Our Programmes

Have you ever been curious about the icons you may have seen in churches on holiday or in some churches in the UK? Has their mysterious beauty ever inspired you? Trying your hand at painting an icon of your own could bring you closer to the power of these ancient Christian images. The practice of icon painting draws the participant closer towards the invisible, inner world into which the icon is a “window.”

Over 40 years Caitlín and John have explored many of the mythic and imaginal doorways of inner vision. This leap year, we chart the voyages of the soul which wakens us to wonder. From the Irish wonder-voyage tradition of the Immram, to King Arthur’s voyage into Annwfyn, and the voyages of the Grail, we come together again as questers in search of inspiration through ritual, meditation, ceilidh, and deep conversation.

For centuries Christmas and the surrounding seasons have inspired composers to new heights of invention. The repertoire chosen for this course will reach across the ages: from the eternal beauty of the Tudor church right up to the twenty-first century.

Join The Gesualdo Six at St Laurence Church in Stroud and step into an enchanting sequence of festive works. For centuries Christmas and the surrounding seasons have inspired composers to new heights of invention. In this programme, The Gesualdo Six weave a tapestry of well-known seasonal carols together with Renaissance gems and highlights from the 21st century. Featuring works by Palestrina, Byrd, Vaughan Williams, Poulenc & Frances-Hoad. The concert will be taking place at St Laurence Church in Stroud.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates. Booking is essential and will close at midday the Friday before the event.

You are invited to join us for a day’s co-working hosted by the RSA. Hawkwood is an ideal location for some quality thinking, strategic planning, or in-depth reflection. Arrive from 10am for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea before heading home around 4pm. Lunch with other Fellows will be provided in our dining room. You will also have access to the Sitting Room as well as freedom to wander our extensive, peaceful grounds, gardens and woodland. Kate Monkhouse, Fellowship Area & Engagement Manager will be around all day if you want to book in for a chat.

Recover from the strains of Christmas, and surrender to the need for deep rest on this winter’s retreat day. The day will include nourishing and gentle yoga techniques including restorative yoga and yoga nidra, as well as time to contemplate the rhythm of winter, and connect with a quieter, intuitive heart-felt part of ourselves. All are welcome.

This one-day course will introduce you to using an axe and carving knife to have a gentle and creative conversation with a piece of wood, turning it into a beautiful and functional spoon for cooking, serving or eating food. Maintenance and care of your tools, safety, selecting your wood, and how to bring your creation to life will all be covered throughout the day.

An uplifting and inspiring journey into positive psychology and what it takes to feel good and function well. The retreat will equip you with a range of practical tools to grow your wellbeing. You will come away with your own toolbox of happiness boosters, which open the gateway to a flourishing life.

This contemporary embroidery course spans three days and consists of supported tutor time and guidance by Leeds based Embroidery Artist and Educator, Elnaz Yazdani. Elnaz will guide you through a variety of hand embroidery techniques, applications and creative methods to get you started on your own creative path for embroidery design and making. Who is this course for? The course is suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some embroidery experience. All levels are welcome. The course would be perfect for anyone looking to study art/textiles, gain a new hobby, find wellbeing through craft or just try something completely different.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2025 dates.

Finding Quiet Strength is a course designed to restore our daily lives to an ideal balance of work, rest and play. We shall be working on finding our emotional intelligence and embodied awareness by revisiting old strengths of mind and body and discovering new strengths we didn’t know we had. The course will reset our choices for the New Year ahead. Finding health, happiness and ease, through enjoyable, achievable routines

Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) is a gentle, nature-based therapeutic practice developed in Japan during the 1980's to help reduce stress and improve mental and physical wellbeing. Although Shinrin Yoku is translated as “forest bathing”, there is no water involved, the term rather describing a state of becoming fully immersed in the forest atmosphere through awareness, observation and meditation.

Be inspired to draw, and harness this skill to reflect creatively and capture your life and the world around you. Kickstart or boost your creative habit with Jo’s Adventures in Art Journaling weekend retreat. The focus will be on drawing, enjoying drawing, and using drawing to gain new skills, having fun along the way!

Understanding human consciousness as a component of the ecological process, we will seek to inspire a creative response to the seasonal cycle. Participants will explore the connection between nature, human nature, and the quest for authenticity. Integrating ecological principles, ritual, and myth participants will develop a deeper awareness of the significance of time and place. We will engage with the land as an integral part of the ecosystem as we experience, through our physiological and psychological responses, the unfolding season.

Life drawing remains the best training an artist can undertake to improve their drawing. This session is perfect for beginners or as a refresher, but is also suitable for advanced students who can set their own goals for the day while enjoying the beauty and hospitality at Hawkwood.

