Land Accessibility 

• There are gravel roads and hilly, grassy fields. There are flat meadows for camping and trails that lead to a very rocky bedded creek. The lodge area is where food and choir will happen and is mostly flat surface for entering and exiting. 

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Food

• All meals are going to be beyond organic*, gluten free + vegan with meat as an option, if this doesn't work for you or your child(ren), please be prepared to bring your own foods (there can be no camping cook stoves or fires or smoking of any kind in the meadows. Especially in July, it will be very dry and we must insist on zero fires/flames outside). The kitchen will not be available for individual use. We will often have additional offerings of meat/eggs with the meals.

• Please bring your own cups, plates, utensils, water bottles, hot water vessels, etc. We will not be providing this. 

• There will be a snack table and we still encourage parents to bring snacks and food for your children.

• At each meal you will line up to be served buffet style. After each meal there will be dishwashing stations and a compost bin. 

• Beyond organic* - we are going to work with local farmers and producers to source seasonally and as nutritious as possible. Our minimum of sourcing will be organic. 

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Garbage

• We have a pack it in, pack it out policy. 

• Each individual is responsible for their own garbage, including feminine products. Please be mindful to leave the land more tenderly cared for than you found them. 

• For meals, there will be a compost bin. 

• For bathrooms, we will have porta potties for toilet paper only. 

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Can I come part time? Can I come for only a day?

• Short answer: No. The container building is very important to us and the opening sets the tone for our whole weekend together. 

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Community Service

• Community service is optional and we highly encourage it. It helps the village run. Build relationships. And give back. 

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Creek + Nudity

Being naked in water feels sooooo amazing! & So does holding each other well, wisely, skillfully. Nudity means and brings up different things for each of us, based on our trauma histories**, our regions of home, our positionalities of race, sex, gender.  Does our short gathering have enough time/space for us to tend what will come up with nudity? We are wondering and strategizing. 

 

One thought is that there will be enough to tend to in the field (with logistics and grief and showing up fully to the priority of recording) that we considered taking this variable off the stack. But because we have access to two beaches on the creek, we are making the following two option available for attendees:

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1. One beach will be designated for a clothing optional space.** 

2. And the other beach will be designated as a space to wear swimsuits acknowledging that as much as naked swimming can be healing for our homecoming with water and pleasure, we will save that for spaces with more attention for it.  

 

Regardless of your decision of where to dip, please be mindful that there are 100’s of folks coming together from different places for this temporary 4-day container. 

 

**This gathering holds an awareness of the support needed for all bodies present.  We are particularly aware that song gatherings have historically been predominantly white bodied. As we dream into futures where gatherings like these are thriving in our diversity of sex, gender, race, abilities, cultures, etc. we recognize the importance of authentic relationship building and the responsibility of educating ourselves. 

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We encourage our white siblings to do some basic research (especially in the context of beach nudity at this gathering) on the narrative of the Black Brute and the ways in which white women’s bodies have been weaponized to justify the violence towards Black Men. And the ways in which white male bodies have been weaponized to try and control Black and Brown bodies in order to protect white women. Further learnings recommended on Aaron Johnson's site, The Chronically Undertouched. 

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This gathering is a nanochip within a larger culture shift that is taking place. We appreciate our willingness to learn together and from one another.

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Where do the funds for ticket sales go?

• The two main purposes for this gathering is to 1. Record the choir and 2. Continue to raise funds to support the completion of this work of art/album in its post-production stage. 

• All proceeds collected for this gathering cover event expenses (Food/Caterer/Tent structures/Production management/Engineer and venue alone averages $50,000) and then we are paying several artists and facilitators minimum exchange compensations. Any additional funds are poured back into the album, WAILS: Songs for Grief for studio time, engineering, musicians, vocals, mixing + mastering. As we play with different forms of economy, this gathering is one way of exploring a collectively funded musical art project. LEARN MORE HERE. 

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What if I want to attend but can't afford a ticket?

• SCHOLARSHIPS: All scholarships have been paused. We encouraged folks to apply for a partial scholarship (we will be prioritizing low income, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, disabled folks) and as funds become available we will respond. If the tiered costs are a barrier, please fill out this form. 

• WORKTRADE: All work trade positions have been paused. We had a limited number of work trade positions for a half price ticket at $265. If you wish to be considered for work trade, please fill out this form.

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What if I want to sponsor someone to sing in the choir?

• As we shift our culture, we are consistently finding ways to support the myriad of communities we are intertwined with. We envisioned this avenue of donations to support low income + other marginalized identities to have more equitable access to attend this gathering. This is a way to support from afar. Perhaps you are not able to attend yourself, but would love to sponsor another singer that is more local to attend. Perhaps you have access to steady income and stability in your home/life, and have access to resources through family or friends. Perhaps you are someone who comes from wealth, privilege and/or multiple means to resources and have the capacity to contribute towards sponsoring a singer so that there is more equity in our ecosystem of care. SINGER SPONSOR FORM

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Refund Policy

• All cancellations prior to May 1 will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations after May first will only be refunded (50%) if we can fill your spot with someone from our waitlist. You cannot, yourself, transfer your ticket to a friend. Each person must submit their own separate registration. Your space is not reserved until we receive your payment in full.

• This is not an event to make profit, it's to be funneled back into the project for the completion of WAILS: Songs for Grief, the album. This album/event/journey has a fixed cost attached to it. This gathering is an experiment outside of capitalism: creating an event to fund an art project that MANY will have access to later down the line. LEARN MORE HERE.

