Dream & Explore
Workshops & Activities
Every year festival attendees report back that the amazing workshops & activities hosted in the Dream & Explore spaces are some their favourite things about the NEW FIRE experience. NFF5 will not disappoint!
We have an awesome line up ready for you! Here are some of the talented facilitators and what they are offering in 2020. Click below for more details…
Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné is a poet and artist from Trinidad & Tobago.
Her writing and art have appeared in several local and international journals and she has won multiple local and international awards for her work.
Exploring techniques and activities to help overcome creative block, and to enable free-flow of thoughts and ideas. Both drawing and writing.
Ved was introduced to yoga at the age of five by his mother. This began his lifelong journey in the practice and eventually to his sharing of experiences in Yoga through teaching. Yoga has been an integral part of his life even during his studies abroad. In university his research focused on the effect of yoga on the mind. On is return home he was guided to spend time with his mother who passed at the end of her 17-year journey with cancer. After her passing he committed his life full-time to Yoga and stayed at an ashram to learn the living practice of Yoga. It was then he began teaching. Shortly after, he was invited to visit India where he was able to connect to the spiritual and therapeutic roots of yoga. On his return he felt re-invigorated to support the community in finding balance in life through Yoga.
In 2019 he founded Shantidham or the House of Peace, a studio that is a dedicated space to support his students in a deeper way in their practice of yoga. Through the integration of not only physical yoga practice but meditation, cleansing, and lifestyle Ved has created an environment where yoga is taught as more than just postures. It shared as a harmonious way of life.
Yoga with Ved guided 1hr of practice.
Simone Da Costa is a MindBody Therapist; she teaches yoga, mindfulness and meditation and has a private psychotherapy and counseling practice in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Her MindBody practices allow her students and clients to gain a more holistic approach to their healing and growth. Over the past three years Simone has also thoroughly enjoyed blending all her knowledge and experience in mindfulness, yoga and psychology into unique workshops catered towards self development, self empowerment and self discovery. Simone is passionate about helping individuals to reconnect with their true selves and prioritize their mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Learning how to cultivate deeper connections with ourselves, our loved ones, nature and all of humanity. This workshop will include lecture/discussion, various psychology and mindfulness practices and guided meditations.
Kaylan Bartholomew is a Meditation and Mindfulness teacher, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and a Hatha Yoga Instructor. Through her company Spirited Natural, Kaylan offers private and group mindfulness programmes, health coaching and yoga and meditation classes for individuals and corporates. Kaylan graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the largest nutrition school in the world, where she learned practical lifestyle management techniques and over 100 dietary theories. Kaylan received her hatha yoga certification through Bliss Yoga Trinidad’s 200-hour Teacher Training Programme under yogacharya Karen Stollmeyer. Kaylan also trained as a Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher with Selwyn Bhajan, a student of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and founder of The Sage Path.
Mindful Parenting
Mindful Kids
Mindful Teens
Salsa Teacher
Learn some Salsa abcs
Karen Blackman is the Founder of The Sangha Trinidad, established in 2005 and creator of The Sangha Trinidad’s 500hr Yoga Teacher Training Program. She has 20 years yoga and movement experience, almost 40,000 hours teaching experience under her belt and trainees of hers from around Trinidad and Tobago, including up the islands – Barbados, Dominica and BVI – to as far as NYC and Scotland! Her specialty is working with people living with pain or who just need to understand how to move in their body pain free. Her style is fun and engaging and you are sure to learn something from any of her classes!
Stephenie was a lawyer in a past life and now teaches yoga full time. She has been teaching for many years and enjoys helping others realize their power and truth and empowering and inspiring them to connect with themselves.
Move mindfully and breathe. Honour the spine while having fun. They will release tension in their bodies and minds with the aerial yoga hammock.
Aerial yoga is yoga with the assistance and support of a hammock or sling which helps a student achieve traditional yoga poses. These classes are fun and challenging and beginner friendly. We move with our breath and try to stay present in order to build physical and mental strength. The hammock holds 300 pounds and is made of parachute material. The benefits of supported inversions include decompression of the spine, increased lymphatic drainage, increased circulation, improved posture, increased energy, strength and mobility and decreased muscle tension.
