our mission
As breath moves into different parts of the body and is filled with voice, we become more finely attuned to the points of tension and discomforts held in the body and release them with sound. This movement creates space for deep self-inquiry, and listening to our own body’s wisdom as the source of information and creativity in each moment.
The integrated cells and organs that make up the human organism are an instrument that allows us to get in touch with the rest of the universe. The body is like a probe full of sensitive devices that tries to obtain what information it can from the awesome reaches of space. It is through the body that we are related to one another and to the rest of the world. While this connection itself may be quite obvious, what we tend to forget is how enjoyable it can be. Our physical apparatus has evolved so that whenever we use its sensing devices they produce a positive sensation, and the whole organism resonates in harmony.
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Our Bios
Bethan Lloyd
From studying Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge to living with indigenous tribes in Brazil, I have been exploring the otherworldly nature of voice on and off stage since my childhood in Wales.
My exploration has included training as a classical singer, performing in the experimental / improv scene in Berlin and learning with both shamans, masters, and the wordless ancient teachings of the natural world. My most inspiring retreat was a month in solitude with only my voice overlooking the sacred Island Ynys Enlli. I currently live on Anglesey in North Wales, the ancient nest of the Druids.
For the past three years I have been studying in a Celtic Mysteries school deep in the heart of Snowdonia. There I have had the opportunity to delve deeper into my life long experiences with the ancestors, the otherworld and ritual practice. I have also been fortunate to teach at some of the best earth-based-practice schools on these Isles, the highlights being Cae Mabon and on 'The Decent' at Embercombe alongside Mac Macartney.
I have worked as a composer, television reporter, and performer. I play as a part of the electronic / ritualistic beats duo Jet Pack Dog with Isaac Ray. I have performed solo across the globe and currently have three solo releases; Sacrificial Scribbles, Muesli Mode and Vessel, with a brand new album on the way this year.
Katya Barton
I remember my mother telling me that as a baby I would scream so loudly that my entire face would turn purple. The image of this trembling, screaming, purple baby always stuck with me; that raw, unfiltered expression of voice. I wanted to know: when did we stop singing? Why did we stop singing? This question led me on a solo expedition back to my Eastern European roots, to the Primeval forest of Białowieża. I gathered and documented traditional songs of the land directly from their source, the Grandmothers of the local villages of Ukraine, Poland, and Russia.
Learning from cultures that are still so deeply connected to their landscape through song and singing does something to you. There is a remembering that happens deep in your bones. My journey and research into how the voice can return us to a more intimate relationship with our land and bodies, will never end. As I continue to go deeper into the work, I find that there are no answers, only more questions. I share with you part of this process that has allowed me to ask these questions, in the hope that they might evoke a curiosity in you, as they have in me.