Clos de Gaye
Extraordinary experiences where the world comes together for impact
Welcome to Clos de Gaye, a unique and special place in the far southwest of France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, close to the border of Spain and the stunning Basque coast.
Clos de Gaye (pronounced ‘guy’) means ‘Place of Happiness’ and it is at once a private home, a residential retreat, a creative and artistic workspace, organic farm, community kitchen, restaurant and tea house, and a convening ground for global leaders, artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and all those charged with the care and governance of our planet. Think of it as the meeting point between the Bloomsbury set’s Charleston and Camp David. It is a place to stay, to play, to share and to transform our world.
The spirit of Clos de Gaye is one of contribution, generosity and accountability. Those that have a seat of the table have arrived there through hard work and a genuine desire to be of service to the world. Time spent here is for you to reflect on what has been achieved so far and to be a springboard into future leadership and the continued desire to be a force for good in the world.
Deep in the heart of the French countryside, embedded in the ‘old world’ rises a new way of thinking about the future. The best of European heritage, beauty and aesthetic, with interiors from all over the world, reflecting our founder’s upbringing in Asia, and bringing energy, dynamism and a sense of inclusion of the new world.
An opportunity to reclaim the very best of European culture and values, with a renewed way of thinking about its relationship with the rest of the world, restoring humanity to everyone.
Healing for Humanity
Summer Camp 2025
10th to 13th July
24th to 27th July
7th to 10th August
A call to action for everyone to come together with people from all over the world, taking part in life-changing workshops, performances, discussions and dining under the stars, to restore our shared humanity
Summer Camp can be enjoyed in many ways:
As a residential visitor staying on the Clos de Gaye estate
As a local visitor joining us every day for 4 days of workshops, performances, discussions, amazing food and even better views
For half-day or full-day workshops for you and your children
Evening concerts and events
Amazing food and wine experiences
All of our activities are conducted in both French and English, with people from all over the world - and often many other languages spoken too! There’s something for everyone, with all budgets catered for.
Summer Camp Weekend
Come and join us for the full summer camp experience, and take advantage of 4 days of inspirational talks, workshops, performances, amazing food and even better views for all the family!
Each weekend has a different theme with programmes for both adults and children running alongside each other and, sometimes, interlinked.
Check out the links below for the full schedule of each camp.
You’re invited!
Your One Wild and Precious Life
10th to 13th July
Surrender to Freedom and Joy
24th to 27th July
If I Ruled the World
7th to 10th August
Click on the links below for more information about our programme for adults, and here for more information about workshops for children and young people
Half-day or full-day workshops for adults
Not ready to commit for the whole weekend? Come and have a taster of one of our workshops, either half day with coffee and tea, or a whole day that includes a magnificent lunch in the courtyard of Clos de Gaye, in the company of others from around the world. We have a particular focus on workshops that support your personal and professional leadership development, alongside poetry, singing, dance and visual arts workshops to inspire and help you uncover the artist within!
Cross-cultural Communications: Mastering the Challenges of Life as a Global Citizen
Negotiation and Conflict Management Skills – Getting What You Need With Confidence and Respect
‘Poetry in the Potager’ - Lyrical Literature for Life’s Lessons
The Power of Our Story - Visualisation through Images and Words
‘Structure and Fluidity’ - a dance and movement workshop about feminine leadership
Children and Young People
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A whole day of music and song, dance and theatre, with prop making, scenery construction and a final performance for the parents too!
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Bringing alive Prokofiev’s classic tale, a whole day of music and performance, making your own instruments, scenery and a costume for the final performance. Which animal will you choose? Will it be the duck, the cat - or perhaps the wolf?
Join us for this fun and inspirational day out!
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Join Anna Lea Albright, amazing climate change scientist from Harvard University
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Enjoy an inspirational workshop exploring the work of a famous poet, before trying your own hand at poetry amongst the vegetable garden of Clos de Gaye. Be inspired by the natural world to unleash your own creativity and remember the life-giving link of literature and poetry to help us make sense of our crazy world.
