Majorca, Spain – 26-31 July 2026
with Arawana Hayashi, Vivian Gladwell, and Penny Williamson
Though I play at the edges of knowing, truly I know our part is not knowing, but looking, and touching, and loving
Mary Oliver
Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.
Agnes de Mille
Date and times:
July 26th to 31st, 2026
Times:
Arrival – Sunday afternoon July 26, 2026
The course begins Monday July 27, 2026 – 9:00 am
Ends on Friday, July 31st, 2026 – after lunch
Venue: Mallorca, Spain
In a world that often demands certainty, how can we embrace the unknown with openness, curiosity, and playfulness? How can we hold space for deep inquiry, creative exploration, and embodied wisdom?
“Celebrating Not Knowing” is a five-day immersive retreat that invites participants to explore personal, social, and systemic transformation through three unique but interconnected modalities: Social Presencing Theater (SPT), Clowning, and Courage & Renewal Practices.
We invite participants to consider how these practices might contribute to:
- The role of embodied awareness in leadership and community-building.
- How playfulness and improvisation can open new pathways for social innovation.
- The impact of deep listening and generous open questioning on discerning inner-wisdom, both individually as well as collectively.
The 3 Practices:
- Social Presencing Theater (SPT)
Social Presencing Theater is a series of movement-based practices that support individual embodied presence and heighten the capacity of a team or organization to see and sense itself as a living social system. Attending to non-verbal body postures, movements, and spatial relationships is a form of communication that often goes unnoticed in our highly verbal, concept-oriented society. Embodied presence enables trust in the space of possibility and supports a sense of connection, belonging, and collective agency.
- Nose to Nose Clowning
For us at Nose to Nose clowning is a state of playfulness that brings us to experience a naïve and vulnerable state of being. Our approach is not a technique (tricks, gags or routines) but a personal journey towards finding one’s own unique way of being a clown through our emotional authenticity.By reconnecting with what makes us most vulnerable and letting go of our control over things we open ourselves to rediscovering ourselves, others and the world.
For us, clowning offers a social playground for exploring our humanity.
- Courage & Renewal Approach
The Courage & Renewal Approach offers principles and practices to create supportive communities of reflection and belonging that help people move towards personal and societal wholeness, embracing the genuine within us and honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every being. In this trustworthy environment participants will have the chance to integrate what they discover through movement and presence. Reflective exploration weaves with humor and spontaneity, creating moments that resonate on a personal and communal level.
This retreat is a rare opportunity to engage with three internationally recognized facilitators—Arawana Hayashi, Vivian Gladwell, and Penny Williamson—each bringing a distinct yet complementary approach to accessing insight and resilience through embodied practice, deep listening, and clowning improvisation.
Curious about this course?
Would you like an opportunity to meet the course leaders and learn more? We are offering online ‘insight’ sessions which will give you the chance to do just that. A link will be provided soon or let us know by writing in enquiries and we will mail you.
FACILITATORS
Penny Williamson
Penny Williamson is an internationally recognized facilitator, educator, and coach for leaders in healthcare and other serving professions. She is a founding facilitator and mentor for the Center for Courage & Renewal and retired Associate Professor of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. From 1998-2016, Penny led Courage to Lead, an 18-month national leadership development program for leaders in healthcare and other serving professions, based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, and the Courage & Renewal approach. She has led workshops and retreats in the United States, Canada, the UK, Japan, Kenya, and Israel. Penny brings to her work an ecological worldview, and a belief in and attention to, the inner life. Above all she brings a belief in the power of love and capacity of individuals, groups and organizations to contribute to creating a better world.
In 2013-14, Penny studied advanced SPT with Arawana Hayashi, and has incorporated embodied practices into her Courage and Renewal retreats. From 2016-2023 Penny and Vivian collaborated in offering yearly Clowning and Courage retreats in the UK and online.
Arawana Hayashi 
Arawana’s pioneering work as a choreographer, performer and educator is deeply sourced in collaborative improvisation. She currently heads the creation of Social Presencing Theater (SPT) for the Presencing Institute. Working with Otto Scharmer and colleagues at the Presencing Institute, she brings her background in the arts, meditation and social justice to creating “social presencing” that makes visible both current reality and emerging future possibilities.
Her dance career ranges from directing an interracial street dance company formed by the Boston Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs in the aftermath of the 1968 murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, to being one of the foremost performers of Japanese Court Dance, bugaku, in the US. She has been Co-Director of the Dance Program at Naropa University, Boulder, CO; and founder-director of two contemporary dance companies in Cambridge. MA. She continues to perform in a multi-disciplinary performance ensemble, originating out of Naropa University and the ALIA Institute, where she currently teaches in leadership programs.
Arawana is an acharya (senior teacher) in Shambhala – a global network of meditation centers dedicated to applying mindfulness to “creating enlightened society.” She teaches both meditation and art based on bringing out the basic goodness of individuals, of relationships and of society.
