Fearless Flow: Do Nothing…just Play!

Creative Play Retreat with Anton and the HA!Man

Retreat Overview

“We only play when we’re in the
fullest sense of the word human beings,
and we’re only fully human when we play.”
– Fred Schiller

Drawing on their extensive experience, Anton and the HA!Man will explore awareness and spontaneity as ways of being present, playing with creatively expressing oneself meaningfully in the moment.
Anton will present workshops on mindfulness as creative practice, while the HA!Man will use sensitive musical accompaniments to facilitate a raw and natural flow of expression. Anton’s focus will be on the word – writing and performing; – writing and performing; while HA!Man will explore sound, music, movement and visual expression. The emphasis is not on technical skill, but on appreciating and enjoying our creative selves, the playfulness we’ve been born with, and the surprising fullness that lurks in the freedom to do nothing at all…

As part of the retreat, HA!Man and Anton will also perform their duoprov show. They recently performed Fearless Flow on the Main Program of the National Arts Festival. According to Mia Arderne:

“The honesty of improv, can be balm for a worn soul…The cello is haunting and soothing. Your eyelids close like you’re going home… The languid sweeping tones are a big presence….

This show will teach you something powerful…[it was] the closest I’ve come to real pause in a long while… HA!Man and Anton know their way in and around a moment, a sound. To move, they explain, we need a point of stillness to move from…

…There’s an honesty about the duo’s exchanges. These are two men who are very okay with being uncomfortable…Limber and nimble, HA!Man dances… Make a little space. It’s ok to feel sadness, fear, confusion, rage, defeat, whatever we feel, while we hope for peace to come again…”

Read the full review by Mia Arderne at The Critter: http://thecritter.co.za/?p=4499

Feedback from past workshop participants

WORKSHOPS BY ANTON KRUEGER
“Anton was completely involved and prepared, good-humored and relevant”.
“Everything worked out beautifully, TRC is amazing!”
“One brilliant experience, Amazing people. Staff are the embodiment of friendly compassion, Thank you, guys!”
“Loved all of it! Wish I could stay longer.”
“The retreat was exactly what I wanted and more! I learnt so much.”
“Thanks so much, Anton – I’m inspired and energized.”
“Left me feeling, like: ‘Awesome, I forgot I can do that!’”

WORKSHOPS BY HA!MAN
“The HA!Man provides a unique experience which should not be missed by anyone from 10-100!”
“I thought it was absolutely amazing. I had no clue music could have such an effect on me.”
“I enjoyed it completely. I totally scared myself and will be spending the next 17 years trying to analyze what I have become.”
“It had a profound impact on me. His points made me ponder over what shape I want my life to take.”
“I am a photographer who has recently lost my inspiration and this workshop has really helped to get it back. I have so many ideas and I’ve thought out of the box.”
“Loved it! There is a need for plenty, plenty more of these.”

Retreat Options

The retreat takes place over five nights, with a shorter weekend option of only 2 nights.
We start on Friday, 19 Aug at 18:00. The retreat ends on Sunday 21 August, after lunch, (at 13:00) for the shorter option, and Wednesday 24 August, after lunch, (at 13:00), for the full retreat.

Retreat Facilitators

Anton Krueger is an acclaimed writer who has won numerous awards for his plays, poems and critical writing. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Drama, Rhodes University, and also helps to run a Samye Kagyu Buddhist centre in Grahamstown. Besides teaching Creative Writing at undergrad and postgraduate level, he’s also taught children at home schools and at the Michael Mount Waldorf School.
Anton is a member of Mindfulness Africa and has presented papers on Mindfulness and Creativity in Shanghai, Chicago, India, Sweden and Scotland. He’s also attended the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute in New York as well as Naropa’s Summer Writing Program at the Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.

The HA!Man (Francois le Roux) is an independent performer, workshop facilitator and music creator that has built an extensive network of support across four continents over the last two decades. With a classical background in music, he made spontaneous expression his mainstay since the early 1990’s and is regarded as one of the world’s foremost cello and piano improvisers.
Along with his wife, Belgian actress and multi-artist Joke Debaere, they prefer to build relationships with local communities, focusing their work on smaller groups and settings. The HA!Man has presented workshops at numerous schools, home school groupings, colleges and universities across the world. Francois and Joke is based in Stutterheim, Eastern Cape, with their 3-year old daughter, Mira. Visit www.hamanworld.com for more.

Retreat Costs

There is the option to join either for two nights or five nights.

These rates include all meals, refreshments, and facilitator fees. Non-participating partners who wish to accompany participants are also welcome at reduced rates. If you would like to come but can’t afford it, there is the opportunity to do a work exchange.

To Book

To book, please use our online Booking Form. A 50% deposit will secure your choice of accommodation. This is not refundable but is transferable to another TRC retreat within a year.

For more general information about our retreats, please click on this link.

Catch yourself thinking…
Allen Ginsberg