TRUSTING YOUR STORY:
Feminine Leadership in a Brave New World
An extraordinary learning journey, centered around the stunning Clos de Gaye estate in south west France, that enables you to step onto the global stage and be the leader our world really needs
Trusting Your Story is an innovative leadership development workshop led by two award-winning female creatives, who harness the power of the arts to untap your true voice and narrative. Expanding beyond traditional leadership training methods, these women find a deep balance between the power of embodied learning and rebalancing leadership in the 21st century. Trusting Your Story unleashes enhanced authenticity and personal presence creating a nurturing balance between work and personal life.
Benefits for you and your organisation
Enhanced Leadership Presence: Leaders who can connect authentically with their teams foster stronger relationships, improve communication, and drive greater engagement.
Increased Emotional Intelligence: By understanding and managing their emotions, leaders can make better decisions, navigate conflict effectively, and build a more positive work environment.
Improved Communication Skills: Through theatre-based techniques, leaders develop the ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact, inspiring and motivating their teams.
Greater Innovation and Creativity: By tapping into their authentic selves, leaders unlock their creative potential and foster a culture of innovation within their organizations.
Trusting Your Story is not just a workshop; it's an investment in your personal and professional growth as a leader. It's an opportunity to cultivate the skills and qualities that drive success in today's complex world.
Trusting Your Story workshop series is led by two award-winning artist-leaders, Choreographer Preeti Vasidevan and Composer Clarice Assad:
Part 1: Body as memory with Preeti Vasudevan
Body as Memory is an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, a unique leadership development experience that goes beyond traditional training methods. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Eastern practices and contemporary Western approaches, we guide you to explore the stories held within your body, uncovering the hidden narratives that have shaped your leadership journey.
Here's what you can expect:
Embodied Confidence: Through movement and breathwork drawn from diverse traditions, we'll help you build confidence by connecting with your body, reframing self-perception, building ‘body confidence’ and embracing vulnerability.
Emotional Mastery: Explore the eight "rasas" or emotional states from Indian aesthetics to deepen your understanding of your emotional landscape and develop resilience in challenging times.
Authentic Presence: Cultivate a leadership presence that inspires trust and connection by aligning your inner self with your outer expression, communicating with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Body as Memory is a transformative journey of self-discovery. It's an opportunity to connect with your inner story, deep cultural wisdom, embrace your vulnerabilities, and emerge as a more authentic and impactful leader.
Part II: VOXploration: Unlocking Your Leadership Voice with Clarice Assad
VOXploration is a unique leadership development program designed to unlock the power of authentic expression through the mastery of voice and sound. Inspired by years of research and personal experience in music, theatre, and performance art, this workshop offers a transformative journey for leaders seeking to connect with their voice and communicate with greater confidence and impact.
Through a dynamic blend of vocal exercises, sound exploration, and embodied practices, participants will:
Discover the full potential of their voice: Learn to harness the nuances of tone, pitch, and rhythm to command attention, build rapport, and inspire action.
Overcome communication barriers: Develop the confidence and skills to communicate effectively in any setting, from one-on-one conversations to large presentations.
Unleash creative potential: Tap into the creative power of voice and sound to foster innovation, collaboration, and a more dynamic leadership style.
By cultivating a deeper understanding of the impact of voice and sound, leaders can elevate their communication skills, inspire their teams, and drive meaningful change.
Sample workshop
Breakfast
Body as Memory: 2hrs
Through techniques of traditional Indian theatre, each session explores a critical memory from each participant alongside 2 key emotional states (with a total of 6 for this series over 3 days) that we carry within ourselves and use to respond to ourselves and the world.
Lunch on the terrace of Clos de Gaye, overlooking the Pyrénées
VOXploration: 2hrs
By working with the subtle energies of sound, rhythm, and non-verbal communication, VOXploration helps participants develop a deeper and heightened connection to their bodies and natural expressiveness, enabling people to communicate their ideas more efficiently.
Break
Reflection
The day will culminate with an improvised storytelling session with all participants encouraged to come in and out of this session to form a continuous flow of thoughts, reactions, explorations and fun!
