ABOUT THE RETREAT

This summer we meet again at Potkávárna U Havrana in Czechia, near the border with Germany and Poland, for a 4-day retreat immersed in forests, meadows, and green hills.

The retreat invites you into a journey of intimacy with your body, your voice, and the natural surroundings. By reconnecting with the elements, we tune into the subtle vibration and inner voices that ask to be heard, allowing them to find free expression.


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

  • Somatic work of voice embodiment, grounding the voice in the sensory experience of the body, reconnecting to the intelligence of breath, vibration, physical-vocal impulses, and deep listening.

  • Learning traditional songs from Eastern European traditions with Irena, focusing on primal melodic structures, oral transmission, and the embodied knowledge carried by folk songs.

  • Collaborative Vocal Improvisation and intuitive singing with Alessio, using frameworks that support the emergence of spontaneous songs, group instant compositions, sound story telling and collective entrainment.

  • Singing in nature, going for walks by the river, through the silent forests, letting ourselves be embraced by the presence of trees, river, wind, insects, musk, soil.
    The natural landscape becomes a companion of our process, a powerful soundscape reminding us to deep listen and make space inside in each moment.

    The approach to music and singing is rooted in intuition, imagination, memory, and togetherness, offering us different keys of meeting through sound.


DAILY FLOW

Each day we will alternate working between the intimate yoga studio and the wild nature surroundings, depending also on the weather choreography.

The indoor sessions focus on hands-on practices to connect with the vocal body through gentle touch, exploring your many voices, and the foundation principles of Collaborative Vocal Improvisation (CVI), as an art form that brings people together in a circle to celebrate our innate musical creativity. 

In the outdoor sessions you will be guided to explore singing with the elements, tuning with the streams of river, rain, or wind; resonating with trees and soil, singing with fire, and experiencing the place of the human voice in dialogue with the elements.

Each day will include time for silent walks, individual reflection, deep rest, shared meals and moments of spontaneous connection.


FOR WHOM

This retreat is for you if you wish to slow down, fine-tune your relationship with your voice, and rediscover music as a form of intimacy with your creative self, with others, and with the natural world.
You do not need to be a professional singer or have any formal training.
What matters is curiosity, willingness to listen, and the desire to be moved.

Alessio Castellacci

Alessio Castellacci is an Italian voice artist, teacher, and programs curator working with voice, movement, and singing improvisation.
His methodology, Embodied Voice Flow, integrates somatic practices, Collaborative Vocal Improvisation, ecological and holistic approaches, exploring the voice as a bridge between body, consciousness, and environment.

Irena Z. Tomazin

Irena Z. Tomažin is a Slovenian performer, vocalist, choreographer, and teacher whose work bridges experimental improvised music, movement theatre, and voice research. She has created multiple voice-movement performances, released four albums, and collaborated with several sound artists. Her work explores the visceral connection between voice, gesture, body, space, and sound.

LOCATION:

POTKÁVÁRNA U HAVRANA, LIBEREC (CZECHIA)
More info www.potkavarnauhavrana.cz/
How to get there: regional bus from Prague, or train to the town of Liberec followed by a regional bus.

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 Potkávárna 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 camper van.

WORKSHOP:
- SLIDING SCALE 390-590€ (choose your fee according to your financial possibility)
Limited number of participants. Places are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
- EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 350€ for payments received before February 15, 2026.

The retreat will be co-led by Alessio Castellacci and Irena Z. Tomažin if the minimum number of 10 participants is reached.
With fewer than 10 participants, the retreat will be facilitated by Alessio Castellacci only.


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 don’t see our message).

If you have any question, please contact Alessio at:
info@the-world-is-sound.com

THE SCHEDULE

POTKÁVÁRNA