Come and learn the ancient craft of basket weaving! During this one-day workshop you'll learn to weave your own small round basket suitable as a fruit bowl/ bread basket with locally grown willow in a range of colours. If there's time you will be able to add a simple handle to your basket. You will leave with a basket and the skills to know how to make another one at home. This course is suitable for complete beginners.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2025 dates.

This course is facilitated by renowned Gong Master Trainer Aidan McIntyre and Tim Byford. It is their firm intention to share their wealth of experience gained over the years playing for themselves, for individuals and playing for groups. Participants will gain the foundational Knowledge and experience to begin their gong journey with confidence.

A weekend of consorts, chamber music and ensemble playing for recorder players. International award-winning quartet Palisander curates a weekend of ensemble playing that celebrates the diversity of the recorder: with consort settings ranging from optional one-to-a-part chamber groups, to massed playing sessions focusing on large ensemble repertoire, with everything in between. The selected repertoire will span from the medieval to the present day, including repertoire unique to Palisander, tailored to this playing weekend. Members of the quartet blend their extensive performance experience with varied teaching practice, from adult playing courses to conservatoire, to create bespoke masterclasses, recorder orchestra, and coaching sessions.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2025 dates.

Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) is a gentle, nature-based therapeutic practice developed in Japan during the 1980's to help reduce stress and improve mental and physical wellbeing. Although Shinrin Yoku is translated as “forest bathing”, there is no water involved, the term rather describing a state of becoming fully immersed in the forest atmosphere through awareness, observation and meditation.

During this three day workshop participants will be working towards developing simple three-dimensional vessel forms and woven structures. Participants will be encouraged to consider ‘drawing’ with different materials, and to explore linear and spatial relationships by introducing content and detail with fibre and yarns. We will also work with collage, layering and weaving processes in relation to two- and three- dimensional compositions.

Take a break from the treadmill of modern day life, and give yourself the gift of rest and relaxation on this retreat day with experienced yoga teacher Mel Skinner. Expect deeply restful restorative yoga and yoga nidra, inspiring and heart-warming poetry, and time connecting with nature. By releasing stress and tension, we can access a place within us that is already whole and at peace – all are welcome regardless of experience.

Understanding human consciousness as a component of the ecological process, we will seek to inspire a creative response to the seasonal cycle. Participants will explore the connection between nature, human nature, and the quest for authenticity. Integrating ecological principles, ritual, and myth participants will develop a deeper awareness of the significance of time and place. We will engage with the land as an integral part of the ecosystem as we experience, through our physiological and psychological responses, the unfolding season.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2025 dates.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.

A day dedicated to the art of looking, you’ll take in the beautiful grounds at Hawkwood and spend the day painting. Students will start off sketching under birdsong, in the kitchen-gardens, before some detailed experiments in mixing colours in watercolour and a spectacular two course lunch. One-one guidance will take away fear of the blank page; this class is the perfect launch to start a regular journal or sketchbook practice.

Come and join Dee Aebischer, a qualified guide with the UK Forest Bathing Institute, who holds a Masters & PhD in Forest Science, as she leads you on a journey of discovery through the art of Forest Bathing (also known as Shinrin Yoku). This gentle, nature-based therapeutic practice was developed in Japan during the 1980s, with the purpose of reducing stress and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. Although Shinrin Yoku is translated as “forest bathing”, there is no water involved, the term rather describes a state of becoming fully immersed in the forest atmosphere through awareness, observation and meditation.

Inspire and unleash your radical imagination. Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement and author of ‘From What If to What Next’, will lead you on a deep dive into the radical imagination, guiding you on how to harness its power to transform your work and meet the challenges of today.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.

Ageing gets a bad press, portrayed as being downhill all the way. However, contrary to expectations, happiness goes up after fifty rather than down and there are other gains of age like wisdom, emotional mastery and multiple forms of intelligence. This retreat shows you how to use positive psychology to make the most of the third act and sow the seeds of a happy and meaningful later life.

The summer solstice is a pausing place in the turning of the wheel of time, and this retreat invites you into a contemplative and peaceful state of mind. Bringing mind, body and soul together through deeply restful yoga practices and philosophy, as well as journaling techniques and nature-based meditations, we will take time to enjoy the longest day, and find gratitude for the abundance of light and beauty all around us at this time of year.

Unlock your creativity at Hawkwood. Escape the distractions of everyday life and immerse yourself in a peaceful, inspiring environment designed to ignite your creativity. Join us at Hawkwood for a transformative four-day self-guided writers' retreat, where you'll find the space, time, and support to focus fully on your writing. Whether you're a seasoned author or working on your first draft, this untutored retreat offers the perfect balance of solitude, creativity, and community.