Transfer to Etable d’Ossau, for dinner overlooking the famed Pic du Midi d’Ossau
The goal of the workshop series is to distill key skills and tools for oneself as well as a group that reveal alternate ways of collaborating, and working solo. Self healing, permissions, listening, observing in new and challenging ways are encouraged through these intensive workshops
Some of the workshops experiences:
Word of the Day
Each morning guests will write a word on a card that represents their thoughts on leadership. Each guest will share their thoughts behind the word. Then, all the cards will then be pasted on a wall in the studio for everyone to view. The words will be reflective guides for that day’s approach to the workshops (for example, if the word is ‘tree’ then you will use the concept of the tree in a workshop of movement, voice expression and emotions to find core traits and attributes through that association). At the end of day the guests will come back to reflect on their word and journal their journey through that word.
Embodied Confidence
Through movement and breathwork drawn from diverse traditions, we'll help you build confidence by connecting with your body, reframing self-perception, building ‘body confidence’ and embracing vulnerability. Preeti and Clarice will each bring their methodologies to work with breathwork and flow. In this workshop, breathing techniques with voice and body exercises are used to unlock your natural flow of thoughts and emotions. This workshop can allow you to get vulnerable and re-find deep emotions to rediscover yourself.
Unearthing your story
We'll guide you on an archeological dig into your personal history, uncovering the experiences and emotions that have shaped your unique leadership journey. Led by Preeti as part of her Body as Memory series, we will work on prime emotions that we operate with everyday to better understand our habits and help rebalance how we respond to situations and people. This workshop can be very fun and surprising as we untangle our own narratives through the lens of each prime emotion (love, anger, sadness, fear, courage, etc). Preeti uses the traditional techniques of Indian theater to explore these emotional states through personal narratives.
The power of sound:
Through guided exploration of rhythm, voice, and collective music-making, we'll discover how sound becomes a bridge for human connection. Led by Clarice as part of her VOXploration series, we work with the natural musicality we all possess to transform how we interact and express ourselves. This workshop creates surprising moments of connection as participants learn to use their voice and body as instruments, building from simple rhythms to spontaneous group compositions. Through call-and-response, vocal improvisation, and body percussion, we explore how music naturally breaks down social barriers and enhances our ability to read and respond to others. Clarice uses these collaborative sound techniques to help participants discover new ways of authentic communication that extend far beyond the workshop setting.
Unleashing your inner ‘surprise’ leader
What kind of a leader are you? Do you know? Can you surprise yourself? The last day is a fun-filled ‘lab’, where guests have to choose a character and place that defines their leadership role. ‘Picked from a hat’, the choices are usually unusual and a surprise. The guests utilize skills they have learnt from the previous days and curate their leadership role and play their role as leaders with the group, taking turns in their assumed ‘character’ roles (for example, a chef, a timetraveller, a circus master, a rocket scientist, being Mozart, Shakespeare etc).
Together, Clarice and Preeti fuse their unique experience and methodologies sharing their journeys as artists, immigrant women and cultural storytellers.
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Preeti Vasudevan
Preeti’s personal statement:
My journey as an artist and educator has been a lifelong exploration of authentic expression, fueled by a deep dive into the intricate connections between emotional states, identity, and the power of storytelling. Rooted in the rich tradition of Indian dance-theater, my path has been shaped by living and working across cultures, sparking a profound self-inquiry that led me to develop a unique approach to embodied learning. I believe our bodies are living archives of our stories, and through movement, breath, and visceral experience, I guide others to tap into this embodied wisdom, uncovering their authentic voices and empowering them to share their narratives with the world.
About Preeti Vasudevan (Choreographer, Performer, Cultural thought leader)
Award-winning choreographer and cultural storyteller Preeti Vasudevan's provocative theatrical works redefine individual identity, uniting artists and audiences alike. Her creations have been lauded as a refreshing collision of eastern and western aesthetics pushing for a new expression in art-making. Her unconventional storytelling challenges the status quo of dance-theater, bridging ancient traditions with the contemporary world.
