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Facilitators
 Malidoma
P. Somé
Malidoma
was born into a traditional village of the Dagara tribe in Burkina Faso in
West Africa. The seeds of his destiny were nurtured in the early years of
his life by his shaman grandfather, Bhakyé. At the age of 4 he was
kidnapped by French Jesuits and taken to become a Roman Catholic priest. Years
later a confrontation with a teacher resulted in Malidoma running away and
finding his way back to his own village. He now had to relearn his own language,
and then the decision had to be made as to whether he should undergo the traditional
initiation into his own magical culture. He underwent, and survived, the initiation.
The elders now decided that he should study at University. This he did in
Africa, in Paris, and in the U.S. Now living both in the modern Western world
and in his indigenous tradition, his life is a bridge between two sides of
human evolution at this critical time of change. Malidoma P. Somé has
written several books including "The Healing Wisdom of Africa ", "Ritual:
Power, Healing and Community" and his autobiography "Of Water and Spirit",
which Alice Walker described as " a shimmering missing piece of the story
of the earth". His name Malidoma means "To Be Friends With The Stranger" and
so he shares, with the permission of his elders, many of the previously secret
teachings and cosmology of the Dagara in Burkina Faso, translating ancient
rich spiritual wisdom into contemporary western society. Not only is Malidoma
a great and exceptionally gifted Shaman, Teacher, Spiritual Elder and Diviner,
but he also holds three Master's Degrees and two Doctorates from the Sorbonne
and Brandeis University. He is a sought after Speaker and leads workshops
and events throughout the world. Please visit his website www.malidoma.org
for further courses and books.
 Caitlín
Matthews
Caitlín
Matthews is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic wisdom and the ancestral
shamanic traditions of Britain. Born of British and Irish parents, she has
explored the ancestral heritage of these beautiful islands, finding practical
ways that help us maintain our respect for the land and forebears, as well
as clearing the way for our descendants. She has taught the shamanic healing
ways of these islands worldwide using the widest range of storytelling, song
and practical wisdom, rediscovering ancient methods of oracular divination
and spirit embodiment with the help of ancestral spirits. Caitlín appears
frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer
and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur.
She has a voice of great power that opens the way between the worlds, enabling
many to find their own voices. Caitlín is the author of forty books,
including "Singing the Soul Back Home", "Mabon and the Guardians
of Celtic Britain", "The Psychic Protection Handbook", and
"The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot". She is co-author, with John Matthews,
of the "Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom" and "Walkers Between
the Worlds". Her books have been translated into many languages from
Brazil to Japan. With her partner, John Matthews, and Felicity Wombwell, she
is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which
is dedicated to the mythic, oracular and sacred arts. Their FIOS shamanic
training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting master
classes with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic
practice dedicated to healing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation. She
lives in Oxford with her husband and son. See www.hallowquest.org.uk.
 Henri
Gaobi
Henri
Gaobi comes from the Gouru community of West Central Cote D'Ivoire, from a
long family tradition of musicians, dancers and weavers. He himself first
started drumming on saucepans when he was 2 years old. By the time he was
18, he was performing with the National Ballet of Cote D'Ivoire, and from
then on has performed nationally and internationally as a musician and dancer
with a long list of companies and musicians. He has lived in London since
1992, and has his own company "Kaago" with fellow Ivoirians Gaspard Zamble
and Rose Zan Lou. Kaago, a Gouru word meaning "Let's Go", consists of a troupe
of experienced dancers, performers, and musicians, creating an intense vehicle
for African drumming and dancing. They have performed at festivals, theatres,
private celebrations, as well as run workshops in schools. Henri also runs
drumming classes and workshops in London and around the UK. He sees drumming
and dance as healing, a way of creating enjoyment, lifting spirits and spreading
happiness and joy. Music is the love of his life.
A mal
Abbass-Saal
A devoted
therapist, diviner, mother, foster mother, writer and artist of Sudanese and
Jewish/German heritage, Amal holds profound knowledge and one can truly say
wisdom within herself, actively building cross-cultural bridges. Much of her
own healing has been facilitated within 15 years of personal therapy both
in Germany and the UK, initiations and spiritual work in Cuba, Nigeria, UK
and many other countries. Within individual, couple and family sessions she
successfully integrates Guided Meditations, Ritual, Sand play, Breath, Sound,
Clay, Cowryshell Divination and Therapeutic Stories, which she recognises
to be the ancient as well as modern tools of psychotherapeutic practice. Amal's
intuition, gentleness and spirituality bring sacredness into many people's
lives as she meets everyone with respect and dedication. Her name Amal means
'Hopes and Inspiration' and it is precisely Hopes and Inspiration that she
offers whilst handing you the tools to step in alignment with your purpose,
so that you yourself can make your dreams come true.
 Tom
Abbass-Saal
As an
accomplished Wood-carving and multi-skilled artist and crafts man, Father,
Foster carer, Youth worker and Mentor, Tom is devoted to engage with Young
people in the Art and Crafts. Central in his approach is encouraging people
to find their own ways and meaning in their creative expressions. Born and
raised in Holland he has been educated in a Steiner School, after which he
has completed several courses in the Arts, researched Development Economics
in the Netherlands and Kenya, and found his passion for sculpting wood. Tom
aims to find the right balance between following the natural directions of
the wood, and at the same time creating shapes with deep spiritual expressions,
beautiful to look at and powerful in the meaning conveyed.
 Zena
Edwards
Zena Edwards,
a world class poet and songwriter who left us all spellbound with her performance
at last year's festival. Over the past eight years she has built up an impressive
back catalogue of collaborations, creating new work alongside Pops Mohammed,
Jonzi D, Jean Binta Breeze and Dana Bryant. Her work is cross-cultural and
cross-guttural, lifting raw ingredients from a sweeping range of poetry and
music forms and braking them into her distinctive Afro-Jazz, Urban-Soul style.
According to Joelle Taylor at The Poetry Society "Zena's work is deep and
sensuous, rhythmic and startling. Her poetry is not simply supported by music,
but is music itself."
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