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Your Escape

Dear Nature Lover Adventurous and Alternative People!

We are looking for you!

Our 4 private rooms are available for 8 weeks. We are looking for you if you love nature, alternative life is your choice, you are ok with weak wifi and you prefer disconnect from digital and connect to real.

If you are an artist who needs inspiration/time/space to create
If you are a digital nomad who needs a short escape from cities and parties and bars
If you are a cyclist who need a base for training
If you are secretly a gardener but you need to live in the city and you miss nature
If you are fresh lovers and you want to spend time in your nook
If you need a break from your everyday life and looking for reconnecting to yourself
If you want to spend a few weeks discovering the central part of Gran Canaria…

Camino Art House is your place.
From 13 May we are here to offer you a home. If you decide to stay with us, we are happy to receive your donation, which will support our Association. We are easily reachable by local bus, only 40 min from Las Palmas Old Town. Vega de San Mateo is only 20 minutes walk. If you are interested please whatsapp: +34633339903 or e-mail: camino@caminoart.org

These are the rooms that are waiting for you:

Double Nook

Family Green

Raktar Kucko

Birds’ Nest

And our land and house and vibes

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Body, emotions, communication – PlayFight and Possibility Management Workshop 

For sure you have experienced difficult times when making an important decision, being in a hard conversation, or maybe in a conflict situation. Handling emotions and express yourself correctly might be also challenging in happy moments, not only in difficult situations. Stand up for ourselves, be there for us, and see our chances in different positions is something that can be learnt, practiced and developed.

Welcome to Camino’s first PlayFight and Possibility Management workshop, where two amazing instructors – Carola and Tomas – will guide you through different tasks and exercises while you can focus on your self-development regarding to your needs.

In the workshop, we create a sincere and safe atmosphere, where people open and transform their personal topics. The main tools for this are conscious work with the body, emotions and the art of honest communication. 
Lets come together and explore our inside world by interaction in PlayFight and Possibility management methods.

PlayFight is self development method based on natural physical game – playfight. It is a place where you can connect to your playfulness and vitality. PlayFight is a method to learn to express any arising emotion (verbally and non-verbally) in non-violent way. We playfight and then share how did we feel. The aim is o let ourselves to be authentic in the interactions with others.

In Possibility Management Training people learn more about their mind programming and take responsibility for their opinions, actions and feelings. Through exercises you train than new ways of communication and behavior in order to have more lovely relationships with yourself and others and furthermore to live closer to your own reality.


Carola Brauner, has been teaching for several years, and found Positive Management two years ago accidentally. She got fascinated right away, because she learnt that there are so much more important topics, than normal school subjects. She got motivated to be involved deeper in the positive management strategy. She started to learn it and now she is leading PM groups in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on a regular bases.

Tomás Wortner, performer, dancer, director and teacher, graduated from Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. Tomas’s topics are self development courses. His main interests are working with emotion, open communication and community building through group dynamic. He is founder PlayFight (original self-development method using sharing circles and physical activity – PlayFight for non violent communication practical goals) which is one of his most fulfilling activity in the last 3 years.

Everyone can join this workshop, whatever your skills or age is. You do not need prior experience. We will work outdoor in small groups.

Program:

Friday (apr 2)
17-19.30 workshop
dinner
camp fire

Saturday (apr 3)
8.30h breakfast
10-13.30h workshop
lunch
15.30-19h workshop
dinner
camp fire

Sunday (apr 4)
8.30 breakfast
10-13h workshop
Lunch
15-18h workshop
end of program

We are kindly asking your contribution for the workshop, accommodation and the food, which would be 75 euros/person.

