Tickets available here / Complimentary for Patrons
Reconnect with our land, stories, ancestry and spirit
Through the day we explore how intentional walking reconnects us with land, spirit, and story. Join folklorists, mystics, historians, and healers as they ask: how do we walk with meaning?
Agenda
11:20 – 12:20 | Panel 1: The History of Pilgrimage Speakers: Alice Loxton, Luke Sherlock, Daniel Wilson A sweeping conversation tracing pilgrimage from ancient rites to modern resurgence. Why did our ancestors walk, and why are we walking again today? Pilgrimage as a living compass for times of disconnection.
12:20 – 12:35 | Break
12:35 – 1:20 | Panel 2: Exploring the Archaic Folk Revival Speakers: Daze Aghaji, Jeremy Deller, Jennifer Reid, Lucy Wright Across Britain, ancient traditions are being revived — not as nostalgia, but as resistance and re-enchantment. This panel explores the folk revival as a living culture, rooted in ritual, place, and the commons, from punk zines to ritual processions. What might a creative, inclusive folk future look like?
Speakers: Martin Palmer, Jonathan Weekes, Zofia Page We will walk the canal together, nearby Ladbroke Hall, with a discussion of the international Green Pilgrimage and Sacred Earth Activism networks, bringing a global perspective on sacred environmental movements, and stories from a recent pilgrimage along the River Medway, weaving personal insight with reflections on the ecological and emotional journey of walking a river’s full course.
3:50 – 4:05 | Break
4:05 – 5:05 | Panel 4: The Rise of the Cunning Folk Speakers: India Rakusen, Tabitha Stanmore, The Seed Sistas As interest in pilgrimage grows, so too does a yearning to reconnect with ancestral wisdom—particularly the magical, medicinal, and spiritual practices once held by the cunning folk, herbalists, wise women and ritual workers of these islands. In this panel, we explore the resurgence of folk healing and folk magic in Britain today: from sacred plant medicine and lunar rituals to the lived history of spellcraft and divination.
4:05 – 5:05 | Panel 4: The Rise of the Cunning Folk Speakers: India Rakusen, Tabitha Stanmore, The Seed Sistas As interest in pilgrimage grows, so too does a yearning to reconnect with ancestral wisdom—particularly the magical, medicinal, and spiritual practices once held by the cunning folk, herbalists, wise women and ritual workers of these islands. In this panel, we explore the resurgence of folk healing and folk magic in Britain today: from sacred plant medicine and lunar rituals to the lived history of spellcraft and divination.
5:05 – 5:20 | Break
5:20 – 6:20 | Panel 5: Beyond the Ordinary Speakers: Rupert Sheldrake, Mac Macartney, Satish Kumar, Guy Hayward Pilgrimage is a threshold into the unseen — a journey not only through the natural world, but toward spirit and soul. How can walking with intention awaken our deeper awareness, attune us to the more-than-human, open a portal to the mystery and reawaken our inner life?
6:20 – 7:20 | Dinner Break
7:20 – 9:30 | Evening Concert – in collaboration with Broadside Hacks Featuring reimagined folk songs rooted in the land and its stories, this concert invites us to dance and reflect.
All Day – £85 Day only – £60 Evening only – £35
Add ons: NB most restaurants are a 15-minute walk away from the venue, and you are requested to not bring your own food. You can also eat at Ladbroke Hall’s Pollini restaurant.
Luke Sherlock–writer and bookshop owner with a boundless enthusiasm for landscape, heritage and art. Author ofForgotten Churches: Exploring Englands Hidden Treasures.
Alice Loxton– Historian, presenter and Sunday Times bestselling author who has presented many history documentaries and worked with organisations such as BBC, Sky Arts, Channel 5, Times Radio, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, The National Gallery and more.
Daniel Wilsonis the face of @greatbritisharchitecture on Instagram. A student of architectural history, he started his page as a means to share his passion for Britain’s built heritage. Through his content, which highlights lesser-known architectural and historic gems from rural Scotland to the streets of London, he seeks to engage a broader audience in appreciating the rich architectural heritage of Great Britain. He recently made and covered a pilgrimage to St Davids.
India Rakusenis a leading voice as a writer, facilitator, and speaker at the intersections of spirituality, ritual and transformative travel. She made the Radio 4 series, ‘Witch’.
Dr Tabitha Stanmore– Historian, author, speaker, researcher. Author of “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic”. Tabitha is a postdoctoral researcher on the Leverhulme-funded Seven County Witch Hunt Project at the University of Exeter, and is specialist in medieval and early modern English magic and witchcraft.
Seed Sistas–Experts in the study and clinical practice of herbal medicine. Fiona and Kazz are dedicated to natural health, education, and giving a voice to projects that challenge social norms. They work with many charities and organisations including The Eden Project, The School of Social Entrepreneurs, and others.