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Enjoy a morning of coming up with your own story, illustrating and then binding it into a book to give to your friends! Encouraging all budding authors with a story to tell to unleash their inner writer and illustrator and share your ideas with the world :-)
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An introduction to our Global Explorers programme, and an opportunity to help children and young people learn English and global citizenship skills through literature, the arts and connection with nature.
Our Summer Camp programmes for teenagers and young people provide an opportunity for skills building and international friendships. Click on the links below to learn more.
English Apero
An opportunity to practise your English in a friendly and supportive environment, whilst enjoying the stunning scenery and the warm hospitality of the Clos de Gaye estate, with experienced, native English language speakers.
Concerts and Events
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Lantern-lit Concerts Under the Stars
Bringing world-class performers to Clos de Gaye for a magical evening under the stars.
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Campfire Sharings
Come and join our international visitors to sit around the campfire and make new friends. Bring a poem, song, or story to share and reach out in connection to learn something new!
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Speaker Series
Come and listen to talks and presentations from our international visitors, artists in residence and those with an interesting story to share.
Amazing Food, Incredible Views
When the show ends, what begins?
The International Festival for the Arts and Social Change seeks to showcase and promote artistic work that aims to uplift and inspire individuals and communities to build a better world.
All programming is based on the idea that each performance or piece of work should be designed around the central question: When the show ends, what begins?
We seek to explore the question of how theatre, music and the arts more broadly can inspire, provoke, debate, elevate and uplift individuals and communities to build a better world. We believe that when thought moves, action happens. We use the pillars of AWE, TRANSFORMATION and IMPACT as the guiding principles of our work and to make curatorial choices in the work we promote.
International Festival for the Arts and Social Change
Summer Camps for Youth
Transformational Retreats for Adults
Inspirational Performance Programme
Stunning views over the Pyrénées
Global Explorers Programme
We run a unique global leadership programme for young people from the ages of 5 - 18, each Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, on the Clos de Gaye estate. Based on the pioneering work of Harvard professor Fernando Reimers and his Global Citizens curriculum, we use participation in arts, culture, creativity and immersion in nature to help children and young people learn leadership, language skills, foster their emotional and social learning, and become good stewards of nature for the benefit of the world.
Taking advantage of the space available to us on the Clos de Gaye estate, Global Explorers is a wonderful way to learn English and other languages, by giving participants a natural way to be immersed in the language and use it in a real-world way. But Global Explorers is not just for non-native speakers, it’s a way to also learn the 21st century skills that are highly sought after by employers and to ensure that our children are equipped to cope with the threats of AI, climate change, conflict and geopolitical issues. It is a commitment to empower our children with the skills they will need to navigate a complex and uncertain future with confidence, vision and a firm belief that they can be agents for change in their lives, their communities, and the world.
Global Explorers is also a great choice for parents looking to supplement more traditional schooling methods with more creative, innovative pedagogies more commonly found in the private school system, to ensure their children get the best of both worlds at a fraction of the cost!
The language of instruction is mainly English, but we also incorporate facilitators with a background in Chinese, Spanish and Arabic, and other world languages, to ensure your children become confident, open-minded and culturally-aware multi-linguists to navigate a global future!
Leadership Retreats
Are you looking for a retreat to bring together your team to develop their leadership skills? Or perhaps you are keen to find a unique teambuilding opportunity for you and your teams? Or maybe you are a leader looking for the opportunity to write a book, learn something new, or come together in community with others to reflect on your journey so far and where you are going to next?
We offer half and full-day retreats, residential programmes and leadership development trainings, in partnership with The Centre for the Arts and Global Leadership.
Our space is also available to your organisation for your own learning and development opportunities.
Whether you are local or global, there is something for everyone at Clos de Gaye
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