For more info please contact to caminoarthostel@gmail.com or +34633339903

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Meet Václav Wortner, improv performer and teacher

“It felt like they were so witty, smart and intelligent, at the same time”…
Interview with Václav Wortner, improv performer and teacher, and long-term guest of Camino Art House


An interview with Václav Wortner, improv performer and teacher, and long-term guest of Camino Art House
Václav called me from Tasarte as he was looking for a place to work on his book. When I continued asking him questions concerning his background, I quickly discovered that he was an improvisation teacher, which made me think to myself, “what if we do an improv training/camp/workshop in the hostel”… From this phone call, an amazing program as well as a strong friendship evolved…and the book is progressing well too.

How do you feel about Camino?

Wow, I feel really good, the place is very suitable for what I am looking for. It is a place where I can focus on writing my book, and at the same time not being alone, having the possibility to meet others too. There is sufficient space for me, enough freedom. Also, the distance to Las Palmas is perfect, far, but not too far.

What was your journey to find theatrical improvisation?

It was a nice, long journey. I studied psychology, I was very interested in group dynamics, group therapy, and group leadership. I never thought of theatre back then. However, later at the university, I accidentally saw an improv show. I was actually just passing by, and I didn’t even come to this event, just stopped to have a look. All in all, I was very impressed. I thought, this is a way where you can work on so many personal skills. The actors were able to react fast, to sing, move and dance, it felt like they were so witty, smart and intelligent, all at the same time. They were not only brilliant in the way how their brains were working but also their bodies. So, I had a strong feeling that I had to do this! As a result I started training. For some years I was learning improv in Brno, but I felt I needed more, so I started to attend international improv festivals and shows abroad in France and Germany. After these experiences, I understood that if I wanted to go even deeper, I had to study theatre.
I thought I cannot be a good improv actor if I am not an actor. I was already 29 at that moment, a bit old for starting an acting carrier or studying drama school, but I felt I had to do this in this life, I could not wait for my next life when I would be younger. I really had to do it right away. So, I discovered that I could enter a theatre school by doing a PHD at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. My dream came true: I studied acting for 6 years, finishing last September. Following my graduation, I went on performing in Prague and abroad. With my classmates we created a theatre company; we performed in Tallinn. I went to Chicago, the birthplace of modern improv that can be traced back to the 60s’.

Does language matter when improvising?

So far I have performed these shows in Czech, English and, Spanish. And I must say that not speaking the same language on stage does make a difference, because there’s a higher chance of misunderstanding. However, this makes it interesting, because if we are good improvisers, these small mistakes and errors can be great gifts that we can include into the story. It can be a blessing in disguise if something like this happens. In France, I also lead a workshop where the participants didn’t speak French as they were immigrants from Africa and from Spain. We improvised the whole weekend without words. We even had a show, and people loved it! We executed proper scenes, and it was always clear what was happening. With that said, I consider improv a universal language just like music. We don’t need to speak the same language and we still understand music, right? I think improv has the same potential.

How can improv be useful in real life? If someone is not doing it for living, can it be still useful to try, or learn even for longer period?

Yes, of course! Beside the joy that it gives, it is amazing for team building, for example. I would not use the word “therapy”, but it is a perfect tool for personal development. Many people start to practice improv when they feel weak or not that skilled in social situations. By improvisation they can learn to make mistakes, accept these failures and just go on. Ultimately, they learn not to get scared in any kind of situation. When you are able to perform on stage in an unknown situation, you will for sure handle such situations off stage, when everything is more relaxed and nobody is watching you.
Improv can be also useful for learning co-operation, and enhancing creativity. The spirit of co-operation on stage really works elsewhere too, not just when creating a story, for example, for innovation of new products and/or strategies. I also enjoy this application of improv, outside of the world of theatre.

How was your first workshop at Camino?

It was a nice combination of two topics: writing and improvisation. People were learning improvisation, but also learning how to write and edit a short story. Participants were mostly expats living in Las Palmas. And with these people, after the worskhop, we formed an improv group, so now we have regular weekly trainings in the city. In the next workshop I want to focus on how to build a scene, how to build up your character, and how not to get lost in the scene. We will make sure that the scene has a beginning and an ending too. It might sound simple, but when you are starting with improv you are happy when you come up with anything, and it is great because you have created something from scratch, but after a while, as your teacher, I want you to come up with a more complex story to create real scenes with an interesting twist, and maybe a conclusion at the end. This takes time and requires practice.

