ABOUT THE RETREAT

This Summer we meet again in the Czech forest at Potkavarna U Huvrana for a new edition of our beloved Tuning with the Forest Retreat. Irena will not be joining as a co-facilitator this time, and I will be holding the space alone. While I will deeply miss her presence and contribution, the essence of the retreat remains grounded in the practices that have drawn us together in past years.

We will move through a designed group journey, anchored in three main areas:

Somatic work of voice embodiment, grounding the voice in the lived experience of the body, reconnecting to the subtle intelligence of breath, vibrational sound, physical-vocal impulses, and deep listening.
Collaborative Vocal Improvisation and Circle Singing, using frameworks that support the emergence of group instant composition, spontaneous songs, sound story telling and collective expression. These tools are not only musical—they are relational, offering ways to meet one another through sound.
Singing in nature, going for walks by the river, in the silent forests, letting ourselves be shaped by the presence of trees, water, wind, and soil. Rather than using nature as a backdrop, we’ll engage with it as a living counterpart—responsive and full of voice.

We will alternate working between the intimate yoga studio and the wild nature surroundings. The indoor sessions will be focused on connecting with the vocal body, exploring your individual voices, practicing the foundation tools of CVI (Collaborative Vocal Improvisation), as an art form that brings individuals together in a circle to celebrate the present moment of collective aliveness.
In the outdoor sessions you will be guided to explore singing with the elements, humming/tuning with the streams of river or rain, resonating with the trees and the soil, singing with the fire, experiencing the significance of our voices in the vastness of nature.
Each day will include time for silent walks, individual reflection, group practices, and moments of shared meals and spontaneous connection.

This retreat is for those who wish to slow down, recalibrate their relationship with their voice, and rediscover music as a form of intimacy—with oneself, with others, and with the more-than-human world. You do not need to be a professional singer or have any formal training. What matters is curiosity, a willingness to listen, and a desire to be moved.

There are still some places available. If this calls to you, I would be happy to hear from you.

Alessio Castellacci

Alessio Castellacci is a teacher of voice embodiment based between Berlin and Italy. He studied Developmental Psychology (La Sapienza University - Italy) and Choreography (Artez Institute – the Netherlands). He has worked since 2007 as a contemporary dancer and a sound composer for various choreographers in Europe. Since 2008 he has been dedicated to exploring the expressive possibilities of the human voice, and has since developed a pedagogical approach for voice & movement improvisation. Seminal experiences in his understanding of the voice-movement-mind integration have been his studies with the extended vocal techniques pioneer Meredith Monk; with Vocal Dance originator Patricia Bardi; with ethnomusicologist Mark Van Tongeren; with sound healer Amit Carmeli (The Music School Of Life) whose work has a profound impact on his relationship to voice, breath, and consciousness. For the last 17 years Alessio has been teaching regularly workshops in different venues in Europe (he has taught a.o. at Tanzhaus Zurich, Improspeckje Festival Zagreb, Altart Praha, Wasp Bucharest, Ials Rome, Kontakt Festival Budapest, Tanzfabrik Berlin, SMASH Berlin, NOW! Festival Berlin, ROAR Berlin, Dans Centrum Syd Malmö, Proda Oslo, Skolen for Samtidsdans Oslo, Dance Atelier Reykjavik, K3 Hamburg, Hzt Berlin, Choreography BA Rejkyavik, Dance BA Copenhagen, BARD College Berlin, University of Osnabrück and many others.
From 2012 to 2021 he has curated the educational program SMASH - now continued as ROAR Berlin - a yearly program for movement art. In 2017 he initiated with choreographer Jule Flierl the performance series From Breath to Matter, in which different artists are invited to share work around the topic of vocal dance and its political implications. Since 2017 Alessio runs with voice artist and teacher Irena Z. Tomazin The World is Sound (TWIS), a platform for sound and voice practices based in Berlin. Alessio is a certified Estill Figure Proficiency (EFP) practitioner of the Estill Voice Technique, and a certified IFS (Internal Family System) Level 1 Practitioner.

LOCATION:

POTKÁVÁRNA U HAVRANA, LIBEREC (CZECHIA)
more info www.potkavarnauhavrana.cz/

FEES:

ACCOMMODATION (includes 5 nights / 3 vegetarian meals x day / use of facilities)
- 5150 CZK (approximately 205€, depending on the currency exchange) to be paid to Potkavarna upon arrival
(there is a possibility to use the outdoor sauna, which is charged separately according to personal usage)
- 3150 CZK (approximately 125€, depending on the currency exchange) for accommodation in your own van.

WORKSHOP(*):
- SLIDING SCALE 430-590€ (according to your financial possibility)
(*)Limited number of participants, places are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
- RETURNING PARTICIPANTS FEE: 390€ (for participants who have already joined a retreat with Alessio and Irena)

REGISTRATION:

To apply please fill the form at the bottom of this page. You will receive a confirmation email after submitting your application (check your spam folder if you can’t see our email).

For more information and registration, please contact:
Alessio at: info@the-world-is-sound.com