Sempervivum Week: 'Spring Awakening: trusting the magic'

Every year an expanding and ever-changing family of friends - old and new -

gather at beautiful nurturing Laurieston Hall to welcome in the spring and
to create a community for a week.

Through building trust, having fun, and deepening experience, we find a
balance between rest and zest, between sharing with others and taking space
for ourselves.

Whether you come alone, or with family and friends; whether its your first
time or your twentieth – you will be able to explore, play, and find what
you need to do as we build our community through the week. We create a
programme by offering our skills, experience and passion to shape an amazing
range of workshops, sessions and happenings. We share what we have to give,
and we take what we need to grow.

Last year we sang, danced, sweated in the sauna, felted, walked, sat by
starlit fires, told stories, sunbathed, ate delicious food. We also had
workshops on dreams, singing, visioning, laughter, right brain drawing,
drama improvisation, and much more. The kids built dams, canoed on the loch,
face painted, played in the sandpit, threw wellies... while the teens
compered the cabaret, led the volleyball and joined in as and when they
wanted. There is childcare for the 10-12.30 and 2.30-5 workshop slots
allowing adults to focus on their interests, and kids and teens to focus on
theirs (but some workshops are open to all ages).

It can sometimes be hard to choose between so many things you want to take
part in, but there is freedom to do anything or nothing. We hope you'll join
us!

The event is organised by Sempervivum, an informal network of people that is
open to all, and by the People Centre workers co-op of Laurieston Hall.

Laurieston Hall
•       Laurieston Hall is a co-operative of around 25 people of all ages
who live in and around a huge Edwardian main house in Dumfries and Galloway.
The community is now well into its fourth decade. Co-operation is their
common ideology, and decisions are made by consensus.
•       Wholesome and delicious vegetarian food includes produce grown on
Laurieston’s own smallholding. Meals are served communally in the dining
room. Special diets can be catered for by prior arrangement.
•       Each day a few of us volunteer to help Laurieston Hall folk cook,
wash up, work in the gardens, do wood runs, etc: a good way to get to know
the place and people and to chat over tasks.
•       Accommodation is in family rooms, twin rooms and larger dorms, or
you can bring your own tent or use one of Laurieston’s tents. You could book
into a B&B and there are reduced rates for these arrangements.

Children and Young People
•       Young people have a ball at Sempervivum! There’s a ¬creative Kids
Club for 3 to 12 year-olds, with games ¬and dressing up, boat trips and den
building.
•       Teenagers have their own facilitators and in past years activities
included drama and music-making, ¬building a raft and a tree-house, and
launching a -fire-dragon on the pond.

BOOK EARLY!

•                         Prices are on a sliding scale. You decide the
appropriate rate. Concession: £248. Low Wage: £281. Medium Wage: £337.  High
Wage: £383.
•                         Children under 1 year: free. Children 1 - 4 years:
quarter adult rate. Children 5 - 11 years: half adult rate. Children 12 - 16
years: three quarters adult rate.
•                         Prices include vegetarian food, dormitory
accommodation (some family rooms are available), Kids’ Club for children 3
years and over, and all workshops.
•                         Cooking and housekeeping are communal activities
at Laurieston; we all sign up to a rota to assist Laurieston residents with
these. Note: Like last year, we will not have to participate in lunch cook,
freeing up time for morning workshops. Special diets (other than vegetarian
& vegan) need to be confirmed with Laurieston Hall before booking is
finalised.
•                         Camping space is available in a field near the
pond. Campers deduct £16/£25/£34/£43 from the adult prices (reduce
proportionally for children).
There are also 6 pre-erected tents, including mattresses; no reduction for
use of these, though. Please state if you require one of these.
•                         B& B: If you prefer, you can arrange local B&B
accommodation at your own expense. If so, deduct £27/£36/£45/£54 from the
adult prices (reduce proportionally for children).

Send form and deposit (payable to “Sempervivum”) to:
•                         Sempervivum, c/o Jan Herman, 30/1 Portobello High
Street, Edinburgh EH15 1DD
•                         Or make a Bank Transfer (& You must tell Jan you
have made the bank transfer: jan.herman@blueyonder.co.uk). The account
number is: 00640726, the Sort Code is: 80-11-00 and remember to add your
name to the transfer to identify you!
•                         General enquires to: Joan and Ian on 0131 657 9012
(joan.ts@hotmail.co.uk) or Justin and Eva on 0131 258 9147
(justinkenrick@yahoo.co.uk) or Luci on 07584 095606
(luci@transitionscotland.org)

sempervivum-booking-form2012.doc