What is your plan for now? How long are you planning to stay in Gran Canaria?

At the moment, I am planning to stay until the end of April – or more, perhaps. If I finish my book, it would be beautiful, if not, it doesn’t matter, I don’t have a deadline. I like finishing things though, and focusing on projects until the end, so I will just go on working on it. I have sent the first 30 pages to my editor. The book is an autobiography, dealing with the last 8 years of my life, and now I am entering into a more challenging part of the story. As I am getting closer to the present moment, I am becoming more attached emotionally and it is more difficult to see it from a distance. I am now struggling a bit. The text is still raw and I have to sort it, cut it, and organize it, but this is what I chose to do here, so I am happy to work on it.
My life back in Prague still exists, I still have my theatre company, my students, so when we get permission to go on working, we can start right away. I am actually very lucky there is a lockdown now in my country, because I have the chance to stay away from my home for a longer period. Earlier I could not travel for long, maybe for a weekend or a week, but I always had to return home to perform in the theatre. I am really enjoying this moment, and it feels good to spend this time here, on the island.

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Confidence and Balance – WORKSHOP

Confidence and Balance
– AcroYoga and Contact improvisation workshop with Tomás Wortner
19th – 20th March, 2021

Welcome to our micro retreat of develop Confidence and Balance at Camino Art House. We are inviting you to support your confidence and balance through movement while having fun and connect to other people, be in nature and enjoy a little escape from the city.

AcroYoga is a combination of wisdom and flexibility of yoga, power of acrobatics and gentleness of Thai massage. Practise of acroyoga is based on connection, trust and especially fun.
Contact improvisation is a partner dance practice in which points of physical contact provide the starting point for movement improvisation and exploration. The emphasis is on listening, leading, following, touching, falling, lifting, leaning, sliding, counter-balancing, and supporting the weight of another person.
Through these two powerful and joyful practices you will learn to develop your confidence, and balance yourself in your body, mind and spirit. It is a hard work, but you will experience the support of the group which will help your individual inner work toward your goals.

This is a unique event at Camino Art House, with a very special instructor from the Czech Republic. Tomás Wortner, performer, dancer, director and teacher, facilitator will be our guide and host for these days. His main focus is independent artistic projects in field of physical theatre. He graduated from Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. He is also teaching psychical theater training at the Academy nowadays. Tomás is a yoga, acroyoga and contact impro lover and practitioner/teacher.
Tomas’s topics are self development courses. His main interests are working with emotion, open communication and community building through group dynamic. He is founder PlayFight (original self-development method using sharing circles and physical activity – PlayFight for non violent communication practical goals) which is one of his most fulfilling activity in the last 3 years. Nowadays he is also taking part in official 5 years of psychotherapeutic training.

Everyone can join this workshop, whatever your skills or age is. You do not need prior experience. Partner is not needed either. Just come, support, and be supported! Max number of our group is 9 person.

Program
Friday 19th March
5pm – 7pm – workshop
8pm Dinner
After dinner: circle talking around camp fire

Saturday 20th March
8am Breakfast
10am – 1pm – workshop
1pm – Lunch
3pm – 6pm – workshop
End of program

We are kindly asking to support our work with contributing 55 € which includes the workshops, accommodation for one night and vegan food during the program.

The language of the program is English. More info and application: caminoarthostel@gmail.com or +34633339903 (only whatsapp text)

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Natural Building Workshop

sculptor creative campWelcome to our very first Natural Building Workshop at Camino Art House! If you are enjoying to be outdoor and you are connected to nature, this might be your place. We will learn about natural building materials, creative thinking for natural building, and practice different techniques.

We will have 3 full days to finish our small projects, including making natural art pieces from natural materials found on the site. This art making will inspire us for the larger work, and will give us a lot of ideas, and help us to get know the land where we will be based for these 3 full days.

