“As my trip home is coming to an end, I reflect back on the storyteller retreat led by the amazing @ruthribeaucourt
Trying to narrow it all down to a few photos was way too hard.
I’m not one for words, but hopefully, I’ve retained a thing or two from all the amazing mentors we had during the week and my images will speak for themselves.
Thank you @yagobruna @leantimms @dkilfeather @harriet.olive @glasgow_diaz @alevidal and all the participants and amazing artists we encountered along the way.”
— Max Lemoine (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
“Huge thank you to all of the mentors and creatives who brought their passion, wisdom, generosity, hearts, and stories to this enchanting week in the Luberon ✨I am forever changed having known you all.”
— Kelsey Glennon (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
A week that accidentally became a fierce reminder that life is about connection and it’s about crossing paths with the people to make the stories with. Stories that involve endless laughter and licking chocolate mousse off your finger at 1am and endless dancing and long tables to sit at for hours as the candles burn and sharing the things that bring you joy and the things that terrify or confuse; stories that involve midnight swims under the stars of Provence and wedges of lettuce slathered in blue cheese; stories of very friendly fruit men and wildly wonderful women to dance on bar tops with.
It was a retreat on the art of storytelling in the south of France, and if that wasn’t already going to be a week to remember, it swiftly became far more. It became about the story of each of us — where we were from, who we’ve loved, where we are going — and then, somehow, it became about our story, a story of a group of wonderfully talented, warm, thoughtful and wild-in-the-best-way creatives coming together.
To the woman behind it all, @ruthribeaucourt, you are something else. Your energy, your giving of joy, your ability to create connection. I’d heard she was special, but getting to feel what that special meant, well, it was special.
To the woman I got to spend everyday with in kitchens around the villages of The Luberon that look like something out of the films, @glasgow_diaz, I’m in awe of you, your food yes, but really just you. Never letting you go. Probably moving to Ireland. Or running away to Marseille with you to sell tarts.
To the woman who continues to baffle, after five years of friendship, with her never-ending giving, with her ability to constantly fill the cups of others, her appetite for life and for dancing and for really really good wine. @leantimms, you are beyond.
And then there’s everyone else. Quality humans galore.
I don’t quite know where sharing moments of beauty, pleasure and joy fit in the world during times like this, it’s something I think about often, when there’s so much heartbreak and hurt and horrifying going on, but I do feel that reminders of human connection and kindness are something that can only soothe.
— Harriet Davidson (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
*Photo credit: Lean Timms
“Four years ago, I wrote the following to my dear friend Ruth @ruthribeaucourt creator of @faire.press :
“Several months after my return from your Forage Feast and Photography workshop, I can still close my eyes and feel the magic, smell the lavender, taste the delicious food, hear the laughter, get inspired by the creative energy, and be moved by all the amazing women from around the world you brought together. Those few days in Provence were truly memorable and will forever fill my heart through my creative journey. For all of it, I am truly grateful… I would come back in a heartbeat…”
And, to my great delight, not only did I go back, but I could rewrite much the same thing today, now that I am back home from the Storyteller Retreat Ruth hosted a few weeks ago.
I am aware that waiting that long to post about one’s experiences is an eternity, but I feel like taking my time to tell the story of that beautiful week I spent in Provence, and of the following days I spent in Florence and in Perugia to meet the three lovely ladies of @giudittabrozzetti for a very special project…
To be perfectly honest, it’s also the best way I’ve found to prolong the pleasure of that wonderful trip...
To be continued…”
— Marie Florence (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
“Postcard from Provence #1
The bastide is empty & quiet after the early morning bustle. Warm baguettes & tiny croissants & strong coffee for everyone. The days are flying by in a blur of busyness & Provençal beauty. I am here cooking for a week, for a group of international creatives, photographers, film makers, writers & artists; even writing that sentence startles me still.
The retreat is based around the art of storytelling & yesterday in the kitchen as Harriet & I whisked, chopped, stirred & tasted, we too shared the stories of our lives. Sometimes it is both beautiful & heartbreaking to hear your own, spoken out loud.
So, here I am, realizing my potential, finding my feet, playing with food & picking pomegranates from the tree for breakfast.
Thank you for asking me @ruthribeaucourt x @faire.press & thank you for being a brilliant ballast @harriet.olive
— Jeni Glasgow (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
*Photo credit: Lean Timms
“I held my breath and gazed out the car window as it came to a halt.
This is where we would begin our Storyteller Retreat hosted by the talented @ruthribeaucourt of @faire.press. I was ready to leap out of the car and onto the dewy fields of Terre Du Luberon, eager to touch, smell, and capture the essence of the land.
But, a good story can only begin with listening. A lesson that echoed louder in my mind during my stay in France. That has always been a challenge for me — my insides leaping to begin but amidst the serene beauty of Provence, I felt a gentle force pulling me back, reminding me about the art of listening.
Pierre Louis guided us through his family owned field (@terreduluberon84), clipping the blooms while sharing how he left Paris to stand before us, a flower farmer. I couldn’t help but reflect on the profound moment when he chose to transition. I pondered the question that remained unasked: Which felt like the safer choice - Paris or Provence? And how does one really know?
These stories are tucked in my heart. More to come from this storytelling retreat 🕊️
— Ale Vidal (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
*Photo credit: Lean Timms
“Hoy les traigo una historia desde el corazón: Denis Brihat. De muchas maneras este señor representa mis sueños y una vida que vale la pena vivir. Con todo el amor del mundo y directo de Bonnieux la primera historia de mi storyteller retreat en manos de la mujer más increíble que conocerán en el sur de Francia, my friend and "lover" @ruthribeaucourt
— Andres Espinosa (Storyteller Retreat 2023)
“a 5 day photography workshop in Provence 📸🌾🍷🍇🇫🇷
This week I attended a storytelling photography workshop/retreat with @ruthribeaucourt in beautiful Provence . The retreat really pushed to discover more about the thought processes behind why you’re taking a photo and what story you’re trying to tell.
With my travel photos I want to create more than just a beautiful photo, I want to delve into each location visually so you can feel that connection and the curiosity to know more.
So thankful for this workshop and all the teachers whom shared so much over the last few days”
— COURTNEY LEOPARD (Storyteller Retreat 2023)