I am a dancer, choreographer, painter, producer, DJ, and yoga practitioner. A Canadian born World Citizen that fell in love with Trinidad and decided to make it home. I currently work at One Yoga Trinidad in Port of Spain.
Yoga has been apart of my life for over 30 years. The first real deepening of my study was in the Sivananda Ashram in Southern India in 1996 and then I certified as a teacher with Trinity Yoga Vancouver in 2007. Numerous teachers in Dance, Yoga, and Meditation have helped me broaden my knowledge of the body and mind and widened my ideas of what the yoga practice can be.
Slow the body and mind down to a place of deep relaxation in Buddhaful Yoga. Not only does this class de-stress we also target the physical body with some therapeutic exercises and deep stretches that are ideal for those who need to be kind to their overworked and overtired bodies. In this class, we will be holding postures 1-5 minutes and address the muscles ligaments, bones, and connective tissues. This class will greatly complement dynamic and sweaty muscle-engaging practices (yang) with its more slow, moving, meditative, long-held practice (yin). All levels are welcome. Come experience a deep and releasing style of yoga asana practice. Ideal for those dealing with an injury or needing something a little slower and relaxing. This slow-paced class also offers time for introspection and meditation in the postures.
Always loved feeling good in a balanced way. British Army trained physiotherapist SINCE 1976. Worked as a gym instructor 8 years, Physio at Port of Spain General Hospital for 20 years. Certification in Reiki, Acupressure, Shiatsu, Thai Yoga Massage and Reflexology
Julian Stollmeyer has been teaching various forms of meditation for over 30 years, both here in Trinidad and in the USA. He is active in the local Bodhicharya Buddhist community, and is also the co-founder of Mind Unlimited, an enterprise that brings Mindfulness training to schools, health facilities, and businesses. He has extensive experience leading meditation retreats and workshops, and has also taught meditation in such diverse settings as universities, the POS prison, psychotherapy practice, and stress management programmes.
Guided 1 hr practice of sitting meditation and yoga
Being a certified yoga teacher, combined with studies in Psychology, my practice lends itself to a very personal and open feeling. Health and Wellness is my passion and I am always continuing on my journey to learn and grow.
Grounding is connecting with the earth both physcially and spiritually. This workshop will begin with meditation, mindfulness, pranayama (breathing techniques) and continue on to grounding asanas (postures) which allow us to feel our inner strength, connecting with Prithvi Maa (Mother Earth).
Jennifer Hammond is an Aromatherapist, Crystal Healer, Fitness Instructor (Belly Dancing, Kickboxing, Pilates, Schwinn, TRX Suspension Training), Laughter Yoga Leader, Personal Trainer, and Reiki (Level 2) Practitioner.
She has been travelling to Trinidad annually for the past 18 years, and is joining the Festival for her second year now from Ontario Canada to instruct a Beginners Belly Dance Workshop & Laughter Yoga
Belly dance is a beautiful expression of body movements used to depict stories and emotions. It is primarily a torso-driven dance, with an emphasis on articulations of the hips and isolations of the torso muscles, rather than on movements of the limbs through space. Arm and hand movements are important however they are typically accent movements to add a different feeling or emphasis. Join her for 1 hour and learn some primary basic movements of Traditional Middle Eastern Belly Dance and how to layer them.
You can also join Jennifer for a 45 min. Laughter Yoga Workshop: Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea – simple and profound. As an exercise routine, it is sweeping the world and is a complete well-being workout.
Everyone wants health and happiness in their lives. But instead we are getting stressed out , depressed, getting less sleep, more negative thoughts and feeling isolated. If you are someone who wants to move on and bring more laughter and joy into your life, you are in the right place. Laughter Yoga is the answer.
Holistic Therapist, Lifecoach & Grandmaster Reiki
Creative vessel/Artist/Teacher
Creator of Unclad figure drawing sessions
Artist of all levels are given the opportunity to draw a live figure model over a period of timed intervals short to long. The main goal of the session is to allow person to explain how fun drawing the human form is and also and opportunity to connect with fellow creatives.
Personal trainer, specializing in Neuro-Biomechanics. My job is to make my clients awesome, I’m a self proclaimed awesomeologist.
