Gulzar [DUP / Integration Practice in Community]

Sharing the Dances and creating heart-centred community is one of the greatest joys in my life.
I lead Dance days and Retreats in the UK and abroad, also combining the Dances with the powerful practice of Heart IQ (Embodied Awakening) which I offer with my partner, Simon.

I am a Mentor for Dance Leaders and am delighted to be able to share the love of the Dances in this way.

I have been co-creating and teaching 2-year long international Dance Leader Training programmes for 6 years.

I am currently honoured to be serving as the Camp Advisor for our beautiful camp. Apart from my love of the Dances, I hope to bring to camp safely held spaces to practise deep listening where people feel included and accepted, especially deeper connection and understanding across the generations.

My passion is that camp can serve as a resource and inspiration for the world we want to create in our communities.

Jilani [DUP]

I have been involved with the Dances of Universal Peace since 1997, as musician, dancer, leader, and now mentor and trainer of dance leaders (including co-leading two international Dance Leader Training Programmes with Gulzar).

I met the Dances through the camps, and Sacred Arts Camp has been an important part of my life since it first came into being. It’s the community where my children have been held as they grew from birth to adulthood, and where I have been held in my own growth and development over these many years.

I now lead Dances in many far-flung places, most recently having spent a month in Morocco supporting the Dances in new circles there, but it’s always such a joy to be back at SAC, and I look forward to dancing with you in the field.

Alina [DUP]

I look forward to diving into the beauty, depth and sacredness of the Dances together with you at this years Sacred Arts Camp.

Being born into the world of Sufism and growing up with the Dances, they have always been my home. I started walking on my own spiritual path, turning inwards and working with my inner parts, healing and opening my heart to the universe at the age of 15. A few years later I have been called to start leading Dances and have since been leading at camps and retreats in New Zealand, India, Czech Republic, England and Scotland. Part of my journey has also included the exploration, study and healing through voice and breath work which I like to weave into my dance leading.

Matthew [DUP]

This camp is special to me. I will be sharing dances and offering an immersive sound bath experience inviting you to come and lie down and absorb a live improvised musical journey intending to support us to be deeply relaxed and resourced.

I believe passionately in the power of dance and music to open hearts and support us in deepening into themselves. I run a monthly group in Bristol and offer mentorship in dance leading.

Apart from leading and creating dances, I am a musician, composer and teacher based in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

I'm most interested to support people with reweaving broken connections and remembering what's worth being alive for, through music and the space that is opened up when we allow it. I seek to support people in deepening their own relationship to music and sound. I work with music and dance as a way to connect with the bigger picture of life including the elements and also a sense of purpose including in the face of trauma.

I am interested to work in a way that welcomes those on the edges of life and I seek to hold intention for those most marginalised to feel whatever benefits emerge from these gathering spaces. Above all I am holding spaces for us to explore collectively how music and dance can heal, to allow the whispered and not completely forgotten ways it is speaking to us to be heard more clearly.

My website is https://matthewheysemoore.com/

Gaiatree Claire [DUP]

I first danced with Amida Harvey, in a field near Glastonbury, I think it was an Astrology camp in 1984!

I danced with him for six years, attending many retreats and the first Peace through the Arts camp. At that time I worked in the healing area.
That was always my favorite thing to do, being in a field with people I love, making amazing music, singing, dancing and cooking together.
I have been leading the dances since I came to America in 1992.
For 7 years I was spiritual Director of the East Bay Sufi camp, another rustic camp, and for several years I led dances by the lake after Darshan at Amma's ashram in the San Francisco Bay Area.
For around 28 years we had the great blessing of a monthly circle at Harbin Hot Springs in the incredible temple there before the big wildfire burned it all. I also continue to lead Zikr and dances locally in Sebastopol, California.
Due to my immigration status, I could not travel, nor return home to England formany years. I have missed my time on the land and Being with my community. It's long been a dream to be able to return, share and be on my home ground.

Since the beginning the Dances and the practice of Zikr have been a great love in my life. An embodiment of prayer, bringing in the very diverse energies from many different experiences of the Divine. Zikr is a practice of the remembrance of our own true nature, and I particularly enjoy the simplicity of being together in the unity of our hearts, music, and harmonies, the deepening and arriving at ourselves.

I am so happy to be able to join you for this time, I look forward to meeting and dancing through the field with you.

Kate [DUP]

Kate originally found the Dances in Brazil in 1995, then in Australia, and was delighted to also find them in the UK on returning from travels! She has been leading the Dances for many years in a generally pretty reluctant fashion, and also plays drums and the clarinet for Dance circles. She is very keen to support and explore the joys and discomfort that leading or playing music for the Dances can bring.

