Workshops

Join us for intimate workshop experiences designed to deepen your relationship with the land before or after your nighttime encounter with the Nightingales.

Craft from the Land Workshop

Sat 11 April | Thu 7 May | Thu 14 May | Fri 15 May | Thu 21 May

Join one of our talented local craft artisans for an intimate, hands-on workshop that invites you to slow down, settle into the rhythms of nature, and discover the deep satisfaction of creating something beautiful with your own hands. These workshops create space for mindful presence, for conversation and connection with fellow participants, and for experiencing the meditative quality that comes from focused, creative work.

Working with natural materials gathered sustainably from the land around us, you'll explore traditional craft techniques including basket-making, decorating tiles, weaving and making bark bracelets. Each workshop will be led by skilled local makers who bring not only their expert craftsmanship but also their profound connections to the natural world. No experience necessary.

Foraging Walk

Sat 11 April | Sun 12 April | Sun 19 April | Sun 26 April | Thu 30 April | Fri 1 May | Sun 10 May | Fri 15 May | Sun 17 May | Fri 22 May | Sun 24 May

A knowledgeable local foraging expert will help you discover the remarkable abundance of wild edibles and medicinal plants flourishing all around us in this beautiful landscape. As you walk gently through woodland, meadow and hedgerow, you'll learn to see the land with fresh eyes; recognising the edible and healing plants that have sustained people for millennia, many of which we pass by every day without noticing. Equally important, you'll learn about sustainable harvesting practices that honour and protect these precious wild resources.

This is foraging approached with respect, curiosity and care; not just about what we can take from the land, but about deepening our relationship with it. Suitable for all levels, from complete beginners to those wanting to deepen existing knowledge. Please wear appropriate footwear for outdoor walking (or no footwear at all!).

Nature/Conservation Walk

Fri 24 April

Woodland conservationist Steve Jones, who has tended these ancient woods for over 20 years, will take you on an illuminating walk through the landscape he knows intimately, its seasonal rhythms, its hidden corners, and the intricate web of life it sustains. Steve's deep knowledge and gentle passion for this place shine through, and you'll begin to understand the thoughtful stewardship required to maintain these precious ecosystems and the patient work of seed collecting and propagation that ensures the woodland's future.

This is more than a nature walk; it's an invitation into relationship with a living landscape, guided by someone who has devoted decades to its well-being. The walk moves at a contemplative pace with time for questions, close observation, and quiet moments of appreciation. Please wear appropriate footwear for outdoor walking (or no footwear at all!).

Rewilding Walk

Sat 11 April | Wed 20 May

Join Dylan Walker, Director of the People's Park for Nature, expert rewilder and passionate advocate for the Ouse valley, for an experience that will transform how you think about nature, rewilding, and your own place within the living landscape. Dylan brings an infectious, playful love of the natural world that awakens something wild in all of us. His approach is joyful, sensory, and deeply engaging.

This is rewilding not as an abstract concept but as something felt, embodied, and alive. You'll discover what it means to "rewild yourself", to reconnect with the instincts, awareness and vitality that come from immersing all your senses in the natural world. Then you will step into the role of the large mammals that once shaped our ecosystems but have long since vanished. This is a powerful way to understand the ecological roles these animals played, the cascading effects of their absence, and what their return might mean for our landscapes.

No previous knowledge needed, just curiosity and a willingness to let your wild side out.

Nature Connection Workshop

Fri 8 May | Fri 22 May

We are honoured to welcome Thomas Schorr-Kon, world-renowned bushcraft and nature connection expert, for two rare and special workshops that will fundamentally shift how you experience the natural world.

Thomas brings decades of profound experience working with indigenous tracking methods and nature awareness practices from around the globe. His teaching invites you to step beyond being an observer of nature and into a state of full sensory immersion and belonging within it.

Through ancient techniques of tracking and "invisibility" skills, you'll learn to move through the landscape with heightened awareness and minimal disturbance, reading the subtle signs and stories written in broken twigs, disturbed earth and animal trails. More than this, you'll discover how to truly tune in; quieting the busy mind and awakening the instinctive, receptive consciousness that allows you to sense the pulse and presence of the living world around you.

No previous experience necessary, just an open heart and curiosity. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear.

Wild Singing Workshop

Fri 24 Apr | Fri 8 May

Join Sam Lee or one of our guest choir leaders for a joyful group singing workshop held beneath the woodland canopy, where human voices blend with birdsong, rustling leaves, and the living acoustics of the trees themselves.

This is about the pleasure of making collective sound, of feeling your voice resonate in the open air and the ancient human practice of communal singing. Your leader will guide you gently through vocal warm-ups and simple songs, helping everyone find their voice in a supportive, playful atmosphere where there's no such thing as getting it wrong.

This workshop offers a welcoming space to explore, play, and be surprised by what emerges. Suitable for absolutely everyone – all voices welcome, no experience necessary.