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Will I need to bring any money?

• We will be selling some WAILS merch and may or may not have some vendors. Check back later. There is some cell service on the land in which case venmo could work. We do recommend bringing some cash just in case. 

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What is the camping set up like?

• This gathering is a closed container. We ask that folks commit to arriving before 1pm on Friday 7/28 (we will close registration at 1pm and won't be accepting late arrivals) to set up camp and pack out by Monday 7/31 by 2pm. There is NO creek camping and we will have General Camping, Light Sleeper Camp Zone, Family + Kiddo Camp Zone. The Land is a wide open meadow with plenty of room to set up camp where and how you’d like. Camping is first come first serve, so arriving on the earlier side will afford you the most options when choosing where to set up your tent. You can arrive as early as 9am on Friday 7/28 and as late as 1pm on Friday, we won’t be accepting folks after 1pm. Arriving early is also suggested so that you can acclimate and familiarize yourself with the land and its facilities. There is little to no shade, so thinking about creating shade structures might be a bonus for some. 

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What are the bathroom situations like?

• All campers have access to 8 portapotties on site and make shift hand washing stations. Campers are asked to NOT use the lodge facilities due to a sensitive septic system. There are no showers and we encourage folks to bathe in the creek. Please do not use any products (including sunscreen) in the creek. 

 

Will there be first aid on site?

• Yes. 

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How to get there

Flights into Seatac or Bellingham are the closest. Car rentals will probably be the best option. We will create a carpool link for attendees later down the road, but no guarantees. Without traffic, the location is roughly 1.5 hours from Seatac driving and roughly 50 minutes from Bellingham airport.

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Who curated this gathering?

• It takes a village to run a village. Alexandra Blakely is the artist and curator of the WAILS gathering, recording and album. WAILS gathering is a culmination of several different teams queenbeeing different hives (see collaborators) along with many other supporters offering input not listed/named. 

 

What to bring

• Please note that for camping there is no shade. Please bring additional shade structures if that feels important to you. Shade for meals + gathering is provided and we will be indoors for recordings

• Plate / Bowl / Cup / Utensils / Water Bottle -  we will not be providing this

• 1-3 ounces of water from a body of water near where you are coming from (optional, and ritually prioritized) we will mix them all together

• 1 piece of coal from your hearth to add to the Sacred "Fire" (optional, and ritually prioritized) we will mix them all together and the coals will be used to light a fire for the release of WAILS: Songs for Grief into the world in early 2024

• Trash bag for your own garbage. We have a pack it out policy. You are responsible for your own garbage

• Handkerchiefs for blowing noses (if grief arises) we won't have tissues on site and this will help with less waste

• Tent

• Sleeping Pad

• Sleeping Bag

• Pillow

• Sun hat

• Sunscreen

• Swimsuit

• Towel

• Flashlight/Headlamp 

• Special Dietary foods (as needed)

• Electrolytes for yourself and a friend!

• Appropriate footwear: all gathering spaces will be shoe-free

• Journal

• Tote Bag or Daypack

• All whale paraphernalia (anyone have any whale bones???)

• Readiness to adapt to what unfolds with curiosity, kindness and patience

• If you can bring a hard cart or wagon to help move your gear and others’ between parking and camping, please do!

• Altar items (altars)

• A yoga mat if you plan on doing morning yoga with Jamuna + also a blanket if that feels cozy to you

• Clothing: The weather will likely be lovely in July. But since we will be outside 83-100% of the time, bring multiple layers of clothing so you can adjust to the changing temperature. We will have bell tents, and there is no shade in the meadows. Please come prepared for this. Late evening and early morning temperatures might be quite chilly. Bring shoes that are sturdy on trailed paths, but are also easy to remove when you enter a shoes-off space (yes, we know that is a tricky combination). Bring a swimsuit if you want to swim in the creek.

• IF YOU ARE ABLE/WILLING:

  • As many flowers as possible, brought in a bucket of water that we can store indoors until Sunday. ​

  • Wheel barrows and wagons that we can borrow to help people lug their camping gear to their camp sites.

  • Lawn Chairs (as many as you can) for group use

  • Floor pillows (as many as you can) for group or personal use

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Please remind yourself of the following

 

• You don’t have to be or look a particular way to come to this gathering. We welcome diversity in identity, knowledge, skill and expression. 

• We ask folks to come with a spirit of curiosity, an intention of unification and a willingness to learn. 

• This is not a “party” environment. If folks are disrupting attendees in any way due to substances, you will be asked to leave. 

• Many of the plants on the land are fragile and will not recover from damage.  Please be sure to honor and respect them by being aware of your steps.

• Our stay on the land will most likely take place during a fire ban, so please be aware and do not bring any fire including candles to the gathering.  

• Be prepared to be walking. The sanctuary, kitchen and camping areas can all be a 5-10 minute walk from each other depending on where you are on the land.

• The camp is set up for a variety of camping. Plan to camp out in the open, in tents or vehicles. There are no RV hookups. 

• Wagons will be available to carry your belongings to your campsite from the parking area.

• We love pets, but please leave them at home.

• Cultural Appropriation - at this gathering we ask that if you are sharing, be it medicine or song, etc., that is from your ancestral lineage and you are able to provide knowledge about the origins. 

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We made you a playlist!