At the same time we are hosting a sculptor creative camp in the Art House, so we might be involved in the process of the art making, or the sculptors will be involved in the building, or everyone will be involved in everything 🙂

At the end, you will be fulfilled with a lot of new knowledge, the satisfaction of building new things, and surly you will be recharged from working in nature and using natural elements.

We are going to have only a small group, so we can do more, and can organize ourselves easier.
Program:
febr 26 Friday
9am-2pm – introduction, walk on the land, introduction of natural materials, collecting materials for natural art making
4pm-7pm – learning techniques and natural art making
dinner time: planning the building for the next day
febr 27 Saturday
8am – yoga
10am-2pm – building
4pm-7pm – building
dinner time: camp fire
febr 28 Sunday
8am – yoga
10am – 2pm – building
4pm-7pm – finishing building, sharing experiences, evolution the projects

Contribution for the workshop:

including 2 nights at Camino Art House, all the food and the workshops 80€

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Words and Actions – Writing, improvisation and acting workshop

Welcome to Words and Actions, a unique self-development workshop in literature and theater improvisation.

February 26-28, 2021

improvisationDuring the sessions, our experts will offer advice and guided activities to develop your writing and acting abilities. The weekend culminates with short performances and readings. The beautiful surroundings of San Mateo provide the perfect environment to get creative, spontaneous, and playful. You will improve your writing and your self-expression, which could help you focus better on your creative work. All meals and accommodation are included. Vegan options available.
Join us for these active and thoughtful two days to Camino Art House in Vega de San Mateo, and discover your words and actions!
Our writing instructor Philip Charter (UK), will teach us practical techniques for writing and literature-creation. Václav Wortner (CZE), improvisation teacher, will be responsible for acting and theatrical improvisation sessions, and Bea Baltavari (HU), will be guiding the meditation and Yoga sessions.
Philip Charter is a British writer and teacher who lives abroad. His work has been featured in over thirty publications and in 2021, he won the Loft Short Story competition. Foreign Voices, his debut short fiction collection, was released in 2018. Philipcharter.com
Václav Wortner discovered improvisation in 2012, and steered his life fully towards theatre in all its forms. He studied devising acting at Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, working on solo performances, clowning and acrobatics. He studied longform improv at iO Chicago. As one of Us boys who go out together and member of Bafni ensemble he performs regularly in the Czech Republic and at international improv festivals in Europe (Tallinn, Tampere – Finland, Amsterdam, Nancy – France). Václav has been leading improv workshops for actors and improv trainings for corporate clients in the last three years in the Czech Republic, Colombia, Hungary, France, Ukraine, Estonia and the USA.
Bea Baltavari has been teaching Hatha Yoga for 8 years. In 2021 she is becoming a Vipassana Meditation instructor as well. She prefers to lead small groups, and always brings attention on personal needs and communication while teaching. She founded Camino Art House in 2015.
The Program
26 Feb – Friday
5 pm – Check in, introductions
7 pm – Guided cave meditation
8 pm – Dinner. Stories around the campfire. Reading from Philip, and all the other participants.
27 Feb – Saturday
8 am – Yoga
9 am – Breakfast
10 am-12 am – Writing workshop – Idea generation and writing from prompts.
12 am-2 pm – Acting workshop – Improvisation in acting, how to get started
2 pm-3.30 pm – Lunch break
4 pm-6 pm – Acting workshop – Rehearsal for performances. Direction and tips.
6 pm-8 pm – Free time, self-study time
8 pm – Dinner
After dinner reading of work and discussion
28 Feb – Sunday
8 am – Yoga
9 am – Breakfast
10-12 am – Writing workshop – How to create great characters.. Complete a character questionnaire and conduct interviews.
12-2pm – Acting workshop – How to bring a character to life. Physical and verbal techniques.
2pm – 3.30pm – Lunch break
3:30 – 5:30pm – How to edit and improve your work? Individual feedback from tutors.
5.30 pm – Presenting the final show, evaluation, feedback.
7pm – End of program

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OPEN CALL FOR SCULPTORS! – “Don’t find me, i am in love”

Welcome to Camino, welcome to Wonderland!

