Testimonials about Queer Spirit

Around 500 colourful, loving, playful, questing queers of all ages, from all parts of the LGBTQI+ rainbow tribe and all colours of the human family assemble in the beautiful countryside or five days of summer fun and cosmic connection at the Queer Spirit Festival.  We celebrate Who We Are as creative, loving beings exploring our spirituality, our hearts, minds and bodies with a rich and diverse programme of ceremonies, performance, workshops and play spaces - here we dissolved the perceived boundaries and divisions between trans people, lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and other queers who cannot be defined or confined to any such category.  In a magically held atmosphere that encouraged engagement, open heartedness, communication and compassion, the Festival was a liberating realm of freedom of self-expression, of self-exploration and community creation… of soul expansion and of finding the inner peace that comes from communing with nature, and being able to fully be ourselves.

You can send us your testimonial here...

Here's what some of the people who came to this or previous festivals have to say about it...

2019

Thank you all so much for an incredible gathering of queer magic.

Queer spirit was an eclectic and diverse representation of the LGBTIQ community which I felt was wonderful! I feel the greatest gift that was offered to all that came was that it melted barriers and dissolved misperceptions that often exist with different groups in the LGBTIQ community.

I was really enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and the very broad variety of workshops. My heart has opened at the festival, my spirit has been nourished and I am very grateful for the experience.
It was wonderful spending five days among people of the queer tribe.

Life changing. I made friends for life. Most amazing event of my life.

Third year attending, and my time at Queer Spirit has only ever become more and more meaningful. Forming amazing and unique connections in every way, from a moment shared eating, to dancing and celebrating in the moonlight with beautiful and diverse souls. Truly life changing and lightens me for the muggle world yet again!

Queer Spirit Festival was an illuminating haven of heart-healing, earth-grounding, fire-gazing, beautiful surprises and a return to our spirit-home. Thank you everyone for making my first ever Queer Spirit Festival truly memorable. It was a perfect gift of friendship and love.

I have never in my life time (in this incarnation at least!) experienced a space where fellow humans and especially queer humans have felt so free to express themselves in all their beauty and magnificence, outside of what the matrix tells us this should look like. It was extremely moving to see our community reclaim our power and connect with each other from the heart.

The food was fantastic ... There was a great atmosphere and mix of people.
Programming was great. The crowd and infrastructure were wonderful. Loved all the singers and performers across the weekend and attended some fabulous workshops.

I didn't know what to expect when I came to Queer Spirit, Over the 5 days I experienced more love and acceptance than I have in my entire life and i felt like a flower slowly opening.
I loved the meditations, the singing the dance and the cabaret where all amazing.

The ceremonies were all brilliant - I'm not normally one for big group participation things but I felt so comfortable and they felt very special.

I experienced a life changing 5 days at Queer Spirit Festival. I have never felt so accepted and loved in a space full of complete strangers. I loved running my own workshops and attending others. Both the food options were outstanding - I didn't expect to be able to eat so well at a festival. So reasonably priced too! It was great that alcohol wasn't for sale on site so that people were generally more conscious and consenting in what they involved themselves in.

Sonn Matthew and I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful volunteer 'well-fairies' who gave their time and energy to help us create the welfare and access service at this year's festival. You are all beautiful, compassionate beings and you seriously rock. Thank you! ❤️
Also, thank you to all those who came and used the service, even if just for a cup of tea and a little time out. You brought your vulnerability and your humanity and trusted us with that. We feel honoured to have been able to help you, even if only in a small way. We shared many beautiful moments and had some fabulous discussions around that fire pit of an evening. Looking forward to more of the same in the future. -  Al Armitage

What a magnificent event this was. I did have some trepidation in coming as I wasn’t sure how I would feel at ease in such a mix of people. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have removed lots of taboos I have held and am well on the way losing more as the full impact of my experience settled in.

What a fabulous festival! Overall the organisation, arrangements and facilities were top-notch.  The workshops were all brilliant.

Wonderful, glorious, fantastic, ecstatic, deep, personal, inimitable experience! Immense gratitude.
the most beautiful and nourishing space i have ever experienced! So many things about it were really amazing: the range and quality of workshops, the performances, the emphasis on consent and heartfelt connection, the gorgeous and friendly volunteers, the love and care put into the set-up, decoration of the site and beautiful spaces created, the food...

Loved how intimate it was.

The festival was an opportunity to choose to process a real rollercoaster of emotions, I feel transformed and stronger after facing my truth and pushing past my vulnerability.

The smiles I received, the hugs, the kind words, the love I felt in my heart is beyond that which I have previously ever experienced. I feel valued, I feel special, I feel reconnected with my body and my sexuality, I feel empowered and I feel love for myself again.

The workshops were sensational. \nThe food was amazing. The acts on the main-stage were great quality and evocative. The energy overall was amazing. I felt it was very well organised.

