Tenth birthday for celebrated Sussex Nature and Wellbeing Festival

On the border of West and East Sussex, across the Chiddinglye estate, the site is surrounded by giant sequoias, open meadows, woodland stages and gorgeous countryside.

Held over the weekend before the bank holiday, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 August, the festival features a feast of activities, wonderful world music, and an award winning children's area run by Lewes Youth Theatre.

Journalists have described “Into The Wild” as a place where “bats begin to whir”, and “thrilling” for children. Even better, all under-fives go free.

There are hundreds of family-friendly workshops, an inspirational programme of high-quality world and folk music, and a very broad range of talks and debates on subjects from rewilding to conservation; from the return of wolves to the reintroduction of beavers.

There is also fabulous food from around the world, a wellbeing area, and much more across acres of lush fields and woodlands near Ashdown Forest.

Because the event focuses on wellbeing and connections, there are no alcohol-serving bars on site. However, nearby, there is the excellent Missing Link micro brewery for those who enjoy a tipple.

Event director throughout Into The Wild’s history, Deja Hu, says: “Our focus is not to get out of it: but to get into it.

“Into The Wild is an opportunity to fall in love with Nature, to learn new skills, and to discover the wonder all around us.

“It’s also our moment to understand that, if we do not love and cherish the wild, we will lose it forever.”

The event is fully child-friendly throughout its three days. Experienced and qualified leaders run a highly popular children’s area, filled with creative activities and entertainment, in addition to the large proportion of workshops that welcome younger participants. Tickets include all workshops, the children’s area, camping, and all music including the two stages and many pop-up events.

Another adventure is choosing a personal programme of different activities to try.

There is one of the best wildcraft areas of any festival with one of the foremost living craft experts in the world, Will Lord Of The Stone Age. Born in 1970, Will Lord grew up on the English Heritage site of Grime’s Graves, a prehistoric flint mine in Norfolk, where his parents were custodians for many years. With a strong family history of archaeology & flint knapping, Will continued and progressed the tradition, becoming the leading expert on prehistoric survival skills. Workshops at “Into The Wild” total well over 200. Subjects include wellness, other wildcraft activities, meditation, healing, a dozen styles of yoga, and dance therapy.

Among the many activities and chances to learn, guests can try a gong bath, or enjoy archery, flint-knapping or wood carving. Or visitors can sit back to enjoy woodland theatre, poetry, and fine world and folk music across three nights.

This year’s main music programme is broad and deep. Highlights include much-loved festival attractions Folkadelix, Mobius Loop and kora wizard Seckou Keita, who play the breathtaking woodland stage this year along with a feast of other musicians.

The more intimate Zutopia stage features a wide selection of solo performers and small groups, including a highly entertaining twist on classical music from the world’s top recorder virtuoso Piers Adams, the soulful Max Mezzowave, and the rich sounds of the Zu Choir.

Other pop-up acoustic and spoken word shows are always just around the corner, or across the field.

Dance continues late into the night thanks to ecstatic music from silent discos led by an eclectic selection of DJs.

The speakers and debates programme includes sessions on restoring nature, the return of the wild, “land and belonging”, and conversations about the question “Whose land is it really?”

Those appearing include reintroduction expert Derek Gow, anthropologist and environmental author Veronica Strang, and writer and broadcaster Neil Ansell who spent five years alone, off the grid, on a remote hillside in Wales.

Traders bring a wide selection of creative and beautiful wardrobe items, gifts, necessities and imaginative ideas from around the world, for everyone to browse and perhaps take home.

Guests are always welcome to leave the busy programme behind, and walk into deep, wild woods, play in the lush Sussex fields, and enjoy the magic of the natural world by day and by night. After the sun sets, who will be first to hear an owl, or see the stars come out?

Camping includes well-organised areas for tents, glamping, live-in vehicles, and quieter areas for adults-only. Car-parking is in a safe, separate area on-site. Some showers are available, and plenty of wholesome, clean water is everywhere. There is twenty-four hour medical coverage, with a full security and volunteer team to keep everyone safe.

Deja adds: “All the workshops, talks, music, crafts, and more are focused on our relationship with the natural world, with biodiversity in everything we do.

“This year we have an amazing array of speakers who are experts in this field, wonderful world musicians, and some of the best wild craft artists in the country: all centred upon helping nature to thrive with our new nature recovery project we run in Sussex.”

“We are here to embrace wonder!”

“Into The Wild” takes place on the gently rolling land and woods of Chiddinglye, near West Hoathly. It runs from Friday, August 23 to Sunday, August 25.

Tickets include family and individual passes, with many concessions for younger people and registered carers. Day tickets are also available.

Into the Wild has an inclusive policy, offering bursaries and other price reductions. The team wants the event to be open to everyone no matter what their financial situation.

Find out more here: https://www.intothewildgathering.com