skein - a crucible of dreaming x Tom Hirons and Rozi Hilton
at Carn Euny fogou
An opportunity for a night like no other; ritual, story and community at an ancient village.
What if storytelling was neither about the experience of the individual listener, nor the importance of the Storyteller? What if the principal aim of storytelling was the weaving together of an assembled community, with de-othering, hearing and speaking, seeing and being seen at the centre of the gathering? What if territories of storytelling were critical in the battle against atomisation and societal withering? If storytelling were the magical space in which the unspeakable might become spoken, and the silent could become vocal?
And what if we did it overnight and underground, at one of West Penwith’s most evocative sites?
skein is a playful community-coherence tool and experimental art form in which players contribute to a holographic story-matrix. After a magnificent first session of skein at The Convivial, storyteller and writer Tom Hirons and artist Rozi Hilton offer their experiential project as an overnight experience at Carn Euny fogou in West Penwith...
Through rounds of participatory storytelling spread over ten hours, and a fractally-woven field of imagery, a meta-object is built from language, leaving behind a physical map as an artefact of the explored territory.
In practical terms, this means that from dusk to sunrise we will respond to prompts (perhaps story, perhaps poetry, perhaps dream fragments themselves) with short recollections or images, before yielding in turn to another offering. Through successive rounds of provocation, a field is generated. It is fun, profound, weird and psychedelic. At sunrise we will emerge, blinking, from the fogou and share a cup of hot cacao as the sun rises over the sea in front of us.
This event is BYOC - bring your own cushion/sitting mat. You must also bring: a water bottle, snacks, weather-appropriate gear and warm clothing/a blanket. We will have a large water container for top-ups, and some simple food (fruit & nuts) to keep us going through the small hours.
Throughout the night, you are welcome to take naps, duck out for periods and re-enter the story as needed.
Facilitators
Tom Hirons is a writer and storyteller based on the south edge of Dartmoor. He is director of Feral Angels Press and lead editor of Clarion, the quarterly poetry magazine. His piece ‘Sometimes a Wild God’ is a subcultural poetry classic. Tom runs frequent poetry workshops as well as mentoring poets and storytellers. His latest collection is MOLOK, which came out in Summer 2025.
Rozi Hilton is a richly-skilled Artist mentor and staunch-believer in the power of Truth. A poet-performer for many years, her practice serves awareness and expression in all forms, and she lives to help others articulate their own experience. Rozi works creating workshops and courses in beautiful places, leading people towards authenticity, acceptance, and awe. “A wise and breathtaking storyteller, an accomplished, knowledgeable teacher; an energetic and passionate facilitator; and a spiritual inspirer.”
What to expect
7pm - arrive at Carn Euny overflow parking (details to be sent to attendees)
7.15pm - car share to site parking
8pm - skein begins with sun-down
6am - skein ends with sun-rise
6.15am - cacao sharing
6.30am - close
Tickets
There are just 10 spaces available for this gathering. Your ticket cost covers two facilitators and administration costs for The Convivial, plus snacks, water and dawn cacao. Please refer to the following suggestions when booking your place:
Bursary ticket x 1 - £50
Low spare income - £75
Medium spare income - £85 (actual cost of producing event)
High spare income - £95
Abundance ticket (fund a low-cost ticket) - £115
Accessibility
There is a 15 minute walk from the car park to the site. The walk is along a windy path with some obstacles (rocks etc.).
If you have any questions or concerns about your capacity vs. the site/event, please reach out at hellotheconvivial@gmail.com.
There are no toilets at the site, so it will be a wild wee situation!