Wild Songs
An immersion in nature, creativity and song with Martha Tilston & Andy Raingold
Wed 11th to Sun 15th June 2025
Dartmoor National Park, Devon
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"The seeds for a life changing experience. A coming home."
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"A sweet marriage of nature, community, song and creativity."
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"I felt I found my voice. Thank you for holding a safe space."
What is Wild Songs?
As William Shakespeare once said “the earth has music for those who listen.” Wild songs is a collaboration between Andy Raingold and Martha Tilston - an exquisite blend of nature immersion and free flowing creative expression. Over five days, we offer you a full immersion into song and beautiful nature where you can fully connect with your own rhythm and find your authetic voice. It is the perfect tonic for the times we are in - gathering safely with a small group of kindred spirits as we enjoy fires, music and ancient beech trees.
This retreat is open to everyone, no matter what musical experience you might have, as we seek to find a song in all of us. Together we will create songs, words, harmonies, poetry and melodies. It’s an opporunity for our creativity to be expressed freely, while being inspired and rejuvenated by the natural world and our inner knowing. By building community and a sense of togetherness, you will thrive and be held in a non-judgemental environment.
Away from wifi, to-do lists and distractions, we will bask in the joy of creative self-expression and awaken parts of ourselves that may have lain dormant for a long time.
What will we be doing?
The programme is open to all who are curious - from budding singer songwriters to those who sometimes might think “I can’t sing!”. The five day immersion will include invitations to:
Explore our own curiosity and co-create together, sharing our songs, gifts, words and inspirations
Workshops on song writing and poetry
Experiment with creating melodies and tunes
Facilitation from Martha on voice and the creative process - holding, guiding and supporting you
Experiences and adventures to connect deeply with the natural world
Opportunities to sleep out in nature under the stars
Cooking and eating together, each night is a banquet in the woods!
Time to yourself sitting in the wild and listening to natural harmonies
So much that can never be pre-planned – such as creating a woodland orchestra, jamming sessions throughout the day and singing sweet serenades to weeping willows under the stillness of moonlight
What will I come away with?
We hope to touch the state of creative flow that is so closely linked with happiness and contentment, and to be fully present in the natural world. It feels that now, more than ever, we must be deeply and intimately connected with nature – for both the healing of ourselves and the world of which we are part. Song and voice is a gateway to this.
The aim is that you will come away feeling:
Resourced, rejuvenated and (re)inspired – with bundles of creative energy to throw into your various life projects
More confidence to sing, write and perform with your full authenticity and power
Fully alive, aware and present
More intimately connected to your self, others and the natural world
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"The past few fays are what I will think of when people ask me to describe my perfect week."
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"You will forget what life was outside of this place and become who you were always meant to be."
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"A rich, loving, grounded and inspirational space for creativity and open heartedness."
Book now to secure your place
All of our training courses have been heavily oversubscribed in the last few years, so early booking is recommended
Arrivals from noon on Wednesday (for a 1.30pm start) and it finishes at 1pm on Sunday.
We are currently offering a limited number of early bird places saving £150 on the full course fee. Book now and pay £495 (low income £450). We offer these early birds at a highly discounted rate as this helps us to plan in advance more effectively.
We don't want price to exclude anyone. If the course fee is unaffordable for you, we would really like to hear what might be possible for you. We offer a number of bursary places - please click here to apply for one of these.
Let us know if you would like to pay in instalments.
The course fee includes all teaching, as well as all dinners and breakfasts + lunch on Saturday (you bring your own packed lunches for Thursday and Friday).
The venue is near Moretonhamstead, Devon. There will be shared taxis from Newton Abbot if you are taking the train. The train from London takes two and a half hours. This is a camping experience, so please bring a tent and all your camping gear. Camper vans also welcome!
Please read our terms & conditions before booking.
“Raw, pure nature and sober celebration. I rediscovered connection with many parts of my life.”
“I feel making music for me has taken a next step. The support of experienced musicians and singers was life changing.”
“I feel I have gained the confidence to write songs and believe in my creative process.”
“If you have a song in your heart, or if you would like to find one, then this is your place.”
“It has been a life-changing experience for me… I have never written a song before and now I have.”
The facilitators
Martha Tilston
Martha Tilston has developed a successful musical and film making career with a large and loyal following worldwide. She has played her music on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and festivals and released several critically acclaimed albums. In the world of film making, Martha has gained nominations for best arts film for The Clifftop Sessions and recently released her feature film The Tape which she writes, directs and performs in. Martha also studied theatre and lectures in song writing, performance and the telling of story through song. Nature is a big influence in the songs that Martha writes and the way she chooses to live.
Andy Raingold
Andy is a coach, facilitator, speaker, reslience practitioner and social entrepeneur who inspires transformative change. He has been guiding immersive nature experiences and personal development programmes since founding Change in Nature in 2015. His work includes guiding transformative nature experiences, teaching facilitation skills, leadership training, enhancing creativity, crafting new stories for social change and supporting progressive businesses and organisations to “think differently”. He has worked and studied with wisdom keepers and elders from different traditions; as well as supporting and learning from a number of marginalised communities around the world (including Syrian refugees in Greece and San Bushmen in Namibia).
The Location
We make our camp in a secluded and magical 62 acre woodland in Dartmoor National Park, which is a rewilding site for nature and people. The site is rich in natural habitats, in badger setts, deer beds and fox dens, including an ancient beech grove, spruce forests, hazel coppice, wild flower meadows, a stream and mixed broadleaves. The site is home to an abundance of wildlife and rare birds, including nightjar, wood pipits and the mythical white deer. It is the ultimate escape from modern living with no electricity, road noise or wifi, and replaced with a sky full of stars and the sound of birdsong all around and owls calling at night.
We create a temporary village with fire pits, sheltered spaces, compost toilets and wild camping spots to provide an authentic, yet comfortable, experience in nature. We cook all our meals over an open fire, provide a smattering of solar powered fairy lights and fetch our water from the stream. At the center of it all is the White Deer Lodge, a large covered shelter where we gather in the evenings. A place where the old stories are told and heartfelt songs are sung. The site also has the best swing in the world!