12-17 May 2026

Join us at the Simply Canvas Farm Retreat Center in France for an immersive storytelling retreat, where stories come alive. 

Earlybird: €50 discount when booking before 31 January.

Embrace storytelling as an embodied art form

The Storytelling Retreat invites you to step away from the everyday and immerse yourself in the art of embodied storytelling. Through playful exploration and meaningful connection, you’ll discover the stories waiting to be told and learn to share them in your own authentic voice. Whether you arrive with years of storytelling behind you or are just beginning to explore your voice, this retreat offers a nurturing space to deepen your relationship with story, honor your unique perspective and engage with fellow story enthusiasts. With a maximum of ten participants, the retreat provides a cozy, lively, and intimate environment for all who love stories.

The magic of oral storytelling

This retreat is for anyone drawn to the magic of oral storytelling. Whether you wish to captivate an audience, share tales with friends, or simply explore your creative side, you'll find a welcoming space here. Perfect for both those who already have stories to tell and grow and those who are seeking inspiration or to find stories.

Nia is a great storyteller with a wealth of creative exercises for those looking to develop their storytelling skills. They bring great depth to the stories they tell, and I love their approach to exploring stories that engage not just the intellect, but the heart and soul as well. - Evelyn

At the Storytelling Retreat in France, we embrace storytelling as a living and embodied art form. Our approach is to let stories grow naturally, allowing them to reveal their true essence. Through this journey, you'll connect with your creative subconscious and learn to tell stories in a way that is uniquely yours.

The Storytelling Retreat will help you:

• Find & Celebrate Your Authentic Voice: Discover the power of your own storytelling style, embracing vulnerability, truth, and the fullness of who you are. Rather than ‘improving’, you’ll uncover the expressive qualities that are already within you.
• Befriend Your Story: Discover how to listen with curiosity and trust, letting your story guide you rather than directing it.
• Engage the Whole Self: Storytelling is more than words; it's about using your body, voice, and expressions to bring tales to life.
• Embrace Playfulness: Dive into a world of creativity and imagination, seeing stories through fresh eyes and new perspectives.
• Explore Practical Tools: Through guided exercises and embodied practices, you’ll gain concrete tools to shape, expand, and refine your storytelling craft in alignment with your authentic voice.
• Develop Your Relationship With Story: Explore what story means to you, how it shapes your world, your identity, and the unique gifts you bring into the world.

Through tailored sessions and insightful guidance, you'll gain a deeper understanding of your strengths and your opportunities for growth. By the end of the retreat, you’ll walk away with insight into your unique talents, well-defined priorities, and practical tools to continue honing your storytelling craft after the Storytelling Retreat concludes.

Language

The working language of the retreat will be English. This allows us to come together as a group and ensures that everyone can participate in shared exercises and discussions. That said, we warmly encourage you to explore and work with stories in your native language during individual exercises or personal reflection. For group activities, however, a certain level of fluency in English is necessary to collaborate and communicate effectively. 

If you need support in Dutch or French, Nia and Yoyo are fluent and will be happy to assist you in your own language when needed.

Book early – limited spots available

Simply Canvas Farm consciously offers an intimate setting to ensure a personal atmosphere. Therefore, the number of spots is limited. Don’t wait too long and secure this unique opportunity to experience storytelling in depth.

Watch the movie below for the storytelling retreat of 2025 including a story of Nia.

Our storytelling retreat is designed to follow each participant’s journey, adapting to the needs and inspirations that arise. Each day offers a blend of structured sessions and flexible exploration, ensuring a personalised experience.

Tuesday May 12

Arrival and evening introduction to story

Wednesday to Saturday (general programme, will vary a little per day)

• 8:00 Morning movement
• 8:45 Breakfast
• 9:30 Check-in
• 10:00 Storytelling workshop
• 12:30 Lunch & free time
• 14:00 Storytelling workshop
• 15:30 Free time to play with your story + individual coaching sessions 
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:15 Evening programme with storytelling (Saturday evening free)

Friday evening is an evening off. On Saturday, our last evening, we’ll close with a ceremony.

