DATE:
5 - 7 February 2027
LOCATION:
Erth Retreat, Cornwall
PRICE: Free! funded by Youth Music
INCLUDES: Workshops, accommodation, all meals and travel bursaries where needed.
Three days of singing, sharing and songcraft
Escape to the Cornwall countryside for three days of songwriting, creativity and connection with other developing songwriters.
You’ll write together, try new things, share ideas and make some noise - with plenty of good food, fresh air and time to simply be.
Come as you are, leave with new songs, new confidence and new people in your corner.
What to expect from your retreat
No two CHORUS retreats are exactly the same, but you can expect a mixture of collaborative songwriting, creative challenges, vocal work, games, discussion and plenty of time to make music together.
We’ll move between whole-group sessions, smaller writing groups, space to work independently or simply take a breather.
There’ll be optional morning movement to wake us up, playful songwriting prompts, lyric and melody challenges, opportunities to share your work and space to explore your own creative practice.
You might find yourself writing a chorus with a roomful of strangers, turning a completely ridiculous song brief into something brilliant, swapping lyrics with a new friend, or discovering that the idea you nearly threw away becomes your favourite one.
Evenings are for food, songshares, games, singing and hanging out - and there’s always some time built in to wander, rest or do your own thing.
The retreat is facilitated by Anna Anise and Grace Lightman, with opportunities for participants to share their own skills, songs and ideas along the way.
Tucked away on a wild riverside peninsula, Erth is a unique and secluded retreat where centuries of history meet a more grounded, nature-connected way of living.
With its medieval roots, the retreat offers a chance to slow down, live simply and immerse yourself in the surrounding landscape. Set high on Erth Hill, the house looks out through beautiful granite mullion windows across the River Lynher, which winds around both sides of the peninsula.
The landscape is constantly changing with the tides, as the river breathes in and out twice a day, bringing shifting light, wildlife and a real sense of being away from it all. Wildflowers, soaring buzzards, skylarks, swallows and egrets fill the skies, while fallow deer roam the oak-filled woodlands and owls call through the trees at night.
Erth in nestle on the Rame Peninsula in South East Cornwall, a place to reconnect with nature, find some space to breathe beauty of the countryside.
In The forgotten corner of cornwall
LOCATION
food and feasting
We take food seriously at CHORUS. Meals will be vegetarian and provided by Cafe Abundance, a local organisation with a brilliant ethos around rescuing surplus food and reducing waste.
Expect generous, nourishing, homemade-style food to keep you fuelled through all that writing, singing and thinking - previous retreats have included things like fresh soup and bread for lunch, and big communal dishes such as daal, curry and rice for dinner.
Breakfast will be available from around 8am, with lunch at around 1pm and dinner around 6.30pm, plus tea, coffee, and plenty of opportunities to make yourself a cuppa throughout the day.
We’ll collect your dietary requirements and allergies when you register and make sure the caterers have everything they need, and if you have a particularly specific diet or need extra snacks, you’re very welcome to bring some provisions of your own.
There’s also a well-equipped kitchen and a lovely communal dining space, so grabbing a drink, making toast or sitting down for a chat is always an option.
nom nom nom!
You’ll be staying right at Erth for the whole retreat, so once you arrive, you can properly settle in and forget about commuting anywhere.
The accommodation is cosy, organic, unique and secluded, with shared bedrooms mostly; some bathrooms are also shared.
You can let us know about any access requirements or sleeping preferences when you apply. Breakfast starts from around 8am and the day's activities begin at around 9.30–9.45am.
There’s no expectation that you’ll spend every waking moment in a workshop, even though we have plenty planned for you - the programme includes downtime to wander, sit in the garden, write, nap, chat, read or simply stare at the Devon countryside for a bit.
Early riser? Go enjoy the quiet. Night owl? Stay up and chat or write. There’s structure to hold the weekend together, and space to make it your own.
SLEEP & DOWNTIME
ZZZ...
the team behind the retreat
anna anise
Anna Anise is a Cornish singer-songwriter and folk musician whose work draws on the stories, language and traditions of her homeland, singing in both English and Cornish. Anna holds a first-class degree in Songwriting from BIMM Bristol and is a Churchill Fellow, which saw her researching songwriting camps and retreats across the USA. She has performed widely across the UK, including at Green Man Festival and London’s Green Note, and has undertaken artist residencies at Hawkwood College, Brisons Veor and Halsway Manor. As a songwriter and facilitator, Anna is passionate about creating generous, supportive spaces where artists can take creative risks, develop their practice and find confidence through collaboration. She brings warmth, curiosity and a deep belief in the power of songwriting to connect us.
grace lightman
Grace Lightman is an experimental indie pop artist, songwriter and producer based in Devon. She has released multiple singles, EPs and her critically acclaimed debut concept album Silver Eater (2019), with support from BBC Introducing South West, including Front Row and a Maida Vale session. Alongside her own creative practice, Grace works with emerging artists through songwriting, production and artist development, sharing practical approaches to developing ideas and finding an individual creative voice. Her practice is rooted in experimentation, collaboration and making creative processes feel accessible. She also mentors artists around songwriting, production, confidence and developing their work for the live setting.
The retreat is facilitated by Anna Anise and Grace Lightman
3rd - 5th April 2027
If you fancy three days of collaborative songwriting, workshops, good food and making new friends in the Cornish countryside...
Free · Ages 18–25 · Women & gender-diverse developing songwriters · 15 places
PAST EVENTS
Each year we’ve developed something new in line with the interests of our alumni, as we’ve grown alongside community. It’s grown slowly and intentionally into what you see today. The time it’s taken to get here has meant that each step has been considered and carefully crafted with developing songwriters and musicians in mind.
We’ve been running songwriting retreats since 2020. What started an online collaborative space, soon became a camping experience in 2021, and evolved into our country house or glamping experience over the years to follow. We’ve always had collaboration, connection and confidence at the forefront, so although the location has changed, the ethos of lifting each other up, celebrating our unique creative voices and weaving a community that can continue to support eachother has always been at the core.
The Journey So Far
This retreat is funded by Youth Music
This retreat is funded by the incredible Youth Music, the UK’s leading young people’s music charity. Youth Music works to break down barriers and equalise access to music, supporting young people facing inequity, exclusion and discrimination to make, learn and earn through music. We’re hugely grateful for their investment in the next generation of musicians.
Reflect and sort through your own thoughts and reconnect with music
PRIVACY POLICY
