Join us for a 3-day workshop cultivating ecological awareness through mindful movement & contemplative writing. This is a unique opportunity to discover the transformative power of creative ecology practices in the historic environment of renowned border town, Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
You will be supported in a friendly group & given expert guidance by facilitators Kate Sagovsky & Anna Selby, making this creative residency accessible for both curious beginners & those with more experience in movement &/or writing practices.
With simple prompts & easy-to-follow instructions, you will be guided through different creative explorations which respond to your inner sensations & the surrounding environment. During both indoors & outdoors sessions, we will work together with breathing, witnessing, movement & stillness, followed by reflecting, responding & creating through words & images. Through this embodied play we will discover how slowing down & bringing awareness to sensory experiences can help us find new ways of connecting to ourself, others, & the world.
This collaborative practice asks: what might our role be in witnessing, celebrating, & protecting the interwoven ecological tapestry in which we play a key part? By noticing our sensory experiences, we allow ourselves to enter into a receptive state of deep listening & connecting, through which we can imagine, rediscover, & begin to work towards new ways of being in - & creating - the world. Return home renewed & inspired by the beauty of Berwick, & your imagination.
>> 3 day creative ecology workshop
>> facilitated by Kate Sagovsky & Anna Selby
>> Friday 25th - Sunday 27th July 2025 // 10am - 5pm daily
>> Hosted by STUDIO SOMA x Berwick Contemplative Arts at Parish Centre, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, United Kingdom
>> Places limited to 20 participants
>> Open level workshop: no prior writing or movement experience required. Adults of all ages & backgrounds are welcome (18+).
>> Tiered pricing: 99 / 199 / 299 according to self-identified level of income. Free bursary places & travel scholarships available on request.
>> Please do get in touch should you have any further questions before making your booking.
Outline Schedule >>
Friday 25th July // Day 1
10am-1pm : Session 1 (indoors)
2pm-5pm : Session 2 (outdoors)
Saturday 26th July // Day 2
10am-1pm : Session 3 (indoors)
2pm-5pm : Session 4 (outdoors)
Optional group dinner & social
Sunday 26th July // Day 3
10am-1pm: Session 5 (outdoors)
2pm-5pm: Creating the World: What can Eco-Poetry Offer in an Age of Climate Emergency?
This final session will be an event which is free for workshop participants & also open to members of the public. It will include readings from the works of Anna Selby & other Eco-poets, along with open discussion & reflection. There will also be the opportunity for us to share some of the writing created during the workshop, should any participants feel open to doing so.
Clothing >> Workshop sessions will take place both indoors & outdoors. As long as we are safe (no weather warnings), we will venture out to spend extended periods of time moving & writing in different locations. You will therefore need to bring: loose-fitting clothing for indoors movement; extra layers of clothing that can keep you warm outdoors; a full set of anoraks (raincoat & waterproof trousers), so that you feel comfy outdoors in all weathers & are not afraid to get your clothes wet or muddy by sitting on the ground etc.
Accommodation >>This is a non-residential workshop & therefore you will need to find somewhere to stay, if you are visiting from out of town. You can find more info about staying in Berwick (including a link to an accommodation database) on the Visit Berwick website. The Berwick Youth Hostel is a good low-cost option. If paying for accommodation is not an option for you, please do contact us as we may be able to offer some free accommodation options for those in need of financial support.
Food >> Meals are not included so please make sure you plan for bringing a packed lunch each day, & organising your own meal each evening. On the Saturday evening we will aim to do a communal dinner at low cost & with vegan/gf options for those who want to join.
Travel >> Where possible we encourage slow travel. The closest train station is Berwick-Upon-Tweed & from there it is just a short walk to the centre of the town.
Pricing >> STUDIO SOMA & BCA both offer tiered pricing because we do not want anyone to be excluded from joining a workshop because of money. We are grateful that generous funding from Create Berwick is allowing us to offer the workshop at the following subsidised participant prices: £99 / £199 / £299.