Sunday 17 May

We say our goodbyes and depart after breakfast. 

Daily Themes

• Day 1: Introduction to story
• Day 2: Planting & growing story seeds
• Day 3: Storyboarding & working with an existing story
• Day 4: Word play and mapping stories
• Day 5: Exploring the telling of stories

This structure is an overview of what participants can expect, though we may adjust the program to allow for the organic flow of the retreat.

About Nia

Nia Mercken is a storyteller, storytelling coach, theater maker, and collage artist based in Amsterdam and Groningen, the Netherlands.

Known for their ability to draw listeners into captivating worlds, Nia crafts stories with empathy, detail, and rhythm that resonate and linger, often leaving audiences with more questions than answers.

As a storytelling coach, Nia is celebrated for their intuitive teaching style, adapting to the needs of participants and meeting them where they are in their storytelling journey. A trained Trauma Informed professional, Nia creates a safe and nurturing space for creativity to flourish. Their workshops balance excitement, fun, and relaxation, encouraging exploration beyond intellect to engage the soul. With a focus on authenticity and personal growth, Nia empowers storytellers to discover and develop their unique voices.

Nia is the founder of the Pillow Society, an English-speaking storytelling community with monthly storytelling evenings in Grand Theatre in Groningen, and of The Tellers’ Playground in Amsterdam, a storytelling space where people gather, grow and question stories. 

Nia’s workshops feel like a cozy embrace. I discovered stories within myself that I had no idea existed. Nia creates a safe and nurturing space for everyone, using tools that spark our imaginations like children at play. I could talk about their workshops for hours, but nothing compares to experiencing them yourself. I wholeheartedly recommend them! - Özge

About Yoyo

Yoyo Listens is a British storyteller, painter and poet with a background in inclusive design and trained in authentic relating, Yoga Therapy and Narrative Therapy. Invited by Nia to co-facilitate the retreat, Yoyo will guide participants in embodying their stories through movement, curiosity, and listening - essential elements of storytelling. 

Yoyo is well practiced in listening deeply and intuitively to what matters to each of us. They have spent their lifetime stepping outside the norm - by choice or by chance - and bring both personal and professional experience to inspire authentic expression. By fostering curious conversations - with people, the body, a place or a symbol - they invite us to welcome ourselves and open up new perspectives. Yoyo creates spaces guided by the most loving thing to do, and are known for their ability to welcome, celebrate and empower change. Their stories, paintings and poetry celebrate the richness of difference and offer an embrace to all the ways we are human.

With most people I just talk about what happened, but when Yoyo listens I find out about myself and the happening. - Tina

Included is

Your stay, 3 meals per day, coffee/tea, snacks, all exercises and meditations, bed linen, and towels (just bring your own towel for the pool).

Practical Information

­• Date: 12-17 May 2026 (arrival 12 May in the afternoon, departure 17 May after breakfast)

Tiny house:

• €1090 for the tiny house to yourself (double bed)
• €895 for the tiny house shared with a friend / your partner (double bed)

Houses (two bedrooms, living room, one shared bathroom)

There are three houses available. Each house features two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a toilet. You will share an entire house with one or two other participants. Alternatively, you can rent an entire house exclusively with your partner. (To do this, book two single rooms and mention in the comments that you are attending with your partner or friend.)

This arrangement ensures both comfort and flexibility, allowing for shared or private accommodation tailored to your needs.

• €1090,- for a single room to yourself 
• €895,- for a shared twin room

Or, bring your own tent/camper:

• €835

Luxury safari tents:

It might still be fresh in May, but if you want you can stay in a safari tent and we do have electric blankets and hot water bottles, so you will be nice and toasty at night.

• €995,- for a spacious safari tent to yourself
• €895,- for a shared safari tent (two single beds)

­• Address: Simply Canvas Farm, 748 Chemin du Charrier, Lieu dit Bonac, 47120 Saint Jean de Duras (vlakbij Bergerac).

Let’s walk together and bring stories to life!