A true celebration of our luckiness and uniqueness within this our universe we live, as queer life forces. Boundless gratitude to all for being you and for helping to show me who I am and who I want to be.

Thank you for the gorgeous food, the smooth organisation, for the opportunity to perform and all the wonderful music I've heard, cuddles around the fire and the abundance of love and generosity from everyone I met. I feel liberated and blissful with memories crackling and fizzing away inside me like beautiful golden fireflies.

I'm still glowing with queer joy. Thanks to all of you dear, queer spirits for co-creating such a loving, sacred, sensual and joyful community and gathering

Just a few of the takeaways from my first QS:
Being unintentionally misgendered, and knowing it comes from a place of honest unfamiliarity, quickly and lovingly corrected, and not a withholding of acceptance.
Being so beautifully overwhelmed with diversity that my anxieties, in hindsight, were irrelevant.
Coming 'home' changed, just as my circumstances and path-choices are about to go into freefall.
Hearing the voices of trans men, and finding connection and recognition, surprising overlaps, delightful mirroring.
Taking the entire festival, and the journey home, to appreciate that my dysphoria and other anxieties can impact on each other, but needn't, that the stretching out, expressing, and relaxation of our authentic, intersectional selves is enough, and that this is a safe place to do that.

I thought I was going to queer spirit to find a safe space to explore my spirituality, since i felt so secure in my gender and sexuality. Instead I found that after initial anxiety passed, the spiritual side was easy, and the exploration became about my identity as much as my beliefs. I want to thank everyone who created this space, and everyone who filled it. This past week has been the closest that I've ever felt to being at home in my whole life.

Thank you to all who came, performed or helped organise... I had no idea what to expect but I had a wonderful, beautiful time, and I look forward to gathering again! I felt an unparalleled sense of community and belonging.

I have never felt such a strong sense of belonging as I did at this year’s gathering. so beautiful to see all us wyrdos celebrating our uniqueness and spirit, and looking after each other.

Thank you everyone who interacted with me in any way. Each moment however brief, had such powerful meaning to me in terms of my self confidence and self worth. The smiles I received, the eye contact, the hugs and physical contact and touch, the kind words... The love I feel in my heart is overflowing. I feel valued, I feel special, I feel reconnected with my body and my sexuality, I feel love for myself again. I feel beautiful.

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the festival organisers and all of the beautiful people I connected with. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had. So much emotional growth, kindness, vulnerability, love, acceptance and validation. I was overwhelmed in a good way and it has kick started a lot of positive changes in my life.
A big thank you to every single person (and dog!) who was at this festival! I was reborn! I send my deepest love to your souls!

Never has drifting felt so good. I heard. I saw. I touched and was touched. So many quiet moments, shared moments. I learned to breathe again. Gently blowing on the embers of my soul. My heart to the mountain of people preparing the festival, during the festival, returning the land to its sleeping beauty. To the friends not seen in ages, the new friends forged and the sexiest of the lot - the sodden stewards, the sunshine stewards, come rain or shine, smiling, laughing, kind hearted.

In deep gratitude for this community of global rainbow family that I shared five days with at Queer Spirit so much love and kindness, so many heartfelt hugs and holdings so many magical moments.
  To all who worked so hard to create this unique and amazing festival thankyou
  To all who welcomed and embraced me and our tribe thankyou
  To all who opened their hearts and sang loudly with me THANKYOU
  To all who do the work to bring unity and kindness to the planet thankyou I love you all.

It was an amazing and enlightening experience. I learnt so much about our wonderful community as well as about myself. It was a very special time we all had.
Thank you everyone for making my first ever Queer Spirit Festival truly memorable. It has been a perfect gift of friendship and love.

2017

Excellent organisation and lovely friendly people.  A complete joy.  Ruairidh

Basking in the glow of a great event.
I felt so welcome and free to explore who I am with so many wonderful queer folk at this very well organised and lovingly held festival. Andy

thank you wonderfuls - for opening the love-gates and literally flooding us with bliss at the festival and beyond. I experienced so many beautiful shining moments, no wonder the moon was full she was reflecting us. Kevin

Thaaaaaaaaaank You????????????all super beautiful queer spirits for a fantasmagoric ????????????fest!!!! You beautiful ????????????beautiful people????     Elisabetta

a spirited love fest like no other. Amanda

A very relaxing no pressure queer space with gentle options nudging my way.  Beautiful land, structures too. Yes please another QSF!! Turret

Everyone in a space they can be totally themselves – no oppression/segregation etc.  Finally!

Utterly 100% accepted and celebrated for who I am in each moment. Brought out the beauty in everyone.

Thank you all so much for creating with our natural environment such a magical space.  Love Light Unity.

Love you all.  Thank you Queer Spirit. I have come home to my tribe!!

