Dr. Martin Shaw is an award winning writer, oral storyteller and mythologist. A wilderness rites of passage guide, Shaw spent four years living in a tent. He founded the Oral Tradition and Living Myth courses at Stanford University and is described by the Irish Times as an “interloper from the medieval”. An Eastern Orthodox Christian, Shaw has introduced thousands of people to myth and how it speaks to our age.

Dr. Sharon Blackie is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author, a former neuroscientist and a psychologist with a background in mythology and folklore. Her highly acclaimed books, lectures and teaching programs are focused on the mythic imagination, and the relevance of myth and folklore to the personal, spiritual, cultural and environmental issues we face today.

Anna is an established musician from Zimbabwe playing both the Mbira and Nyunga Nyunga instruments. Her career as a singer, dancer, musician and educator spans over three decades. Anna uses song and storytelling to share the oral stories of Zimbabwe which she learned from her Grandmother, Uncle and mentor Baba Simba. Prepare to be immersed into the vibrant people of Zimbabwe with songs that reflect a rich culture deeply embedded within the Shona culture of Zimbabwe, for ‘Music of our Ancestors’.

Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an Emmy- and Peabody-nominated filmmaker, Naqshbandi Sufi teacher, and founder and executive editor of Emergence Magazine. His films include Taste of the Land, The Last Ice Age, The Nightingale’s Song, Aloha Aina, Earthrise, and Elemental. He leads retreats world wide on Sufism and spiritual ecology and lives and teaches in Inverness, California.

Francesca Price is Executive Director of the Real Farming Trust and an expert in campaigns, communications, and events. At the festival, she will be hosting a panel on behalf of the Oxford Real Farming Conference (speakers TBC).With over 30 years of experience in broadcast and print media, she has worked with NGOs such as the Gaia Foundation, Beyond GM, and the Sustainable Food Trust.

Simmy Singh is a violinist and composer whose work flows across classical, electronic, jazz and folk traditions. With Indian, English and Welsh roots, and a passion for diversity and connection, Simmy brings a rich, emotive voice to her instrument. Deeply inspired by the natural world, she sees music as a bridge to help others reconnect with the earth and their inner landscapes. Whether performing with orchestras at the Royal Albert Hall or collaborating with electronic artists in intimate settings, her music invites deep listening and heartfelt response.

Nessie is Director of the Global Diversity Foundation. At the festival, she will be hosting a panel on behalf of the Global Diversity Foundation (speakers TBC). She lives on an organic farm in Wales, cares for a herd of cheeky Welsh Black cows and is a Spiritual Ecologist with a focus on agroecology, food sovereignty, health, and land connection within both the UK and abroad. She has worked in Indonesia, India, Japan and within Europe on local and Indigenous communities’ rights to land for growing food, as well as the preservation of traditional artistic and cultural practices. She has a degree in Archaeology and the Study of Religions with Hindi from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).