Well, it’s the south of France, so we have gorgeous weather here! We are fortunate to benefit from the micro-climate of the Pyrénéean mountains which means that, whilst we do occasionally get very hot weather, it rarely lasts long and is tempered by brief rainfall. We are certainly not seeing the extremes of temperature that many others in Europe are experiencing, making south west France a particularly good destination in the fight against climate change. Summers are generally pleasant in the high 20s or low 30s (86 degrees fahrenheit)

We have a commitment to doing everything sustainably and in an ecologically-sound way. We have beautiful compostable toilets with running water sinks, and rather fabulous outdoor hot water showers that give you a view of the Pyrénées whilst you wash!

Bathrooms in the Manor House are of course, regular bathrooms, with flushing water :-)

Clos de Gaye is in a very safe region, far from big cities, traffic and pollution. Most events take place outdoors, and the local wildlife is very tame. With the exception of a few mosquitoes, there is little danger from wildlife or insects. In terms of child safety, all of our facilitators have criminal background checks and take part in our trainings on safeguarding.

Obviously, parents are still responsible for their children throughout the course of the stay but the property is far from traffic, leaving children pretty free to wonder around with little risk.

We regularly get feedback that guests really like the opportunity to switch off from technology and that this is one of their core goals in ‘getting away from it all’. That being said, we are aware that people sometime need to check email or to keep up with business or personal communications. There is a co-working space in the main house with high-speed fibre access between 5 and 7pm for you to check email or take any personal calls. Other than that, 5G is usually pretty accessible throughout the site. We respectfully ask, though, that phones are left in your tents and not brought into workshops or meals, and that any calls are conducted in your own personal accommodation and away from public spaces. This is to maintain the human interaction and support an inclusive and loving community for the duration of the camp.

Not if you don’t want to! We believe that everyone has an inner artist and we hope that you will learn more about what that means for you. But we also believe that creativity comes in many different forms and that you can learn so much about unleashing that potential within you and applying it to your work and life as scientists, entrepreneurs, bankers or investors. And you might just find that you end up initiating a flash mob on the field at Clos de Gaye after all……

We strive to be as inclusive as possible and welcome you to reach out to us with any questions you have and for us to know how to support your participation in the camp. The camp site is at the bottom of a hill, and the main house perched further up, but it’s not far and we are keen to ensure everyone can be part of what we are doing and will happily work with you to make sure that can happen!

The main language of communication for the camp is English but, given that our participants come from all over the world, you are likely to hear many languages during your stay. Our facilitators come from all over the world and common languages spoken include French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and Hindi. We always strive to offer simultaneous translation for whatever language needs our participants have and try to plan accordingly in advance.

Yes! This camp is unlike any other experience you will have had before, filled with beautiful moments, amazing connections, thought-provoking conversations and stunning scenery. We guarantee you will want to come back next year - and bring your friends too!