A Festival for Sanity in Pembrokeshire
The Big Retreat Festival
It’s the start of that annual shift to a visitor economy and county. Not only common or garden visitors but some rarities are flocking our way, hungry for unique, ground-breaking experiences. One such is coming to the jagged wild estuarine land in the sunny south of the county. It’s The Big Retreat Festival.
‘From the buzz of live music to the bliss of yoga and wild swimming, from woodland foraging to cookery demos and gin workshops, from high-energy workouts to gong baths and meditation. We present a smorgasbord of Feel Good wonders to delight, refresh, and inspire.’ proclaims the website. Yet behind all this bliss is a deeper story.
Amber, as part of the family who belong to the land, is using it to transform lives: ‘Our festival is unique as a space where mental health is central to the event’s ethos. It provides a sanctuary for those seeking solace and understanding.’ she writes. And the performers are also experts on this journey to wholeness.
Matt Johnson, journalist, songwriter, and mental health advocate, writes, ‘For years, I battled with depression and anxiety, culminating in a suicide attempt in 2009. Since then, I’ve embarked on a profound (bumpy) journey of self-discovery, delving into the complexities of the human mind. Through introspection and encounters with remarkable individuals, like those at the Big Retreat Festival, I’ve found solace and comfort along the way. It fills me with immense pride that such a nurturing space thrives in my beloved Wales. When I first opened up about my mental health, there were no such platforms. The Big Retreat is truly heartwarming.
So many creators of the event have a back story of clawing their way out of the mental pits and sloughs of despair. Matt continues: “What I truly love is its ever-changing nature. You can go from a Krystal facial massage to flowing through a tai chi class, then rush off to ‘fill your face’ with the best cheese toasty imaginable whilst you wait for Lucy Spraggan to light the stage. It’s like being in a sunny wellness kaleidoscope! The weekend feels like one big family reunion, where serendipity reigns supreme!”
Mike McAdam founded Blink, the roving talking therapy troupe that frequents festivals. He told me he was a Mr Fortunate with a successful job, marriage, and own home. When mental illness crept up, he went into denial for a long time. When it got so bad, he had to seek help it was not available. The symptoms did not fit the fixed categories. Life became less appealing than death. Behind this systemic failure are shock statistics: In one year (2022) in England alone, 1.9 million people were referred for talking therapies, but barely a third got full treatment.
So Mike set out to fill the gap. Knowing the suffocation of being left high and dry, unable to breathe the sweet air of normality, he set up Blink. The popularity of this talking therapy drop-in service amazed Mike. Why? People are in a playful mood, Mike surmised, ready to try new things. Anyone can explore our solutions, without digging into a diagnosis, the indignity of a referral,, or the interminable wait. A session can happen privately, away from friends and family, or they can try it too. There is zero stigma. Blink also provides chill spaces with beanbags and surprisingly, jigsaws. Festivals produce the pressures of a maelstrom of stimulus. Jigsaws let you zone out, maybe talk while doing them to the empathetic focused listeners who reassure you with facts – mental illness is getting as common as the cold. There are ways out of the pain that feels like a prison with no key. People have found them.
Mike is surprised how often people who can afford therapy are too ashamed to consider it. They change their attitude after a festive fling at sharing their struggles, which turns out to be liberating. The door of the ivory tower creaks open.
Everyone appreciates Amber and the host team’s dedication. She is mission-driven, writing: “The Big Retreat is more than just a gathering; it transcends entertainment, it’s a movement towards a more compassionate, understanding, and supportive world.”
As I write, global politics is in the grip of terrible insanity. A genocide in our name is gathering pace. This event, offering visitors an oasis of sanity where Wales meets the global sea, is timely indeed.