Known for igniting groundbreaking artistic partnerships, Preeti frequently collaborates with celebrated artists such as legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Dame Evelyn Glennie amongst others. Preeti’s works have been commissioned and supported by distinguished institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Glimmerglass Opera Festival NY, and Guggenheim’s Works & Process NY, TED Centre National de la Danse, Paris, and Lincoln Center, NY. She has been invited to sit on panels at the National Endowment for the Arts US, US Consulate panel on women creatives, Joyce Theater, and Asian American Arts Alliance.
Over 20 years, original works performed by her performing arts collaborative, Thresh, have earned international acclaim for their fresh juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary voices..
Currently serving on the New York Lincoln Center’s Artistic Committee and as an Arts Ambassador for the US Department of State, Preeti creates groundbreaking social impact work based on interdisciplinary storytelling for underserved communities fostering change in the socio-political fabric in decision making and cultural diplomacy.
Preeti is a Certified Movement Analyst from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, New York, with a Masters in Dance from the Laban Centre London and an undergraduate degree in Psychology.
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Clarice Assad
Clarice’s personal statement:
My journey as a musician began with a paradox: born into a family of renowned artists, I possessed natural talent, yet crippling shyness threatened to silence my voice. Through years of dedicated exploration—pushing beyond my comfort zone, experimenting with improvisation, theater, and performance art—I discovered the tools to unlock my creative potential. Now, I share this transformative journey through VOXploration, a workshop designed to empower others to find their voice and express themselves with confidence. By tapping into the power of music and movement, participants develop a deeper connection to their bodies and natural expressiveness, gaining practical techniques to channel nervous energy into creative confidence, whether they're giving a presentation, leading a meeting, or simply engaging in everyday conversations.
About Clarice Assad: (Composer, Performer, Cultural communicator)Grammy Award-nominated Clarice Assad is a musical force that seamlessly bridges classical, world music, pop, and jazz. As a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, vocalist, and educator, she has earned international acclaim for her evocative compositions and dynamic performances.
Currently serving as Composer-Educator in Residence with both the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (2023-2027) and Albany Symphony (2024-27), Assad has composed over 90 works commissioned by prestigious institutions including Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Her album "Archetypes," created with Sérgio Assad and Third Coast Percussion, received two 2022 Grammy nominations, and her work "Danças Nativas" was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2009.
Assad's innovative approach to music education shines through VOXploration, her award-winning program that transforms bodies and voices into musical instruments through spontaneous creation and improvisation. Her works often address contemporary issues, from climate change to social justice, while engaging audiences through participatory experiences.
Her works have been commissioned and performed by leading orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Chicago Sinfonietta. Her recent premieres include "Total Eclipse" (2025), jointly commissioned by ROCO, LACO, and NCCO, "Terra" (2024) for the Philadelphia Orchestra, and "Boitatá: Overture For Orchestra" (2023) for the Orquestra Sinfônica de São Paulo. She holds degrees from Roosevelt University and the University of Michigan, and her work is published internationally in France, Germany, Brazil, and the United States.
Assad's recent projects include "(R)Evolution" (2025) for Grupo Corpo's 50th anniversary and an original soundtrack to the documentary “Devoti Tutti” (2024)by director Bernadette Wegenstein. Her growing discography features acclaimed releases like "Window To The World: A Tribute to Milton Nascimento" (2023) and "The Book of Spells" (2024).
As part of the workshop series, Preeti and Clarice will also offer an open process of a new project they are working on. Participants will get a first hand experience of how they use their artistic skills to develop new work, having a Q&A after.
All retreats and high-impact summits are lead by Caroline Watson, visionary founder of The Centre for the Arts and Global Leadership, and the Global Arts Impact Agenda. An award-winning entrepreneur, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (Davos) and a talented performer herself, using the arts to effect large-scale social change across the world, Caroline is the owner of Clos de Gaye and a masterful hostess and creator of extraordinary experiences.
Caroline Watson, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Harvard, Yale, INSEAD, Oxford
Coach and leadership development expert to global heads of state, corporate executives and world leaders.
