The Collective

WELCOMER - MN24-MN25
Announcements, Welcome, Inclusion, Energise & Safety
My business is in connecting people. From my professional career in multi-media communications tech through to my personal passion of creating, holding and promoting circles, 'maintaining connection' is in my heart. Starting from the first visit to MenFest in 2020, I've found some of the closest relationships I've had in my life...! Whether it's in a small circle by the fire, in the outback waiting for the next wave or in ceremony at our annual Gathering, I'm here and ready to create our network of healthy masculinity - worldwide!

WELCOMER - MF22
Announcements, Welcome, Inclusion, Energise & Safety Life’s been a rollercoaster of letting go of the scientific mind to tuning into our other senses, including the heart. Through it all, I’ve come to question what it really means to be a man - how it silently shapes us, impacts others, and reflects society’s hierarchy. The men’s work done here, for me, is an experience beyond words. Something felt deeply, cutting through cultural norms and rational D & I discussions. It’s transformative, not just theoretical.

BLACK TENT - MF19 Tim is a one-to-one and group facilitator who has been practicing healing and self development since 1992. He has worked with individuals, mixed gender groups and men’s groups as an active member of the ManKind Project. He is a natural beekeeper and certified and practising in Transformational Breathwork, Spiritual Healing, Reflexology and Shadow Work.

DREAMER - MF19-21
Creativity, Maker’s Area, Quiet Mind, The Liminal I am a founder member of the Collective and have enjoyed the experience of witnessing the gathering of so many conscious men! Modern society often offers a distorted image of how men ‘should’ be and I believe MenFest challenges this in the most powerful way.

DREAMER - MF22
Creativity, Maker’s Area, Quiet Mind, The Liminal I’m a queer/gay artist and singer, I note that straightness is always implicit, anything other has to be made explicit. Life is short and unpredictable. My aim is to always love the Earth, to enjoy and encourage others to join me – in all aspects of the ride!

DREAMER - MN25
Creativity, Maker’s Area, Quiet Mind, The Liminal
WITNESS - MN24 I first attended MenFest 21 during a yearlong deeper dive into men's work, including the MKP New Warrior Training, circles and many self-designed rituals and ceremonies. For me, Men's Nation is an experiment, exploration and attempt at something we do not yet have lived experience of. As such, it makes a gift of our willingness to those who come after us. I am a market gardener, mentor, facilitator, wannabe mythologist and an activist who serves Life through participating in the Compassionate Revolution.

VISION HOLDER - MN24-25, MF19-23 Overview, Acorn Support, Community Relations, Integration Men’s Nation, and then MenFest, arose out of my commitment to make time to connect and co-create with other men, to relax, reflect, to play and to learn and challenge myself to see new perspectives and find new inspiration.

VISION HOLDER - SECOND SHIELD- MF22 Overview, Acorn Support, Community Relations, Integration Stuart is a seeker, dreamer, writer and trainee psychotherapist. He holds a Masters in Philosophy and a Bachelors in Historical Theology. Stu is a founding member of Toronto350.org., Extinction Rebellion, Defend the Sacred Alliance, Being The Change Affinity Network and is a web developer.
After identifying as a non-binary person for several years, he made an intentional identity change as a step towards reclaiming healthy manhood.

CAMERAMAN - MF19 I have been interested in photographs and making short films from a very early age and hope to turn it into a career. I have also been playing guitar since I was young, so will do my best to provide some quality musical entertainment, too. I am more than thrilled to have this opportunity and am honoured to be a part of this festival!

WELLBEING HOLDER - MF19 As a qualified counsellor and social worker, I’ve worked therapeutically with young people and adults for over fifteen years. As a seasoned actor, I’ve written and performed a solo autobiographical theatre piece – my personal and transformational story of abuse and trauma. I’ve been held in a men’s group for fifteen years, and been on the organising committee for Manifest, an annual men’s camp located on Dartmoor.

