Off Grid is so jam-packed full of activities that this A-Z is barely a beginning…
Please bear with us as this list grows week by week between now and the convergence!
Crafts and Technology Village
http://offgrid-festival.co.uk/building-and-tech/crafts-and-technology-village/
This much loved space offers a complete demonstration of practical sustainability and appropriate technologies, featuring interactive workshops with master crafts people from across the Isles, including:
Stone carving | Green woodwork | Blacksmiths | Bio-char | Leather work | Spinning and weaving | Pottery | PV solar panels | Rocket stoves and much more TBC…
Allan Kerr – Shumba Arts
Allan’s drum circle is a fully participative experience and welcomes drummers from all backgrounds and of all levels. Allan teaches djembe rhythms as well as drawing on a range of other African traditions to create a hands on musical experience in the moment. Depending on the demand, we may teach something specific, we may completely improvise or we may spend time playing games to develop our general rhythmic awareness. Come and find your groove! Some drums available to use, bring one if you have one.
http://www.shumba.org.uk
Anairda- Artivist for Social Change
“Anairda is a Latin American community artist and activist resident in the UK. Her art practice includes music, theatre and painting. She’s been involved in the environmental movement for the last 9 years and runs workshops using art as an agent of social change & personal empowerment.”
Aquaroots - Off Grid Aquaponics
AquaRoots’ mission is to enable people to grow food anywhere. “We specialise in designing aquaponic and hydroponic systems for homes, schools and other establishments, as well as developing and delivering innovative education materials and services both to train people in the skills of food production, and to use farming as an engaging pathway to reinforcing curricular and extra-curricular education requirements.”
AquaRoots will be bringing along a demonstration aquaponics unit and running workshops in the techniques and technology used. Aquaponics is a closed loop recirculation farming technique that grows edible fish and edible plants.
Kids sessions 11am- 12noon daily: AquaRoots has developed 8 CREST award sessions specifically tailored for kids and approved by the British Science Association. These sessions are used in interaction with the friendly aquaponic system to engage kids from different ages in food production, science and nature!
Adult sessions 3pm – 4pm daily: The AquaRoots team is more than happy to pass the knowledge of how does this technology works, and how can it help people live more off the grid or how can it be applied within their homes.
www.aquaroots.co.uk
Bellacouche
Bellacouche offer eco-coffins handmade from wool.
Bellacouche will be showcasing their products and offering felting workshops. College presenter Nicky Scott will also be offering hands-on composting workshops through the weekend.
Book-Cycle’s Bertie Bus
Book-Cycle are a registered charity based in Exeter. We are a ‘no pressure’ charity giving away donated books in return for a voluntary donation. The money we raise goes to sending our unwanted educational books to schools in developing countries and planting sustainable trees in the UK amongst other small projects like our in store seed banks. Book Cycle is run entirely by UNPAID volunteers. The mobile shop is within my converted 1975 open top double decker bus. The lower deck is the book shop and the top deck has a comfortable seating area where people can relax with a book and a cup of tea/coffee, enjoy a fantastic view or photo opportunity (when positioned sympathetically), play one of our board games or give us a tune on one of our acoustic instruments.
‘Circle Of Security Attachment Parenting’ an interactive workshop
With Audaye Elesedy
We are all hard-wired for relationships. Our children constantly seek relationships with us from birth. We innately want to be there for our children. In a world with so much pressure towards perfection all our children need from us is to be good enough.
(cos is a relationship-based parenting programme based on over 50 years of attachment theory and research about how relationships between ourselves and our children can be supported and strengthened leading to securely attached children.
Many courses focus on managing child behaviours with behaviour management techniques, which are easily forgotten in the heat of the moment. COS differs in that it helps us to identify and understand our child’s needs — to see beneath behaviour - and to strengthen confidence in ourselves as able caregivers/parents who love our children.
www.circleofsecurity.net
Carbon Wise
Carbon in the sky contributes to climate change. Carbon in the soil enriches the soil in ways which reduce the needs for inputs when growing crops.
We will be conducting talks and workshops throughout the festival for gardeners, growers and for people wanting to know how to meet their needs in ways which heal the Earth and reverse causes of climate change.
