Dear Beloved,
You feel it too, don’t you?
The pulse of a vision
asking to move through you.
The time is now to Act It Out.
Humankind as we know it needs you in your
creative power.
Actúa is a 7-day retreat designed to feed your creative fire through various pathways of discovery… archetypal exploration, improvisation, songwriting, dance, mask-making, costume design….
all en route to the same destination:
creative reclamation.
Perhaps you've been hearing your Inner Artist cry for more.
More expression. More community. More feeling seen.
Good News. This is your sign.
Actúa is calling all the inner artists from all the lands to come play, be seen, and experiment with their expression.
And for the well seasoned artists who have already had great success...
Actúa is for you too.
This experimental playground will inspire a sense of limitlessness within your artistry, allowing you to stretch outside of the boxes that getting really good at your craft have put you in.
During the retreat, we will be guided through a full cycle of creation—
theme exploration & ideation
bringing vision to form
shaping it into a collaborative performance
& offering it to our wider community.
This retreat is designed to boost your confidence & fine-tune your unique creative essence so that you can be in your highest service to Life.
When your unique creative essence shines, you become a clear vessel for the symbols, messages, & innovative solutions that humanity needs to grow through this delusional, tech-y and war-ridden blip in time.
upon a pristine seascape original to the
Zapotec & Mixtec peoples, presently known as
Playa Zipolite
Zipolite Beach has become globally recognized as a vibrant hub attracting queers & artist spirits. Rich in natural beauty by its gorgeous rocky coast lines & jungly inlands… Vast in its allowance of uninhibited self expression.
"At a southernmost promontory on Mexico's Costa Chica, Original People considered Zipolite
to be an underworld of sorts. Since 1970, when transformational travellers pioneered to the then deserted beach to meet a rare total solar eclipse, Zipolite emerged as a point of centripety for new culture." - CAMP website
Fun fact—it is Mexico’s only legal nude beach.
This ancient majestic land that holds such a freedom-loving & creatively charged community is the perfect place for Actúa to come alive.
introducing
our venue...
CAMP (Centro de Arte, Movimiento y Paz)
located in a barrio immediately adjacent to Zipolite called Arroyo Tres
aspires to be a welcoming & caring episodic home and cultural location to gather and connect residents with themselves, each other, the local context, and natural surroundings.
Inspired by vernacular structures of coastal Oaxaca, CAMP construction integrates clay, stone, bamboo, palm, and fast-growing sustained-yield guanacaste timber. More than 20 trees were locally
reforested for each tree harvested to construct the centre..
CAMP is water and energy efficient, with systems and devices to conserve both; and five-stage aerobic digesters that convert wastewater for irrigation and indirect potable water reuse. Twilight lumination reduces CAMP's contribution to light pollution
They have recently expanded to host larger groups, workshops. and residencies.
Their gathering spaces include ~
multiple studios
a large movement/dance floor
a black-box theatre
meditation hall
forum & fire gardens
a mineral pool
sauna
Playa Zipolite & Playa Camarón (a smaller tucked away beach cove) are both in short walking distance from our home.
The founders of CAMP emphasize thriving social architecture as a core mission--being a place of limitless possibilities, auspicious encounters, and potent connections. A place that encourages experimental social structures that invite magic into the space.
This is why it is the perfect place for Actúa which is also one big social experiment.
.
CAMP
from a Birds Eye
give yourself a chance to...
Explore & Expand Your Artistry
Actúa is an incubator for creative exploration — a space to practice diverse art forms and discover how they weave together. Mediums include, but are not limited to: mask-making, singing, songwriting, painting, dancing, acting, writing, set & costume design.
Nourish Your Mind, Body & Spirit
Each day at Actúa begins with a guided morning practice of asana, breathwork, and meditation. We will be served three nourishing meals a day by a private chef, supporting the balance of body & mind during our creative exploration.
Co-Create a Performance
The retreat culminates in a collective performance at CAMP, where we share the fruits of our week-long journey with the wider community. Following the performance, there will be a celebratory dance party with DJ Akira. This event completes the creative cycle. Offering our work to the community & celebrating the culmination.
be held in community & collaboration
Collaboration is a core pillar of Actua.
