued to strengthen since that time. These workshops will be a gentle place to learn, reflect, find peace and celebrate amongst the many joys of the busy festival.

Artist Vivian Ross-Smith (she/her) makes site-specific paintings, textiles and performances that consider touch, place, community building and practices of care and rest. Exploring sensuality and the queering of materiality, Vivian encourages a bodily response to her artwork through active participation to create experiential-led happenings.

Instagram: @vrossmithWebsite: https://www.vivianrosssmith.com

Tash John’s (she/her) practice explores our connection with each other, with ourselves and with the world we inhabit. She is fascinated how societies are formed and can dictate the way we live. If you’re not living in societies “normal” then you are ultimately “different”. We are the masters of construction and de-construction in relation to our own identities. The fluidity of gender is parallel to the fluidity of identity. Her work refers to the complexity of gender and as such, poses questions around hybrid and multiple identities - as a gender that can be manipulated, distorted, altered.

Do you sometimes feel like someone else is commanding your ship, like your goals and ambitions are at odds with your emotions and unconscious activity? Do you wish you could find the controls, or perhaps talk to the pilot—that most powerful part of yourself that is directing your life when your attention is elsewhere—and agree the desired path and course of action?

Join Wollie Boehm for this masterclass. 

Having a channel of communication open between you and that very powerful part of yourself can be one of the most beneficial resources you can develop and can prove helpful in almost all areas of your life.This workshop provides a calm, relaxed, fun opportunity to meet your pilot and to learn how you can start to work together to enjoy greater control and fulfilment in your life going forward.

Did your sex education equip you for your sex and relationship life ?

Most people answer a resounding NO ! to that question. Because sex education is rarely sexy.

Most of us learnt only what we should not do and were taught about the negative consequences of sex. We were not encouraged to ask for what we wanted or desired. And if you have a non- heterosexual identity our sex education often reinforced shame. We at The Pleasure Project are on a mission to change that.

The Pleasure Project is the world’s leading organisation putting the sexy into safer sex since 2004. 

Join us for a friendly gathering with a cuppa to chat with others about a variety of subjects.

There will be a voluntary donation of £2 to cover a tea or coffee.

This are spaces for you to meet others. We ask you to come with open minds and a focus on learning and engagement.

There will be three cafes held at the Village Hall. If the weather is good we will hold outside.

The Community & Culture Cafe

Sex & Relationship Cafe

Menopause & Cycle Cafe

How well suited are you to the job you're doing?

It's not surprising to learn that more than two-thirds of people settle for work that is just not suited to them! But our work comes alive and we gain so much in life when we align our skills, interests and passions to the jobs we do. 

So what happens if you've gone down the wrong track, or if you really don't know what you're good at, or how this could apply to your perfect job?

Life is too brief to waste on a career that isn't a great fit for you. In today's interactive workshop we'll reveal "Your top 3 transferable skills" and "What you're really interested in" and we'll discuss the Top 5 tips to finding a job you love.This workshop might mark the start of an exciting new chapter in your life!

Bio:Over the past 30 years Cathryn O'Donnelly has worked to help people from all over the world understand their potential and their talents, to identify and land their dream role, and to create and lead more fulfilling lives.
 Her experience in a variety of leadership roles - from corporates to start-ups - provides a solid understanding of life at work.  Warm, creative and non-judgmental, her personalised approach helps people address the challenges faced in managing the day-to-day demands of work as well as managing their career.

Ever wondered what it would be like to live full time in a campervan?

Join Vera and Alisha as they tell their story (and answer questions any buddy campervan enthusiasts may have!)

Nurses to Nomads is a humorous and truthful account of two nurses, completely burnt out during thepandemic, who quit their jobs and set out to convert a van to live in.......with no driving license, no help and no building experience!

Accessing the natural world can be an important way of finding peace and supporting our mental health. Our Queer Nature is a fun, inspiring, low pressure workshop for people who want to experiment with writing about nature and the environment for the first time, or who want to try new approaches to it. We will look at ways of thinking about nature in different ways, including indoors, or in a garden or urban space and how our queer selves are an asset when we explore and write about nature.

Jo Lambert writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry featuring the natural world. She has been published by The New York Times, Lucent Dreaming, The Welsh Review and Gwyllion, amongst others, and won The Jem Poster Award in 2022. Her poetry focussing on queer bodies in the natural world has been used as part of the Sophia Centre Conference and The Rivers Trust AGM. She is currently working on a research project on gender and nationhood in Cambrian myths with Aberystwyth University. 

Do you know those days in which your rage is out of control and nothing goes right? As opposed to those days in which everything flows, you feel like a million-dollar baby and your multitasking skills seem exceptional? Have you ever noticed that they come in a pattern based around your menstrual cycle? And why does it all feel out of control when we approach menopause?

Our menstrual cycle governs our life whether we like it or not but we live in a world that is so out-of-synch with it and perfectly synched with the hormonal cycle of our male counterpart. This is not just the root to a lot of menstrual problems like PMS and menopausal symptoms but also to a lot of relationship problems (especially in lesbian relationships) and a threat to the whole wellbeing of all women. How to make it better then?

I will explore the menstrual cycle from a holistic perspective and we will discover how to live our lives by it, rather than against it, how to practice menstrual cycle awarness and you will receive some lifestyle and nutrition tips to live a balanced and pain-free cyclical life.