The Emerging Teachers session will be a daily gathering where we dance in a supportive and sweet circle of souls. There will be opportunity to lead a dance if you wish to, with support from our musicians and support from each other.
You may be right at the beginning of your dance leading journey… you may have been leading for many years and are keen to lead in the camp circle…this is our space. Join our daily practice!

Simon McIntosh [Integration Practice in Community]

Sacred Arts camp is very special to me - I discovered the Dances of Universal Peace at a turning point in my life, and that led directly to meeting and getting together with Gulzar at camp 14 years ago.

At SAC my main role for many years has been co-facilitating in the men's space.

This year, like last year, I'll be co-leading with Gulzar some morning 'Integration Practice in Community' sessions to provide some safe spaces for people to process and integrate what they may be carrying from life. I will also be helping the camp with 'agreements' to help everyone feel as safe as possible and to support all our wellbeing.

After many years of facilitation work, 10 years ago I trained in 'Heart IQ', a powerful approach of embodied awakening. With Gulzar I've been running many groups and deep dive retreats using 'HIQ'. It is work which continues to guide me into new personal growth, and it's a privilege to see how it transforms the lives of participants. So I'm looking forward to sharing something of it again at camp this year. For more info please see: https://www.facebook.com/heartintelligenceUK/

Bob [Circle Dance]

Bob Minney has been playing accordion for circle dance since the 1980's, mainly in the Malvern and then West Wales communities. He now lives in North Somerset. He is also a composer and creator of dances, and has recorded many cds of his music. He continues to play for circle dance and peace dances around the country.

Alan Withers [5 Rhythms]

Alan is a 5rhythms teacher, who trained with Gabrielle Roth (The founder of 5rhythms), and qualifying in 2005.

A 5rhythms dancer since 1987 Alan enjoys the combination of dances of universal peace, circle dance and 5rhythms, and has led workshops with the inspiration and learnings from these sacred practices.

Su [Voice]

Su has been a Natural Voice teacher since 2003 and believes that singing together is a natural activity for everyone totake part in and enjoy. Her teaching style is very relaxed and informal and shequickly gets you creating gorgeous harmony. She is on a mission to get everyone singing.

She leads weekly singing groups and community choirs, voice workshops at summer camps and singing holidays around the world, as well as working as a community music event organiser, songwriter and performer, singing and performing with a women’s acapella group for over 20 years.
She teaches a variety of songs, from her own compositions to old and newfound favourites, ranging in mood from calm and contemplative to high energy numbers with luscious harmonies.

Sarah [Voice]

Sarah has been leading natural voice workshops since 2001, working with both small and large groups of adults.

She is a member of the Natural Voice Network, she runs two singing groups in Devon, and she is co-founder (with Gilo) of Big Sing Dorset.

Her intention is always to create a safe space in which everyone can enjoy their voice and mingle it with others, to enable everyone to experience the magic of harmony singing, especially the sense of community that it can bring.

At the camp she will be leading songs which move us through emotional spaces, connecting with our hearts, with each other, and with our love for this incredible planet which gives us life.

Rabia [Bajans]

I have been singing as a spiritual practice for more than ten years,as a student of Indian classical music and devotional Sufi music. I’ve been guided and inspired by great Dhrupad teachers such as Ramakant Gundecha and Sufi masters Orüç Güvenç and Şerif baba.

Singing devotional music has become a way of life and through this practice I feel a direct connection with my deeper self and God. I feel a positive transformation of my mood, energy and inner world. It is for these reasons I feel drawn to share with others and singing in community enhances all these benefits.

Hazrat Inayat Khan spoke of the mystery and exquisite beauty of the human voice.

I want to help others find their voices anddeep inner Joy through sacred singing.

Sound is Divine and singing Bhajans can open the doors of our hearts to Unity and to one another.

I lead devotional singing circles, Sema (whirling) and DUP in Yorkshire with my partner Tom, whilst trying to balance all kinds of other hobbies such as parenting, gardening, herbalism and paid work :)

Karim [Bajans]

I have been leading Bhajan and Devotional singing groups for over 25 years. I just fell in love with this way of singing and it has taught me so much over the years including helping me to find my voice.

I like to encourage others to just sing from the heart and let everything else go as that was the way it worked for me.

Together with my wife Susanne I also lead regular Dances of Universal Peace groups in Birmingham and Herefordshire as well as co-leading an online Sufi group with Alan Heeks and contributing to Interfaith events in Herefordshire.

In my journey exploring body psychotherapy, pre and perinatal psychology and ancestral healing as well as working as a craniosacral therapist and being a student of universal Sufism have been important in helping me to embody spiritual practice.