Unfolding your leadership potential
Clos de Gaye
Extraordinary experiences where the world comes together for impact
Welcome to Clos de Gaye, a unique and special place in the far southwest of France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, close to the border of Spain and the stunning Basque coast.
Clos de Gaye (pronounced ‘guy’) means ‘Place of Happiness’ and it is at once a private home, a residential retreat, a creative and artistic workspace, organic farm, community kitchen, restaurant and tea house, and a convening ground for global leaders, artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and all those charged with the care and governance of our planet. Think of it as the meeting point between the Bloomsbury set’s Charleston and Camp David. It is a place to stay, to play, to share and to transform our world.
The spirit of Clos de Gaye is one of contribution, generosity and accountability. Those that have a seat of the table have arrived there through hard work and a genuine desire to be of service to the world. Time spent here is for you to reflect on what has been achieved so far and to be a springboard into future leadership and the continued desire to be a force for good in the world.
Deep in the heart of the French countryside, embedded in the ‘old world’ rises a new way of thinking about the future. The best of European heritage, beauty and aesthetic, with interiors from all over the world, reflecting our founder’s upbringing in Asia, and bringing energy, dynamism and a sense of inclusion of the new world.
An opportunity to reclaim the very best of European culture and values, with a renewed way of thinking about its relationship with the rest of the world, restoring humanity to everyone.
Each retreat takes place against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful corners of south west France and includes visits to the following places
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The Pic du Midi d’Ossau
Evening picnic on the Plateau de Benou
Stunning views from Clos de Gaye
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Soothing effect of the ocean
Dramatic waves
Award-winning cuisine
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Culture
Heritage
History
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Elegance
Sophistication
Refinement
Accommodation will be provided on the Clos de Gaye estate, at nearby Clos Mirabel or at Secret Pyrénées nearby. It is also possible to stay in our luxury ‘stargazer’ bell tents on the grounds of Fischer’s Farm (weather depending).
All meals are prepared using fresh, local, and often organic ingredients, sourced either from Fischer’s Farm itself or from local providers in the Béarn and Basque regions.
Clos de Gaye is situated in the Jurancon wine region and there will be thoughtful pairings of wine and other non-alcoholic drinks with each meal.
Our spaces are unique, artistic and soulful.
Each retreat is part of a year-long learning journey lead by Caroline herself that comes with an individual, one-to-one personal development leadership programme, as well as a group coaching Masterclass development programme, ‘The Art of Leadership’ , based on her own experience as an award-winning leader and entrepreneur.
Caroline is no ordinary coach. Departing from a very technical approach, that focuses on externally-driven directives, Caroline works at a deeper level with her coachees to support their spiritual growth and the emergence of much more refined thought about their leadership. Sought after by corporate executives, heads of state and leaders from across the world, a coaching experience with Caroline will uncover layers of beauty, authenticity and substance in both your personal and professional journey, to help you emerge as the transformational leader our world really needs.
Following the retreat, our team members will work with you to shape the inspiration you received during the retreat into tangible and concrete action to make a difference in the world. We will support you over a 3, 6, 9 and 12 month timeline to bring to fruition your vision from the retreat, leveraging our world-class networks, to ensure that your time spent with us has real world impact.
There will also be bi-monthly networking opportunities to continue to grow, learn and share with others from your cohort to ensure the transformation you go through is deeply embedded in your everyday life.
All participants are also invited to be life-long members of our ‘Higher Order’ Leadership community, offering ongoing networking opportunities and continued benefits into the future.
When the show ends, what begins?
These retreats ask the big questions. They are part of a series of high-level ‘retreat summits’ held on the Clos de Gaye estate each summer and autumn, lead by the founder of The Centre for the Arts and Global Leadership, Caroline Watson,
They re-imagine our world.
Transformational experiences, they are an exploration into our deeper humanity.
We use the arts to unlock a deeper level of discussion, and then explore how the arts can also be applied to solving the greatest challenges of our time.