When we combine our different areas of genius, have systems for decision making
& center peaceful and direct communication--
true magic happens.
We are the village.
Our collaboration goes far beyond our creative output. We are also tending the foundational roots that are our heart to heart connections. Whether its sharing airport rides, to cooking meals, helping each other learn new languages, or providing emotional support for oneanother...
We are weaving together our unique tapestry of hearts.
Many hearts = many hands = lighter work = more time for neck massages.
The responsibility of the vision is shared,
just as the celebration of the vision coming to fruition is shared.
There is space to breathe.
Your Guides
Dass
Dass is a Mexican interdisciplinary guide weaving breath, movement, sound, and contemplative practice. Rooted in Mayan, Olmec, and Afro-Latin lineages, her work explores these modalities as subtle technologies for aligning with our true nature.
Her path into consciousness began as a personal search for healing and self-mastery, integrating the practices that sustain the body as a living technology. A threshold-crosser, Dass moves through quiet spaces where the body remembers and the soul becomes present.
With sixteen years of experience as an artist and teacher, her offerings arise from direct embodiment—a dialogue between ancestral wisdom and contemporary inquiry, between study and sovereignty. She approaches her work as an ongoing practice of recognizing the corporeal vehicle we inhabit and reclaiming universal sovereignty through honest presence. By softening ego and illusion, she creates space for the Self to emerge.
An artist and holistic teacher, Dass works through sound and movement, inviting others to remember their inner mastery. Through classes, workshops, concerts, and movement experiences, she opens spaces of resonance—where guidance arises from within, not from outside.
A muse and musician...a quiet bridge between worlds..
Dass tends spaces of remembrance, honoring the body as guide, breath as teacher, and sound as creator.
@soberania_universal.ss
Arulu Gallagher
Arulu is an interdisciplinary artist based in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She specializes in sculpting clay and paper-mache masks inspired by her elaborate dreams and the spiritual dimension of the natural world. Arulu’s interest in making masks originates in a reverence for the changing body, and the way masks articulate our own multiplicity. She is further inspired by the ancient ceremonial use of masks worldwide for healing, protection, and communication with spirits and ancestors. Her watercolor paintings and ink drawings expand upon the same world that her sculptures and masks inhabit, illustrating an evolving pantheon of therianthropic and hybrid creatures and spirits. Making art is Arulu’s way of tending to relationships with an intensely animate world and courting its wisdom. She dances with her masks in collaborative performances with musicians, hosts renegade art exhibitions, and teaches mask-making workshops. Arulu is also a performing musician, clothing designer, and photographer.
@houseofarulu
houseofarulu.com
Monique
Renee
Monique Renee Wilson is a professionally trained vocalist and intuitive vocal empowerment guide with over 15 years of experience. Her work bridges the art of refined vocal technique with the heart of intuitive expression, creating spaces where voice becomes a pathway to healing, truth, and transformation.
Through her Soul Voice Revival singing circles and Voice of the Soul workshops, Monique invites participants to reconnect with the innate power and wisdom of their voices. Her trauma-informed, heart-centered approach nurtures both safety and expansion—guiding individuals to release blocks, reclaim confidence, and experience the joy of authentic sound.
At the Actúa Retreat, Monique will weave this vocal alchemy into the creative process, helping participants access the voice not only as an instrument of music, but as a portal of emotion, story, and spirit. Her facilitation supports a deeper embodiment of presence and connection, awakening the voice as a tool for both personal liberation and collective harmony.
@the.monique.renee
Elisa Perez
Elisa Pérez is a Mexican artist devoted to exploring the language of the soul through painting and symbolism. Having studied with visionary masters such as Alex and Allyson Grey, her artistic journey bridges realism, abstraction, and the realms of art therapy and psychedelic integration. From an early age, Elisa has lived in deep relationship with color, form, and the unseen, using art as both a healing practice and a mirror of the inner world.
