Alfoxton Park - Form & Emptiness

Form & Emptiness
Arts and the Imagination

30th July - 3rd August 2026

Together on this long weekend retreat, we will explore the imagination as a doorway to a deeper experience of ourselves and the world.

Through working with mark making, clay, and creative writing, we will encourage a playful exploration of form and image in an intuitive and tactile way — one that may help us move beyond inhibiting views and protective labels that narrow our experience, and allow us to grow by softening into a world reenchanted by the imagination.

These creative practices are not approached as artistic techniques, but as contemplative gestures: ways of slowing down, listening inwardly, and allowing something authentic to take shape. Periods of meditation and dwelling in nature will support and inform the creative work, helping to ground the imagination in awareness and presence.

No previous experience with these creative mediums is needed. Participants are simply invited to bring curiosity and a willingness to explore. A minimum of six months personal meditation practice is required, as the retreat assumes a basic familiarity with contemplative practice.

Facilitation Team

Indrabodhi

Indrabodhi is a sculptor, creative writer and qualified carpenter. He ran an Arts centre in Brighton over many years and has project managed teams of builders on various building projects in England and Spain including 3 years at Alfoxton.

He has led meditation and rituals in various contexts, including Glastonbury and Buddhafield Festivals. He's been a Buddhist since 1977, and was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist order in 1984.

Kavyashri

Kavyashri was ordained in 2010 and has been practising in the Triratna community for over 30 years. She’s a Mindfulness teacher and supervisor in Brighton and Hove. She dabbles in comedy improvisation whilst also writing sporadically. She appreciates how the arts help us to tolerate the un tolerable and is particularly inspired by the power of collective improvisation and collective practice.

David

David has lived at Alfoxton Park as a member of the community for over five years. Drawing on his experience of working with children and adults in nature, he brings a playful and imaginative attitude to spiritual life, informed by his love of myth and poetry, in support of both his own journey and that of others.

He is a writer of poetry and a maker of marks, producing illustrations for The Magic Toybox, a graphic novel for children published in 2024 with his friend Indrabodhi.

Timings & Travel

Timings

Please arrive between 3pm and 5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm. The retreat will finish by midday on the last day.

Travel

The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton. We are about 1h 15min from Bristol by car.

The 15 bus leaves Bridgwater at 16:50 during college term dates and stops at the Plough Inn in Holford. We are a 15min walk from there.

Please get in touch for further advice with public transport, or for help arranging lifts / carpools.

Make sure to put "Coach House 2, Alfoxton Park" into Google Maps. Other variations will take you to Alfoxton House nearby which is not us. Otherwise use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.

The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling

Accommodation & Food

Accommodation

This is a camping retreat - bring a tent or live-in vehicle. Toilets, showers and a sauna are available. Warm and waterproof clothing are advisable, along with gloves and boots or wellies. You may also wish to bring a torch and hot water bottle.

We have limited accommodation indoors for those with specific needs. Please let us know when you book if this is the case for you.

Food

We serve a vegan menu using mostly organic fruit and vegetables, from Riverford and our own walled garden. We are able to cater for most general food intolerances, such as gluten free, but not for all diets. See 'Accessibility and Special Diets' below.

Accessibility & diets

We are committed to Alfoxton being a fully accessible venue and are working hard to achieve this. However, while the renovation work continues, visitors with specific mobility or accommodation needs may experience barriers to accessing all areas of the building and land. Please get in touch about any significant accessiblity requirements.

It is not possible to cook for people with highly sensitive allergies: if you are a coeliac or have any other medical condition which could seriously jeopardise your health or your experience then please get in touch to discuss a potential self-catering plan with our Kitchen manager.

Please contact us about either of these before submitting your booking request.

Costs

Alfoxton Park is a charity and works on the principle of Dana or a 'gift economy'. Read more about Dana here.

A deposit of £108 will secure your place. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.

If you are an Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.

Technology, alcohol and drugs

All of our events are alcohol and drug free. During the meditation retreats we ask you to turn off your mobile phones and other devices and not contact people outside of the retreat. For all other events and workshops we ask you to be mindful of the use of devices and stay present, in order to make the most of your time here.