We design, install and maintain kitchen gardens and food production systems in any space. Grow your own food with an Agroscape!
We establish custom food gardens, aquaculture systems (aquaponics), lawn maintenance and provide consultancy in agriculture-related ventures.
Seth Escalante is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s top classical guitarists. Before earning his Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) with distinction from Trinity Guildhall School of Music in London in 2012, he won all guitar categories for the Trinidad and Tobago music festival both as a participant and in the capacity of a teacher. He completed his Associate Degree in Performing Arts: Guitar (with honors) in 2016 and his Bachelor’s degree in Performance: Guitar in 2018 (cum laude) at The College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT). Teaching for over ten years, Seth has been able to marry his love for music with his passion for teaching. Seth has developed a style of teaching where he is able to target at risk students using music to enhance their overall educational development. He has released two albums, written and produced over 70 compositions all registered with COTT (The Copyright Organization of Trinidad and Tobago). He has a passion for Classical Music and often composes with a Calypso and Soca influence.
ESCA is the organizational exemplar, fueled not by financial gain; but by hard work and dedication toward setting an example as young leaders. We focus on environmental, agricultural and multi-sector issues within Trinidad and Tobago aiming to provide solutions on the basis of innovation and creativity.
MISSION:
Our mission is to encourage the growth of sound leadership qualities through effective communication and planning among colleagues and with the public. We aim to portray success without monetary drive and illustrate that truly, anything can be achieved with dedication.
Rhythmika, school of rhythmic gymnastics, is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago. Combining ballet, modern dance and acrobatics, rhythmic gymnastics utilises apparatus that is unique to the sport. These include balls, hoops, ropes, ribbons and clubs. We have also introduced an aerial silk department in our school, as well as the incorporation of GFA (Gymnastics For All) in our syllabus.
Hannah-Rose is a spiritual guide who inspires others to turn inwards in order to become their greatest version. She is a businesswoman, event organizer, host and YouTuber who channels her energy into helping others on their journey to self-realization. She encourages her followers via social media (hannahrosebtv) and her channel “Beyond The Veil” to adopt a plant-based diet and to use nature to heal the body and mind.
This workshop with be 1 hour of pure joy, intimacy and deep conversation. The participants will be challenged with several different exercises to go outside their comfort zones, create deep bonds with their fellow campers and hopefully find kindred spirits.
Abeo Jackson has been involved in the performing arts from the tender age of 3. Her love affair with ‘stage’ began as she made her ‘toddler debut’ with the Les Enfants Dance Company based in San Fernando, Trinidad, of which she has remained a member and supporter for the last 25 years.
Her journey as an artist has been colored by the diverse rhythms of her twin island birth place Trinidad and Tobago, where she participated through her early years in everything from Sanfest, to Music Festival, to PresCon Musical Theater Choral and of course the Prime Minister’s Best Village Program. She then continued to be touched deeply by the jazz of New Orleans while attending Dillard University in Louisiana as well as the bohemianism of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia while attending Dickinson College.
Abeo Jackson, Actress/Producer
Abeo now 28, is currently based in Trinidad working feverishly as an actor, choreographer, dancer, teacher and most recently as a Radio Announcer 1st with TBC Radio Network’s Vibe CT 105fm and currently with TTRN’s (96.1fm, 107.7fm, star94.7fm) Star947HD where she works alongside some of the best media talent in the industry. She is presently also quite privileged to be doing main stage productions with some of the most renowned directors and artists in Trinidad and Tobago. Most recently, she concluded work on choreography for 1st Instinct Productions, The Sound of Music as well as was onstage in Raymond Choo Kong Productions, How It Hang, It Swing.
Since returning to Trinidad and Tobago’s shores in 2007, she has been under close tutelage and mentor-ship with a local theater pioneer, one of the most brilliant, business oriented and creative minds, Raymond Choo Kong, studying his every move, learning the skill/business and craft that is local theater production.
She is now a woman ready; embarking on the newest endeavour and chapter in her life’s adventure, AbeoJacksonProductions….
Troy views the science of yoga as a personal practice and one’s own journey of self-discovery. For that reason he is continuously aiming to create a space that is available and comfortable for all to practice, regardless of their faith, age, or physical limitations.