As our Resident Art Oracle, Elisa will guide participants in discovering the archetypes and motifs that wish to emerge through our collective creation. After introducing archetypal symbolism, she will lead a process of playful exploration through collage, writing, and image-making to birth a set of personal and collective oracle cards. These cards will serve as creative guides throughout the retreat, illuminating themes, relationships, and directions for the final presentation.
@vasalisart
Cat Hood
Cat Hood is a multi-disciplinary artist & experience designer devoted to creating living, breathing art through the bodies, voices, and spirits of those around her. Her artistry spans many realms & mediums from painting, to body painting, to jewelry making & clothing design, to music & dance
Her Journey of Art & Collaboration began nearly 5 years ago on the very shores of Oaxaca, as the Art Director on the team that brought us Ecstatic Sunday, Full Moon Dance & La Presencia Festival. After 6 years of experimenting in all kinds of creative collaborations between Colombia, Mexico, and North Carolina, Cat is called to design experiences that centers Art as the bridge into spirituality, as well as the bridge that connects us cross culture, & the catalyzer of change in a corrupted world. As artists, it is our duty to the collective to follow through with our creative hunches.
This has led to the foundation of Foreverence Gathering in North Carolina-- a festival devoted to coming in reciprocity with creator through our pursuing our passions
As well as the seed that is Actúa. She is thrilled to design a container that weaves her most beloved kin from Mexico & North Carolina who all happen be incredible multi-talented Artists & Space Holders.
@love.cat.alyst
this retreat is for
those who...
see art as a way of life
desire more routine around their creative practices
are multi-passionate
can imagine their gifts enhancing the retreat container & final performance
Enjoy community & co-creative environments
see art & expression as important tools in weaving a new paradigm
want to explore archetypal expression through various mediums
See reverence, mindfulness & and embodiment as important tools in kindling the creative fire.
Enjoy the spark of inspiration that being in a beautiful environment offers
When we live in a steady flow of this, we feel deeply alive-- because we are living in alignment with our soul
We are here to expand beyond the idea that art and creativity exist only for leisure.
In a world where the titles artist, musician, or actor are often reserved for those with visible success—and where creativity is diminished to a pastime-- May we remember something essential:
Creativity is a tool for healing.
A conduit to life force.
A way of communing with the spirit of the world around us.
We are here to practice the embodiment of our visions—with immediacy.
To bring them into form before they fade into the purgatory of forgotten creative dreams.
With the support of a rock-solid facilitation team-- and with one another-- we turn inspiration into lived experience.
At its core, this
retreat is about the pure act of
bringing vision to form.
Activities
Exploring the Oracle through Archetypes & Improvisation
The whole retreat will we will be exploring contemporary expressions of ancient archetypes. After our opening, Elisa Perez will bring her Designing the Oracle workshop where we will craft our own oracle cards. using collage, drawing, and painting to communicate personal and collective experiences & symbols. This station will be available to work at throughout the retreat.
We will also explore archetypes in the beginning through personal reflection, developing characters through writing & improv games.
These explorations will help inform us on what themes, motifs, and characters we wish to bring to the performance individually and collectively.
Mask Making
Arulu will lead us in creating paper-mache masks. This will be a three day process. The first day we will sculpt clay molds of the beings we wish to bring to life, the second day we will paper mache over the molds, and the third day we will remove the paper mache from the molds and adorn the masks with colors and or objects.
Arulu’s interest in making masks originates in a reverence for the changing body, and the way masks articulate our own multiplicity. She is further inspired by the ancient ceremonial use of masks worldwide for healing, protection, and communication with spirits and ancestors.
Through this workshop immersion, we will bring our exploration of the archetypes from the etherial realm to the physical realm by creating an object that transforms us into whatever we desire.
Movement & Choreography
Each morning, Dass will guide us through meditation, breathwork, and movement to ground ourselves in our bodies, sharpen our minds, and connect with our inner selves to begin the day with energy.
Dass brings her professional artistry of dance movement workshops, Kundalini Vinyasa Yoga, choreography, and musical performance.
