CO-CREATE & REGENERATE:
A 7-DAY JOURNEY INTO RESILIENT COMMUNITY
Week One - August 3rd - 10th
Week Two - August 10th -17th
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Join us for a transformative journey into co-creating and sustaining resilient community.
In the face of the global polycrisis, we are called to reimagine our ways of living, working, and relating to one another, and to the wider systems we are all a part of. As the old systems unravel around us, what new ways of navigating these uncertain times can we co-create?
This immersive residential training retreat, set amidst the wild expanses of Northern Sweden, offers a deeply experiential opportunity to develop essential skills and capacities. We will learn together, mutually support one-another and dream into a more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
Through practical tasks, skills-building exercises, relational exploration & nature-based enquiry, we'll develop practical tools, transferable skills and an deeper understanding that will leave us better-equipped to navigate an uncertain future.
Over the course of a week, we'll immerse ourselves in a transformative experience that will foster deeper connections with ourselves, each other, and the intricate web of relations that we are all a part of.
A 7-DAY IMMERSION INTO RESILIENT COMMUNITY
Our offering will be an emergent and immersive week-long experience inspired by and guided through our three key principles of:
KINSHIP - REGENERATION - COMMUNITY
and explored through four main routes
practical Tasks
We will work on practical tasks together that support the development at Bjärkan, as a way of learning & implementing collaborative skills
Frameworks
We'll teach frameworks and offer maps to support navigating the territory of effective group collaboration
RELATIONSHIPS
Practices to foster safety & trust in relationship, and to build a ground of health from which community can flourish
Nature-Connection
Our wilderness location offers an environment in which to immerse & connect deeply with the wider web of relations we are all a part of
LEARNING BY DOING
During the event, we will work on various live projects to support our learning journey. The work period of 3 to 4 hours for 5 days will provide the structure for learning tools & skills for effective collaboration. Our ability to work well together as a group directly influences our capacity for resilience.
The tasks will be diverse and may include:
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Light Forestry Work
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Painting & Decorating
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Food Preparation
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Natural Construction
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Design & Build of Outdoor Sauna
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Off-Grid Energy Systems
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Gardening & Landscaping
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Permaculture Design
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DIY
Through collaborating together on practical tasks you'll learn:
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New ways of working in groups/communities that are a better fit for the fast-changing age of complexity.
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Ways to self-organise beyond hierarchy using methods such as Holacracy & other self-organising practices
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How to run effective meetings
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Discover new ways to work with difference & conflict
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To feel empowered to own authority to make decisions whilst also aligning to a greater whole
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Develop resilience at a collective level, to create groups that can adapt, evolve & thrive
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Balance getting work done with building healthy relationships
The tasks will all support the continued growth & development of our project here at Bjärkan as well as support the learning journey. As such, we include the work in calculating the value exchange. We value the time that participants will invest in supporting our project and see it as a valuable contribution.
LEARNING BY BEING
During our week together we will not only be working together, but living, eating and inhabiting a shared environment with one another - all of us part of a wider ecosystem. We are all kin, and our kinship extends beyond just our human relationships. Tending to the web of relationships within these interwoven systems is essential in supporting regenerative & resilient community. Our shared time might include:
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Daily check-ins & sharing circles
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Mindfulness Meditation
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Nature-based enquiry
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Relational connection practices
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Systemic Constellations
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Embodiment practices
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Social Dreaming
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The Work that Reconnects
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Systemic Ritual
Through spending time being together in these ways we will:
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Co-create group trust & safety
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Deepen our capacity to relate authentically with others
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Discover a systemic lens through which to understand the world
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Develop a kincentric understanding of our place in the world
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Honour our hopes, fears & grief for the world
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Balance doing with being
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Become more embodied
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Find connection through turning towards the ways in which we disconnect
As well as scheduled sessions for relational & depth practices, this will also be woven into each day in an integrated way. There will also be plenty of time out for unstructured 'being'. Whether that's simply for rest, to explore the natural beauty that surrounds us or just taking time to hang-out in the many lovely indoor & outdoor spots we have, alone and together.
Watch our short film made at last year's pilot event
About Us
Between 2013 and 2017 Nick Osborne & Justine Corrie offered trainings in Conscious Collaboration. Ranging from 1 day intros to 6 day residential deep dives, Conscious Collaboration ran both independent events and partnered with The Transition Network, EcoDharma, Shift Bristol, Buddhafield & The Festival of Human Organising among others. Since 2018 they have both been developing their work and in 2023 founded Bjärkan together.
