This programme is subject to change. Some experiences have limited numbers and we available to those who turn up first. These will be highlighed as 'limited spaces'.
Plus, check out our new 'Cafes' designed as safe and supportive spaces for you to chat with like-minded others,
For more details on Workshops and acts, check the Line Up page
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.
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.
Van life: Whether you're a seasoned traveller or just starting your journey, there's something magical about sharing stories and insights about our beloved vans. Whether it's swapping renovation tips, discussing the best off-the-grid camping spots, or geeking out over the latest gadgets and gear, our vans are more than just vehicles—they're our homes, our adventures, and our ticket to freedom. So, grab your favourite mug, pull up a chair, and let's dive into the wonderful world of van life together! See you there!
Gender expression: Creating safe havens for authentic conversations is so important to us. In this hour, we warmly invite you to delve into the experiences of our trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and questioning community (parents of, welcome too!). Guided by the incredible Bobbi Pickard, let's gather with a chair and a cuppa to share, listen, and celebrate our diverse experiences. Your voice matters. Let's empower one another through shared stories and support!
The Pleasure Project is the world’s leading organisation putting the sexy into safer sex since 2004. Because sex education is rarely sexy, and erotica is rarely safe. We defined pleasure based sexual health, ensured the first global Pleasure Declaration by the World Association of Sexual Health and invented the inspiring Pleasure Principles – to put more pleasure into sexual health. Last year we published research with the World Health Organisation to prove that pleasure based sex education is more effective in improving our sexual health. Those who are research inclined read it here. Come along to explore how to mix pleasure with prevention and why that works better than the usual focus on ‘death, danger, or disease’. There will be no expectations that you will need to share any personal or intimate life details, just some fun exercises to explore what is pleasure based sexual health and why it works better than those usual types of sexual health interventions that we are more used to. Expect fun and why Food and Sex are good to talk about together.
Join our Festival fave band Dryadic for a singing workshop in the beautiful church just a few mins from our festival site.
The Power of your Voice: This hour will be dedicated to women and non-binary people of colour to come together in a safe and supportive space. As we gather in this sharing circle, expect to engage in deep listening and compassionate sharing. Each person will have the opportunity to speak from their own unique perspective, sharing their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. This circle is a place of empowerment, where we honour the strength and resilience of our voices and stories. Expect to find connection and solidarity as we uplift each other and explore the intersections of our identities. Together, we will create a space of understanding, validation, and healing, where every voice is valued and celebrated.
Using Mindfulness Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills (and creative activities), participants will learn a range of strategies for improving mental wellness and overall health. Focusing on the more creative and fun skills and activities, the session is a short introduction to this evidence based therapy. Participants will leave feeling more grounded, calmer, and with practical strategies that they can easily practice and master at home. Becks is a teacher, trade union activist (holding a range of positions), artist, mental health advocate and the founder of aRTpRIDE and Nuneaton Pride. DBT is an intensive, one and a half year program that saveslives and give users a ‘life worth living’. It is often an intensive, long-term course, (often requiring 12+ hours a week commitment); and targets those experiencing suicidal ideation, self-harm behaviours and those who feel emotions intensely. Becks started as a DBT service user, then became a trained up practitioner, and is now an advocate of this therapy. This DBT workshop gives a small taste of Dialect Behavioural Therapy skills that can be of benefit to everyone's lives, irregardless of their mental health status.
Older and Bolder: This workshop will be led by Jane Hoy (75) and Helen Sandler (56). They live together near the sea in Mid Wales. Helen is a writer, editor and event organiser. Jane is a community theatre practitioner. Together they perform as Queer Tales from Wales and are part of the team that produces Aberration – queertastic arts events in Aberystwyth. Helen is interested in how we cope with menopause, midlife and ageing as lesbians (and/or bi, queer, genderqueer, trans folks) and how we connect back with our younger selves. Both are experienced workshop leaders and love bringing people together to share wit, wisdom, creativity and ideas, and to make new friends.
Street Art - Want to be the next Banksy or learn to upcycle? 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. Decoupage - Decoupage Craft Workshop Learn how to upcycle anything from furniture, home items and even shoes in this introduction decoupage workshop. Create your own piece to take home.