These will be essential practices to begin the day in coherence, with an open heart and a mind in presence. Part of this time will be dedicated to developing a choreography to integrate into our final performance.
Soul Choir & Song Craft
Throughout the week, Monique will lead our soul choir. Through organic exploration and vocal improvisation, we will be guided into the voice of our hearts.
With this voice that is individual just as it is collective, we will develop somewhat of a sound track for not only the performance, but the whole week. These mantras from the collective heart will encompass the entire experience and be songs you carry forever on your path.
We are calling in instrumental artists to join us to support these songs. If this is how you would desire to show up for the final performance, you will be able to specify in the intake form.
Costume Design
Cat will introduce the group to the basics of working with a serger and a sewing machine to create statement pieces that further embody the archetypes we choose.
The available fabric will be an assortment of recycled clothing, as well as traditional Mexican textiles to be collected by Cat and Arulu on the pilgramage to Oaxaca. We will curate the selection so that there is a cohesion witween the colors and patterns.
We will develop our own patterns as well as work with templates, emphasizing simplistic, elegant designs.
This could be loin clothes, tops, chest pieces, tunics, arm & Leg Cuffs. Using the same fabrics to create our own unique pieces will unify us for our performance.
It is a good idea to bring nuetral colored under clothing-
bra, tank, shorts that are in white, creme, brown, and black. Also any other hand-made garb you already have that you can imagine adding to the production... pack them!
Book Your Spot
The cost of this retreat reflects a humble pay for all facilitators involved, as well as crafting materials, the space, food, and accommodation provided by CAMP.
Your investment in your artistry has a rippling effect of creating more abundance for all, and fuels the mission of empowering visionaries to play their part in the curation of a new paradigm.
Each tier will fill up after 6 spots, then that tier will sell out. The earlier you choose to commit the less you will likely have to pay.
Thank you <3
In each tier, there is the option to book a private room, a shared room, or the retreat with no lodging.
Below are some photos of the lodging at CAMP!
Belonging Scholarship
ACTÚA is built on weaving many voices, textures, bodies, and frequencies into a unified creation.
With the collaboration & support of our venue, CAMP, The Belonging Scholarship is designed to support underrepresented artists who feel deeply called to participate in the retreat & bring their gifts, imagination, & craft into the realm of Actúa.
This is our way of diversifying our group to include
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Mexican Nationals
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individuals of the global majority-indigenous to the Americas, People of Color, etc
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people with societally defined disabilities (That being said, the venue and area are not wheel chair friendly)
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SOGIESC community (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identities, gender Expressions, and Sex Characteristics)
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people who other wise wouldn't be able to come because of finances
Artists of all flavors are welcome to apply — musicians, dancers, storytellers, costumers, visual artists, movement practitioners, installation artists, photographers, etc...
The Exchange
If it calls you, we gently encourage artists who receive this scholarship to practice artistic leadership, so we will ask in the application how you imagine that for yourself so that we can make space for that within the container.
What you receive with the Belonging Scholarship:
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A reduced retreat rate: $250
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The possibility of additional scholarship flexibility depending on your unique identity. financial situation, and the skill set you bring.
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Full access to the 7-day retreat, all crafting materials, 3 meals / day & Shared lodging. You can pay an extra $150 for your own room.
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A role in co-shaping the final performance through your artistic medium
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a potential opportunity to extend your time at CAMP Zipolite under their artist residency
How to Apply
Fill out the application before January 15, we will review the applications and choose the right fit. Expect to hear back before January 30th about if you received the scholarship
Travel &
Transportation
The closest airports to Zipolite are the Huatulco Airport, and the Puerto Escondido Airport.
Usually, both are about the same distance. Right now there is some construction happening along the highway from Huatulco, doubling the travel time. With this in mind, we recommend arriving to Puerto Escondido.
However, you can still compare flights between the two to find the best deal from wherever it is you are located.
The most comfortable way to arrive to Zipolite would be by taxi (expect to pay around $60),
and the most economical way would be by bus & Collectivo ($7-15).
Upon registration you will receive a more in depth arrival guide