Findhorn Contact Jam
3 days of dancing in the stunning Universal Hall at the Ecovillage in Findhorn
Morning Classes | Afternoon Jams | Live Musicians
Findhorn Ecovillage Community | Hot Tub | Woodland & Beaches
Spacious event with time to explore the community
Arrange your own travel, accommodation and food
Led by Richard Parker and Lucy Thomas
Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th October 2025
Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland
About the Jam
Welcome to the Findhorn Contact Jam; three days of dancing in the stunning Universal Hall at the Ecovillage in Findhorn, NE Scotland. Blending class, jam, space to draw and write, live music, open mic sessions at the local cafe, hot tub, wild beach - and the invitation to be s p a c i o u s in your flow within this richness, held in the Autumnal beauty of this special place.
Richard will offer classes, and Lucy will host jams accompanied by musicians from the local community and David Leahy from London. Two evenings are unscheduled. You are invited to take time to explore the woods and dunes, walk to the historic Findhorn Village, treat yourself to something tasty at the cafe, enjoy a delicious meal at the local pub or brave a cold plunge into the Moray Firth.
Throughout, enjoy new friends, familiar faces and take quiet time. We encourage you to follow your rhythm; full weekend or single session tickets are available.
About the Facilitators
Join Richard Parker, the founder of Emerging Hearts Contact Improvisation Dance Camp, and Lucy Thomas, the creator of Being Whole, for this opportunity to dive into your practice of Contact Improvisation in a rich environment of creativity and community.
Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the realm of Contact Improvisation, ensuring a dynamic and enriching experience for all participants, known for his focus on community and transformative dance experiences.
Lucy Thomas has lived as part of the community around Findhorn Bay for twenty years and has been holding CI in Findhorn for the past two years. She is a skilled facilitator of transformational spaces which encourage embodiment, spontaneity, joy, relaxation and an intimacy with ourselves as a part of Nature. She is committed to serving the people and land of Findhorn Bay and weaves nature’s principles into the many local movement-based events that she organises on both land and in water.
This retreat offers an opportunity to experience the unique blend of Richard and Lucy's expertise, held in the beauty of Scotland's wild seashore and the warmth of a creative community setting.
Level
This event is not suitable for anyone completely new to Contact Improvisation, but it welcomes anyone who has begun to explore the practice, from those with some basic experience to well-seasoned practitioners.
Venue
Nestled along Scotland's stunning Moray coastline, Findhorn Ecovillage is an internationally recognised long-standing intentional community. It strives to be a model of low-impact, connected living. Now beginning an exciting new chapter of its life, where independent community initiatives are at the forefront. There is huge excitement in welcoming visitors who will enjoy and add to the creative, emergent dynamic.
By the fact of its location and history, Findhorn offers a space to deepen your practice and nourish your connection to the earth and one another.
The Universal Hall, our studio for the retreat, was built by literally thousands of people over ten years and at its heart is a pentagonal auditorium that has hosted dance for over sixty years. Close to the Hall is the Phoenix shop and cafe, while a 15-minute walk into Findhorn Village gives you two more cafes and two pubs, 5 minutes walk beyond which is the sea!
Accommodation
YOU WILL NEED TO ARRANGE YOUR OWN ACCOMMODATION.
There are multiple self-catering options at the Ecovillage or via Airbnb in Findhorn Village itself. Also, Findhorn Village Hostel provides dormitory beds. We recommend the Guest Lodge & Bunkhouse for its closeness to all facilities and offers a great shared self-catering accommodation option. Below are pictures of the Guest Lodge.
Food
YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE YOUR OWN MEALS.
At the Eco-village you have the The Phoenix Shop selling a range of groceries, or The Phoenix Cafe. In Findhorn Village (15 minutes walk), you have the Bakehouse Market & Cafe, the Kimberly Inn, The Crown & Anchor Inn and The Captain’s Table.
Travel
EasyJet flies directly to Inverness Airport from Gatwick, Luton & Bristol Airports (about 1 hour 15 minutes).