If you are a sculptor who is interested in applying nature into art, and happy to work outdoor, and you are an artist who loves to integrate his/her work into an outdoor environment, and are looking for a creative place and inspiration to work, we are looking for you, please keep reading!

valle del mirelesWe are very lucky in Camino Art House to own a very large Land around the house. Imagine a valley with wild plants, fruit trees, rocks and caves, falcon families are crossing the blue sky. Hundreds of birds are calling you to take a walk in the wild land. Here is a bench, there is a swing, and so many secret hideaway places. This is where you will place your work. We are inviting you to create in Camino Art House. We offer you accommodation, a little food, and large space to work. We are also happy to help you with materials. At the end of the creating period we organize an open air exhibition from your works, that will find their new home somewhere in the valley.
Contribution for the whole program (accommodation, food and helping with materials (after personal discussion) is 75 €, which has to be paid when application is accepted.
The creating period will be: 22nd Febr – 6th March

Exhibition opening: 7th March

Exhibition: 7th March – 7th April.

To apply please send your curriculum, motivation and portfolio to caminoarthostel@gmail.com, more info on the same e-mail or +34633339903 (whatsapp too).
Hope to see many of you soon!

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Open Call for Artists – “My Nest”

playing with kids

Perhaps more than ever before, we as people have a powerful desire to return to a NEST,
a sacred, divine, holy place where we feel safe and secure, where we feel powerful, where we feel home. Each and every of us has a place like this, a real, pure, loving and caring environment to become isolated, to recharge and to be loved.

Have you found yours?

We are inviting you to reveal your NEST to the world! The contours of your NEST are limitless. It can be a photo of a real or a symbolic place, it can be a painting, a collage, or a sculpture, a textile, paper, or wood, and beyond. We want you to manifest and free yourself from your precious bubble, and to be proud of your hiding place, the sweet confines that protect you and have been protecting you in these unique times of history.
playing on old tree
Maybe you have not discovered your nest (yet). We challenge you to IMAGINE ONE! To create one! and to share your dream with us! Every nest is a majestic one within itself.

So, we are accepting every type and variety of art piece(s), made with any kind of technique and material, in any size and shape. You can send your work in digital format to caminoarthostel@gmail.com, or bring the original until the 15th February (9pm) to Camino Art Hostel, or we have an address too in Las Palmas.
nesting on the shore

Each and every art piece will be presented. The jury will choose one artwork in each creative category (e.g visual, graphic, plastic arts..). The artists of the chosen pieces are welcome to our Artist Residency program in 2021.
“The Nest” exhibition will be held at Camino Art Hostel, from the 22nd of February, about the opening event we will inform the public later.

We are inviting artists from all around planet Earth, you don’t need to be resident on Gran Canaria to apply.

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Free movement and Free dance workshop at Camino

Welcome to our Free movement, and Free dance workshops at our small hostel in the green hills of Gran Canaria in Camino Art House.
This is an event where you will open up, learn about your body, relax and get inspired by free movement and music or silence. Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience with dancing, you don’t need any, or if you have, use it and put all your knowledge into a new direction.
Have you ever experienced that when you feel good in you body, you feel better in your head and in your heart too? When your moves are easy and you are just flowing, somehow things get into their places around you? This is a perfect state to come up with new ideas, to create unexpected things, to finish long overdue work, or just be happy in your body.
We are inviting you to learn how to balance your moves, how to free your moves and how to create your perfect body state for yourself.
The Free movement and Free dance workshop in Camino will be held some very amazing people: Marijana Kondres (HR) dance lover and 5 element dance instructor, Ylenia Álvarez (ES) dance and intimicy instructor, Kristof Rona (HU) hatha yoga instructor. Program co-ordinator and meditaion: Bea (HU) hatha yoga instructor and inspirator.
They will teach you how to use your body, and put it in a comfortable, natural position, in the centre of your existence, where you can find your freedom, your free flow and confidence.
And when you find all these, you will find amazing things: you will find joy, freedom, creativity, and power. Power to bring your ideas alive, to communicate with ease and understand others better. Your attention will open and your focus will sharpen. This is a perfect event for you if you want to relax, release stress, move your body and soul, reconnect to yourself, learn new methods of self-care, re-freshen your energy flow or get inspired.