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.
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.
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!
Join Molly Zacharias for a life drawing session
Ever wanted to start your own business? Hear from the award winning couple that set up Drop Bear Beer in Wales. Theywill talk through their story of founding this alcohol free brand, including setting up the biggest AF brewery in the UK!
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.
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.
Drop in cafe at the Workshop Campsite space,bring a cuppa and join others for an open discussion: Sex and Relationships Café Nothing is more important in our lives than the quality of our relationships. Research has shown that relationships matter more than genetics when it comes to our health and wellbeing. However, we get very little education and support on how to create great relationships. Join Out and Wild’s resident Relationship Therapists, Christina and Claire, at the Sex and Relationships Café to talk about some of the important aspects of relating that affect lesbian, bi, trans and queer women and non-binary folk. The Café will have three drop in sessions. We start with relationship diversity - focussing on non-monogamy, monogamish relationships and diverse relationship structures. Then we move on to the issues faced by Late Bloomers and the issues associated with coming out later in life. And we close with a discussion on the thorny topic of initiating sex for LGBTQI women, and how knowing your embodied “consent style” might support you in keeping the spark alive and having the sex you want.
Join Vicki, a qualified Health Coach for a practical session using the circle of life wheel. This workshop will help you to understand where changes can be made in your life in order to feel fully satisfied. Vicki will help you to create action points so that you can start to make these changes immediately. 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.
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.
I read tarot as a way of getting in touch with your subconscious mind, uncovering what is blocking you, and starting you on a journey of self realisation. I am reading for donations to a charity (details will be shared on the day), so please donate whatever you wish to after the reading.
Join our friends from Surfers against Sewage fro a walk down to the estuary and a mindful beach clean.
Combining yoga philosphy and Jungian psychology to explore some common causes of burn outand introduce you to some tools to use, including; Uncover what is blocking you, Understand hwo working with you ego/shadow can help you become a truer version of yourself, understand how attachment and aversion set us up for suffering in our lives. Note this is not a yoga practice although there will be a short guided meditation.
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.
Street Art - Want to be the next Banksy or learn to upcycle? 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. Decoupage - Decoupage Craft Workshop Learn how to upcycle anything from furniture, home items and even shoes in this introduction decoupage workshop. Create your own piece to take home.
You want to sing your heart out but you are worried that you are too loud, too out of tune, too shy or too afraid? At the Out & Wild Sing-Along session, every voice deserves to be heard. More than just a covers gig, the session, run by Marieke Vink, gives you the chance to sing along with everyone else, regardless of talent or experience. It's like singing in the safety of your car, but with a whole bunch of like minded people! Group singing is known to promote social cohesion as well as emotional well being. Who knows, you might find your true voice.
Join renowned author Elizabeth Chakrabarty for a creative writing workshop.
Drop in cafe at the Workshop Campsite bring a cuppa and join others for an open discussion. Menopause Café “What the fuck is happening to me?!!” Join Out and Wild’s resident Menopause expert, Dr Claire Macaulay, at the Menopause café to talk about some of issues faced by LGBTQI folk experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The Café will have three drop in sessions. We start with discussing “What the fuck is happening to my body?” focussing on the physical and emotional symptoms of peri and menopause. We will share our experiences together and what has helped and what was a total waste of time. Then we will move onto “How the fuck am I meant to cope with this?” focussing on the impact that peri and menopause has had in our lives and at work, and share strategies with each other for managing life more easefully. And we will close with “Sex- you must be fucking joking!” looking at the impact of menopause on our relationships and sex lives and how we can prevent the all too common relationship catastrophe that can happen at this time of life.
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. Laurie 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.
Ever wondered what it would be like to live full time in a campervan? Join Alisha and Vera 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 the pandemic, who quit their jobs and set out to convert a van to live in.......with no driving license, no help and no building experience!
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. Brenhines y Llyn / Queen of the Lake Marged and Eluned, coppermine women, in their Sunday best. ‘Gentle Marged daughter of Ifan Has a big clutch and a little clutch, One to drag the dogs from the corner Another to break people's bones.’ 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 A Moral Amazon 2 Amy enjoying a cigar, viewed by her dog Crack 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