More Information

Would it be helpful to have this information as a document instead of a webpage? You can find that here:

Had a recent exposure to an airborne illness or feeling unwell?

• We’re so sorry you’re not feeling well, or that someone you know is feeling unwell. As there are immunocompromised folks in attendance we ask that you stay home this time around. 

• Please communicate with us ASAP so that we know how many people to expect.

• We can offer a 100% refund to canceled registrations up until March 24th and then 50% afterwards.

COVID-19 Info:

• Masks will be optional

• Vaccine cards will be required

• In anticipation of people being unmasked for the retreat, we request you to wear a mask in all public places for 7 days prior to retreat, including the journey Downeast!

• Please test within 24 hours before arrival. (We will have rapid test available just in case)

Retreat Schedule

(schedule subject to change and all program offerings are optional)

Thursday, March 30th

2 — 6 pm: Lodge Check in

5 pm: Dinner (participants will fill out choice of workshop for each day at this time)

6 pm: Support group

7 pm: “Mini Going For it” Event

Friday, March 31st

7 am: Morning walk

8 am: Yoga 

8 — 9 am: Coffee & continental breakfast

10 am: Workshops (choice of 3)

Noon: Lunch

1 pm: Open studio

3 pm: Hiking outing/rest

5 pm: Support group

6 pm: Dinner

7 pm: Fire Circle, Games & Rest

Saturday, April 1st

7 am: Morning walk

8 am: Yoga 

8 — 9 am: Coffee & continental breakfast

10 am: Workshops (choice of 3)

Noon: Lunch

1 pm: Open Studio 

3 pm: “Going For it” Event

6 pm: Dinner

7 pm: Fire Circle, Games & Rest

Sunday, April 2nd

7 am: Morning walk

8 am: Yoga 

8 — 9 am: Coffee & continental breakfast

9 am: Full group check in/share/reflection

11 am: Check out & departure

Daily Workshops

(Workshops subject to change — we’ll keep everyone updated)

• Devon Kelley-Yurdin will be facilitating bravery building workshop (“Going For It”) Thursday and Saturday

• Malalai Amini will be facilitating a visual art workshop Friday

• Rene’ Goddess Johnson will be facilitating a joyful movement workshop on Friday

• Rosa Noreen will be facilitating a belly dance/light ballet workshop on Friday

• Rook Hine will be facilitating a theater workshop on Saturday

• Maya Williams will be facilitating a poetry workshop on Saturday

• Brian J Evans will be facilitating a restful dance workshop on Saturday

What are the “Going For It” Events?

• An Experimental/Amateur Talent Show

• “Going For It” is an exercise in bravery and community care disguised as an experimental/amateur talent show. It is an invitation to share the hidden corners (if it feels safe), try things outside your wheelhouse, or share old things with new people. At Going For It, expertise is superfluous and perhaps even discouraged. It is less about talent (having it, not having it) and more about building muscles around community care, collective joy, creativity, and bravery. 

• Play the one song you know on guitar, try the stand up act you've always wanted to perform, lead a group in song for the first time. Untangling knots? Consensual/conceptual group participation? Who's to say! There must be a wealth of new tricks up folks’ sleeves as a product of two years of pandemic isolation, right? Or maybe just leaving the house on a Monday night is Going For It enough. If you're not interested in being the center of attention, maybe there's something you're doing in the background that doesn't involve standing in front of people. Creativity is, obviously, encouraged. 

• The event fosters a communal exchange, through sharing and support and discussion, in place of an audience/performer dynamic. This space is about us all deciding for ourselves what feels available and maybe a little brave, and for some people all of those things mean “just” witnessing. Vulnerability and experimentation can come in a billion forms, however big or small. Participants are invited to self-assess their own participation and know that their choices will be respected as long as they, too, are being respectful. No racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, antisemitic, fatphobic, ableist, or any other oppressive content will be welcome. This is a sex and body-positive space.

• Reach out if you want to brainstorm, think you have an idea but first want to talk it through, or need a pep talk! An ever-growing FAQTF (frequently asked questions, thoughts, fears) can be found at devonkelley-yurdin.com/goingforit. (email: devon.kelley.yurdin <at> gmail.com)

I have other questions/curiosities/concerns! Who can I talk to?

• Please contact Maya Williams at maya@mainetransnet.org with questions.

Can I bring my dog?

• Cobscook Institute is a space that allows service dogs only, please be in touch if you are a service dog handler and plan to bring your dog with you to the retreat.

Where Am I Going?

• Cobscook Institute is a learning center in Downeast, Maine in Passamaquoddy Territory. It is rural and lovely, with incredible preserved lands in every direction.

• There is public transportation via West Bus to Whiting Corner, which is 2 miles from campus. We can arrange pick-up/drop-off here as needed. It runs once a day along Route One between Calais & Ellsworth and up to Bangor.

• Driving Distances (we recommend you give yourself extra time for a timely arrival):

• Ellsworth: 1.5 hours

• Bangor: 2 hours

• Augusta: 3 hours

• Lewiston: 3.5 hours

• Portland: 4 hours

• Houlton: 2 hours

• Presque Isle: 3.25 hours

• Fort Kent: 4.25 hours

Where Will We Be Sleeping

• Heartwood Lodge at Cobscook Institute can house upwards of 50 people in 13 rooms. It’s similar to a fancy hostel. Each room sleeps up to 4 people in bunkbeds and has a private bathroom.