Program:
Jan 15. Friday
6pm – arrival / introduction – choosing your topic
7pm – meditation – in the cave, with Bea
We invite you to a mediation session in one of our natural caves. These caves are perfectly silent, and perfect little spaces to switch off from reality and bring your focus to your inner peace. You will learn that being still is actually helping the flow of the movement and also help you to get know your body.
8 pm – dinner / camp fire
Jan 16. Saturday
8am – warming up, yoga, meditation and bringing your focus to your topic
9am – breakfast
10am – 5Rhythms dance with Marijana
Here we detail the five Rhythms that all forms of dance and creative movement have in common: body, action, space, time and energy. Each element will wake up a different energy and give you new insights about your life.
No previous experience necessary and neither to be a dancer.

12am – Dance and confidence with Ylenia
Ylenia will guide you through your doubts and show you the way how you can free yourself, let your emotions drive your body, and express yourself without words .
We will move and dance in the safety and beauty of the valley, connecting to ourselves, and to our surroundings. We let our truest dance express itself without pressure, without going after it, it appears when we sink into ourselves. Nature will always hold us with her earthy smells, poetry, silence, sounds and open arms. Welcome to a different dance, your truest dance, to a deep connection with nature and therefore: yourself. No previous experience nor being a dancer necessary.

1.30pm – lunch
3pm – movement and balance with Kris
When you find balance in your body, you will find balance in your world. There are specific way to learn to bring balance in your body and mind. Kris will teach you how to practice these. How to come from one balanced state to another balanced pose, how to move with confidence to reach your own balance. This is a perfect practice to learn about yourself, to see where you actually need the balance in your body and state of mind in this period of your life.
5pm – Playful Movements with Bea, Ylenia and Kris
Playing is a natural source of joy. Playing with your body is one of the earliest actions we learn as a baby, but how we grow we forget this joy. This is a good time to remember, and learn again how to play with our body. We will roll, jump, turn up side down, throw and catch things, and figure out how to connect to others with confidence, and joy.
7pm – sharing and processing experiences – we will talk about what we have learnt and how did you own topic developed
Of course, beside the leaded actions, as always, there will be healthy snacks, good company and inspiring vibes during the full workshop.
Contribution

For the full program, one night (Friday) at Camino and the meals we are asking your contribution of 45 euros. There is also optional to have dinner on Saturday, and sleep over in Camino, which is an extra 15 euros. but you can also catch the bus in the night hours on Saturday at 9.30pm or 11pm to get back to Las Palmas.

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Art Sale for a new washing machine

Dears!
We need a new washing machine, this is very essential, and well, honestly saying, a bit urgent too 🙂 You know that situation now with all this virus flying around is not easy, and we are lacking of funds. So we came up with the idea to sell some of our great arts, these paintings are from friends who are supporting our projects and are happy to offer their artworks for sale, so we can have a new family member. Yes, we do treat our washing machine as a family, we have to, and you all know this 🙂
Anyways, please have a look at these paintings and consider to buy them from us. This would help us a lot! We need to have 300 euros extra in 3 days, so please don’t think too much! If you don’t need them, please buy them for someone who you love and would be happy to hang them on their walls. They are really worth for that!
Smaller paintings (20x20cm) would be 20€ + delivery cost, larger ones 30€ + delivery cost.
To look at the paintings please go to Discussions.
So… ready, steady, go!

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