Thanks to the festivals I have been to my perception of Queer became genderless.  So when I see that separate “genderrules” tend to appear it makes me feel less comfortable, mainly because I feel there are other non-spoken about items at the origin.

Bloody well done!

A huge thank you from the Campaigns Yurt for all of your contributions to the workshops and discussions we led. It was a real joy and pleasure to spend time with some of you and to share learning and opinions and ways of being in the world of activism. A heartfelt thanks to you all. James

"We're here, we're Queer, we're Cosmic!" I may be shouting this at random wherever I go from now on ... :D

❤️????????????????Thank you Queer Spirit Festival. Xela

I'm feeling completely re-energized after the last 6 days having the privilege of volunteering for Queer Spirit Festival, the world's first public spiritual gathering geared towards the LGBTQI community and supporters.

I took part in naked workshops that were designed to create an intimacy with strangers without the use of words. Solely through dance, movement, eye contact and touch I was able to strip off and garner the energy around me to not only feel comfortable but to invigorate a new-found physical confidence.

Within all of these workshops, performances, cabaret shows, firewalks and DJ sets was a constant stream of positive vibrations and energetic personalities that I’ll never forget. The atmosphere from start to finish was beautifully palpable and entrancing.

Thank you Queer Spirit organizers, volunteers and attendees! This week was a thriving experience, an eloquent education and a powerful affirmation of the 'normality' I want to live in and an attitude I want to live by. It was a true definition of love. Jarrod

You gorgeous and glorious beings. THANK YOU for a phenomenal few days. My heart feels the size of that beautiful full moon we shared. Blessings on your way, until we meet again. Andy

Thank you for the love!

Queer Spirits you were all AMAZING, thank you!!!! We ARE all amazing!!! Ian

What a ride of love and connection and amazing journeys. Lilith

THANK YOU! to everyone, had some fantastic challenges and felt the love. Loved meeting so many fabulous peeps, wish i had more time to linger but truly valued all the wonderful conversations and moments with everyone. Really loved being able to take part and be a contribution to this event! here's to the next! Draeyk

Phenomenal ❤️ Thank you all. Sal

thanks to all for a lovely time! Gwill

Wonderful wonderful festival! Many many thanks and blessings to the organisers and site crew, welfare team and all. And to people who came to my workshop and moved me so much and to everyone I met and talked to and sat in workshops with, and gave workshops, and saw passing by looking fabulous. You healed my bruised heart! Lindsay

OK, so "transformative" is an easily-bandied-about word, and I have experienced many things claiming to be so which were only mildly uplifting, but I'm awed by the beauty and love abounding at Queer Spirit Festival. In particular the fact that I WALKED ON FIRE! and what flowed from that act, was extraordinary. I'm struggling to begin to describe how astonishing it was. ……..Wow. Just. Wow. Thank you, Lovelies and GentleBeings! Hawthorn

I am grateful for the safety net of the past few days where I no longer feel alone in my queerness. And the level of soulidarity I experienced saved my soul. Beth

Massive thanks to everyone for being a curious comrade in the ongoing project of loving and queering and spiriting!! I feel like I've made some beautiful long- while friends and family. Can't wait to see you all again. You're all awesome beyond belief. Beck

Holy all things queer and beautiful that was amazing!!!  Filled with absolute joy, love and spirit. Grace

On behalf of Micro-rainbow International and especially our members who attended I want to thank you for the invitation, facilitation and accommodation by yourself and team that made it happen. It was an incredible experience and all really had a good time while feeling safe and included. Everyone wish it could have gone on. The people, the sessions, the site, the fire, the energies, the energies, really rewarding and rejuvenating. Special thanks to all who contributed financially and otherwise to make our presence possible. We trust the universe rewards you all greatly. We who attended have really been enriched. Every Time a member describes their experience at Queer Spirit Festival they double up on the word really. Really really good. Really really enjoyed it. So, really really, thank you all. Hissssssssssssssssssss   PJ

Thanks for a wonderful event. It seemed superbly organised, with lots of thought going into all aspects of the planning. It was a nice size - not overwhelming - and there was a real feel of harmony and celebration. It's great for all parts of the community to be together on the land, away from city life. The food cafes were great All the facilities including the village hall, the sauna and showers were great. Even the loos were rather nice! I did some very interesting workshops - and the range was good - things for the body, mind and spirit. I really hope you break even and that you are able to hold it again soon. Thanks for the immense efforts of all the organisers. Blessings be upon you!! Ravi

fabulous and incredible. Justin

Thank you for all the hard work and prayerfulness that made this such a special event.