From Inverness Airport, there is a direct train to Forres that takes 20 minutes, from there it is a short 10 minute taxi ride to Findhorn Ecovillage.
Flights are available for under £150 (both ways) from both Bristol and Gatwick Airports. Please get in touch if you have any questions about travel.
Timings & Costs
Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th October 2025
3 nights and 3 days.
All Sessions (2x Classes & 4x Jams): £125
Single sessions: £15 to £30
Instalment payment option via our instalments page.
At Emerging Hearts we hope to make our events as accessible as possible. We understand that while we try to price our events reasonably, support may still be needed. If you need financial support, we offer the option of paying in instalments.
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Richard Parker
Richard Parker is passionate about the relational and deeply human experience that can be revealed through Contact Improvisation. His workshops are a refined balance of skills, creativity & free exploration, taking participants on a journey into the co-creative wonders of this practice, which always includes a healthy dose of safety and care for one another. With a grounded and easy-going approach, he loves sharing both his detailed and extensive understanding of the principle movement forms within Contact Improvisation alongside the subtle nuances, helping people to truly embody the fundamental aspects of the dance. Most importantly creating a sense of relational awareness and a sense of togetherness as we co-create within the dance space.
He has been developing his skills and knowledge as a Contact Improvisation (CI) dancer since 2006. Over the years he has extensively trained with many amazing international teachers within CI including Karen Nelson, Lisa Nelson, KJ Holmes, Nita Little, Andrew Harwood, Ray Chung, Martin Keogh & Joerg Hassmann. Since 2011 he has shared his teaching of CI within Professional, Educational, Festival & Community Organisations as well as organised his own CI Festivals, Retreats and Camps.
“A true love for the form and genuine investigation is at the heart of Richard's teaching. He plans and delivers material in a thoughtful, reflective and thorough way, each exercise leading on to the next fluidly. His gentle, clear and encouraging manner gives students the confidence to push their practice further and his commitment to staying true to the form ensures that others can continue to discover and enjoy the beauty of the dance.”
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Lucy Thomas
Lucy holds space with a unique warm presence, humour, generosity and deeply embodied wisdom. She synthesizes the width of systemic wisdom with the depth of somatic presencing and a knowing of our multi-dimensional nature. Working from the perspective that we are already whole, designed by Nature with a self-healing capacity. Lucy's approach is inclusive of the context of our times; acknowledging the severity and multiplicity of the challenges we are facing. With groups and individuals, she facilitates reconciliatory movements between parts towards wholeness. Dedicated to the cultivation of togetherness, spontaneity, and the intelligence of the Earth through our bodies. She is here for the collective remembering of humanity's power and wisdom.
Trained in the facilitation of systemic constellations in 2010, she has evolved a practice which connects intimate somatic movements with systemic shifts. By working through the body and the felt sense, she engages the non-linear unspoken knowing that is our indigenous 'wiring'. This offers relief on many levels which can seed changed attitudes, perspectives and behaviours. In this way, she works one to one, with couples and groups. Since 2020 Lucy has been steering her facilitation toward galvanising and enlivening the embodied engagement of those in her community. Her current projects include weekly CI classes, Bless Dance; an intergenerational happening by Findhorn Bay every Sunday, Danced by Water; weekly authentic movement sessions in the local hydrotherapy pool and also contributing to local food resilience at Roseisle Gardens.
This is what people have said after working with Lucy:
“I have never felt so held valued and seen.”
“So much has shifted in me which I can see and feel in my body, in my thoughts and things I've been looking at came together like a puzzle.”
“My whole concept about 'the body' has been shaken. I guess what showed up was much bigger than just the physical part.”
“I felt an immediate significant shift after each of the two sessions I had.”
“I feel stronger to stand in my truth, my energy is rising and my fear is subsiding”
"Trust the process" - learning to see (and feel!) the amazing intelligence of life as it's unfolding, including the difficult.
Get In Touch
If you have any questions about the event or in general about contact improvisation, then please don't hesitate to get in touch via the contact page.