WITNESS - MF20-21
Pastoral Care, Heritage and Elders, Healing, Recording I am an author, transformational coach, workshop leader, filmmaker, artist, and singer. I specialise in working with men and teenage boys who are looking to release childhood trauma, boarding school issues or deal with stress or anxiety. May we find healing as men.

WITNESS - MF22
Pastoral Care, Heritage and Elders, Healing, Recording I have had an interest in mental wellbeing and mindfulness, am a Master Practitioner in NLP, have aided in a mentorship program for secondary school children involved in the social care system and have always had a passion to help others! It is my goal to create a safe, inclusive environment.

WITNESS MN25
Pastoral Care, Heritage and Elders, Healing, Recording
BOUNDARY KEEPER - MN24
THE CIRCLE - MF19 Following a thriving career as an IT consultant for 25 years, David asked: ‘What does it mean to live sustainably?’ This has resulted in studying & applying permaculture, shamanism, Non-Violent Communication, storytelling, teaching, social enterprise, running a smallholding, planting and managing coppice, making greenwood furniture, keeping livestock and holding ceremonies. ‘What we actually need is regeneration, which, by necessity, requires both personal fulfilment and social justice.’

THE ARROW - MF19 Simon co-founded the Rising Up Network, Extinction Rebellion and The Lightning Tree Project and, amongst other things, finds fulfilment being a celebrant, grave digger, bushcraft instructor and mischief maker. “Storm the reality studios and retake the universe.” – William S Burroughs.

EXPRESSION - MF19 Born in Barbados, and after a varied and well-travelled life, Green is rooting down in the SouthWest UK, on the Dartington Estate. He offering an array of skills/gifts to share as Creative Director of Pollen Tribe Productions, Lead Singer/Songwriter of Avalon Roots, Producer/Selector at Honeyflower Sounds and Soundsystem, Session Musician/Sound Sculptor for a wide array of successful singers and performing artists.

THE CIRCLE - MF20 Dan’s path includes fire and water through his training with sweat lodges, and re-connecting ever more with nature. His mission is to bring change through connection to heart, nature, spirit and cacao! He has initiated as a New Warrior with the ManKind Project, and volunteers with Journeyman UK as a mentor to teenage boys.

CURATOR - MF22-MN24-MN25
WELCOMER - MF21
Scheduling, Speaker Support, Holding Circles, Encouraging I attended the inaugural MenFest in 2019, with zero experience in men’s circles but a desire to connect with likeminded brothers (and myself!) on a deeper level. From the very start, I was welcomed with open arms and left feeling rejuvenated.

KITCHEN MAGICIAN - MF19-20 I’m a passionate advocate for sustainable food and have been cooking and living in communities which focus on this for the last six years. I believe food to be the foundation of one’s physical and mental health and how we produce, distribute and consume it is fundamental to the health of our societies and the Eco-systems of our Earth.

THE SPA - MF19 I have become interested in working with people and creating spaces where we can connect. I work for two different education organisations - WildWise, where we take people into nature and teach bushcraft and nature connection and On The Hill, a land-based learning centre. These two places along with other work have given me the opportunity to increase my knowledge and ability in facilitating groups.

SITE MANAGER - MF19 Working within Wildlife Rehab while in my younger teens, I decided to aim to live a more nomadic lifestyle. I wanted to travel the country doing as many interesting things, in as many interesting places, with as many interesting people, as possible. This has led to me to the festival circuit, where I can be found working with teenagers, running workshops and demonstrating crafts and activities. I also act as Aid Steward and Volunteer Coordinator.

HEARTH HOLDER - MN25
Facilities, Maintenance, Sustenance, Relaxation
DREAMER & CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE - MN24 I’ve been in men’s work for 15+ years. My mentors have included Hugh Newton and Ed Rooke. I am currently staffing on the Sovereign’s Journey, the year long men’s programme run by Hugh. I am also in a MKP men’s group. I am 59 and bring the wisdom and gratitude of 30 years of marriage and bringing up my sons to adulthood, and creating my smallholding homestead in Devon.