Jonathan Weekesis a passionate advocate for sacred activism, blending spiritual practices with social and environmental justice. As a leader in this movement, he explores how our deep spiritual connection to the earth and each other can inspire tangible action for positive change, focusing on the transformative power of ritual, meditation, and sacred action in addressing the pressing issues of our time.Sacred Earth Activism
Martin Palmeris a leading advocate for theGreen Pilgrimage Network, an international initiative that explores the intersection of pilgrimage, sustainability, and environmental consciousness. As a renowned expert in religious environmentalism, Martin has worked with communities worldwide to integrate ecological awareness into pilgrimage practices.
Zofia Page.Zofia is Zofia Page is involved withFriends of the River Medway, an organisation focused on improving the health of the River Medway. She has been working with the group to raise awareness about the importance of river health and its connection to overall well-being an is involved in theRiver Medway Pilgrimage, which aims to connect people with the river from its source to the sea.
Daze Aghaji– is an environmentalist and cultural strategist whose work explores identity, belonging, and our relationship with the Earth. She began in human rights with Amnesty International before co-founding Extinction Rebellion Youth in 2019. Her activism is rooted in grief and love for the planet.
Jeremy Delleris a renowned British artist whose work explores the intersections of culture, history, and social movements. He has a unique approach to art-making, which often incorporates collaboration and the exploration of collective memory. Jeremy will offer his insights into the role of art in connecting people to history, place, and ritual.
Jennifer Reid– a music historian who performs songs and stories and teaches traditional music and craft workshops. She researches ballads and applies them to modern life, and contributes academically with funded research and artistic projects.
Dr Lucy Wright– at the intersection of folklore and activism, and is concerned with exploring folk as an agent for resistance and change. Her decade of work cites research into lesser-known contemporary and female-led folk customs.
Dr Rupert Sheldrake–Biologist and author best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. At Cambridge University he worked in developmental biology as a Fellow of Clare College. He was Principal Plant Physiologist in Hyderabad, India and was Director of the Perrott-Warrick project for research on unexplained human and animal abilities, funded by Trinity College, Cambridge. Sheldrake has been instrumental in building the British Pilgrimage Trust over the past 10 years, and has many insights to share on what is to come.
Mac Macartney –Mac is an international speaker and leadership practitioner with over thirty years’ experience in people and organisation development. Alongside his extensive experience of working with organisations he also foundedEmbercombe, a social enterprise located in Dartmoor which seeks to explore and promote the profound regeneration of land, society, and people. All of Mac’s work is focused towards the emergence of a just, peaceful, regenerative, and flourishing future for all species.
Satish Kumar –Peace-pilgrim, life-long activist and former monk, Satish Kumar has been inspiring global change for over 50 years. He undertook a pilgrimage for peace from India to Moscow, London, Paris and America, with no money and reliance on the kindness of strangers. He is founder ofThe Resurgence Trust, and educational charity that seeks to inform and inspire a just future for all.
Dr Guy Hayward– Co-founder and Director of the British Pilgrimage Trust. Writer, speaker, and pilgrim, has co-authored the book ‘Britain’s Pilgrim Places‘ and has been interviewed about modern pilgrimage for TV, Netflix, Radio 4 and writes for the national media. Hayward completed a Music Psychology PhD at Cambridge on how singing forms community and is one half of comedy singing duoBounder & Cadand with Rupert Sheldrake also co-founded theChoral Evensong Trust.
What isBroadside Hacks? Is it a band? Is it a label? Is it a club? Is it a promoter? It’s all of those things. Simplest to call it a collective, reckons Campbell Baum, its founder. Simplest, as a listener, just to accept Broadside Hacks as a mark of something interesting, of a way of approaching folk music that combines creative freedom with respect for the past. Simplest to understand Broadside Hacks does not mean musicians steeped in the folk clubs, but musicians who have created their own folk club to create their own understanding of the tradition. Simpler than that, it’s a group composed of an array of brilliantly talented individual artists – among them Katy J Pearson, Naima Bock and members of Goat Girl, Sorry and caroline.
Promotional Partners for this event include: Ladbroke Hall–Art gallery, restaurant and centre for events with a conscious focus, with jazz and parties too. Advaya–Spiritual online community exploring holistic practices for personal and collective transformation via online courses and in-person events. Resurgence Trust–Charity promoting ecological awareness, arts, and deep engagement with culture and nature through a magazine, online talks and an annual summer retreat. St Ethelburga’s Centre–Peace-building centre in London fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and social resilience. Embercombe–Transformative outdoor education organisation inspiring leadership, sustainability, and deep connection to nature. The Psychedelic Society–Not-for-profit worker co-operative on a mission to create a culture which respects the potential of psychedelics. Dark Mountain Project–Network of writers and artists questioning the dominant narratives of our civilisation and exploring new cultural stories. Sacred Earth Activism–Movement combining ecological action with spiritual practice to protect and restore the Earth. Weird Walk– Creative walking project celebrating curiosity, playfulness, and the unexpected wonders of the landscape through guided and experimental walks.
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