We hope you’ll join us for…
This virtual retreat will help us refresh and restore. Come home to ourselves and our bodies. Do ourselves justice. Map the way forward.
When: Friday, March 19th -
Sunday, March 21st, 2021
Refresh and Restore. Our schedule features workshops, maker spaces, community building, adventures, and skill-building sessions while allowing enough breathing room to spend time making your own work and dropping into real relaxation.
Compass Groups. Participants will be placed in small groups with other folks around the country inspired by the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. Compass groups will connect before, during, and after the retreat to provide support and community with other artists.
We offer a sliding scale to promote financial accessibility to all our programming. You can choose any amount along that scale.
Sliding Scale Rates
$75 - $175 Sliding Scale for Current and Past Midwives Members
$100 - $200 Sliding Scale for public participants
Deadline to register: Friday, March 5th
Schedule
Please note: We encourage you to give yourself permission to carve out the entire weekend for yourself to slow down and step away from your routine. You’ll notice there is downtime built into the schedule for you to prepare meals, make art, connect with others, and experience rest according to your own vision. By registering for the virtual retreat, you are committing to be present for all core programming indicated in CAPS with an *asterisk.
FRIDAY (start times are Central Time)
7-8PM INTRODUCTIONS AND OPENING*
8-9PM MAPPING THE BODY*: In this experiential workshop, we will map our bodies’ natural limits and set an intention to focus on not pushing past or forcing our bodies for the duration of the retreat.
9-11PM Late-night synchronous programming: “What do you make?” And other questions that are hard to answer
SATURDAY (start times are Central Time)
11AM-12PM “THE WORDS ARE MAPS” FOUND POETRY WORKSHOP*: In this makers workshop, we will be guided in creating poems that give a sense of place and home.
12-1PM COMPASS SMALL GROUP MEETING*
1-6PM Afternoon asynchronous programming: Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt. Whether staying in or getting out in the elements, we will each encounter our environs in new ways and bring one of our found objects to the bonfire to facilitate the evening’s toasts.
6-8PM TOASTS AROUND THE ZOOM BONFIRE* (bring a cozy beverage!)
8-10PM Late-night synchronous programming: Co-hosted by retreat attendees
SUNDAY (start times are Central Time)
11AM-12PM ZOOM TRAVEL*: In this makers workshop, we will be guided in using the powers of Zoom technology to transport ourselves to another time and place.
12-1PM DECOLONIZING THE MAKING PROCESS*: In this skill-building session, we will learn about common barriers to making and how to challenge colonialism and capitalism in our artistic process.
1-6PM Afternoon asynchronous programming: Pandemic Cartography. All of our worlds have gotten smaller during the past year. Let’s map it out.
6-8PM SHARING SPACE/CLOSING*
Core Member Facilitators
Primary Facilitator: Fern Pinkston
Guest Facilitators: Kelsey Didion, Thomas Murray, and Emily Ritger
Bespoke Healing. This year, The Midwives are partnering with Bespoke Healing, which helps Chicago’s queer community find their words through liberation-focused therapy, storytelling workshops, retreats, custom-written ceremonies, and career counseling. Bespoke Healing is the professional home of our own Core Member, Fern Pinkston, who will also be acting as our primary facilitator for the weekend. You can read more about her work at https://www.bespokehealingchicago.com/
Questions? Email contact@bespokehealingchicago.com