The Hara-Goe community camp

… a vacation with a twist!

A 10-day kid-friendly gathering in a stunning landscape, where people can relax, play, create, open up… and take home a warm feeling of togetherness!

Community building and creative expression are at the spotlight of this event. Enjoying nature, with walks to the mountain or the sea, organic love-made food, dancing, singing and having fun, are also part of the experience.

Moreover, it is a case study of the Hara-Goe project / Stagones and a catalyst for establishing and expanding it.

What is the Hara-Goe project?

According to the Japanese culture, “hara” is the center of gravity of human existence. “Hara-Goe” is the vibration of this center, our inner voice, our singing soul.

The Hara-Goe project is an educational, cultural and artistic hub. By modeling a micro-cosmos where these three points are being approached holistically, it frames an experiment where Life can be experienced as a whole. It initiates and reflects the process of people forming an organism, creating networks, living together.

And that’s how transformation is possible!

The Hara-Goe project / Stagones, the first of a, hopefully, growing network of urban and rural communities, is envisioned to be structured around a naturally built Agile Learning Center and a Music & Arts Studio. Core points of our suggested model include valuing diversity, taking meaningful action for meaningful results and bringing about a fair and resource based economy.

What does it offer?

This camp offers a taste of community life within an agile framework. As our motto is “minimal structure – loads of free space!“, none of the days will look the same! Agile facilitation will be provided to the degree people are interested in, so our daily activities will be determined by the group dynamics and intentions, using the agile tools.

The scheduled sessions include:

• In depth exploration of the topic “Community Building”
• Hands on activities on “Non Violent Communication”, “Social Permaculture”, “Sociocracy” and more.
• A communal case-study of the Hara-Goe project / Stagones. Together we will come to conclusions, insights, new ideas and actions.

Examples of possible offerings – bring your own!

• A combined Introduction into Sound Acoustics and naturally built recording spaces.
• The on-site production of a song.
• An introduction into natural cosmetics and remedies.
• The creation and performance of a theatrical play (for kids, adults can join).

Flow of the day:

Breakfast – Morning session – Offerings – Lunch – Free time

Afternoon circle (session) – Dinner – Hang out – Night rest

Our workshops are kids-friendly!

This doesn’t necessarily mean that parents can forget about their kids, but we will encourage communal co-parenting, offer alternatives and specific activities, when needed.

the facilitators

“I have a burning desire to live among people who are free to do what they love! Since permaculture gave me the tools to achieve this in my own life, I started spreading it through my blog, the translation of a permaculture guide, developing interactive plays and organising/facilitating tribe-building experiences in Greece. My toolkit includes Compassionate Communication, the Transition Movement, the Art of Hosting, Social Permaculture, Sociocracy and the most primitive tools of social bonding: dancing and singing! With my partner Ilias, upcycled furniture maker and craftsman, we are running an upcycling lab in Korinthia, Greece called PLUCK. More background info here.”

“We feel blessed to organize and host the Hara-Goe Arts camp. It feels like turning a page, summing up our gathered experience, extracting what is essential for us and possibly for others; setting up a route for the journey to continue! We hope that what we have to share resonates with you and we are looking forward to meet and welcome you on site. You can read more about us here.”

Who is it for?

The Hara-Goe Arts Camp is for everyone who feels the need to play an active role in helping a new understanding and a new culture to emerge:

• People who are interested in Community Building, Education, and Art.
• People who want to engage in the Hara-Goe project. There will be different ways and degrees of engagement.
• Artists who like to share their experience and talents.
• People who enjoy the company of others, walks in nature and the big blue sea.
• Kids, kids, kids (and everybody who feels like one)!

Where, when, how much?

The Hara-Goe Arts Camp will take place at the Stagones Test Site on the east coast of Evia island, Greece, from Friday 26th of July to Sunday 4th of August.

Accommodation options include camping pitches, canvas bell-tents and caravans. There is free access to a second kitchen and we encourage participants to use our compost toilets and outdoor showers, keeping the imprint low. There are also off-site options in the nearby area, and with plenty of advance notice, we will do our best to find the perfect fit for everyone.

A delicious, vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner are daily prepared with care in our outdoor kitchen. Ingredients are mostly organic and local, and the menu includes healthy dishes kids usually like.

The workshop will be held in Greek and English. German translation will also be supported.

For participating we ask for a contribution on a sliding scale from 300 to 500 euros.

Upper margin: what we consider a fair price for the workshop, considering expenses, labor and a reasonable surplus for supporting the project.

Lower margin: threshold where it starts becoming unsustainable to organize the workshop.

These margins are considered adult contributions. We want to support families with kids, so please let us know about your situation and ask for a family-contribution. We wish for this exchange to be meaningful and balanced. This is already the Hara-Goe experiment in action!

So, if reading this makes you feel as excited as we feel, get in touch and come join us!

More information about the Hara-Goe project here.