Singla Creative Retreat (balance)
Singla Creative Retreat
August 9th-15th 2024 Cost: $1,675
Thank you for your interest. Registration for this small group retreat is full and the waitlist is closed. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page for news of future opportunities.
Singla, Arnøya Island, NORWAY
Come join Hannah Viano and Anna Brones for an extra special creative retreat in northern Norway.
Do you need a place to recommit yourself to your creative practice? Do you need permission to experiment with new mediums? Do you need a creative recharge? Have you been feeling an itch for adventure? Do you need time to just be? Then this retreat is for you.
Experienced educators, artists, and facilitators, Viano and Brones have designed this creative retreat to be a space of inspiration, collaboration, and rejuvenation. It will be a space to explore a variety of mediums and methods, and to inspire you to take your creativity in new directions.
At Singla, a historic homestead on the shores of Arnøya Island in northern Norway, the setting is as much our creative inspiration as our workshops. It’s a place to spark a renewed sense of wonder.
This retreat is about giving yourself permission:
Permission to create.
Permission to commit to our process.
Permission to explore.
Permission to learn.
Permission to be less precious about our work.
Permission to be.
A couple of important notes:
The house and buildings are unfortunately not ADA accessible and involve steep, narrow, stairways to the sleeping quarters. and lots of uneven terrain around the property. The living areas are very close quarters and we will be sharing food, space, and activities in an intimate, supportive group environment (6 students plus hosts) we encourage folks who are comfortable living simply and looking for this type of collaborative experience to register.
We make family style food in a small kitchen are not always able to accommodate all dietary needs. If you are considering this retreat and require accommodations please contact us in ADVANCE to discuss details and see if this retreat is a good fit for you.
Read on for more details!
The Island of Arnøya is roughly a 25km x 25km square with a couple tiny villages and 300 total residents. The entire mountainous interior is tree-free open roaming through alpine meadow dotted with icy lakes and steep slopes that fall into long fjords all around the coast. There are 2 tiny grocery/post offices on the island and that is all. Sheep sleep in the road and reindeer roam the mountains and mudflats. The weather is dynamic with rainstorms blowing through often and daylight that lasts for 24 hours all through the summer months.
The Place, called Singla by locals, is a historic homestead that is in the process of being re-imagined as a base for arts, research and adventure (you can see/read a little bit more about that project at www.starlightandstorm.org and the @starlightandstorm Instagram account).
First developed in the 1850s it consists of a handful of buildings from generations of fiskerbonde or the fisherman-farmers life, including an old pier, boathouse, barn, cottage, and small working lighthouse, complete with all of the tools and treasures of years gone by.
The first floor of the big blue fjøs (barn) will be our space for creating when not out-of-doors. The small farmhouse cottage has snug double occupancy rooms and a kitchen and living room for eating group meals and relaxing by the cozy woodstove. The house provides very rustic accommodations along the lines of a backcountry hut, trading modern conveniences for the rich stories and charm of the spaces. We do have running water for cooking and washing, but encourage sea dips paired with sauna for bathing. The bathroom contains an incinerating toilet. The kitchen is small but mighty and we look forward to sharing Scandinavian traditions like fika (afternoon coffee with fresh baked treats) and foraged wild favorites from fjell and fjord.
Our Days will include guided creative activities in the barn studio as well as walks to explore the islands' high meadows and rocky coastline with stops for writing or sketching with occasional prompts or suggestions. We might also forage for berries or mushrooms, do a baking lesson together, practice yoga in the grass, or have a beach fire feast. There will also be plenty of free time worked into the schedule to relax, read a book, nap, follow your own interests in the studio or take a salty swim. Breakfasts and dinners will be family style, offering plenty of time to connect with the other members of our group. *Any group excursions are optional, but do require an ability to comfortably hike several miles with steep inclines and descents.
Getting there: You will be above the Arctic circle in the farthest northern region of Norway. The nearest major airport is in the delightful city of Tromsø. From there you can take a passenger ferry most days of the week direct to the island in about 2 hours (recommended), or there is a more roundabout car route that includes an undersea tunnel and a small car ferry. We encourage you to thoughtfully consider a trip such as this and if possible plan in time to explore further in the region before or after your week with us. We are happy to make suggestions for travel planning and will provide ferry and logistics information before the retreat begins.
Cost: $1675
The retreat runs over 7 days/6 nights with all meals, lodging, and on-island transportation included in the price, as are all class materials and a curated travel art kit to take home.
To reserve your spot, we require a $425 deposit.
Cancellation Policy: Deposits are non-refundable, and the remaining balance is due by April 1. Because of the nature and location of this retreat, we have a strict cancellation policy, please consider purchasing your own travel insurance if needed. For cancellations made after fees are paid in full, we may be able to offer you a partial refund (75%) if someone from our waitlist is able to take your place. If we are not able to fill the spot, we will give you a 50% refund up until May 1st. Cancellations made after May 1 that cannot be filled from the waitlist will not be eligible for a refund.
Questions!?!? If there is anything further we can tell you about the retreat, the accommodations, the island, or travel concerns don’t hesitate to write to us via starlightandstormsingla@gmail.com
Anna Brones is a writer, artist, and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. She works as a papercut artist, hand cutting illustrations from single pieces of paper, which have been used everywhere from books to wine labels to public art installations. Passionate about sharing creativity with others, she regularly teaches workshops, both in person and virtually. She is the founder of Creative Fuel Collective, a platform devoted to creativity and hosts the Creative Fuel podcast. She is also the author of several books including Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, Live Lagom: Balanced Living the Swedish Way, and Best Served Wild: Real Food for Real Adventures. She contributes to a variety of digital and print publications.
Hannah Viano Is an artist and educator based in the Methow Valley, WA and Arnøya, Norway. She strives to collaborate across disciplines, seeking out projects that illustrate important ecological stories, and use education to foster stewardship and a sense of place. This comes to life through teaching residencies, science outreach, cross- pollinator expeditions, and community integrated public art projects. She is the author/illustrator of several books including S is for Salmon: A Northwest Alphabet, Arrow to Alaska, and Weathering Journal, and is also co-founder of Starlight and Storm- creating an arctic base for inter-disciplinary arts residencies, workshops, research, and exploration..