Kyle DeVries one of the founders of
Groundswell, a new LGBT retreat center and ecovillage two hours north of
San Francisco talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of
OUTTAKE VOICES™. Just o...
Kyle DeVries one of the founders of
Groundswell, a new LGBT retreat center and ecovillage two hours north of
San Francisco talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of
OUTTAKE VOICES™. Just over a year old, Groundswell is about to begin its
first full lineup of queer-focused programs starting with a forestry
camp and an artists gathering. Groundswell’s retreat center is a rustic
former kids camp set in a stunning natural environment. Across a
year-round creek from the campus is Groundswell’s ecovillage, a
residential and agricultural complex that aims to model sustainable
queer-spirited living. The first program of the year is Forestry Camp
held February 18th to 22nd which is an opportunity for people to learn
about sustainable forest management and some woodsy crafting projects.
In addition there will be an exploration of the connection between our
LGBT community and nature around a roaring fire pit with s’mores. Then
March 3rd to 6th Groundswell is organizing MUSE: Inspire which is an
LGBT creatives retreat. A gathering for LGBTQ artists of all types, MUSE
offers skill sharing, artistic inspiration, creative collaboration and
plenty of time to connect with other LGBT creatives. This year’s focus
is on who or what sparks inspiration and how LGBTQ people inspire the
world. MUSE is a community creation and each year extends the
opportunity for people to present their passions as an artist. We talked
to Kyle about his inspiration for Groundswell and his spin on our LGBT
issues.
When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights DeVries
stated, “As a gay man myself I feel full accomplishment of LGBT civil
rights is a very personal means of legal protections for what I consider
my extended community. I’ve been doing activism in the LGBT community
for over a decade now starting with civil disobedience and community
organizing actions like the equality ride and then continuing to do
community organizing once I moved to California more in the arts
spectrum. And Groundswell is another part of my commitment to LGBT
equality because again we are trying to create a space that is
advocating for the celebration of that otherness of being gay, or
lesbian, or transgender or bisexual.”
Kyle DeVries also manages the nonprofit retreat center, helps care for
the many animals and works with wood. Its non-human domestic residents
include goats, alpacas, llamas, sheep, chickens, pigs, rabbits, guinea
fowl and dogs. In addition to their content another unique aspect of
Groundswell’s programs is their accessibility for people of all incomes.
Every event offers work trade and scholarship opportunities for those
who cannot afford the event registration fees so that financial means
are not a barrier to access. The programs and retreat center are run by
Groundswell Institute a non-profit that manages this accessibility
through donations and renting out the facilities to other groups. The
non-profit retreat center is just one aspect of Groundswell. The other
is a residential community committed to sustainable, queer-spirited
living. Currently with four full-time residents, the community plans to
grow to become as many as 30 over the years.
For More Info: groundswell.institute
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