Welcome to Braziers’ education and events page! Below you will find listings of our own organised courses and events where we can offer some concessions and reductions on room rates according to income, and also outside organised retreats and events including the regular festivals. Education is our main purpose and we believe in teaching by being and learning by doing – we aim to provide a wide variety of learning and teaching opportunities including at our wider community weekends which give a taste of community life and a wide range of topics.
Covid Precautions: we are now asking all visitors to take a lateral flow test before entering the house (either before leaving home, or upon arrival). Please do not attend any session if you have any Covid symptoms. In the event of becoming unwell with covid symptoms we will assist you to isolate and return home. We are providing hand gel and undertaking extra sanitising of shared facilities.
Please read our guidelines for guests before booking a course or visiting Braziers. We are looking forward to welcoming you at last! You can find our refund policy here.
Wood Festival will return in 2022 – original tickets valid. Register here for 2022 tickets
Sensory Online
On Zoom Every Tuesday 7:30pm – 8:45 pm – Free
Join an online space considering Braziers’ place in the world today. In these uncertain times, Braziers Park intentional community is calling on the wider community to help us make more conscious and adaptive decisions. Click here for more info.
“Sensory” is the other half of the (multi-mental) social organism that forms the integrative process in development at Braziers. The integrative process is “change within continuity”. The first and last question Sensory asks is “what have we learnt and what do we want to change?” i.e. what could be done better or differently. If Sensory forms a consensus then it will make a recommendation to Executive (a decision-making meeting at Braziers), currently the other half of the social organism, for implementation. Executive may resist this but has a duty to protect and follow the recommendations of Sensory. Topics will be posted weekly.
If you are interested in joining this meeting, please email volunteers@braziers.org.uk for consideration.
December 2021
Buried Deep – 3 Day Shamanic Healing Workshop
Friday 5pm to Sunday 4 pm
Come and explore nature’s way of uncovering what lies within you. Learn ancient teachings of winter and how to sustain yourself in life’s storms.. Click here for more info.
Kids Go Wild
Sunday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
A monthly fun-filled Forest School session led by qualified Forest School leader Charlotte Alchin in 55 acres of meadows and woodland. Suitable for all ages and whatever the weather – dress accordingly, may get mucky! Varied activities outdoors in nature. Click here for more
One adult only may attend with each child or family group. Limited places. Book here Book here.for 14 November and 12 December
February 2022
Snowdrop Teas Open Days
10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday
During this weekend at Braziers Park, visitors will be welcome to walk around the estate to savour the delights of Spring and come for tea and cake in our pop-up tearoom inside the main house. Our collection of snowdrops is spread throughout the woodland and gardens. Click Here for More Info.
Free maps of the snowdrop walk will be available from the house and guided house tours will run at intervals throughout the weekends. Home to the Braziers Park intentional community since 1950, residents will be on hand to speak to those interested in life at Braziers.Dogs are welcome at this event, but we ask that they do not come inside the house (with the exception of registered assistance dogs) and that they are kept on a lead at all times. Gates open 10 am – 4 pm. A limited number of Bed and Breakfast rooms are available – advance booking is essential. Admission is £4 for adults and parking is £5 per vehicle. We have limited parking space and want to encourage lift-sharing and using public transport where possible (we are easily reached from Reading or Oxford by the X39/X40 bus service). Tickets will be available on the day; however, advanced booking is strongly advised. Events like these help to keep Braziers running! Click here to book your tickets .
Tru Dru Yoga Retreat
Friday 4pm to Sunday 4 pm
Indulge yourself in 3 days of Yoga, Meditation, Access Consciousness healing therapies and a relaxing Gong bath all set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and lots more on our very special Winter Retreat at Braziers Park – just one hour away from London Click here for more info.
April 2022
Community Experience 2-Week Retreat
Early Bird Prices: £249 Shared, £459 Single
A multiweek residential retreat for those interested in intentional community and holistic lifestyle. Running April 22nd to May 8th. More Info.
Come and have an immersive holistic experience connecting with others and nature in a deeper way. There will be opportunities to:
Learn about trees, gardening & food growing
Practice healthy vegetarian/vegan cooking
Learn about sustainability and permaculture
Experience communal living, dining & co-management
Participate in “Sensory”, bonfire & other activities
Have time to relax, be in nature, & find purpose
Contribute to the UK’s oldest secular intentional community
Learn about peace activism & conflict resolution
Email courses@braziers.org.uk if you have questions. Prices start as low as £249 per person (all meals and accommodation included). Participants required to arrive by Saturday April 23rd. Use coupon code SEARLYBRD22 for early bird discount off single accommodation. Click Here to Book!
May 2022
May Fayre Open Day
Monday 11 am – 5 pm – £4 Adult Entry, £5 Parking
Once again Braziers Park opens its doors for our annual open day. More Info.
There will be live music throughout the day, stalls, children’s activities, BBQ, bar, tea room and house and garden tours. Free entry for the first 20 bookings made before March (use coupon code MAYERLYBRD). Car parking £5 per car. Click Here to Book.
We are happy to hear from stallholders, especially those selling handmade and low-impact items, and for any musicians and entertainers who would like to perform on the day. If you are interested in volunteering for the day please get in touch and in return lunch and refreshments will be provided. If you would like to perform, volunteer or hold a stall please email admin@braziers.org.uk
Braziers Park School of Integrative Social Research AGM
Saturday
(only members can vote for motions and officers). Please enquire about becoming an Associate, the first step to membership of the Society, BPSISR (Braziers Park School of Integrative Social Research), founded in 1950 as an experiment in conscious co-existence, understanding our place in nature and taking constructive action in the world.