We trust you to self-assess & choose the payment option that applies to you. As a rough guide: if you live in the UK the average income is around £36k p/year. If you earn more than this average please pay high tier; if you earn around this average please pay mid tier; if you earn below this average please pay low tier
We also have free bursary places & travel scholarships available on request. Please contact us to find out about non-payment options if you are a student, currently unable to work, unemployed, on very low income, reliant on benefits, these prices are high because you use a different currency, or you are financially constrained for any other reason.
Accessibility >> Many people have fears that their fitness levels, personal physical challenges, body shape, age, or other factors may mean they will not be able to partake in a workshop, or would not be welcome there. We believe mindfulness & movement is for everyone & aim to make our spaces as accessible & inclusive as possible. If you have any questions, anxieties, or fears about participating please contact us & we will happily talk through your personal circumstances & check whether we are able to make sure the workshop is accessible for you.
FACILITATOR // KATE SAGOVSKY is the Creative Director of STUDIO SOMA. She is an international artist specialising in somatics, movement, & live performance. She works as a director & choreographer; as well as doing extensive work as a writer, teacher, & workshop facilitator. She has worked as a movement specialist in a range of contexts for over two decades, including at Shakespeare’s Globe, the RSC, & the National Theatre. She draws on a wide range of practices including Actor Movement, Contemporary Dance, Body-Mind Centering, Meditation, Pilates, & Yoga Asana, as well as being a qualified Feldenkrais practitioner. By combining elements of different practices, she creates a warm, interactive, safe environment in which everyone can befriend their body, & discover the joy & power of moving. Sagovsky’s first book Laban’s Efforts in Action: An Actor Movement Handbook was co-written with Vanessa Ewan (Bloomsbury, 2019). She is currently researching Rewilding Play: Somatic Movement Improvisation, Performance, & Eco-consciousness, supported by Northumbria University, AHRC, Arts Council England, & Culture Moves Europe. This builds on prior research into Embodying Change – a project spanning published writing & a series of events focussed on the relationship of embodiment practices to socio-political change on a personal, local, & global level. // Find out more at: www.sagovsky.com
FACILITATOR // ANNA SELBY is a writer, researcher, editor, & naturalist. Her poetry often explores our connection with water & the natural world: she writes poetic-studies of different species in-situ directly from life, often underwater, & aims for these poems to share a sense of compassion & attentiveness to the environment. Her most recent chapbook Field Notes was a Bestseller for two years running with The LRB Bookshop, was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row & Josie Long's Short Cuts, & was an Irish Times Book of the Year. Anna is a Lecturer on the Engaged Ecology Masters at Schumacher College & is doing a Practice Led PhD on Empathy, Ecology, & Plein Air Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is editor of environmental, feminist publisher Hazel Press & was one of the judges for the 2022 Ginkgo Prize (the biggest Eco-Poetry competition in the world). She offers mentoring to environmental writers; collaborates with dancers, choreographers & conservationists; & works on cross-artform, poetry-dance & multi-disciplinary pieces that tour the UK. Previously, Anna has been Writer-in-Residence at Cambridge Conservation Initiative, The Wordsworth Trust, & Wealden Literary festival. // Find out more at: www.annamariaselby.co.uk
STUDIO SOMA is an online movement studio which offers access to a range of somatic movement practices through classes, workshops, trainings, & individual sessions led by practitioners from around the world. Its programme features disciplines such as Body-Mind Centering (BMC®); The Feldenkrais Method; Somatic Yoga; Laughter Yoga; & Somatic Actor/Performer Trainings. It is run by Creative Director Kate Sagovsky who is an international artist based in Berlin & Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland // find out more
Berwick Contemplative Arts is a not-for-profit social enterprise working to support the body-mind wellbeing & creative flourishing of our community. Through a year-round programme we establish safe spaces where skills are shared, creative expression is given the time & space to flourish, & participants are able to slow down, reflect on, & share their own experiences. It is run by co-founders Jo Ladd, Ben Lewis, & Tom Sykes who all live & work in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland. // find out more