Arawana is the author of the book Social Presencing Theater – The Art of Making a True Move.
Vivian Gladwell
Vivian is the founder and director of Nose to Nose and has given hundreds of workshops around the world. He lives both in the UK and France where he started clowning in 1978. He speaks French and English fluently.
Vivian began teaching in 1988 as part of the Lifeways Festival at Emerson College – UK. He trained as a facilitator with the Bataclown in 1990 and joined their team in 1991 also working as a modern day Court Jester (Clownanalyst).
He created Nose to Nose UK in 1990, Nose to Nose of North America in 2006 and Fool View, the Social Clowning group and has trained facilitators in the UK, the USA, Germany and Italy – view history.
He continues his role as ambassador for the work by researching the applications of clowning in the context of teacher training, medicine, conflict management, ecology and intercultural work in many countries (South Africa, USA, Senegal, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Norway…)
He holds clowning as a social playground for exploring our humanity.
PROGRAM DEVELOPER AND ORGANISER
Mery Miguez 
Mery is a performing artist, clown, life coach, Social Presencing Theater (SPT) practitioner, facilitator, meditation teacher, and changemaker. Her passion is facilitating transformative experiences both in person and online, combining all these wonderful methodologies.
A native of Argentina, Mery moved to New York City in 1997 to pursue her love of acting and theater. In 2014, she completed Advanced Social Presencing Theater studies under the auspices of MIT’s Presencing Institute with Arawana Hayashi and Otto Scharmer, and she is part of the first cohort of SPT teachers.
In 2007, she met her first clown teacher, Giovanni Fusetti, and fell in love with clowning. In 2017, she took “The Inner Teacher” program with Penny Williamson and Vivian Gladwell, becoming Vivian’s student ever since. In 2022, she completed the two-year facilitator’s training with Vivian and Nose to Nose. Mery has spent the last 20 years hosting workshops around the world. In 2025, she co-founded “The Heart of the Fool,” a platform to host online clown storytelling shows. Bringing Arawana, Penny, and Vivian together in one room is a dream come true.
Fee (Tuition only): €975 (EUROS)
Deposit (to reserve your place): €500 (EUROS)
Accommodation and Meals: €425 (EUROS)
Double or triple room plus Meals – 3 meals/day starting with supper on the day of arrival (July 26) and ending with lunch on the day of departure (July 31)
Date and times:
Arrival – Sunday afternoon July 26, 2026
The course begins Monday July 27, 2026 – 9:00 am
Ends on Friday, July 31st, 2026 – after lunch
Venue: Mallorca, Spain
Step 1 – Book this course
To book this course or enquire
PLEASE CLICK HERE
Step 2 – Accommodation and meals
See below for information
For further enquiries contact Mery Miguez at majorca-enquiries@nosetonose.info
Additional Information about the course
Q: What type of accommodation is provided during the retreat?
The accommodation is provided in a small and cosy retreat center that is purely dedicated to our course. Participants can choose between shared rooms of either 2 or 3 people per room.
Q: Is the cost of accommoda
tion and food included in the program fee?
No, the cost of accommodation and food is not included in the program fee. The cost of A&F for the whole program per person is €425. To be paid in cash upon arrival.
The cost of travel (airfare and taxi) are not included.
Q: What is the food provided?
The food is vegetarian, ecological, and local. It will be cooked for us with love.
Participants should inform Mery at majorca-enquiries@nosetonose.info of any specific dietary needs in advance.
Q: Do I need any prior experience?
Experience with one of the 3 practices is recommended. Although the program is designed to support both beginners and those with experience.
Q: What should I bring to the retreat?
Participants should bring comfortable clothing suitable for movement activities, a journal for reflections, a bottle for water, and an open mind ready to engage in the various embodiment exercises and activities. Also swim wear! All the rest is provided on site.
Q: How can I communicate my special needs to the organizers?
The Program is committed to providing an inclusive environment. Participants with special needs, including dietary, are encouraged to inform the organizers in advance by mailing Mery to majorca-enquiries@nosetonose.info to ensure that all necessary arrangements can be made.
Q: How can I get to the retreat center?
The retreat center is located 40 km from Palma de Mallorca airport. The taxi costs 55/60 Euros from/to the airport. There is a bus that costs 7 Euros and drops you at the bus stop 2.5 km away from the retreat center. We can organize a pickup from there.
Q: Are there any amenities available at the retreat center?
The retreat center offers a comfortable and serene environment in nature for participants to relax and fully engage in the program activities. Plus, there is a wonderful swimming pool.
Q: What is the payment schedule?
To book your place on the Program, you need to send a deposit of €500 (euros) to Nose to Nose (non-refundable less than 2 months before the start of the retreat).
The rest of the program fee can be paid in cash during the retreat or by bank transfer before May 30 2026.
The Venue
