The Unbound Voice - 5 Day Vocal Immersive

 

17TH - 21ST APRIL 2024 AT CAE MABON RETREAT CENTER SNOWDONIA, WALES

 
 
 
 
 

Explore the magical quality of sound, by journeying from your primal depths to a state of sublime union, experiencing yourself as a vessel for the unlimited power of the unbound voice.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join us at Cae Mabon, deep in the heart of Snowdonia, for an exploration of the limitless capacity of the voice, where you will experience total freedom of expression, both individually and as a group, connecting you deeply to the animate forces which surround us at all times. 

 
 
 

The Retreat Includes

▲ Exploring Your Internal Landscape Through Sound ▲

▲ Transmuting Energy Within the Body ▲

▲ Releasing Creative Blocks ▲

▲ Unlocking the Art of Improvisation ▲

▲ Deep Listening and Responding to Nature ▲

▲ Expanding Your Palette of Sound and Expression ▲

▲ Learning Traditional Welsh Songs ▲

▲ Experiencing Your Animal Body ▲

▲ Working with the Elements ▲

▲ Grief Tending Ritual ▲

▲ Sonic Ceremonies to Honour the Ancestors ▲

▲ Somatically Experiencing the Stories of this Mythic Land ▲

▲ Celebrating the Beauty of Life Through Group Song and Dance ▲

 
 
 
 
 

The Unbound Voice is a full immersion into what once would have been our everyday human experience - to sing, dance and commune with nature. Not only is this a retreat teaching you how to sing and express yourself, it is also a process of deep remembering of our place in this world, of how we are profoundly interwoven within the community of all beings, both seen and unseen.

When we engage in the art of sonic ceremony, we allow ourselves to disolve and enter into the state of void, a space of infinite knowing, from which we can practice deep listening, and experience the art of inner alchemy, re-weaving ourselves and the community back into harmony with the greater cosmos.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Unbound Voice is for anybody who feels the call to…

✨ Write, record and perform their own music

✨ Connect deeply to the source of all inspiration

✨ Use their creativity as a catalyst for change both internally and externally

✨ Incorporate voice into their teaching, healing or facilitation work

✨ Remember the old ways and how voice was used in ritual and ceremony

You will leave this retreat with...

✨ Courage to freely express yourself 

✨ Ability to improvise with confidence 

✨ Power to alchemise your internal landscape

✨ Inspiration to experiment with voice and sound

✨ A deeper connection with the web of life

✨ A community of like minded sonic explorers

 
 
 
 

The Location

Cae Mabon is an extremely special location in North West Wales. A place that has witnessed and supported a range of deep personal explorations. It lies at the foot of Yr Wyddfa on the bank of Llyn Padarn. A River flows through its grounds, and a wood-fired hot tub sits right by the rivers side. You will be staying in one of the many traditionally built dwellings and eating locally sourced, organic food. 

Prices include all meals during your stay, facilitation of sessions, use of facilities, accommodation, hot tub and organisation for the 5-day residency. 

Travelling to Cae Mabon is very easy. The nearest station is Bangor which is 20 minutes from the retreat centre. You can reach Bangor on a direct train from London Euston and with 1 change from Bristol and Manchester. We will create a google doc for everyone coming to assist with car sharing and organising taxis from the station.


 
 
 

Investment

We are implementing a sliding scale price range starting at £690 to £890

The base price of £690 pays for all the expenses of the retreat centre and costs for organisation and facilitation. If you have the means to pay more, it gives the opportunity for people to come for a bursary price option and covers their costs for the stay.

To apply for a bursary please fill in the application form (suggested starting price £490) Spaces are limited on this retreat as we like to keep the container small and intimate.

Arrivals begin from 2pm on the Wednesday and we will have our closing circle on Sunday morning to allow people time to travel home.

 

Your Added Extras

✨ Free group integration Zoom call post retreat

✨ Opportunity for tailored 1:1 voice sessions post-retreat with Bethan

✨ Access to community WhatsApp group with your fellow sonic explorers 

 
 
 
 

Daily Schedule 

9am - 10am: Breakfast

10am - 1pm: Morning Session

1pm - 3pm: Lunch

3pm - 6pm: Afternoon Session

6pm - 8pm: Dinner

8pm - 10pm: Open Evening Session

Daily Themes

Day 1: Landing // Dissolving 

Day 2: Entering into Silence ▲ // Void

// Deep Listening

Day 3: Working with Animist Forces

// Grief Ritual

Day 4: Ancestral Journeying // Returning to Verbal Communication // Celebration 

Day 5: Integration

 

Silence here is in reference to non-verbal communication.

We will only communicate through sound

 
 

Meet Your Facilitator - Bethan Lloyd

Hello, I’m Bethan and I’ll be guiding you on this retreat. I have spent many years researching voice and how it is used across the globe in ritual, ceremony and magic. I started singing and performing when I was 6 years old, in Wales, where voice is still honoured as an integral part of our culture and I went on to train as a classical singer. My interest in spirituality was always deeply interwoven with vocal expression, I spent many hours singing up trees and rolling around in mud trying to uncover the secrets of the Universe! This interest led me to Theology and Religious studies at Cambridge University where I learned all that I could from an academic perspective, but ultimately, my real studies were experiential and embodied. After university I travelled the world, and came to focus my attention on the ancient wisdoms of India and Brazil. In both lands I learnt about the void, deep listening, spirit possession and Animacy. I lived with indigenous Tribes and in Ashrams deeply immersing myself in both cultures. 

