Togethering at Spirit Horse

An Improvisation Residency in Nature

Wales · 3rd to 7th September 2026

A focused residential gathering for people wanting to spend longer inside creative practice.

This residency is designed for collective attention.

Time to move beyond short workshops and individual practice.

Time to work closely with others, with the land, and with your own creative process.

Rooted in Contact Improvisation and open to wider forms of improvisation, we’ll work across movement, sound, composition and collective creation.

Spirit Horse is still taking shape collaboratively, and more details will be confirmed with participants closer to the gathering.

What feels clear already:

focused practice

beautiful land

shared meals

deep attention

and enough space for something meaningful to happen

What

A residential improvisation residency working across movement, sound and composition

When

3–7 September 2026

(3 full days + arrival and departure days)

Where

Spirit Horse, Wales

Format

Residential, fully catered, shared accommodation + camping

Who it’s for

People with an interest in embodied improvisational practice

Held by

Alexander Dodgson

Philippa Arnold

Spirit Horse community

The invitation

This is a focused gathering made for deeper engagement.

Mornings begin in practice and discussion.

Afternoons open into creative research, rest, time outdoors or collaborative exploration.

Evenings may move into open creative space, reflection or collaboration.

Some parts of the schedule will remain flexible so the residency can respond to the group and the environment.

This is not a drop-in event.

It’s a step into the unknown as a shared experience.

The place

We gather at Spirit Horse in a remote valley in Wales.

Water moves through the land, often heard before it is seen.

The ground is uneven with stone, grass and mud underfoot.

We move between a simple studio, open land and firelight.

There are rivers, waterfalls, open meadow, sauna spaces and handcrafted structures across the land.

There is very limited signal, simple living and plenty of time outdoors.

The environment is integral to the experience.

The practice

This residency explores improvisation as both practice and composition.

In simple terms:

How do we shape what is happening while we are inside it?

We’ll work with:

movement scores

group improvisation

composition tasks

partner work

creative collaboration

open exploration

Later in the residency, we may move into more performance-focused expressions.

This is part of the practice of holding space for each other, not an obligation to perform.

Who this is for

This is for people with an interest in movement, improvisation or embodied practice.

Contact Improvisation experience is welcome, but not required.

What matters most is curiosity, responsibility and a willingness to stay with uncertainty.

This is not designed as a first introduction to improvisation.

Living and conditions

Arrival: Wednesday midday (TBC)

Closing: Monday midday (TBC)

Group size: approximately 20–25 participants

Accommodation: shared indoor spaces + camping

Meals: fully catered, simple, plant-based meals

Facilities: compost toilets, river bathing, limited electricity and minimal signal

There will be space for rest throughout the residency.

Contribution

Sliding scale: £220–£360

This includes:

daily facilitated sessions

shared creative research

rustic accommodation

fully catered meals

access to dance space and beautiful land

Amazing sauna with waterfall access

Higher contributions help support lower-cost places and keep the work accessible.

Some supported places will be available.

Final details will be shared with participants this summer.

Join us

We’re gathering a small group for this first residency.

Places are limited.

If this feels aligned, we’d love to hear from you.

From there, we will be in touch to continue the conversation.

Any Questions? Reach out…

If something calls you to us, feel free to reach out.

📧 commonbodycollective@gmail.com

‘Togethering’