Rituals to Restore
A free 6 week container for women artists to slow down, rest & nourish themselves
Photos by: Musa Bwanali
Ritual
noun: a ceremony or action performed in a customary way.
Restore
verb: return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position.
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world.
We need to restore honour to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgement of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Rituals to Restore
“Rituals to Restore” is a free 6 week somatic movement and expressive arts workshop for 6 women artists/ creative producers held at Milton Keynes Gallery in Milton Keynes, UK.
This workshop series aims to create the space for creatives to slow down, rest, nourish themselves and reconnect to the call of their hearts through the Tamalpa Life Art Process (TLAP), our natural environment, ritual and ceremony and breathwork.
Why this and why now?
My journey to becoming a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist began in 2017 through my L1 training with Tamalpa UK. Now as a L2 Tamalpa Teacher training graduate, I am so excited to be able to share the transformational gift of the wisdom that lies within our bodies with my community and beyond.
I am about to begin the final level of my training, which is a fieldwork project that requires me to take the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® into settings where I feel called to offer this work.
I feel called to hold space for artists.
Why Artists?
I believe artists to be significant members of our communities.
They listen, observe, ask questions, reflect and respond to their lives, environments and our world.
Artists and creative producers are problem solvers and can be mouthpieces for the people.
They create works, environments and experiences that bring people together and inspire us all to open our hearts, question, reflect and actively create change in our lives and world.
Whilst this is so, I believe that artists along with mothers/ carers and community leaders are often the last people to take the necessary time and space that is needed for rest, reflection and replenishment.
Rest restores and realigns us with the call of our hearts. Even nature rests in the winter and as “we cannot pour from empty cups” it is my intention to hold space for women artists to rest and come home to the truth that lies within them now.
Workshop Series Information
The Dates & Times:
Saturday 9th September 2023 - Saturday 14th October 2023
Week 1: Saturday 9th September 2023 – 10am – 4pm (including 1 lunch break)
Week 2: Saturday 16th September 2023 – 10am – 4pm (including 1 lunch break)
Week 3: Saturday 23rd September 2023 - Home study week
(Participants will not be required to attend the session in person but will be given invitations to explore at home from Sunday 17th September – Friday 29th September 2023)
Week 4: Saturday 30th September 2023 – 10am – 4pm (including 1 lunch break)
Week 5: Saturday 7th October 2023 - 10am – 4pm (including 1 lunch break)
Week 6: Saturday 14th October 2023 - 10am – 4pm (including 1 lunch break)
The Venue:
Milton Keynes Gallery, 900 Midsummer Blvd, Milton Keynes MK9 3QA
The Journey:
Week 1: Landing and Opening Circle
In this session, we will lay the foundation and set intentions for the journey ahead.
Week 2: Discovering the Body
Here we will discover what is alive within our bodies through somatic movement and the expressive arts.
Week 3: Home study - Ritual Recipes
To continue the body discoveries made in week 2, week 3 will provide time for integration as the session invitations will be explored from the comfort of your home.
Week 4: Encountering the Earth
In week 4 we will explore the natural world, the elements and the resources within our bodies as we move within it. (This session is weather dependent. In the case of poor weather, we will explore nature through our bodies and breath indoors.
Week 5: Ritual and Ceremony
In week 5 we will creatively explore the resources within personal and collective rituals.
Week 6: Meeting the Breath and Closing Circle
In this session we will reflect on the discoveries we have made and will explore new resources for the journey ahead through breathwork.
Please note that whilst these sessions will be reflective, they will not be a space for Art Psychotherapy.
The Investment:
This workshop series will be free for each artist to participate in
Each participant must be able to commit to all of the 6 sessions within the workshop series. This will involve being present for each of the 5 in person workshops and to also be able to dedicate time to the home study activities.
Each participant will also be invited to share reflections on their experience at the end of the project through a feedback questionnaire.
Consent will be requested from each participant for the documentation of parts of each session to take place through film and photography for my L3 Fieldwork Portfolio.
How to apply:
To apply to participate in the Rituals to Restore workshop series, please complete the short application form below: