Waaaaay on back in 2017 I was invited to a small artist retreat held up in BC, Canada.
No cell reception, no internet. Lake. Garden. Ocean. Ravens, night swimming, oysters, nettles.
Other artists, of varied paths and mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpture, writing, musicmaking, experience-making, world-building.
I left expanded and changed, as an artist and person. I’ve been back a handful of times since and this June, I was able to help facilitate a week-long session and am humbled and so grateful to be able to contribute to this community that has so held and supported me.
Why Are We Crowdfunding?
We want to develop a healthy scholarship fund for creators of color to attend our retreat. This is the primary goal of this fundraiser.
We have always operated our retreat at break-even, but over the last two years, we’ve awarded a significant number of scholarships. We have relied on personal donations to keep this retreat viable and have run a couple retreats at a loss.
We are expanding our organizer roster to create a more diverse and inclusive roster of facilitators, both on and off-island. However, most Wayward work is volunteer-based(on-island retreat organizers receive a small stipend), and we would like to have a budget to better compensate our organizers.
Right now, we are only able to hold Wayward once a year. By training a new roster of organizers, and being able to pay them, we may be able to hold Wayward more frequently, including the possibility of running our online retreat Homeward, increasing our ability to provide this experience to a larger diversity of artists.
We are in the process of developing a longer term plan for the long term focus and sustainability of the retreat house, including collaborating with other Quadra Island residents to establish a non-profit dedicated to ecology-based education and retreats for activists.
Kickstarter/fundraiser rewards include art objects created by former retreaters, yours truly included. This special space has been cultivated by folks dear to my heart. I long for the spirit of this creative hub to continue.