• We anticipate upwards of 30 people at our retreat and we will divide folks into doubles and triples depending on folks' needs. 

• The registration form will take note of your preferences/needs regarding night owls, early birds and people who need a “snoring free” room!

• There are 2 additional bathrooms with showers available to all guests.

• The common space of Heartwood Lodge also has a living area, kitchen & library.

• We will request that The Lodge be a quiet space for folks to recharge in.

What About food?

• We will be aware of dietary needs as indicated in folks’ registration form.

• There will be coffee, herbal tea, bagels & spreads, yogurt & granola and fruits for breakfast. We will need helping hands to tend and clean-up from breakfast.

• Lunch will be sandwich & salad bars. We will need helping hands to tend and clean-up from lunch.

• Dinner will be catered.

• We will also have hearty snacks available throughout the day… and s’mores. We should probably have s’mores.

Safety & Confidentiality

• We appreciate a code of conduct akin to our Support Group Guidelines.

Cell Phones and Internet

• There is good cell phone coverage at Cobscook Institute, some of the more remote hiking locations may have spotty coverage. Cobscook has excellent high speed internet.

• If you are traveling around the area you may find yourself on Canadian cell phone towers, so if the time suddenly changes on you, feel free to question reality.

Can I Take pictures?

• Please practice consent when taking photographs of attendees and facilitators.

Can I smoke?

• We will have a designated smoking area on the far side of Heartwood Lodge.

Alcohol Policy

• We have a no alcohol policy.

What if I'm not registered?

• If you are not registered for this event, please register here. Only folks who are registered will be able to attend; if registration is full we are happy to add you to the waiting list if a spot opens up. Registration closes February 27th or as soon as we reach maximum capacity.

What should I bring?

• Art supplies, Writing supplies, Crafting materials, Music etc. Whatever you need and like to be comfortable and creative for expression.

• Games for evening activities.

• Comfortable Walking shoes.

• A warm jacket.

• Personal care items/meds

• Snacks, teas etc that you like.

Campus Accessibility

Heartwood Lodge (lodging, small lounge, kitchen, and library)

• Wheelchair accessible with assist available: Wooden ramp to entrance from gravel parking area.

• Doors are not automatic and need to be opened manually

• First Floor: 6 bunk rooms with en suite bathrooms, lounge, and kitchen 

• 2 HCP rooms include wheelchair accessible showers

• 2 Shared wheelchair accessible showers in common area.

• 2nd floor — stair access only — 7 bunk rooms, studio apartment, library

• Reserved parking available adjacent to entrance

• Dirt parking lot

• Scent free laundry detergent and cleaning products used

• Thermostats in each room may be adjusted. Each room has a fan.

Commons Building

• Accessing Building: Drop-off option at front entrance.

• Dirt Parking lot-with reserved parking  _______ ft. from entrance. (we’re working on getting this info)

• Exterior doors require manually opening.

• Interior doors require manual opening. Door props available.

• Four wheelchair accessible bathrooms.

• Thermostats in classroom/meeting spaces can be adjusted for comfort.

• Dining room has radiant heat in concrete floor– so there is a lag time in adjusting thermostat.

• Some chairs have arms and some do not.

• See pictures here: https://cobscookinstitute.org/events-spaces.

Commercial Kitchen

• Gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts, peanuts are processed in the kitchen.

• Gluten free dishes/kitchen supplies available storage for serious allergies.

Parking Lot

• Gravel Parking Lot and Driveway

I'm nervous/anxious/having some other related experience about this! Should I still come?

• OMG we hope you do still come! But, of course, that is totally up to you. For some people this might be the first large gathering they’ve been to in a long time. For others it might be the first time they’re in an all-LGBTQ+ space or in a rural LGBTQ+-focused space. For all these reasons and more, let’s all try to be gentle with each other at this gathering. And know we can help support each other in community through this shared experience.

• The lodge can be a space if you need a break from noise, talking, and/or people during the day. See some of you there! :)

I know that you are offering The Creative Retreat with a Sliding Scale, I’d like to pay extra to support another person attending, how can I do that?

• Please select what you can afford in the registration form. It is incredibly helpful if folks are able to support other folks attending and you can make a donation to the event in the registration process.

  • Tuition Options: $100, $150, or $200

Where can I learn more about Cobscook Institute?

• Thank you to our hosts, Cobscook Institute! You can learn more on their website: https://cobscookinstitute.org/

• Cobscook Institute is a multi-faceted campus, there is a small experiential public high school on campus that will be in session Thursday & Friday, they are located in a separate building from our Retreat, however we will be sharing a parking lot. There is also an administrative office on campus and you may see some of Cobscook Institute’s staff and community members during the retreat. All staff have LGBTQ+ Allyship Training & MTN Training

*We give thanks to Out in the Open LGBTQ+ Rural & Small Town Summit’s info sheet which we used as a template to create this document!*