FRANCE ‘23
Stone Soup - Experience Design Camp
13-17 September 2023
Chateau de Gressoux, France
Leave your work, bring your curiosity
Designed to inspire and move, Stone Soup provides a space to experiment and invites participants to share wisdom through workshops, co-design extraordinary experiences, evolve one’s craft, and explore curiosities.
After California (’18), Poland (’18), The Netherlands (’19, ‘20, ’21), Australia (’22) and Germany (‘22), this special Experience Design Camp lands in France! Help building the first France Stone Soup by joining 5 days of workshops and experiences at Chateau de Gressoux!
Growing Community
Become part of a growing community of passionate makers, doers and dreamers. Since the first Stone Soup in 2018 we’ve had artists, woodworkers, physicists, designers of all kinds, entrepreneurs, chefs, parents, architects, actors, directors, event organizers, storytellers and many more professions and life-paths join the Stone Soup community.
Each Soup brings together its own inspiring and varied cohort of passionate participants, the ingredients. By cultivating a diverse blend of fresh ingredients (new soupers) and seasoned components (alumni), we ensure that the soup maintains its freshness and cohesive flavour.
our Playground
This Stone Soup will be held in a rugged farm in the middle of a protected nature reserve. The “horseshoe“ shape of the Chateau offers a great ambiance and spaces to gather, create, and play. There are various objects, furniture and costumes that are available for use in prototypes and experiences. 🤩
The location is a 25 minute drive from Vesoul, which is easily accessible by train from Paris (3.5 hours) and Basel (3 hours).
During the weekend, we’re all part of the community. We have a few expectations we would like to share with you. So you know what to expect.
Please read them carefully!
Receive guidance along the way
In August participants will be assigned to a group with whom you will co-create a magical dinner experience. In this group of participants, there will be one “hot stone” who is a Stone Soup alumni who can offer help along the way. This group will help you get introduced to other participants, prepare, and set intentions for the camp. In the month after the Soup, we’ll gather again - virtually - to decompress, reflect and collect feedback.
Bed or tent
The Chateau counts 18 beds spread over 6 shared bedrooms (2, 3 or 4 bed per room). It also offers a spacious garden, providing a great campsite.
Ticket prices
Stone Soup is not a business, it’s a community of experience designers. No one gets a profit and all left-over money will be refunded. Limited scholarships are available to those who need financial assistance. Ticket price takes care of accommodation, meals, materials and a small donation to the scholarship fund.
There are three types of tickets:
Bed €365,-
Camping €265,-
Camping Scholarship €132,5
FAQ
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If you feel a calling for it, that is a good sign! Have a look to the Stone Soup Principles and Stone Soup Expectations. Do these constraints feel inspiring rather than limiting? Do you have the openness in your life right now to let new things in? Then Stone Soup is for you!
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At Stone Soup there’s no us and them, there is no distinction between organizer and participant, between creator and audience. We collectively contribute to each other’s learning experience. Workshops, experiences, and spontaneous adventures are all initiated by the participants themselves for one big exchange of skills, stories, and explorations. Come with something you’ve prepared or co-create spontaneously, don’t be afraid to show your talent and contribute in any way you like. What are you curious to explore and learn? What are you excited to share?
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There is no pre-prepared program at Stone Soup. There is an overarching structure of the gathering created by sharing all meals together, and by having a collective Opening and Closing Ceremony. Within that frame, the activities, experiences, and workshops are co-created by us, the participants.
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After participants are known, we will figure that out together. But to give you an idea already, people will carpool together or go by public transport and get pick up by the closed train station.
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Applicants for Stone Soup France '23 will be selected based on a combination of open applications and invitations.
We always make sure there are some spots reserved for people who have never attended a Stone Soup before, to keep our community open and evolving.
If more applications are received than available application spots, priority will be given to those who will be able to attend all days of the camp. If there are still more applicants than spots, a lottery will be conducted. -
We interpret experience design in the broadest terms as the act of intentionally creating an experience for other people. We design experiences of all kinds of genres, such as immersive dinners, rituals, guided walks, outdoor games, and participatory theater. But there are hardly any limits to the kind of moment or interaction we consider worthy of design - we’ve designed everything from an afterlife meditation to a castle basement rave, from a tasting competition to a cloud watching workshop. Experiences can be for an audience of 1 or for a large group, they can be scripted or improvised, can be involve tools & technology or just the senses. In line with our principles, we tend towards participatory & co-created experiences.
At Stone Soup a mix of professionals, hobbyists & enthusiasts come together, united by the intention to design and participate in a wide range of experiences. Together we play, explore and test ideas and reflect. We believe that everyone can be an experience-designer and so we embrace to have a colorful and diverse mix of people participating. -
The application window opens on Friday, 21st July at 12pm CEST and ends when the clock strikes midnight on Monday, 31st July.
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Our cancellation policy is that we always aim to return your money in full, but that it depends on the expenses we’ve already made and whether or not we find a replacement for your spot.
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We believe that everyone can be an experience-designer and so we aim to have a colorful and diverse mix of people participating.
Stone Soup is not a conference or industry event and therefore there are no specific qualifications required in order to participate. The mindset and intentions you express in your application form will be what determines if you are a fit! Any background you have can be a valuable asset to co-creating meaningful and memorable experiences. -
No, everyone is welcome to apply.
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Yes, Stone Soup is not a business, it’s a community of experience designers. No one receives a monetary profit and all left-over money is offered to be refunded. Costs take care of the venue, groceries, creative supplies, venue insurance, miscellaneous, and scholarships. Transport is not included.
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Yes, we are fully mindful of food allergies, and the catering for the event at Stone Soup will be adapted accordingly.
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Yes you can.
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Absolutely! If you have any questions about the camp, reach out to us at stonesoupzoom@gmail.com
From previous Stone Soups
Next to growth and explorations within the domain of experience design Stone Soup’s camps have over the years proved to also be places that stimulate personal development, experiment with inclusive self-organization, promote inclusive group culture, and propagate play. To give you a sense of what it’s like, here’s a Poland '18 summary by Piotr Migdal and a Netherlands '19 summary by Alexander Gierholz.
TESTIMONIALS
What other say about Stone Soup
““Imagine a retreat with no agenda— where the programming is brought in parcels by the other attendees to create a flexible, organic weekend with design thinking workshops & chakra balancing meditations on equal footing.” ”
““A wonderful mixture between a friend-group weekend, and an international conference.” ”
““It’s amazing how little you need to create something beautiful with enormous impact.””
““If people sign up for some random, bottom-up improvised event, for its intrinsic value, well, then it is exactly the self-selected crowd I am looking for.” ”
““The prep work beforehand seemed intimidating […]. It turned out to not really be an issue since so much of it could be improvised once there. It’s a great environment to test out ideas and arrive with half-finished projects.” ”
““Of course all the experiences and workshops we did are standing out in my memory because they were amazing, but I also really appreciated the small and meaningful conversations I had with some people.” ”
We’re here to answer your questions
If you have any questions about the camp, reach out to us at stonesoupzoom@gmail.com