Glaister Lecture 2022
Sunday 11 am
Each year Braziers Park invites a guest speak to give a lecture in memory of the Society’s founders, Norman and Dorothy Glaister. Click here for more info.
Norman, a psychiatrist, and his wife Dorothy, a teacher and educationist, were together well-known figures in the circles of evolutionary and generally progressive thought before the war and Braziers was founded in 1950 to provide a permanent centre for study and small-group discussion in the form of a residential college of integrative research. Thus, it had the most holistic possible remit of exploring life in all its wholeness and interconnectedness: “no aspect of life, individual or social, can be said to be beyond our purview”. The Glaisters’ vision has been described as “pursuing the love of knowledge and the search for truth, assisting the fulfilment of human potential and trying to create a better world”.Click Here for Past Glaister Lectures
Wood Festival
£0 to £115
The award winning annual family friendly festival of music and nature. More Info.
As well as music, there is a full programme of free workshops for all ages, kids tent activities, and delicious locally-sourced food and drink. For tickets click here
June 2022
Wider Community Weekend
Wednesday to Sunday
A chance to be part of the Braziers community for a wonderful bank-holiday weekend of activities in good company. Click Here for More Info.
Come and find space for relaxation, fun and conversation in our beautiful house and grounds. Most activities are free to join and accommodation and meals are at our 3 tier rates based on income. Let us know if you have a session that you would like to offer for a this Wider Community Weekend. Email courses@braziers.org.uk for more information or to book. Limited places – all sessions need booking.
July 2022
Community Experience 2+ Week Retreat
Early Bird Prices: £249 Shared, £549 Single
A multiweek residential retreat for those interested in intentional community and holistic lifestyle. Running July 5th to 24th. More Info.
Come and have an immersive holistic experience connecting with others and nature in a deeper way. There will be opportunities to:
Learn about trees, gardening & food growing
Practice healthy vegetarian/vegan cooking
Learn about sustainability and permaculture
Experience communal living, dining & co-management
Participate in “Sensory”, bonfire & other activities
Have time to relax, be in nature, & find purpose
Contribute to the UK’s oldest secular intentional community
Learn about peace activism & conflict resolution
Email courses@braziers.org.uk if you are interested. Prices start as low as £299 per person (all meals and accommodation included). Start date is flexible.
The UK Communities Conference 2022
Friday to Sunday
Come for an exploration of intentional community in Britain! This celebratory event includes chances to meet a range of communities and to discuss the value and practice of communal living. More Info.
Tickets will include all meals from Friday evening until Sunday lunchtime, plus camping in our camping field. There will be workshops, shared meals and opportunities for dancing and other activites! For more information and booking, please click here.
August 2022
Supernormal Festival
Friday to Sunday
Independent and uncompromising, it champions multi-faceted, exploratory art and music from the underground, margins and fringes to impart inspiring and engaging encounters beyond the everyday and the expected. For more info click here
Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Meditation & Bodywork Retreat
Friday to Sunday £345
Immerse yourself in a weekend of Tai Chi & Chi Kung and experience a deepening and refining of your practice.
Click here for more info.
Throughout the weekend there will be the chance to practice and explore both Chen and Sun styles of Tai Chi, along with a variety of Qi Gong forms and Meditation techniques. There are opportunities to practice on sunny terraces, in screened gardens, by ponds, in orchards and woodlands. Teachings will be offered by Jeff Docherty and Mark Collins, along with the chance to receive Acupuncture, Shiatsu and Tuina treatments.
To book, click here.
Wider Community Weekend
Friday to Monday
A chance to be part of the Braziers community for a wonderful bank-holiday weekend of activities in good company. Click Here for More Info.
Come and find space for relaxation, fun and conversation in our beautiful house and grounds. Most activities are free to join and accommodation and meals are at our 3 tier rates based on income. Let us know if you have a session that you would like to offer for a this Wider Community Weekend. Email courses@braziers.org.uk for more information or to book. Limited places – all sessions need booking.
September 2022
Braziers International Film Festival
Friday to Sunday-Weekend and Day Tickets Available
Films, Workshops, Discussions, Bar, Meals, B&B and More!
Films are projected to audiences in a cinema-style environment, with screenings taking place inside a large, historic 17th-century barn adapted for public performances, in addition to in the Gothic manor house and in custom-built outdoor structures. Screenings are followed by group discussion and Q&A with attending film-makers, who will be invited to Braziers. Single day and full weekend tickets are available with or without meals and accommodation. Book Now .
Submissions here. More info on sessions and workshops coming soon here.
Jaime’s Body Mind Yoga
Friday to Sunday
We will explore a variety of yoga styles to include gentle yoga, restorative yin practices and a gong bath sound healing session. Also more energetic vinyasa style sessions. Something for everyone whilst having the freedom to stop , recharge and reconnect. Switch off, switch on is the mantra of the weekend. Enjoy a weekend in a beautiful setting with like-minded people. The perfect place for a yoga retreat. Please email jaimesbodymindyoga@gmail.com for full details and to secure your place. Places are limited and are first come first served. Click here to view Jaimes website.
November 2022
Winter Herbals – Immune Tonics
Saturday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm £150
Spend a cosy winter weekend at Braziers preparing for the season of darkness by concocting healing herbal goodies to support the immune system. Click here for more info.
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