A very deep remembering started in me however when I returned to my homeland of Wales and spent many months in silence. This re-sensitised me to the needs and the longings of this land, which is still singing, and has never forgotten its own indigenous wisdoms. I have worked alongside teachers such as Mac Macartney and countless numbers of vocal explorers in numerous retreats across the British Isles to try to bring back the ancient ceremonies of this land. Voice was one of the central modes of entering trance and connecting to forces beyond our everyday experience. By stepping into a ceremony with sound and voice, we are remembering the old ways and allowing the memory to fill us with a deep knowing of land and place. 

As well as teaching voice, I work as a professional musician and performer. I have four solo releases and have performed at festivals and shows across the globe. I collaborate with a number of artists on various musical projects and work as a vocal composer for film, TV and multi-disciplinary performances.  

 
 
 
 

FAQs

 
  • Anyone who wishes to explore their voice

  • There will be some movement and walking involved in the retreat but you are free to opt out of anything which does not feel comfortable to you at the time.

  • We will have a group integration call on zoom post retreat and a Whatsapp group to stay connected

  • We will be serving a locally sourced vegan organic menu, however we will make special arrangements for any dietary requirements.

  • You will be sleeping in one of Cae Mabon’s traditionally build huts.

  • You don’t need to do anything to prepare

  • If you cancel 60 days in advance you will get a 70% refund

    If you cancel 30 days in advance you will get a 50% refund

    If you cancel 14 days in advance you will get a 25% refund

    If you cancel 7 days in advance you will not get any refund

 
 
 
 

Testimonials

 

“Bethan has a unique understanding and reverence for the human voice. She holds a unique and empowering space for people from all walks of life to explore and find authentic sound from within - weaving elements of folk song, deep body work and the ancient magick of collective toning, improvisation and chanting. I have never experienced such a level of creative freedom, presence and deep human connection as I have when sounding and singing with Bethan in the Welsh mountains!”

Sian O’Gorman - Creative Director of NYX

“Bethan’s voice work is rich in depth, clearly woven from years of study and practice. Her deftly balanced teaching often brings in play and lightness, yet she also has the rare ability to guide participants deep into the unconscious realms safely. Places where transformation and magic can occur. If you are interested in exploring the untapped power of your voice, I highly recommend doing so in her extremely capable hands.”

Jody White - Writer, Healer, Drummer

 

“Bethan is a magical guide who will draw your voice out from its hiding place and lead it on an exhilarating emotional journey, from the serene to the playful, the sacred to the dirty, and the angelic to the monsterous. She'll bring out your inner spirit creatures - whether they be rasping badgers, hooting owls or operatic dragons - and get them to sing in joyful harmony.”

Brett Scott - Writer

“Bethan unveils buried treasure like no-one else I know. She teaches with immense love, strength and self-confidence… dares you to delve deeply… to bear your sorrows… and then stand up again afterwards.”

Ric Hollingberry - Musician

 

“Working with Bethan during the production of my latest film about intuitive magic and the body was a splendor. I want to keep co-creating with her and diving deep into the explorative vocal body. Since my work has been so external I was so impressed watching and seeing Bethan facilitate a group of femmes during our choreographic process. It truly helped the performers dive deep into a sense of self and occupy the performative body. Her attention to hold the space and the room, her acute knowledge of vocal wisdom and unlocking humans was incredible. Bethan is a wonder and her ability to facilitate is unique and needs to be spread throughout more bodies to help one find a deeper sense of self.”

Lauren Pringle - Movement & Film Director

“I am beyond grateful for the teaching Bethan has shared with me. It’s really transformed the way I think about my voice, making sound and creating art. In Bethan’s workshops I feel I’ve been able to channel the unconscious and unharness creativity from deep within myself. I struggle a lot with anxiety around singing but Bethan has helped me to get past this.  Her method of teaching makes you feel comfortable, allowing you to explore the full range of your voice and sound. I really value how connected Bethan’s teaching is to our ancestors, the land and nature. It has been so special learning to deep listen to nature and open myself up to the songs and magic that are out there waiting for us. This work is so important, I feel I don’t have the words to express how valuable it is. I have learnt skills I will use in every area and take with me throughout my life.”

Shireen, Visual Artist & Member of NYX 

 

"Bethan Lloyd has a mischievous knack for getting you to do things you didn't know you could do, especially when it comes to the sounding voice. Full-throated yodels, delicate harmonies, pounding hearts, subtle vibrations, stomping giants, ethereal choirs... All are within her range. But you'd better be careful. She might transform you into a new kind of being. You may even find a freedom you never knew was possible. In the play of singing sound.”

Eric Maddern - Writer, Founder of Cae Mabon

“Bethan brings a deep and intuitive holding to her work, with a mastery of voice and sound that invited even the most shy amongst us to feel safe to express ourselves. Her approach is playful, authentic and inclusive, as she deftly weaves her magic alongside embodied practices that invite genuine healing and transformation. I will never forget the spontaneous grief ritual that emerged from an exercise of silently expressing our more challenging emotions, and the way Bethan expertly held the container for such deep feelings to be witnessed and released. Or the way her Welsh lullaby brings me to tears every time I hear it!”

Isla Maclead - Ceremonialist & Ritual Guide

 

 
 

The Unbound Voice will leave you feeling more alive and integrated with your environment, allowing you to enter into the fullest expression of your being. You will experience a sense of empowerment and a deep knowledge of your internal landscape. You will know the capacity of the voice as being more than just a tool for speaking and singing, but as a magical instrument for accessing deeper unseen realms. From there you will gain confidence to write, perform and share your unique gift of sound with the world.