A course designed to help young people find their direction in life will take place at the Asha Centre near Stroud from 29 June to 1 July
The Lighting Fires weekend, which is open to 18-25 year-olds and costs £150 (some bursaries available) has been created to help participants pick up practical, creative and leadership skills as well as advice from other young people who are already fulfilling their dreams.
The organisers, Hawkwood College, an alternative education charity, say they see young adulthood as a transitional period when many people begin to question what they want to do with their lives.
Participants will have the opportunity to experiment outside the conventional education setting with arts, crafts, nature conservation and leadership exercises. There will be a focus on finding and assessing students’ qualities alongside workshops on how this knowledge can be used to help reach life goals. A World Cafe workshop will allow people to share personal experiences and discuss global problems.
The course leaders – young people in their twenties and early thirties – are already living their passions and will share their stories and advice. One of the tutors, Amelia Parisien, a 23-year-old artist and outdoor educator, says: “It’s an opportunity for people to go within themselves and really learn from each other and get to a deeper kind of communication … all through hands-on creative activities.”
