The Camphill International Youth Conference has a well-established history spanning back to the 1970s. Over the years, these conferences have fostered lasting friendships and a strong sense of connection between individuals and communities across the globe. This important annual event continues to strengthen the network of people surrounding the Camphill Movement and inspires a new generation to engage with its values and shape its future.
Loch Arthur Camphill Community in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, hosted this year’s conference at the end of June, which carried the theme ‘The Fabric of Community: Weaving a life of many colours’ – chosen to highlight the ways in which lives are interwoven both within community and with the wider communities that surround us.
The event attracted 67 young people from across the UK, Europe, and the United States who shared inspirations and aspirations for community life now and in the future. Despite the Scottish drizzle, spirits were high as everyone came together in Loch Arthur’s Cresset Hall to open the weekend. A candle, gifted by Mourne Grange, last year’s conference host, was lit in a simple yet powerful gesture, connecting this gathering to a much larger tradition.
The first evening began with lively ‘ice-breakers’ and a round of ‘human bingo’, setting a joyful tone and helping participants to connect. After supper, the energy settled into quiet reflection during a ‘world café’ session, where everyone moved between groups to discuss meaningful questions. These conversations invited people to share openly about themselves, their communities, and their hopes for the future.
Saturday began with Shintaido, a modern Japanese movement art that blends traditional martial arts with artistic expression, followed by group singing. The rest of the morning was spent outdoors in Loch Arthur’s vegetable garden, where participants worked side by side on a variety of hands-on projects: building a biodynamic preparation area, creating a willow ‘nest’ for a bench, wood chipping paths, and clearing weeds and stones. Despite the damp weather, the garden was alive with happy faces and after a well-earned lunch, everyone broke off into their conversation groups, with themes focusing on community, four-foldness, karma, biodynamics, and an exploration of the Loch Arthur Voices group.
Later, the energy shifted into a creative mode as the first round of workshops took place, offering everything from storytelling and weaving to circus skills, non-violent communication, nature connection, and the power of play. The day ended on a high note when the fantastic catering team served a home-made pizza supper, followed by a summer ceilidh in the community’s dairy barn where everyone enjoyed a very energetic evening of dancing with the community and their family and friends.
On Sunday, many participants rose early, despite the late night, and gathered once again on the lawn for morning Shintaido and singing beneath the trees. The attendees were then given a short introduction to Loch Arthur’s Sunday morning gathering by one of the community’s founding members, who provided some background to the evolution of the community’s unique approach to a Sunday service. This also gave a sense of the history of the community’s 40 years and how it has changed. Everyone then gathered in the barn with the rest of the community and were led by a co-worker in thoughtful contemplation on the mood of St John, accompanied by poetry and music by Loch Arthur’s own folk band. By the end of the gathering, the sun appeared, and the rest of the morning was filled with swimming in the loch, bathing in the sun and enjoying one another’s company.
Later, workshops and conversation groups continued, delving further into the weekend’s themes. In the evening, there was space for participants to share ideas and involvement in movements with one another. There was a feeling of both strength and struggle alive in the Camphill of today. Stories were shared of communities facing the need for more co-workers and the changes which threaten the sense of togetherness, alongside inspiring accounts from those who are working on projects directly aiming to keep the Camphill flame alive and burning bright.
The final day arrived with a quiet sense of reflection. After a final Shintaido practice, and some heartfelt singing, the group gathered one last time. Each workshop group shared insights, discoveries, and even performances, giving a sense of the creativity that had flourished throughout the weekend. Participants then moved out into their conversation groups for the last time, to share what they were taking away and back to their communities.
As the conference came to a close, participants we were given the opportunity to express themselves on ribbons of fabric. Drawing back to the theme of ‘weaving the fabric of community’, they wove their thoughts, feelings and gratitudes from their time together into a huge loom.
Lila Kelly, Loch Arthur Camphill Community co-worker and one of this year’s organisers, shares her experience of the conference:
“Personally, I felt so glad to have been able to help host and participate in the conference. It showed me not only the power of people with a shared ideal coming together to make something special, but the power also of our community, and the wider group holding the conference’s impulse, to bring it into being. Watching how things came together over the months and weeks and days before the conference, how smoothly things ran, and the efficient way in which things were taken down afterwards and tidied away, I was impressed yet again at the astonishing ways in which we can work together. Organising a conference is no easy task, but when everybody does their bit, the result is a seamless and beautiful experience. We wove the fabric of the conference, like the fabric of our lives, into a tapestry of many, many colours, and our connections feel all the stronger for it.”
The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland is proud to support this important annual event, and this year, provided financial assistance with a grant of £3,000 to help with costs.
The 2026 International Youth Conference is being hosted by The Mount Camphill Community from 28th – 31st May and tickets will go on sale in the coming months.