Logistics, FAQ & Further Details
DATE & TIME:
WEEK 1: Arrival 3/8 - Departure 10/8
WEEK 2: Arrival 10/8 - Departure 17/8
Each week is a standalone event - but you can also join for both weeks, see further info on pricing below.
LOCATION:
Bjärkan
1.5 hours North of Östersund
COURSE COST (7 DAYS):
Up to 20 hours of 'work' time is accounted for when calculating the value-exchange for the course. This will be 4 hours per day over 5 days of the week. The learning will also be integrated throughout these work periods as well as through timetabled sessions.
Standard: £600
Low-Waged: £475
Bursary: £350
Children are welcome - we will charge £100 per week for over 5's.
An early-bird discount of 10% is available for those who register and are accepted & pay before 15th May.
The fee includes 7 nights accommodation in shared twin rooms & 3 meals each day.
If you'd like to stay for both weeks you are welcome, some of the curriculum will be repeated but because this is a collaborative and emergent training experience, much of the material will be new (even when repeated!) We can offer a 10% discount if you'd like to join for both weeks.
We are intentionally keeping the costs low for this event to ensure a broad range of people can apply, but please consider paying the higher amount if you have the capacity to.
We understand that various forms of privilege can play a role in financial access to events such as these. We believe that diversity & inclusion are an essential aspect of building a truly resilient society and we desire to impact and support all communities with our work. We actively invite community leaders working in diverse spaces and especially those in low-income or socially disadvantaged communities.
FOOD:
Registration includes three delicious meals per day. Vegan & gluten free options available. We will be sharing food preparation as part of the community living experience and so everyone joining will have an opportunity to take on at least one kitchen shift as part of the work period.
TO APPLY:
To ensure a diverse mix of participants, this experience is by application. Please complete the application form here.
FAQs
*WHAT ACCOMMODATION IS INCLUDED?
Most rooms are shared twin rooms either in our guest cabin or in the main farmhouse. There are two small bunk rooms that are able to be offered as single occupancy for an extra charge equally 50% of price tier paid.
Rooms can be seen on the gallery here
You are also welcome to camp on the land here and we also have space for a few live-in vehicles. There is a 30% discount available for those camping or in live-in.
*ARE CHILDREN WELCOME?
Yes! We very much welcome children as part of our resilient community. We do make a small charge for over 5's - please see above. Children are invited to participate in activities where appropriate and we encourage the community to be a village for any children present during the event, so that parents are able to feel supported to participate as much as possible. And, the event is a training and will have scheduled sessions etc, not everything will be suitable for children. There will be times when parents will need to supervise their own children in order for the training sessions to run smoothly for other participants. And Bjärkan is a beautiful, wild place where children have the opportunity for a certain freedom - but it will ultimately be the parents responsibility to ensure each child's safety. (If you watch the short film posted above about last years camp you can hear from previous young people who joined)
*HOW DO I GET TO BJÄRKAN?
There are several ways to travel here. Our nearest big town (1.5 hours away) is Östersund.
You can fly to Österund Åre Airport via Stockholm Arlanda.
You can also take a train from Stockholm to Östersund or a little nearer (1 hour) is Krokom Station. The train takes between 5-7 hours and there are several each day as well as a sleeper train.
You can also fly direct from Gatwick in the UK to Trondheim in Norway, then take a train via Storlien to Krokom (6 Hours)This requires an overnight stop in Trondheim.
It is also possible to travel from UK by train to Stockholm, via Hamburg in 2 days.
From Krokom/Östersund there are options of bus, shared taxi and possible transfers offered. Full travel details with links can be sent to successful applicants.
*PAYMENT
Once a place has been offered, full payment is required to secure the place.
*CANCELLATION POLICY
Please take a moment to review the cancellation policy. All questions are warmly welcomed.
• If you cancel at any time up to 8 weeks before the event start date, the full payment will be refunded.
• If you cancel within 8 weeks of the event start date, 50% of the full payment will be refunded.
• If you cancel within 4 weeks of the event start date, 25% of the full payment will be refunded.
• If you cancel within 1 week of the event start date, or if you withdraw from the event after the start of the first day, no part of the payment will be refunded.
*CONTACT US:
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the event:
E-mail: info@bjarkan.org