Come and join Dee Aebischer, a qualified guide with the UK Forest Bathing Institute, who holds a Masters & PhD in Forest Science, as she leads you on a journey of discovery through the art of Forest Bathing (also known as Shinrin Yoku). This gentle, nature-based therapeutic practice was developed in Japan during the 1980s, with the purpose of reducing stress and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. Although Shinrin Yoku is translated as “forest bathing”, there is no water involved, the term rather describes a state of becoming fully immersed in the forest atmosphere through awareness, observation and meditation.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.

Gong Master Training is an immersion in the art and science of resonant sound as devised by Gong Master Aidan McIntyre. You will be guided on a road to Mastery in the use of Sacred Sound as a transformational tool and in the service to Humanity. Each day we will be working with different sacred instruments; to learn how to use them in performance and healing for others as well as ourselves. Please see Practical Information section for payment methods.

Using experiential practices, ritual, and myth Jennifer and Mark will show how the principles of deep ecology can be aligned to our personal journey of growth and self-discovery. Understanding human consciousness as a component of the ecological process, we will seek to inspire a creative response to the energy of the seasonal cycle. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the connection between nature, human nature, and the quest for authenticity and meaning in their lives.

Come and join this residential weekend, Stephanie’s eleventh at Hawkwood, where you will explore in dance the universal desire of human beings to identify a place as “home”. Stephanie will teach both traditional folk and modern choreographed circle dances that expand on this theme; some previous dance experience is necessary to join the group.

Unlock your creativity at Hawkwood. Escape the distractions of everyday life and immerse yourself in a peaceful, inspiring environment designed to ignite your creativity. Join us at Hawkwood for a transformative four-day self-guided writers' retreat, where you'll find the space, time, and support to focus fully on your writing. Whether you're a seasoned author or working on your first draft, this untutored retreat offers the perfect balance of solitude, creativity, and community.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.

Prepare to move from summer to autumn with deeply restful yoga and nature-based meditations and activities to help you connect with your surroundings, as well as your body. From restorative yoga to remove the effects of high stress, and gentle movement to create space for the breath, plus the relaxing meditative yoga nidra, this retreat promises to boost your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. All of this will aid you in the darker months ahead.

This is an introduction course for Japanese woodblock printing and it is designed to be suitable for absolute beginners. The traditional Japanese prints such as Hokusai or Hiroshige's works are created in the same way. You will design your own block, carve and print. During the workshop, you will learn how to create the registration mark, how to use tools and how to use Baren (printing tool) to make a print.

Why are we, humans, drawn to represent ourselves in image? Humanoid figures are amongst some of the earliest surviving forms of art, so a desire to capture likeness or a portrayal of people is nothing new but how should you go about learning to do just that? A foundational knowledge of drawing is important to all artists, even if your interests lie in abstract or graphical art. A fundamental understanding of anatomy in portraiture will improve your interpretation of the human body and make the process of capturing it on paper easier and more expressive.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.

How to find hope across the landscape of time. How can we become good ancestors? How can reinventing our relationship with time be a source of hope and inspiration for personal and social change? These are the questions you will be exploring in this one-day course with social philosopher and internationally bestselling author Roman Krznaric. You’ll be taking journeys into both the past and future to open your imagination to new ways of organising our politics, economies and community life, revealing possibilities for hope in our turbulent times.

Come and join Dee Aebischer, a qualified guide with the UK Forest Bathing Institute, who holds a Masters & PhD in Forest Science, as she leads you on a journey of discovery through the art of Forest Bathing (also known as Shinrin Yoku). This gentle, nature-based therapeutic practice was developed in Japan during the 1980s, with the purpose of reducing stress and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. Although Shinrin Yoku is translated as “forest bathing”, there is no water involved, the term rather describes a state of becoming fully immersed in the forest atmosphere through awareness, observation and meditation.

Discover a new way of living and relating in this transformative course. Uncover the hidden systems of division and scarcity that shape our lives, and learn powerful tools to break free from them. Through conscious practices, you'll explore how to reclaim your power, restore compassionate relationships with yourself, each other and the world around you.

Finding Quiet Strength is a course designed to restore our daily lives to an ideal balance of work, rest and play. We shall be working on finding our emotional intelligence and embodied awareness by revisiting old strengths of mind and body and discovering new strengths we didn’t know we had. The course will reset our choices for the New Year ahead. Finding health, happiness and ease, through enjoyable, achievable routines.

If you’re looking to join a networking group with fellow business people then we’d love to welcome you to join us for a monthly Hawkwood Huddle. Join us for this new, monthly networking group held at Hawkwood. Connect, share ideas and develop business and community links. Sessions will be held every third Monday of the month, please see below the remaining 2024 dates.