Come and join us in breathtaking nature for some fun, some sun, some swimming and some singing!
Nourish your soul at Swan’s Nest, a private nature sanctuary, high on the Oak Ridges Moraine, surrounding a deep and ancient, spring-fed kettle lake. And only an hour’s drive from downtown Toronto!
Rufus Glassco and Natty Abdou are thrilled to invite you to come and sing some of our favourite community songs that we each teach in a simple, call and response way. Come join us to sing songs that connect us to Mother Earth and her elements. That connect us to each other and that sense that we're all in this together!
Songs that uplift us, heal us, and make us feel a deep sense of grace, optimism and hope.
Not only are we delighted to be sharing of love of singing and offering a day of song together, we would also like to offer YOU to opportunity to lead a song or two if you like. If you’re interested, please reach out to us beforehand on Messenger.
Itinerary
12:00 -12:30 - Arrival, sign in, quick dip, & smudge.
12:30 - 2:00 - Opening Ceremony & Singing
2:00 - 3:00 - Swim, sun and / or walk the forest trails
3:00 - 4:30 - Singing
4:30 - 6:00 - Potluck Outdoor Picnic, Connection Time, Final Swim
6:00 - 7:30 - Singing & Closing Ceremony
Your Facilitators:
Rufus Glassco is a trilingual facilitator who works with sound and nature to help people of all ages to connect, learn and heal. His company, Sound Benefits, specializes in experiential learning and healing through Drum Circles, with a focus on health and wellness, as well as Sound Healing, Community Singing, Forest Bathing and Shamanic Coaching. He helps both individuals and groups to relax, and come into greater resonance and harmony.
He is also an Advanced HealthRHYTHMS facilitator and a HealthRHYTHMS Adolescent Protocol facilitator, and has studied the art of drum circle facilitation, and how to heal with drums, with some of the best known pioneers in the industry. He is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.
In 2017 Rufus became a sound healing practitioner, and is the founder and director of Sacred Song Circles, a community choir that he started online during the pandemic.
He passionately believes that everyone has rhythm, and a voice worth sharing, and that we all long for, and benefit from, real connection with others, and with mother nature.
Natty Abdou
I am a community facilitator, theatre practitioner, life-long learner and creative soul who loves to reflect, share and learn alongside others for the purpose of community creation and transformation. Through a blend of participatory, creative and somatic approaches, I nurture the co-creation of learning spaces rooted in shared values - inviting personal reflection and learning and embracing a vision of solidarity, social justice and change from the inside-out. I believe in learning that engages the mind, body, heart and soul, drawing on our lived experience and inner wisdom for the purpose of community healing, peacebuilding, capacity-building and change.
I seeded Heart Song Rising! (a humble social justice community choir) in 2017 with the intention to make space for the unique gift of each of our voices and the power of bringing them together in harmony for social change. I believe that singing is one of our birth rights and that great joy, connection and transformation can come through the liberation of our voices!
I can be reached at natalie.abdou@gmail.com with any curiosities around facilitation and community weaving. Bless up!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SWIMMING IN THE LAKE: Don't forget to bring a bathing suit and towel if you like swimming - the lake is deep and very refreshing! PLEASE NOTE: There is no lifeguard on duty. The lake is very deep, and unsupervised. Please swim with others and use a life jacket if you are not a strong swimmer. Children and minors must be supervised at all times. Life jackets are available upon request.
PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED AS WE ENCOURAGE OUR GUESTS TO SAFELY WALK SHOELESS TO ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EARTHING.
THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY AND THEREFORE AN ALCOHOL AND PSYCHEDELIC-FREE EVENT.
CANNABIS IS PERMITTED BUT MUST BE RESPECTFULLY CONSUMED WITH DISCRETION AND AWAY FROM OTHER GUESTS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.
TICKETS:
Early Bird (Limited number available until Sunday, September 3rd at 11:45 PM) - $20
In-Advance Adult: $25 ($30 at the door - if available)
Bring a friend / partner: $40 for 2 tickets
In-Advance Child, Youth or Older Adult (60+): $15 ($20 at the door - if available)
BONUS: $5 cash discount upon arrival for all carpool drivers who bring at least one other person.
e-Transfer INSTRUCTIONS:
INTERAC e-Transfers can be sent, without a fee, to rufusglassco@gmail.com, subject to availability (please ensure the tickets are not sold out first). NOTE: PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE MESSAGE SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU OR REFUND YOUR TICKET IF NECESSARY
The image used in our Singing In Bloom Series was commissioned by Morgan Brent, founder of Singing Alive (http://singingalive.org/), and is used with his permission. The artist is Jiivanesha and can be reached (to share your appreciation or to commission your own work of art) at jiivanesha@gmail.com.
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