For more information about the full ‘summit retreat’ programme and how your participation will be part of larger world-changing initiatives, click below
Our retreats bring together exceptional people from all over the world - corporate, government and civil society leaders, academics, artists and cultural leaders - all those with a desire to bring about positive impact in our world.
By bringing together such a diverse mix of people, your own networks will expand in truly global ways and opportunities for collaboration across the world will unfold.
Outcomes
● Moving and memorable experiences connecting fellow leaders from very different cultures and backgrounds
● Get to know each other as fellow humans by listening to one another, and being heard.
● Explore one’s own backstories in surprising and refreshing ways. Increase understanding of each other's differences, shared values and experiences and what has brought us to our current perspectives, concerns, aspirations, fears, and joys.
● Draw upon artistic experience and creative processes that use the power of human curiosity to traverse expanded terrains, aligning thoughts, emotions and actions.
● Participate in an extraordinary experience, guided by a team of world-class artist facilitators, that is powerful enough that it becomes the start of ongoing relationships, connections and perspective shifting that bring about meaningful change in our world
Getting Here
From your home to Clos de Gaye
In keeping with our vision to have a positive impact on the world, all retreats start and end at Gare Montparnasse in Paris, so you can use train travel to ‘set the scene’ on your extraordinary journey and reduce your carbon footprint. We also kindly ask all international visitors to offset the carbon from their plane travel to Paris through a reputable carbon-offsetting scheme.
We suggest that you aim for a plane or train to arrive in Paris on the morning of the retreat date, and to take the 2pm train from Montparnasse to arrive in time for dinner. Transfers from the train station to Clos de Gaye can be arranged ahead of time and the transfer time takes less than 20 minutes.
Dates
1st to 5th October 2025
Come together with some of the world’s foremost leaders to take part in transformative workshops, discussions, performances and experiences that will change the world.
We are also able to offer bespoke retreats for companies and organisations wishing to do this as an offsite.
Investment
10,000 euros per person for retreat alone
25,000 euros per person for the year-long programme, to include one-to-one coaching and leadership development course.
20% sales tax applies
The retreat can also be paid for through our US-based 501 (c) 3 as a charitable donation and offset against taxes.
Included:
Retreat
All workshops, talks, dinners, and performances at the retreat in October
Your Accommodation on the Clos de Gaye estate or a similar property nearby
All your meals, including eating out
Your day trips to the Pyrénées and the Basque coast
Possibility for additional days at Clos de Gaye for individual retreats at reduced price
Year-long personal development programme
All the above plus:
Year-long one-to-one, tailored, leadership development programme for each individual
Group coaching and networking with rest of your cohort for the 12 month period
Additional learning content for the 12 months surrounding the retreat experience through a micro-learning app (Gnowbe)
As a socially-entrepreneurial for-profit company, The Centre for the Arts and Global Leadership uses all profits from our summits and retreats to support low-income and marginalised communities to also take part in extraordinary experiences at Clos de Gaye and elsewhere in the world, so your participation in this retreat also enables others to benefit from the life-transforming effects of our programmes.
Possible side trips to add to your itinerary
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Paris
City of Lights, one of the most romantic capitals in the world, and host of the summer Olympics 2024. An easy train ride from Paris with lots to see and do, we recommend a few days stop here en route to Clos de Gaye when flying internationally.
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Toulouse
Just two hours from Clos de Gaye, this gorgeous ‘pink city’ is unique in France for its distinct architecture and vibrant and youthful spirit. Our partnership with the Hotel des Arts provides a wonderful addition to your stay with us.
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Basque Coast
With it’s dramatic landscape and Michelin-award winning cuisine, the Basque coast and the towns of Bayonne and Biarritz, St Jean de Luz and the Spanish city of San Sebastian make for a stunning driving holiday to finish off your trip.
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Bordeaux
Stunning French city in the heart of the famed wine region, world class dining, and the possibility to visit vineyards, chateaux and the surrounding Dordogne and Landes region
Clos de Gaye
Extraordinary experiences where the world comes together for impact
Because our world needs a new kind of leadership