Connected, Accepted, Belonging. Thank you. Bonobo

Just wanted to say a Big Thank-you! :-D to all at the Queerspirit fest from The Travelling Temple....we really enjoyed meeting and singing with you all. Sam

Fab. Thank you you Al Shokti Mickey and Buzzy. Let's makes this regular thing. I found my space at last. Bruce

Feeling so energised since Queer Spirit. What an amazing time, we all had in the wonderful fairy forest Beautiful people amazing vibes, super healthy food. Thanks to everyone. Roberta

It was a great time at the festival last week, massive appreciation to those that made it happen. There hasn't been a place where I've felt so much community of purpose and being, and it couldn't have been more timely for me personally. Robin

Thank you so much Queer Spirit for all the amazing memories. This experience has affirmed to me that the world truly is pregnant with opportunities to meet such incredible people ????????Peace and love to all. Adrian

I just wanted to say how amazing the festival was, the people were great and the workshops interesting and thought provoking. It was such a safe and accepting environment, so I have posted that message on all my support groups, so more transgender people may come to the next one. Maybe one day we will all be safe to be who we are wherever we are, but until that day comes, thanks for creating this space, giving us hope and helping us find like-minded people to share our thoughts with. Michael

I have to say that was an amazing experience. The sense of community and the connections I made there were amazing, and just seeing so many confident Queer and trans-masc people there lifted my spirits. All of the organisers put so much into the event and it showed. From the effort to include non-gendered greetings, and asking people's pronouns regularly, to running such a range of workshops, activism to sexual liberation and kink. Hopefully I get a chance to meet everyone again, because all of you are lovely beings that just by being around induce positive effects in lives. Kai

Just wanted to thank all the organizers for their hard work it was amazing thank you. I would loved to have seen more music and spoken word and very much enjoyed what I did c, perhaps a longer open stage. Thanks again, and I will be widely recommending this festival in future. Raisy

Beloved Queerspirit Team
Thank you for great photos
And wonderful memories
Slowly allowing to unfold the treasured moments
From the bottom of my heart
to tongue tip thanks
With love and gratitude   Basho

Thanks so much for having me along, I had a great time at the festival! The session length and location worked very well, with lots of footfall and the freedom to work with individuals and small groups in a relaxed environment. Many participants returned over the days to develop their mbira skills and some worked particularly hard, learning much more than I had expected. One of my workshop highlights was meeting with a few Zimbabweans who knew of the instrument, but hadn't played it before. They came from a different cultural group, and brought their own songs and clapping patterns to accompany the music I was teaching. This lifted my spirits and created a celebratory atmosphere. The space you created was amazing and liberating. I'm inspired and hope to be involved again next year, or some other time soon. Andy

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME! Such a lot of work and hope you're happy with the outcome. Tom

In short, I absolutely loved the festival - I loved the piece of land it was held on, the sense of openness and respect and togetherness, the beautiful range of workshops and rituals, the clothing optional element of the festival, all the food at the 'soup kitchen' in the white tent, the existence of the 'village hall' which was so comfy and dry when it was howling a gale outside. My own personal highlights included the 'elements' ritual on Thursday morning, the moon ritual on Thurs evening, the Gay Gordons, the adult cabaret, and assisting on Grace's 2 workshops.  It was an honour to facilitate workshops there, and I'd love to have the chance to do so again! I think especially for a first time event the organisers have done an amazing job. Thanks again so much for the opportunity, and for co-creating such a beautiful and unique happening. Rupert

A beautiful and special place, I hope it can happen again.

Well done to all concerned in organising this unique event!

Love you all!

I really enjoyed the experience.  There was a great mix of workshops and spaces and the feeling of care and respect made it a very relaxed experience. Thank you again for making this happen with your team. It was a great event.  Really opened my heart. I had a lot of fun and made some beautiful new connections. Nick

Queer Spirit was an amazing, loving, caring, sharing festival and I can't fully express how grateful I am for having had the opportunity to attend. Titta

I can't thank you enough for allowing me to be part of this beautiful festival. It was such a magical experience, full of wonderful and open people. It will truly remain in my memories as indeed a turning point in my life. The Sex Temple team was amazing and we got on extremely well. It was just pure fun all along. Amanda, Bonoby, Cula and Becki are just fantastic people. Romaine

It was absolutely friggin wonderful!!! Really!! I brought some friends with me and they too had a really great time!!!  I think for me the firewalk was a highlight, not many festivals or places you can go to do that!! It really was such a heart opening expansive few days, and so nice to be in the fields with fellow queers!! Not enough of that in the UK I say!! MORE !!!!!! Ashley

Al, Buzzy, Miqx, Shokti, thank got SOOOOO much for putting qs on! It was very very beautiful and amazing and healing and sexy!!

Thanks to the organisers for a great event.

Thanks for creating a joyous space. Thanks for a new beginning I felt welcomed I felt accepted I felt connected My eyes were opened My heart was opened My sex was celebrated.

 

You can send us your testimonial here...