Creative Writing in Nature Workshop

Fri 8 May | Thu 21 May

Let the natural world become your muse in this immersive writing workshop, drawing inspiration from the sights, sounds, textures and rhythms of the landscape. Guided by an experienced writer who understands the deep connection between place and creativity, you'll discover how spending mindful time in nature can unlock fresh ways of seeing, thinking and expressing yourself on the page. The workshop combines gentle wandering and attentive observation with carefully crafted prompts and exercises.

You'll leave with new pieces of writing and perhaps a renewed appreciation for how the natural world can nourish and inspire our creative practice. Suitable for all levels, from those who've never written creatively before to experienced writers seeking fresh inspiration. Please bring a notebook and pen.

Our Workshop Leaders

  • Lisa Dear

    Craft from the Land

    Living on the land at our Sussex site, Lisa brings over 30 years of wisdom gathered from a life of travel and connection with the natural world. She'll guide you through an introduction to basket-making using willow sourced within meters of your creation.

  • Steve Jones

    Nature/Conservation Walk

    Steve Jones has tended these ancient woods for 20 years. He leads an illuminating walk through the landscape he knows intimately. From the art of coppicing and seed collecting, to the careful stewardship that sustains this precious ecosystem.

  • Dylan Walker

    Rewilding Walk

    Director of the People’s Park for Nature, expert rewilder and lover of the Ouse valley, Dylan brings an infectious and playful love of nature encouraging participants to rewild themselves and learn more about rewilding, connecting to nature through all our senses.

  • Daniel Grimston

    Creative Writing in Nature

    Dan is an actor and award-winning playwright from rural Sussex, whose writing focuses on blurring the boundaries between humanity and the natural world. As Poet in Residence , he tells stories from both sides of that divide, human and non-human.

  • Alice Betony

    Foraging Medicine Walk

    A qualified naturopath and Western herbalist practising from Sussex, Alice has dedicated her life to the medicine of the more-than-human world. Through her Sacred Seeds Herbal Project, she shares ancient plant wisdom through walks and workshops.

  • Max Martin

    Mindful Foraging Walk

    A foraging expert with deep knowledge of edible plants and sustainable harvesting practices, Max guides participants through the wild larder around us. His mindful approach teaches identification skills and ethical foraging techniques.

  • Thomas Schorr-Kon

    Nature Connection Walk

    Thomas is an internationally recognised expert in survival skills, nature connection and tracking. He brings decades of experience teaching people to move with awareness in the natural world. Tune in, track and engage.

  • Katie Duncan

    Wild Singing

    A creative facilitator, writer and musician with over ten years' experience in participatory arts, Katie has delivered workshops at venues including Glastonbury, Shambala, and Hay Festival. She brings her passion for expressive creativity to wild singing circles.

How to book

Important: These workshops are exclusively available to attendees.

Adding a workshop to your SWN experience is simple:

  1. Visit your event's booking page

  2. Click "Book Tickets & Add-ons"

  3. Scroll down to "Workshops"

  4. Add workshop tickets to your basket

  5. Complete your booking

Already booked your SWN experience? You can still add a workshop through your event's booking page - it will automatically link to your existing booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Simply return to your event's booking page and follow the booking steps above. The workshop will automatically link to your existing booking.

  • Workshop bookings follow the same cancellation policy as our event tickets:

    More than 8 weeks before your event

    • You can receive a full refund for your booking minus a £25 administration fee, OR

    • Choose a voucher for the full value of your booking minus £25, valid for the 2026 or 2027 season

    Less than 8 weeks before your event

    • No refunds or vouchers are available

    • You may transfer your booking to another date (subject to availability) for a £25 administration fee, up to 4 weeks before your event

    If we need to cancel a workshop, we'll provide as much notice as possible and give you a full refund.

    • Afternoon workshops take place the afternoon before your booked SWN event from 5:00 pm and last 1.5 hours. You will have time after the workshop to prepare before the evening event starts.

    • Morning workshops take place the morning after your SWN event and start at 10.00 am and last til 11.30 am or 1.00 pm, depending on the workshop type.

    • Please arrive 5-10 minutes early so we can begin promptly.

  • Yes, all materials are included and locally sourced.

  • Outside workshops will proceed in light rain (please dress appropriately). Craft workshops take place under shelter. In severe weather, we may need to cancel and will provide a full refund.

  • Morning-after workshops

    • Bell tent guests must check out before the workshop begins at 10:00 am

    • DIY camping participants can pack up their tents after their workshop ends

    • We'll provide a safe space to store your belongings during the workshop

    • Weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear

    • A water bottle

    • Any personal snacks

    • Your curiosity and creativity!

  • We’d love to hear from workshop leaders who can offer experiences that align with our mission of deepening people's connection with nature and the natural world. If you have a workshop that could enhance our guests' journey of nature connection, please complete this form.