Our intention is to gather community who live in & around Portland, Oregon and who are deeply invested in exploring the healing, artistic, and revelatory potentials that can arise in group dynamics. This weekend is a space for what we call “deep relational play.” Check out the manifesto from the 2023 retreat to read more about what this means. There are many examples of existing play structures like that, and we’d love to invite participants who have experience with or are interested in them, including: Contact Improv, Psychodrama, Voice Dialogues, Internal Family Systems, Circling, Authentic Relating, Experimental Theater, Family Constellations, Clowning, Core Energetics, Performance Art, Group Relations, Developmental Transformations, Processwork, and other related practices.

Our play will involve each of us taking significant responsibility for our own safety. This weekend is designed for participants who are skillful at knowing their boundaries, expressing a “no,” disentangling from volatile parts of themselves, offering compassionate listening to others even in the course of a stressful event, and providing self-soothing when needed. While we at DPI play with folks all along the spectrum of these skills, and feel that there are many important reasons a person might not have these capacities at any given time, this event in particular is designed for folks who feel quite skillful and confident in these ways in this moment.

The retreat will be organized into two parts. The first part will be devoted to a handful of deep dives into relational play structures facilitated by the two organizers – Netta and Aaron. The idea being that we begin our time together within structures that can help us deepen our collectivity, sense of expression, and shared language. In the second part, the facilitators will loosen their structural grips, and provide more spacious meta-structures (activities and games) designed to help the group collectively create and experiment with relational structures. Do you have a relational structure you’ve been dreaming up? A parts-work playground? A confrontational congregation? A psychodrama symphony? We’ll be helping participants design these kinds of collective experiences, and then stepping into them together.

Structure: We are requiring that all participants arrive by 7pm on Thursday July 4th. Our first evening will have a collective meal, and some easeful games to introduce ourselves to each other. Friday morning will be devoted to a group check-in, group agreements, and setting intentions. The bulk of Friday will be devoted to deepening relational play structures, and then most of Saturday and Sunday will be devoted to collective structure building and experimenting. Meals will be organized by a lead chef, with all participants volunteering to help with cleanup. Departure will be at 5pm on Sunday.

–🌾— PRACTICALS DETAILS —🌾–

Food & Accommodations: The retreat will take place at Elkenmist, a working farm and retreat center near Skamokawa, WA. With the exception of a beautiful yurt that can fit ~25 people, most of the setting will be outdoors (sauna, outdoor showers, outdoor kitchen, fire-pit, hundreds of acres for hiking, etc). All food will be provided by an on-site chef and collaborator. The meals will include breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will be simple, healthy and largely resourced from the farm. We will take account of dietary restrictions and needs and provide reasonable accommodations. Participants will be asked to help with mild food prep and cleanup. All lodging is camping, and participants will need to bring with them: tent, sleeping bag, pad and other desired camping supplies.

Costs: Registration covers food and program costs. Price is tiered based on 3 income levels. Please see link for higher res image. Regular Tickets (after early bird): Tier 1 $430. Tier 2 $330. Tier 3 $230. BIPOC Tier 3. All prices are in USD. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who needs it. 

Partial Attendance: All participants are required to arrive on the evening on Thursday July 4th. Given the intimacy and trust building inherent to the program, we cannot allow for late arrivals. We ask that all participants plan to stay for the entire time, however leaving early (if necessary) is possible.

Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event - minus a $20 processing fee. After this time we are unable to provide a refund for the event.

Any questions? Please email: thedeeplayinstitute@gmail.com