My instagram is @veraduse_yogaandnutrition

Try your hand at these fun & funky instruments. A stunning range of ukes are provided and do bring your own if you have one. We'll be exploring the uke, looking at posture & breathing, all done with elements of mindfulness & humour to keep us relaxed and at ease. With some basic chords and simple strumming, we'll be playing songs together by the end of the workshop. Bio - Heather MurrayHeather is an award-winning musician and music therapist, who has a broad experience of running successful community events with people of all ages and abilities. She founded the lesbian choir 'Les Veus de Venus' when living in Barcelona. She fell in love with the uke about 15 years ago and now runs 'The Remote Ukulele Collective', with participants from Morecambe to Milan, Brecon to London & beyond. 

Participants say 'Couldn't stop smiling', 'Creative & nourishing', 'I feel bloomin' happy!'

Embark on a journey of self-discovery with our Introduction to Mindfulness Workshop! Dive into the essence of mindfulness, understanding its profound impact on stress, anxiety, and pain. Led by a qualified and experienced facilitator, this workshop unravels the secrets of mindfulness, offering insights into its transformative benefits. Learn practical techniques and explore how to seamlessly integrate mindfulness into your daily life. Join us for an immersive experience, where you'll be guided through mindfulness practices that pave the way for inner peace and well-being. 

Evan Curwen, the founder of The Innocence Guru, is a trauma informed well-being coach. They help people to improve their mental health and well-being  holistically, using mindfulness, breathwork, inner child healing and reiki. 

In this workshop, you'll be introduced to the essentials of learning to offer love, kindness and compassion toward ourselves. Join me for a brief exploration of self-compassion, as we share quick and practical exercises that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. This workshop aims to kickstart your journey toward self-love, offering a taste of mindfulness and inner child healing practices to ignite a radiant relationship with yourself. Leave with a few tools to nurture your well-being and a newfound sense of warmth and compassion within.

Evan Curwen, the founder of The Innocence Guru, is a trauma informed well-being coach. They help people to improve their mental health and well-being  holistically, using mindfulness, breathwork, inner child healing and reiki. 

Vicki has worked within the health sector for many years as a Physiotherapist and has always had a passion for helping others. But it was her own journey that inspired her to become a Health Coach so that she could share her experience and support others to discover their own pathway to vibrant health.

Vicki suffered from periods of burnout and stress and was then later diagnosed with M.E.

Her body was telling her something needed to change and this time she needed to listen.

After exploring lots of holistic therapies, changing her diet and mindset and working with a range of different practitioners she was able to make sustainable changes in her life and finally reclaim back her health.

After this humbling and life changing episode, Vicki felt a strong desire to help others to take back control of their own wellbeing. So, she re-trained and founded her business ‘Health Coaching with Vicki’.

Vicki is dedicated to understanding the root cause of your health issues and life concerns and empowering you to take charge of your own wellbeing. Through holistically looking at all the life factors that may be holding you back, Vicki will work with you to overcome these barriers to move you towards vibrant health from the inside out.

Website: www.vickiwilkinson.co.uk

Email: healthcoachvicki@outlook.com

Imagine embarking on a journey of transformative impact just 12 weekends a year through weekend foster care. It's a unique blend of joy, adventure, and purpose that fills your heart with fulfillment. Each weekend becomes an opportunity to create memories, forge connections, and make a profound difference in a foster child's life. In just 45 minutes, we'll explore the incredible ripple effect these short burstImagine embarking on a journey of transformative impact just 12 weekends a year through weekend foster care. It's a unique blend of joy, adventure, and purpose that fills your heart with fulfillment. Each weekend becomes an opportunity to create memories, forge connections, and make a profound differencs of care can have, not only in shaping the trajectory of a child's life but also in enriching your own. Join us as we delve into the magic of weekend foster care and the enduring legacy of love and support it can foster. There will also be an opportunity to engage in discussion and ask questions about different types of fostering and how it could fit in your life from an expert in the field. 

 Kilby is a dedicated advocate for vulnerable children, blending her expertise as a qualified teacher and social worker with her passion for fostering. As a Weekend Foster Carer, Laurie understands the profound impact that short-term care can have on a child's life. She is the Co-Founder of Now Foster, a groundbreaking charity aimed at recruiting a new demographic of caregivers willing to commit to fostering a weekend a month. Laurie's vision is to revolutionise the foster care system by engaging individuals who may not have considered fostering before, offering them the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children.

QTW bring to life the LGBTQ+ history of Wales. Come and hear two of their entertaining sapphic stories, with a chance to join in if you feel inclined. Or just sit back and enjoy! Performed by Jane Hoy and Helen Sandler, who enthralled us at last year’s Out & Wild as the Ladies of Llangollen.

A story from north Wales set in the mountains of Eryri around 1790. It’s all about legendary strong woman Marged ferch Ifan from Llanberis and Eluned, her coppermine girl.

Alert! Includes Welsh cakes and ‘rock venison’!

Storyteller: Jane Hoy

25 Minutes

The true story of the amazing and formidable Miss Amy Dillwyn, born a tomboy in Swansea, South Wales in 1845. She grew up to become a woman-loving woman and a successful novelist, suffragist and cigar-smoking industrialist.

Narrator: Jane Hoy

Amy Dillwyn: Helen Sandler

30 mins

About us

Jane Hoy researches and writes the scripts for Queer Tales from Wales. She is an independent researcher, who also loves latin & ballroom dancing andstorytelling. She lives with her wifie Helen Sandler in mid Wales. 

Helen is afreelance writer and runs Tollington Press, publishing new books by women. As well as performing together as QTW, the pair co-organise Aberration – LGBTQ+events in Aberystwyth – with their friend Ruth Fowler.

Facebook: queertalesfromwales

Email: janehoy99@gmail.com

Web: aberration.org.uk/queer-tales-from-wales