March 11-16, 2025 in Berea, Kentucky

The Rebellious Performance Retreat in rural Southeastern Kentucky will be a 5-day immersive residential retreat focused on activist performance practices and support for the artists who make this work (or desire to learn).

The retreat will take place in a beautiful setting with access to nature and other humans who share struggles and joys on our paths as creators. Artists interested in intersectional feminism, LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-racism, and anti-oppression of all kinds to the front! People of all genders are welcome to participate. This project is generously supported by an Art Meets Activism grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women. REGISTER NOW

Fall 2023 Rebellious Performance Retreat works-in-progress showings L-R: Hannah Dewitt, Malcolm Davis, Hannah Burt, Nicole Garneau, Kyra Higgins

Fall 2023 Rebellious Performance Retreat works-in-progress showings L-R: Hannah Dewitt, Malcolm Davis, Hannah Burt, Nicole Garneau, Kyra Higgins.

Gentle partner stretches allow us to practice consent and communicate the needs of our bodies. This session was led by Hannah Burt.

Rebellious Performance Retreat participants learn about Critical Response Process

The Rebellious Performance Retreat utilizes Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process for giving and getting feedback on works-in. Photo: Nicole Garneau.

Retreat Activities:

(1) Physical and vocal training.

Performers use our bodies and voices as the medium of our work. Sharing training practices not only conditions the individual, it builds group trust and cohesion. Through training, we set a tone that honors all bodies and gives us space to practice consent with each other. 1-2 hours of morning training are available but never required. Participating in training is optional.

(2) Space for individual work.

Most of the day is unstructured time for artists to explore and rehearse on their own or with others. Appropriate work space is designated for everyone depending on their needs.

(3) Sharing of works in progress.

Critical Response Process discussion following Hannah Dewitt’s performance sharing at the Rebellious Performance Retreat 2023. Photo: Nicole Garneau.

Many artists have ideas they want to try, but lack the space to experiment with performance-in-progress (especially in places outside major cultural centers). Everyone will be invited (but not required) to share their work. Feedback will center the needs of the artist rather than criticizing or fixing anyone else’s work.

(4) Workshop sessions.

Methodologies such as Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, Nicole Garneau’s Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism; story circle, and other practices may be shared. We uplift the work of artists whose work is connected to our own lineages of practice.

(5) Explicit process.

Time and care in the retreat will be dedicated to establishing how we handle conflict; how we give and receive feedback on our work; and how we care for ourselves, the community, and the world.

Retreat Outcomes:

(1) Focused time to make your work.

The Rebellious Performance Retreat is ideal for artists who are interested in working outdoors and/or showing their work in a natural environment. Here participants walk out to a designated spot at dusk to see a presentation of Malcolm Davis’ work. Photo: Nicole Garneau.

Getting time away from regular responsibilities and distractions, you might be amazed what you can make in 4-5 days.

(2) Documentation of your work.

A professional photographer/videographer will be employed by the retreat to document the work of all retreat participants for use in publicity and grant applications. Every participant will receive a collection of still images and one video file, ready to be uploaded wherever the artist wishes to share (YouTube, Vimeo, etc).

(3) Community of Rad Artists!

New Comrades! Colleagues! Collaborators! Pen pals! Hookups! Gig-sharers! Hustlers! Dreamers! Builders of the world we want to live in!

(4) Public Sharing.

Performance opportunities may manifest from the gathering of people at the retreat.

Schedule Overview

Rebellious Performance Retreat participants share evening meal with invited guests: musicians Rachel Meirs and Sabine McCalla. Photo: Nicole Garneau

Tuesday, March 11:

3pm-5pm Arrive, settle into housing

5pm-7pm Supper

7pm-9pm Retreat orientation, overview of the space, community agreements, goal sharing

9pm Free/unscheduled time could include: sleeping, socializing, snacking, fires, music jams, movies, games, stargazing

Wednesday, March 12-Saturday March 15:

8am Breakfast available (self serve)

9:30am Physical warmup/conditioning, vocal training (optional)

Participant Valerie Magnuson and Critical Response Process facilitator Leah Mayers. Photo: Nicole Garneau

11am Workshop sessions:

  • Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process: Since this is the process we will use to provide (optional) feedback to participants, we will do a quick intro to the methodology.