HEARTH HOLDER - MN24-MN25
Facilities, Maintenance, Sustenance, Relaxation I am an experienced food grower, nature-based men's work teacher and facilitator and have brought my years of experience to looking after the land and facilities at Embercombe. I have spent years listening to and learning from the land in beautiful Dartmoor and bring my knowledge to a wide variety of groups looking to connect with nature in a respectful and reciprocal manner. I look forward to our Gathering all year long!

HEARTH HOLDER - MF22
Facilities, Maintenance, Sustenance, Relaxation My first MenFest was in 2021. I was going through a tough time and the love and connection I experienced was amazing. I found a place I can truly be myself and be accepted for all that I am, not just what I think others may want to see.

HEARTH HOLDER - MF21
Facilities, Maintenance, Sustenance, Relaxation I am a man who is peeling back the layers of conditioning and trauma. It’s hard work, and sometimes I don’t feel like I have the strength, but after diving into men’s work, I’m discovering that the fellowship of brothers is what I had been craving, to hold my hand, literally and metaphorically, as I continue on this journey to be the best I can be.

PRODUCER - MF19-20 As a parent of 3 young men, I recognise there is an element of our current way of living that is missing in terms of of a lack of ritual and ceremony to mark the transitions from boyhood to manhood. I got involved as a Producer of MenFest to be part of workshopping our way to creating meaningful celebrations, ritual and ceremonies to explore and embrace what healthy masculine could look like together, in this place.

BOUNDARY KEEPER - MF21
Registration, Medical Needs, Time, Agreements Wellness Entrepreneur, Space Holder and Performance Artist… iAM13E/13eSpoke. The intention with this direction is inclusion, openness and to remind brothers that all of you is welcome. If you identify yourself as man, this is the place where you can be your whole self.

BOUNDARY KEEPER - MF22
Registration, Medical Needs, Time, Agreements
FACILITATOR - MF21 MenFest changed my life when I attended in 2019. I arrived at the venue in a place of darkness and despair and was immediately greeted with acceptance, compassion, strength, and brotherhood. I knew I had found something special.

BOUNDARY KEEPER - MN25
Registration, Medical Needs, Time, Agreements Coming from a varied background of opposites and synchronicities, I am a serial entrepreneur since the age of 10 - the year after my mother died - and a high-school dropout at 14. I lived nomadically in my 20s whilst running various companies, from watersports in Barbados, to a media agency in London. Now, I'm on a new journey involved in many flavours of men's work, human work and medicine work, on myself, my family and my community. I've co-founded a wellness/Yoga studio in the Devonshire countryside. I’m looking to the future and my energy and enthusiasm for change is firing!

GROWER - MN25
Site Preparation, Arrivals, Security, Playfulness
EMBODIMENT - MF19 After years on the festival scene and at conscious/ecstatic dance events, Pixi Pete has really developed his own unique style, known for filling the dance floor with smiling faces and hands in the air. Pixi blends many genres with an intricate skill for making sleek waves of sound guiding the dance floor to crescendos, holding them close while dropping deep into the stillness and incorporates live drumming into his sets – sure to get the hips moving!

GROWER - MF22, MN24
Site Preparation, Arrivals, Security, Playfulness The connection and opportunities Men's Nation brings to all men, young and old, are immense. And… you get out of the experience what you put in. I hope to encourage you to immerse yourself as much as you can – and above all – to have FUN in the process.

GROWER - MF21
Site Preparation, Arrivals, Security, Playfulness MenFest 2019 was a momentous occasion for me. In a year full of challenge, I was introduced to a field full of men who were themselves. They were full of curiosity, courage, strength and compassion, along with tears, laughter and many, many hugs. It was the birthplace of some of the most authentic friendships that I have ever had the honour of being offered.