The give and take of living with others
The summercamp takes place at a scout camp in Hvalsø, Denmark, surrounded by the Bidstrup Forest. Here, we connect with the local ecosystem and its companion species, grounding our explorations in place-specific encounters.
Theme
This year’s theme, Reciprocal F(r)ictions, emerges from multiple layers of friction and reciprocity:
- the friction between insect bodies and substrates that enables vibrational communication in and among more-than-human assemblages
- the give and take present in all human, non-human, and multispecies relationships
- the friction that stabilizes materials and holds structures in place
- the longing to create relationships that are meaningful, resilient and sustaining for all involved
We approach friction not as conflict alone, but as a generative force—one that enables perception, connection, and transformation.
Methodology
Co-creation is at the heart of the summercamp. The theme serves as a starting point and shared frame, but the content emerges from participants’ questions, practices, and curiosities.
Over the years, we have developed a methodology that supports connection with specific ecosystems while weaving together human and more-than-human perspectives. Embodiment and co-creation form the foundation of how we relate to each other and to the environment.
Our process is supported through three interconnected focus groups:
- Mapping Ecologies — observing and relating to local ecosystems and their inhabitants
- Becoming — exploring embodied, sensory, and relational ways of knowing
- Critical Making — engaging with materials to generate artefacts and situated knowledge
These approaches are inspired in part by multispecies storytelling practices such as those proposed in Donna Haraway’s Camille Stories.
We understand the camp not as a predefined program, but as a shared process of inquiry—an opportunity to learn with and through each other, and through encounters with more-than-human beings.
For more information and to register/apply, please visit our website.