  • Other Workshop TBD based on needs/desires of participants. Could include: Performing Revolutionary/UPRISING: Encourage participants to animate their activism by infusing creativity into their social justice work, engaging with political content, and reclaiming public space for art, and Story Circle: Learn about the story circle process and how it can be used to develop performance material. Build on generations of Appalachian / Southern performance-makers who use(d) story circle in their theater work

12noon Lunch available (self serve)

1pm-5pm Open space for rehearsal and exploration. All participants will have designated space in which to work.

6pm Supper

7pm Performance sharing and feedback

9pm Free/unscheduled time could include: sleeping, socializing, snacking, fires, music jams, movies, games, stargazing

Sunday, March 16

8am Breakfast (self serve)

10am Check out of Happiness Hills Farm

Sabine McCalla was performing at First Friday Berea so we spent an evening in town with buddies. Photo: Erica Chambers.

11am Closing, reflection, and brunch at Nicole’s house (10 min drive from retreat location)

2pm Retreat concludes

Who This Retreat is For:

  • People 18+ who are engaged in any kind of performance or theater

  • People who support feminism, LGBTQIA+ rights, and anti-racism, and/or whose work engages with these ideas

  • Individuals who are developing new solo performances

  • Small groups of collaborators who want intensive time to work together on a group project

  • People who like watching performance and theater, and who want to offer generative feedback to other artists

  • Artists who are from Kentucky and/or making work in Kentucky

  • Artists from anywhere in the world who would like to visit Kentucky, appreciate its beauty, and get to know some of Kentucky’s rad artists!

This Retreat is Not For:

  • People who are looking for a LOT of instruction or a fully guided experience. This retreat will have some workshop/skill sharing aspects but also a lot of unstructured time for people to guide their own work.

  • People who are hostile to feminism, anti-racism, and/or LGBTQIA+ rights, or who need the basics explained or justified.

Retreat Logistics & Registration Process

Dates: Tuesday, March 11-Sunday, March 16, 2025

Location: Retreat center outside of Berea, Kentucky. Location details will be shared with people who are registered, or who email Nicole Garneau directly.

Lodging and Meals: All participants will have a bedroom inside a house with all amenities. All meals will be provided, and dietary restrictions will be honored whenever possible. Retreat participants will also have access to a full kitchen and fridge for snacks or personal food. Everyone is encouraged to stay onsite but local participants with care responsibilities may opt to stay off campus and commute for work days.

Tuition: Tuition includes all meals and housing, materials for the retreat, facilitation, and documentation. Tuition is based on a sliding scale in an attempt to make the retreat accessible to as many people as possible. If you have questions or need more information about tuition, please email Nicole Garneau.

Invest in your Work! $1,500 - $500 Sliding Scale

The $1,500 rate may be for you if:

  • You are comfortably able to meet your basic needs

  • You may have some debt but are still able to meet your basic needs

  • You own your home or property, or rent a higher-end place

  • You are employed, or don’t need to work to meet your needs

  • You have access to financial savings or family wealth in times of need

  • You are receiving grant funding to attend this retreat

  • An organization or institution is supporting you to attend this retreat

The $1,000 rate may be for you if:

  • You may stress about meeting your basic needs but are still able to achieve them

  • You may have some debt but are still able to meet your basic needs

  • You are employed

  • You are receiving grant funding to attend this retreat

  • An organization or institution is supporting you to attend this retreat

The $500 rate may be for you if:

  • You frequently stress about meeting your basic needs and struggle to achieve them

  • You have debt that prevents you from meeting your basic needs

  • Your housing is unstable

  • You are unemployed/underemployed

  • You have limited access to expendable income

  • You live locally and would like to sleep at home

Payment Plans, Other $$ Proposals

If none of these options works for you, make another proposal or suggest a payment plan. There may also be scholarship funds available. Registering in this category means that you would like to have a conversation about a different financial arrangement than the ones listed here. Let’s talk about it!

 

Rebellious Performance Retreat 2023 participants. Photo: Nicole Garneau.

The Rebellious Performance Retreat is supported by an Art Meets Activism Grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women.