At Good Vibrations Society, talks and workshops are at the heart of meaningful connection and growth. Beyond the music, these sessions provide a space to explore new ideas, spark creativity, and engage in open dialogue. From thought-provoking talks by inspiring speakers to hands-on workshops that foster learning and collaboration, they offer opportunities to connect deeply with others and yourself. These moments of shared knowledge and curiosity are what make the festival a truly enriching experience.
Come take a walk with an expert guide to see and hear some of the wildlife that call Ashdown Forest home. Suitable for all ages, a relaxed walk into some of the nearby woods and meadows looking for butterflies, dragonflies, birds and more.
Hindleap Warren Outdoor Centre is a residential outdoor learning centre set in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, run by the charity London Youth. It provides families, young people and children with the opportunity to build confidence, resilience and independence through meaningful time in nature. Set within over 300 acres of private woodland, young people…
Celebrate 100 years of Winnie the Pooh with the world’s foremost expert and long standing owner of Pooh Corner Neil Reed. Explore the history behind Christopher Robin and the most famous bear to ever live on the Ashdown Forest!
The Circus is back in town! We are delighted Panda is returning for another year of helping us build some circus skills. Join us Saturday 3pm at the Hive.Open to all, big and small! Try your luck at juggling, diablo, plate spinning, staff spinning and balancing things on your head with Panda the multi-talented performer…
Spore Society brings together mid-career professionals navigating transition: burnout, reinvention, financial shifts, identity questions, technological change. Not to escape your career, not to “fix” yourself, but to regenerate — personally, professionally, and collectively. This is a one-year living arc designed to help you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your life infrastructure, and build aligned next steps…
Large scale items for a mega loose parts play activity. What will you build with tubs and tubes and fabric and rope? The idea with loose parts is that there is no set purpose, it is the children’s inventiveness and creativity that makes for endlessly different and imaginative journey of play. Play is a process,…
Let your creativity take you on a journey of junk modelling – make a festival accessory, design your own mandala or create a box robot… Make anything you want at our table of scrap items available for your use throughout the day.
Come and hear about one of the most exciting landscape scale projects in the southeast. The Weald to Waves project is a group of like-minded landowners and people who support nature recovery through improving habitat quality and connectivity, resulting in a corridor stretching 100 miles, from the Ashdown Forest in the High Weald, following the…
In this deeply human and thought-provoking session, Michelle Manjarrez explores how connection, embodiment, and expanded awareness can transform the way we relate to ourselves, our teams, and technology. Drawing from psychedelic wisdom, neuroscience, emotional healing, and team coherence practices, she invites us to move beyond mental overload and reconnect with our bodies, emotions, and heart-centered…
Keep Well Events is a company facilitating workshops focusing on holistic wellbeing and self sufficiency, explaining how the latter influences the overall mental wellbeing and contributes to sustainability. For this GVS workshop the emphasis is on food and its preservation, namely fermentation: the health benefits of this ancient food preservation process, its history, the microbiology…
A chance for you to perform on our Hive stage. Be it a song or a dance, a trick or a treat, we welcome all performers big and small to share what they wish. A polished piece or an improvised moment, you’ll get an encouraging audience and a boost of confidence to boot. Expect a…
Ashdown Forest is a mosaic of biodiversity and beauty, but its survival is not entirely an accident of nature — it is the result of a long history of human impact and coexistence. This talk explores the different management used to protect this internationally important landscape, and some of the myths of conservation, showing how…
Welcome to Pooh Corner in Hartfield, a tea room, gift shop and museum situated on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in Hartfield, East Sussex.
Before the day gets going, pop down to the nest for informal chatter, crafts and a nice cup of tea. The perfect way to ease yourself into the good vibrations.
At this crucial time in human-ecological history we see around us misuse of the imagination. Films, television, conversation and private rumination; we are surrounded by depictions of terror and apocalypse. And yet we do not have to fall before the facts. There are a number of ways we can meet them. We are not suggesting…
Many of us have torn up the cookie-cutter script for how we’re supposed to live, love, and succeed. But in that brave act of freedom, we often lose a sense of belonging. In this soulful and practical talk, psychosynthesis coach Nyla Khan explores how reconnecting with the deeper Self helps us build more authentic relationships,…
See where your imaginations take you, using clay and nature craft to unlock your creative flow. A beautiful, sensory, calming and reflective activity available throughout the day, welcome to come and go as you please and take your creations home.
Amrutha is more than a place to eat; it’s an invitation to sit, share and belong. Our philosophy is built around abundance, generosity and the ritual as old as time of gathering at a communal space where food is the centrepiece, but connection is the purpose. Drop in for an informal cooking lesson on Saturday…
Practical tips to help your neurodivergent child thrive. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to support your neurodivergent child, and the impact it’s having on your whole family, this talk offers a reassuring and practical way forward. Nicci Parry invites you to reframe neurodivergence as neurogifted, a strength often influenced by underlying biological imbalances.…
Friday afternoon The Hive will host some big group games for young and old contenders. Bring your game faces and join The Games!
Begin your festival weekend in The Root. Come together as a group, enjoy a hit of ceremonial-grade cacao and dance your way into the weekend. Cacao’s reputation is that of a gentle yet powerful Earth medicine, containing many beneficial nutrients and goodness, perfect for these times. Cacao has been known to open your heart, create…
A bespoke class combining Forest bathing, mindful movement and meditation by the trees with some Nature poetry.
A fast-paced, feel-good workshop where people come together to do good the right way. Hosted by The Social Society, this 75-minute interactive session connects attendees with real charities to tackle real challenges, in real time. Participants collaborate in small groups to generate practical ideas, fresh perspectives, and tangible solutions that charities can actually use. Expect…
Have you ever wondered why there are cows, ponies and sheep wandering across Ashdown Forest? Come and learn about how grazing has helped shape this beautiful landscape and the important role it has in conserving it for the future.
A talk from Arvin from our on-site restaurant – Amrutha. Cooking with love and care, not something we have to do but something we should genuinely want to do.