With mindful, intentional movements Troy’s teaching brings a fresh and powerful dimension into today’s yoga class that helps bridge the gap between the pure essence of Yoga and today’s disconnected world. At the foundation of Troy’s teaching is not the breath, but one’s relationship to the breath. In this we discover that no posture, no transition, no moment is ever the same; we discover what it means to live in the present moment, and finally we remember what it means to live from a place of Genuine Love.
Yogacharya Karen Stollmeyer has over 20 years of experience in the fields of yoga, meditation, sound and vibrational healing, stress-management, and rehabilitation. Karen is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, International Registered Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Yoga Therapist, Energy Medicine Practitioner, and Hippo and Equine Facilitated Therapist, who has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages and abilities achieve their maximum potentials through deep and lasting inner transformations brought about by her synthesis of different modalities, approaches, and intuitive abilities. She is the founder of Bliss Yoga Trinidad (2004) and together with her husband, co-founder of Horses Helping Humans (2013), a registered NGO that provides hippo therapy to children with autism and other special needs, and the Trinidad and Tobago World Peace Festival.
A husband, father and community advocate seeking to offer yoga to the most unlikely people aiding them in eliminating body-shaming, recovery from laziness, address mental health(deppression/anxiety) or addiction. Jah Ques mat approach inspires people to ‘put a light on in a neglected room’ as they practice yoga. Students are invited to have true church, true confession within their own bodies.
Because Jah Ques believes we are all teachers/students of life he treats every class as if it is his first, many of his students experience a safe, non-judgmental, welcoming environment. He taught students at Pressley Ridge and is currently teaching yoga to students at Holy Family (Sto Rox). Jah Ques is a beacon to people of color and minorities because he reminds them of the history of yoga which begins in Africa traveling through India. His lively roots based music elevates the mind-body vibrations which spins a twist for many new to the yoga experience.
Students are empowered by Jah Ques to ‘let it all out’.
He seeks to engage students of color so that they can realize yoga was engineered and designed just with them in mind. As they engage and practice more and more the students will minimize low self-worth, decrease poor health (obesity, diminished breathing) and establish and promote self-recovery.
Founder/Director of JTB Homesteads. Former banker, now designer and facilitator of composting workshops for the last 5 years. Permaculture advocate and zero waste practitioner.
Learn the process of making quality compost at home, with emphasis on the materials required, necessary tools, varied techniques and troubleshooting.
Marika is a member of the Acono community , the creative industry and an advocate for environmental sustainability.
Learn how to hand make kites (traditional) using biodegradable materials such as cocoyea sticks, kite paper etc.
Jovander Judha Pacheco has been practicing yoga for about 7 years and teaching for just over 2. She has fallen in love with the exploration of Self and this human experience through the practice of Yoga and Breath Work. Now having experienced its’ power and benefits, there’s nothing left to do but share it with the world. This is the ultimate goal; happy, healthy living for all while also understanding the depths of Self and others through love , compassion and understanding! 💚🙏🏽
Shana loves teaching mindfulness practices for a calm, balanced life.
A gentle guided mindfulness practice to start your day. Enjoy stretching and slow graceful movements and cultivate peaceful breathe with a early morning mindful meditation.
Kids Zone
Mrs. Sian Cuffy-Young realized her purpose for advocating for a cleaner and safer environment for both consumers and the planet. At a young age, she had a first handnegative experience with waste that would later prove to be one of the
many building blocks for her company’s social mission. The daughter of
divorced parents, Sian often felt like she was discarded, and this too,
energized her quest to get serious about how people viewed waste. Sian is
living proof that the things we throw away today, can be made into
something valuable tomorrow.
She has over 14 years experience in the waste/environmental sector, is a certified Environmental Educator, Fulbright Fellow from Cornell University, wife and mother to a teenage boy and 2 small people aged 6 and 4. Her company also recently won the Best Waste Education Company in the Caribbean in 2019 at the Recycling and Waste Management Build Magazine Awards.
Jade draws her inspiration from nature, old shops that sell old things, old ladies, old men, museums, books – especially children’s books, female contemporary artists, insects and conversation.