Soil Carbon Influencing Factors, Agroecology, Full Cycle Biochar, Biochar Stove Technology
We will also bring along biochar producing ovens and run sourdough bread making workshops throughout the festival using these ovens.
Demand Energy Equality
With Ian Westmoreland
DEEs mission is to contribute to a resilient and just energy transition by spreading energy literacy and increasing awareness of the fundamental need to reduce aggregate energy consumption in ‘developed’ countries.
They do this through practical energy workshops, collaborative public engagement projects, consultancy work and participation in the the movement for energy transformation and democracy.
At Off Grid, DEE will have a stall running ongoing DIY solar panel and battery pack sessions in the crafts and tech village, as well as contributing a 2hr session to the Off Grid College.
www.demandenergyequality.org
Eco-Building Demo Zone
Join experienced cob, straw bale and treehouse builders in this playful and experimental area for a range of starter sessions including build and design.
The festival will be providing a range of materials for people to use to complete small projects individually and collectively.
This is an area of spontaneity, designed and made by you the people. Enjoy!
Elemental Experiences
With Martin Scase
Clay Refining , Potting and Firing Workshop
A four day workshop taking attendees through the full experience of clay potting – from digging the clay to preparing a pit kiln.
Exeter Soup
Friday sees a unique experiment in the Off-Grid College. We will be running a version of the popular SOUP events at the festival. Four projects will get to pitch at you, the audience, who will vote on the projects you love most. The winner gets the prize. We’re still confirming details of this exciting session, but expect a dynamic melting pot of crowdfunding activity as well as a bit of food and drink to oil the cogs…
If you have a project you feel to offer or wish to be a sponsor of this fantastic event, please get in touch:
Find out more:
www.exetersoup.org
Family Shiatsu, sustaining the whole
Time to breathe in…all are invited to come and learn some simple Shiatsu body work techniques that are safe and effective to use within the family set up. Shiatsu is a clothes on energy (ki) body work therapy rooted in the principles of ancient Chinese medicine and developed in Japan. It views us as an inter-connected whole being, vital, ever changing, constantly moving and adapting system, just like a family! We will look at the 5 elements, have a go at meditating both moving and sitting and learn some Shiatsu which we will have as a skill to use within the family forever….! Bring your ma, pa, babies, grandpa, great great grandma and teenagers!
Please bring a blanket and cushion and wear lose comfortable clothing. I look forward to meeting you, Sandhya.
www.culturalchampions.org.uk
GEET Generator Technology
With Daniel Easton
GEET is a self-contained and self-sustaining plasma fuel reformer
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
Any “fuel” sent to the GEET reactor is converted into plasma and then broken down on a subatomic level.
This Plasma recombines to form lighter weight elements, primarily synthetic Hydrogen Gas
When one runs a GEET engine on petrol, all the carbon, sulphur and other elements are converted into a clean burning Hydrogen gas. There is no carbon to form carbon dioxide & carbon monoxide, no un-burned hydrocarbons to fowl the air and no sulphur to create acid rain.
20% flammable liquid with 80% non-flammable liquid
Water is only the carrier for things like sugar, hence FOR FUN we run engines on
Ginger Beer or Mountain Dew.
Herb Walk and Balm-Making
with Helen Kearney
Improv your Mental Health
Be in the moment* Laugh* play* support* say yes! This workshop is a gentle intro into improv games with a taste of Playback theatre principles. You don’t need any experience & you don’t need to be ‘funny’ however if your looking to have fun in the moment in a space that is safe & the focus is on collaboration rather than competition, improv is for you ! Workshop with Emma Boddy.
Kindness Letterbox
Come and write or draw random acts of kindness letters
to be given to be given out randomly at the festival!
Off Grid Kids
Off Grid Kids is an interactive and co-creative learning biotope, for wild and wonderful and slightly anarchic play.
This interactive playground will be hand-crafted by the award-winning crew behind Sunrise Celebration’s kids space. Please stay tuned for full line up confirmations over the coming weeks.
Pedal Powered Generators
Join Nick Mercer for an interactive 2hr workshop explaining how Pedal Generators work and how they can be used for educational purposes.
