ABOUT THIS EVENT
What is CT (counter tourism)? Well, you interact with your surroundings in unexpected ways.
If going to a castle, why not arrive with cardboard helmets and shields (made back at Othona) to wear? Or make prolonged eye contact with all the statues?
You could search for and photograph plants that are growing where they’re not meant to. Or find places to lie down ‘surreptitiously’.
Lovers of counter tourism see this not just as zany play, but a way of seeing much-visited places with fresh eyes. Getting a less sanitised, less ‘official’, view of place and history.
This is not about leaving graffiti or damaging anything. The golden rule of CT is that what we do must not upset the enjoyment of other visitors.
Andy Howlett and Liberty Rowley are CT enthusiasts. Together they lead unconventional walks in and around urban Birmingham. Video Strolls shows examples of this approach to walking. Andy has previously led film-making activities with young people at Othona.
They will propose the outings and encourage us to approach them creatively. They also offer a film evening and a talk about the deeper theory of counter tourism. More info at www.countertourism.net
Remember: all the outings and any engagement in CT action are optional, not obligatory.
ABOUT OTHONA
The Othona core community arrange resources and a safe container for activities, but we don't provide a child-minding service. As a parent you'll have plenty of scope to join in the optional activities with your children and others, but also to enjoy precious family time.
A holiday at Othona is an experience of building community together. Everybody lends a hand in the big 'extended family' of the week. Friends are made, differences are bridged, and it is uncanny how children of varying ages will mix and look out for each other. The same goes for adults actually!
Othona's grounds are mainly nice and wild, but among the outdoor facilities are firepit, treehouse, table-tennis, boules, and of course the walk through woods and meadows to the beach.
There's plenty of energy and exuberance at Othona, but we start and finish each day by 'stilling' ourselves together in the lovely house chapel. The ethos of these gatherings is extremely inclusive; people of all faiths and none, from the eldest to the youngest, can feel at home in their gentle spirituality.