Creative Away Day At Charleston Firle
This June, we're returning to Charleston, and we invite Global Majority space holders to join us at Charleston's legendary Bloomsbury artists' house nestled in the rolling hills of the South Downs in Firle, East Sussex.
We'll have the whole place to ourselves, for a full day of restorative creative practice, nourishing food, rest and community:
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All of it free.
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All of it held by us.
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You just need to show up.
About The Day
Across the day, you will be guided through three creative sessions:
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A guided walk through Charleston's beautiful grounds to reconnect with your body.
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A sound-making workshop centred on the voice with local multi-disciplinary artist Shreyans Iyer
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A Monoprinting to Music session with local artist Morokoth Fournier des Corats.
Morokoth has already brought her magic to our Creative Chill programme at Afri-Co-Lab — if you've been along, you'll know exactly what's in store. For those who haven't met her work yet: Monoprinting to Music is a calming, sensory experience where music guides your mark-making, and you leave with your very own prints to take home. No experience needed — just curiosity and a willingness to play.
Shreyans' as led a series of mens voice and creativity workshops at Afri-Co-Lab and has exhibited the process of his work as part of The Shopfront Gallery- he is a super skilled musician and facilitator.
We travel together by coach from St Leonards-on-Sea, with a stop in Lewes to gather more Pals along the way. We eat well. We rest. We make things. We come home full.
What & Who?
Breathe Play Laugh is part of Afri-Co-Lab's Black2Hastings strand of work and programming for the local Global Majority community.
It is a creative away day for Global Majority folks who hold space* for others – whether in their professional life, as an artist, creative, an organiser, activist, therapist, carer, facilitator etc or in their personal life.
It is an act of community care for folks living or working locally in Hastings & Rother & East Sussex.
How?
We use restorative practices based in creativity and play to make space for collective care within our community.
We spend the day together with artist-facilitators holding sessions where participants are invited to move their bodies, open their imaginations to find relief and lightness in our minds and hearts.
It's an invitation to put something back in your pot. We do the planning, holding, and organising. All the participants need to do is book and we take care of the rest.
We provide drinks and snacks throughout the day and a full hot lunch in the middle of the day.
There are no expectations, no specific outcomes, no experience or practices needed – the sessions are gentle – so come along with a willingness to explore in an environment intentionally held* for you.
Why?
It's been a tough time for everyone for many different reasons, however we have seen and particularly felt the intersectional repercussions of this for Global Majority communities.
As parts of our wider Global Majority community suffer in the current climate, more is called upon Global Majority space holders and activists to support these communities in these harsh times.
We at Afri-Co-Lab have developed this day in response to this additional emotional and racialised labour and in response to the conversations we have been having within our communities about the need for rest.
Meet Your Hosts + Facilitators:
My name is Anna Maria and I use She/Her pronouns. I am one of the co-directors of Afri-Co-Lab. I am a multi disciplinary artist and performer and a lot of my current work is based in the community using anti-racist practices. I have taught and directed acting and movement and will be using these skills to facilitate the day. I will be leading the day and making sure all the moving parts come together working closely with Tomi, Tan, and Morokoth. I will also be leading the creative session in the morning.
My name is Morokoth and I use She/Her pronouns. I am a British–Cambodian artist based in St Leonards‑on‑Sea and will be leading a monoprinting to music workshop. I paint, draw, print and create digital collages. My work is shaped by the sea, inspired by both things I see and imagine. Themes of nature, solitude, desire and female bodies feature in my work. I love printmaking as it is playful and unpredictable, often with a surprise element, so you learn to embrace the imperfections. I am excited to share this with you in an easy no-pressure way using music as our guide.
My name is Tan, and I use she/her pronouns. I am an artist and educator with over 30 years of experience in teaching, facilitating, and developing arts and crafts programs working within the learning programmes of large cultural institutions. I am also a yoga and mindfulness teacher, art therapist, and Reiki healer. I previously worked as Workshop and Events Coordinator at Charleston Trust so I know the site and organisation really well and this will be my second time working with Afri-Co-Lab on Breathe Play Laugh. I’m excited to be part of this day and I am here to ensure you have everything you need to enjoy the experience with ease.
My name is Tomi and I use She/Her pronouns. I am an artist and my work focuses on Black women and NB folks, placing them gloriously front and center in an image. I am currently working on expanding my practice to explore different creative outlets including working with clay and textiles. I will be supporting Anna Maria, Morokoth, Shreyans and Tan to ensure your needs are met on the day and that we all have an easeful and restful day together.
My name is Shreyans. I am an interdisciplinary artist based in St Leonards‑on‑Sea and will be leading a listening and voice workshop. I am a singer, facilitator, and interdisciplinary artist exploring creativity as an everyday civic practice. I have over twenty years’ experience as a vocalist and fourteen years as a voice teacher, my work creates spaces for playful, focused inquiry, where people can experiment, question, and collaborate. I am excited to meet you and for us to explore listening and our voices in a no-pressure, non-judgemental easeful and playful way.
Support...Get involved
This is a free event. It is important to us that cost is not a barrier to attending. We fundraise hard to make this day freely available. We are currently supported by Necessity, National Lottery Community Fund & Arts Council England. We also receive in kind support from our hosts.
If you or your organisation would like to host or financially support a Breathe Play Laugh do get in touch. Or perhaps you would like us to host one specifically for your community or staff - we would love to hear from you.