Ty Lynne [Yoga]

Ty Lynne was first introduced to yoga by lovely Elizabeth while living in the Thai jungle in 1990's. She completed teacher trainings with Sivananda Yoga UK and Devon School of Yoga. She is inspired by the vastness of the yoga path, from the physical practices that take such wonderful nourishing care of the body to the rich philosophies and teachings that underpin it all.

Ty is so honoured to be sharing yoga at Sacred Arts Camp 2023 and is offering a morning yoga practice open to all at camp- a practice to honour celebrate and wake up body, breath and heart

Amanda Hamilton [Yoga Nidra]

I'm thrilled to be back at camp again this year offering us all the opportunity to lie our bones on the earth and drop into deep healing rest - otherwise known as Yoga Nidra. Every day we come together, flop on the ground and reboot our systems to song, music, silence and gentle guidance into the mystery of loveliness.

I have been leading retreats in yoga, yin yoga and yoga nidra for more than 30 years. My focus remains anchored in loving transformation, focusing on supporting humans to raise consciousness by returning to Nature wherever possible, bringing an attitude of devotional service to life. And I am working on my book and interactive course, Grandmother Spider and the Four Elements which I hope to have released before the end of this year.

Yin Yoga Nidra & Courses with Amanda Hamilton

Chris [Qi Gong]

I have been practicing taiji and qigong since 2001, and teach where I live in Ulverston, South Cumbria.

I am delighted to be leading the Qigong morning practice this year at camp, practicing with new and
old friends as camp wakes up is beautiful, and many people feel the benefit of loosening up after a
night under canvas.

Selma Smyly / Vayu [Sufi practice]

I am a grand mother, mother, crone, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, soul sister, psychologist, godmother, friend, Sufi retreat guide……..….etc…….

About 10 years ago I was initiated into the Sufi Order on the beautiful Island of Iona. My guide Noor-un-Nisa (Paula Jacobs) held regular retreats on Iona and it was at the end of one of these I became initiated into the Inayatiyya Inner School of Sufis. My Sufi name ‘Vayu’ was given to me by my guide. Vayu, is the name of an archangel of wind and air in the Zoroastrian tradition.

I have had a beautiful and life transforming journey through longer annual individual Sufi retreats, and many shorter group ones since the mid 1990’s,
Many have focused particularly on the Divine Feminine.

I retired from being a clinical psychologist in the NHS 12 years ago and have now almost stopped giving training and supervision to psychologists.
This made it possible for me to open space for more involvement in the Sufi
world. Last autumn, after a two year training period, I was initiated by Pir Zia as a Retreat Guide. During this training and since then I have had the joy and privilege to offer individual retreats. A wonderful heart opening path for me, walking along side others into an ever evolving and deepening experience of Sufism.

This will be my fourth Sacred Arts Camp. I have taken part in some Dances of Universal Peace at different workshops and countries over the years, including with Jilani in Morocco…..to be recommended!

I look forward to being with you all in this amazing space of possibility and transformation and sharing dances and Sufi practices together.

Daren [Mindfulness]

Daren Messenger had been a practitioner in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Bhuddism for over 30 years, but has also been academically trained in Continental Philosophy (practicing as an Existential psychotherapist) as well as Secular Mindfulness (Masters' level post-graduate trading at Bangor University).

Daren -Kagyu Senje- will be guiding the early morning Mindfulness meditations bringing all of these perspectives to bare on practices of 'sitting with our stuff' and our human condition in the 3rd decade of the 21st century. He teaches the 'preliminary practices' of formless Mahamudra and will be giving other teachings from that tradition as well as secular mindfulness.

This becomes a closed group after 2-3 days as the process deepens.

Jo McAndrews

I am delighted to be coming to SAC again this year and being on the workshop team is a joy.
I have always loved music and dancing and the Dances of Universal Peace are a fairly recent discovery for me after coming to SAC for the first time six or so years ago. I love the experience of singing, moving, praying together and am really looking forward to more.
I am a mother of a teenager who is the light of my heart and a great teacher.

I am a natural voice leader inspired by the strength of singing to bring people together across difference and to help us feel that we belong. Also it is just really good fun! I also work with parents and professionals in listening to and supporting children and young people, especially in the context of the very challenging times we are living in. I do a lot of work about climate distress and how to grow radical resilience in community.

At camp I will be part of offering a listening circle of elders listening to youth. We will create a strongly held ceremony to invite and hold young people in speaking about their experience and longings, to be witnessed and honoured by older people on the camp. I hope it will contribute to the wider healing of the intergenerational wound that so many young peoples speak of. I will also be offering a workshop for parents on how to listen to their children (even when they are no longer children!)

"The camp leaders and loyal campers are amazing people, they run the camp like the most nurturing home with open arms to newcomers like me.  Many people came and

chatted or just smiled to me over the course of the week and by the end

of it I felt we had become part of an amazing family." - Emma