August 15-21, 2025
SINGLA
Creative Retreat
with Hannah Viano & Anna Brones
Do you need a place to recommit yourself to your creative practice?
Do you need permission to experiment with new mediums? Do you need a creative recharge? Have you been feeling an itch for adventure? Do you need time to just be?
then this retreat is for you.
Join Hannah Viano and Anna Brones for an extra special creative retreat in northern Norway.
Experienced educators, artists, and facilitators, Viano and Brones have designed this creative retreat to be a space of inspiration, collaboration, and rejuvenation. It will be a space to explore a variety of mediums and methods, and to inspire you to take your creativity in new directions.
Permission to Learn
•
Permission to Be
•
Permission to Be Less Precious
•
Permission to Explore
•
Permission to Learn • Permission to Be • Permission to Be Less Precious • Permission to Explore •
The Location
The island
Arnoya roughly a 25km x 25km square with a couple tiny villages and 300 total residents. The entire mountainous interior is tree-free open roaming through alpine meadow dotted with icy lakes and steep slopes that fall into long fjords all around the coast. There are 2 tiny grocery/post offices on the island and that is all. Sheep sleep in the road and reindeer roam the mountains and mudflats. The weather is dynamic with rainstorms blowing through often and daylight that lasts for 24 hours all through the summer months.
The place
Called Singla by locals, your home for the week is a historic homestead that is in the process of being re-imagined as a base for arts, research and adventure.
First developed in the 1850s it consists of a handful of buildings from generations of fiskerbonde or the fisherman-farmers life, including an old boathouse, barn, cottage, and small working lighthouse, complete with all of the tools and treasures of years gone by.
Accommodations
The first floor of the big blue fjøs (barn) will be our space for creating when not out-of-doors. The small farmhouse cottage has snug double occupancy rooms and a kitchen and living room for eating group meals and relaxing by the cozy woodstove.
The house provides very rustic accommodations along the lines of a backcountry hut, trading modern conveniences for the rich stories and charm of the spaces. We have running water for the kitchen, but there are no guest shower or laundry facilities so we encourage sea dips paired with sauna for bathing. The bathroom contains an incinerating toilet.
The kitchen is small but mighty and we look forward to sharing Scandinavian traditions like fika (afternoon coffee with fresh baked treats) and foraged wild favorites from fjell and fjord.
Our Days
Will include guided creative activities in the barn studio as well as walks to explore the islands' high meadows and rocky coastline with stops for writing or sketching with occasional prompts or suggestions.
We might also forage for berries or mushrooms, do a baking lesson together, practice yoga in the grass, or have a beach fire feast.
There will also be plenty of free time worked into the schedule to relax, read a book, nap, follow your own interests in the studio or take a salty swim.
Breakfasts and dinners will be family style, offering plenty of time to connect with the other members of our group.
*Any group excursions are optional, but do require an ability to comfortably hike several miles with steep inclines and descents.
what’s included:
6 nights double occupancy accommodation
All meals for the seven days of the retreat
On-island transportation
All class materials & instruction
A curated travel art kit to take home with you
cost: $2000
includes a $500 Deposit to book your spot
Registration for our 2025 retreat will open on November 15th at 9am PST.
A Few Important Notes:
The house and buildings are unfortunately not ADA accessible and involve steep, narrow, stairways to the sleeping quarters, and lots of uneven terrain around the property.
The living areas are very close quarters and we will be sharing food, space, and activities in an intimate, supportive group environment (6 students plus instructors).
We make family style food in a small kitchen are not able to accommodate all dietary needs. If you are considering this retreat and require accommodations please contact us in ADVANCE to discuss details and see if this retreat is a good fit for you.
We encourage folks who are comfortable living simply, have good mobility and are looking for this type of collaborative experience to register.
Your Teachers
“You created such a special place and gave us permission to look.”
-Retreat Participant
Cancellation Policy
Deposits are non-refundable, and the remaining balance is due on April 1. Because of the nature and location of this retreat, we have a strict cancellation policy, please consider purchasing your own travel insurance if needed. For cancellations made after fees are paid in full, we may be able to offer you a partial refund (75%) if someone from our waitlist is able to take your place. If we are not able to fill your place we will only be able to refund 25% of your fees. Cancellations made less than 14 days before the start date will not be eligible for a refund. We will email a reminder in March and a link for paying the balance.