Winter Weekend Retreat
A weekend escape outside of Lisbon, Portugal, for the EV community to drop in and dive deep
January 31 - February 2, 2025
Embodiment holds the door open for the expressive, the creative, the ineffable...
Percebi de forma muito concreta como corpo e voz estão intimamente conectados, como o som se molda e viaja. Descobri vozes que desconhecia e sons que não sabia que me habitavam.
I realized very clearly how body and voice are intimately connected, how sound shapes itself and travels. I discovered voices I didn’t know and sounds I wasn’t aware lived within me.
This weekend is designed as a space for the Embodied Voice community to spend precious time together deepening the practice of voice, movement, and improvisation.
It will entail a deep-dive into embodiment and the voice, ranging from the more subtle inner somatic landscape of voice and functional voice technique, to the more outer expressive and collaborative aspects of singing from an original source of inspiration.
The Embodied Voice, created by Kate Smith, is a practice for living more joyfully in mind, body and voice, by combining voice, movement, mindfulness and improvisation. Kate's teaching is grounded in a care, respect, and profound curiosity for the science behind the voice-mind-body connection. Embodiment and somatics offers an additional dimension that holds the door open for the spirit - the ineffable, while improvisation creates a welcoming space for play, expression and joyful creativity.
The weekend will be structured with morning yoga and meditation, followed by a deep-dive morning session on vocal technique and embodiment. In the afternoons we will practice various forms and games for creating music in the moment. After dinner we will let loose, enjoying circle singing, harmony songs, and co-created spaces to play with everything we have learned during the day.
The weekend is designed to offer a connected pathway from learning about embodied singing to singing creatively with others.
Morning Sessions
Sessions in the morning will focus on training the voice-body connection through somatics education and movement exercises. We will combine flow experiences followed by a technical workshop breaking down and clarifying certain principles, including:
What is Embodiment? What is Somatics?
Bringing mindfulness into our relationship with our bodies as we sing
Introducing some basic neuroscience to understand how we learn and create new skills
Discovering vocal technique from a somatic point of view
Clarification of important anatomy and how the body functions to support a healthy and expressive voice
Afternoon Sessions
Afternoon sessions will dive into the creative, expressive and collective side of this practice. We will learn new games and practice forms for creating songs in collaboration, cultivate our personal expressive voice, and hone our musical skills. Subjects we will touch upon will include:
Nurturing own expressive voice from an embodied place
Creating melodies and song forms
Using words or made up language
Exploring our habits or roles in a collaborative context
Expanding our musical vocabulary with modes and less-familiar time-signatures
Improving our rhythmic vocabulary and precision
Practicing deep listening and experiencing the flow
“Kate’s lightness and joy combined with her obvious deep feelings for her work have made the sessions an amazing and happy environment. She is an alchemist and her work is transformational.”
“I enjoyed to viewing deeper into the body and voice connection. It can’t be experienced enough and there are always new explorations and surprises. I got inspirations and new ideas - especially about fascia, nervous system and diaphragms - they’re now on my agenda of research for my own teaching and singing. ”
Daily Schedule
Friday January 31
14-16 soft arrivals
16-18h30 welcome session (2.5hrs)
19-20 dinner
21-22 circle singing & harmony songs
Saturday February 1
8-9 yoga & meditation
8-10 breakfast available
10-12h30 morning session (2.5hrs)
13-16 lunch & rest time
16-18h30 afternoon session (2.5hrs)
19-20 dinner
21-22 co-created cabaret
Sunday February 2
8-9 yoga & meditation
8-10 breakfast available
10-12h30 morning session (2.5hrs)
13-15 lunch & rest time
15-17h30 afternoon session (2.5hrs)
18h soft departures
Our Host
Ser Vivo, Arrabida Natural Park
SerVivo is a venue, which holds space for living and exploring authenticity, connection and joy. They support integral human development, co-creating a global culture of trust and heartful connection, inspired by the wisdom of nature.
SerVivo is not your regular venue, as the space is also a permanent and temporary home to co-livers and volunteers. At the moment 3 people live there long term, and usually 3-10 volunteers stay with them for up to 9 months at a time.
Catering
Meals will be homey vegan and vegetarian fare.
How to Get There
The best way to travel to Ser Vivo is by car. However, there is public transportation, ending with a bus that delivers you to the nearby town of Palmela. From there it’s about a 30 minute walk to Ser Vivo.
Address
Estrada do Vale dos Barris, Palmela, Portugal
Details & Booking
To book please click on the link below to fill out a google form and receive the banking information to send in your deposit. Your spot is not reserved until we have received your deposit.
Dates + Timings
January 31 - February 2, 2025
Arrivals from 14h00 on Friday
Departures from 17h00 on Sunday
You do not need to have prior experience as a singer, improviser or mover in order to participate. However, you will probably get more out of the weekend if you have some prior experience with collaborative vocal improvisation, can hold a pitch and keep a rhythm. In addition, if you are dealing with any access needs, working with the voice and body can be quite strong and will need to be approached with care. Please let me know in advance so that I can support you safely through the weekend.
Prices
Early bird *until December 1st 2024
€320 tent
€330 dormitory
€350 caravan/(private room sold out)
Bring a friend discount *after the early bird expires - if you book together you will both
€350 tent
€360 dormitory
€380 caravan/(private room sold out)
Regular *between December 1st 2024 and January 17th 2025
€380 tent
€390 dormitory
€410 caravan/(private room sold out)
Last call *after January 17th 2025
€430 tent
€440 dormitory
€460 caravan/(private room sold out)
Local Portuguese income *according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), the average Portuguese salary is about 1,090 euros per employee. I am committed to doing my part to keep Lisbon affordable for locals at this income level. If you feel like this describes you, please feel free to book at the below prices
€220 tent
€230 dormitory
€250 caravan/(private room sold out)
What’s Included
>> 2 nights of accommodation at Ser Vivo near Palmela, Portugal
>> Towels, linens and blankets will be provided
>> All meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (all food provided is Vegetarian)
>> Approximately 16 hours of facilitated sessions
What’s Not Included
> > Travels and transportation to the retreat center*
>> Additional activities or trips to nearby attractions
Questions?
• Do I have to have done some EV workshops before I can attend the retreat? No, that's not necessary. You can join the retreat even if this is your first time experiencing The Embodied Voice.
• Is the retreat curriculum linked to the weekly workshop? For people who have done any EV workshops, the retreat will be an opportunity to deepen the work you've already begun. The material covered will be more comprehensive than the workshops, in that we'll have time to go into more of the theory behind the practice.