Quaker Meeting
9.45am - 11am
New to Off-Grid 2016 we are introducing on Sunday morning an opportunity to gather in stillness and shared faith through an Quaker Meeting which will take place in the …. A short introduction to Quaker practice will precede the Meeting at 9.45 and there will be an opportunity afterwards for discussion and questions. Everyone is welcome including those of any faith and those with none.
A Quaker Meeting seeks through sitting in communal silent worship to connect with the Spirit of God that is within us all. There is no formality; no doctrine and no preacher
For further information https://www.quaker.org.uk/
Qi Gong workshop
with Steve Wheeler
www.whiteoakhealth.co.uk
Racism, Diversity and Sustainability, an invitation to ALL!
With Sandhya Dave
His-story informs everything we are and do. What is the impact of this legacy? What does slavery have to do with sustainability? What about our body memories? How does not being allowed to belong affect our actions? How do we as initiators and innovators invite every one along to change? An invitation to explore this, our own diversity and his-story and the impact of racism on constantly making us the ‘other.’ There will be stories and song, meditational Inquiry and moving explorations.
Please bring with you a cushion, something that represents your ancestors and a courageous heart to explore yourself and others.
www.culturalchampions.org.uk
Rewilding Ourselves, the inner and outer connection
What’s it like being wild? What stops us from being wild and whole? How do we shake off the cultural paradigms of expectations? Where do we resource ourselves from? What do we really need? What’s the ancestors got to do with it? Guided by our bodies, heart and mind, listening to our own innate wisdom, we will explore what it means to be wild in modern day living and how this affects our daily choices and behaviours. Using meditational inquiry, movement, voice and the inner and outer- door( s) to get curious again. Come…get ready to howl…
Please bring something with you that represents the ancestors for you. I look forward to SEEing you, Sandhya.
www.culturalchampions.org.uk
Refuge Domes
Refuge Domes design and build bespoke geodesic dome structures. They will be running workshops at Off Grid showing how to build your own dome - from what you’ll need to where to get it…
http://www.refugedomes.com/workshops/
Red Tent Project
http://www.redtentwomensproject.org/
Rewilding the Heart
Steve Wheeler from Dark Mountain Basecamp at Embercombe will guide participants through a series of collaborative games and experiments designed to help us reconnect with our bodies, to explore the relations between the inner and the outer environment, and to show that – just as as with the land – we can trust in the inherent wisdom of our own nature to begin the process of human rewilding.
basecamp.dark-mountain.net
Sacred Singing Circle
Sacred circle held by Ruth King and Chris Hardy, bringing traditional, folk, world and rainbow music to life through group singing.
Sculpture Making with Serenity Artists
Visit the Flow Geodome to make sculptures for our Serenity shrines. Woodcarving with Tatu Nikkanen and clay and cob with Claudia Johnson
Singing In The Wild
Come outside onto the land with Anthony Johnston and connect with nature through song, chant and the voice
Sylvan Adventures
Sylvan Adventures is a not for profit organisation based in Devon and the South West and provides fun, practical and outdoor learning experiences for individuals and organisations.
We have a passion for nature and outdoor learning and we want to share our knowledge and enthusiasm through first hand experience to ensure the sustainability of our natural world.
Sylvan Adventures will be holding our Wildwoods Area, with workshops in Green Woodworking, Archery, Nature Walks, Storytelling, Bushcraft and Forest School sessions - as well as fun and playful activities amidst the trees.
http://sylvanadventures.org/wp/
Spoon Carving
with James Bradley
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Swift Life Transformations
With Vince
Coaching and Communications Training in Life, Love and Enterprise
‘Relationship Dynamics’ is a 45-minute interactive workshop exploring dynamics in groups and relationships.
Treehouse Build & Design
With Mike Hartley
‘Voicing the Soul - Earthing the Body’
With Anthony Johnston
Wild Food and Medicine Walks
Daily wild food and medicine walks with our on-site forager, Trudy Turrell, beginning and ending at the Off Grid College
Work That Reconnects
http://workthatreconnects.org/
Take part in the healing of our world.
The Great Turning Film: Joanna Macy on Uncertainty from The Great Turning Film on Vimeo.
