Local programmes and events
A range of inspirational workshops, events, and day programmes at Clos de Gaye, alongside our online courses, that develop your personal leadership, help you build friendships, and enable you to become a more engaged local and global citizen.
We’ve got courses on leadership, the arts, parenting, creativity, mental health and wellness; dinners and workshops that discuss current affairs and the state of the world; as well as educational programmes for children and young people.
Fridays for Everyone
An opportunity to meet with other local and international residents of the Béarn and extend the hand of friendship to all.
Come with something to share – a piece of art or poetry, a challenge you are facing right now, a new skill you’d like to teach others, a great book you’ve read, or just for a chat and to meet new people from around the world.
Fridays 10am - 12pm
Weekend workshops, afterschool and holiday programmes for children and adults using engagement in the performing and visual arts to learn 21st century skills and understand more about the world and our place in it
Artistic and Creative Workshops
Afternoon Tea and Storytelling
Join us in the Rose Garden at Clos de Gaye for an afternoon of cake and tea and storytelling
Everyday 4 - 6pm
Women in Transition
Expatriation, returning to work after raising children, retirement or other life transitions, can be a challenging time for many women, a huge change for them and their families and creating a shift in roles that can be a deep source of confusion and anxiety.
Our founder grew up as an expatriate and is a passionate advocate for the role of women in leadership, whether in the corporate boardroom, in government ministry, raising children, or as community leaders, and believes the time has come for all women to step up to the plate and reach their full potential, not just for themselves, but for the benefit of all humanity.
Women in Transition is a series of workshops especially tailored to women to help them navigate new and exciting stages in their life with a sense of purpose and vision. Whilst including technical support in the practical steps, it is first and foremost about inspiring you to ‘dig deep’ into your sense of vision and purpose to enable you to navigate the more technical aspects of your new life with greater depth, substance and joy.
Evening talks, discussions and interactive presentations from local and global artists, leaders and thinkers, living locally or in residence at Clos de Gaye
Thursday evenings 8 - 10pm
Thursday Salons
Jefferson Dinner
Held on the first Friday evening of each month, in the dining room at Clos de Gaye, a three course dinner with wine that allows for engaged discussion on some of the most pressing issues of our time, with no more than 12 guests
Topics include: The reform of global institutions, Education for the future, Building systems for climate change
Global Explorers
An exciting programme, encompassing creative arts workshops, outdoor learning, regenerative education and language and cultural acquisition in English, Chinese, Arabic and Spanish, centered on preparing children to be leaders of the future
Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings
International Festival of the Arts and Social Change
An annual festival, held throughout the 3 months of June to August with an exciting programme of performances, talks and events as well as a summer camp programme, Leading the Future, that brings together children and young people from around the world to create and make theatre and performance, and to use the arts as a platform to talk about, and take action on, the most pressing problems of our time.
About Us
Our founder, Caroline Watson, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, has worked with over 32,000 global leaders in government and business, children and young people, and with underserved and humanitarian populations around the world using innovative and participatory approaches to learning and development that are rooted in artistic and creative practice.
