What are affinity spaces?
Affinity spaces have been appearing and evolving at the Buddhafield Festival for many years. Initially, they comprised the Men’s and Women’s spaces. We’ve since added the BAPOC and LGBTQIA+ spaces.
They are spaces where people can camp, attend check-ins and particular workshops, sit around a fire and generally find support and a place to express themselves in ways they might not otherwise feel able to at the wider event.
Read on for more explanation of how the 2025 spaces will manifest at this year's event, and scroll to the bottom for a couple of FAQs on the affinity spaces.
The 2025 Buddhafield Festival Affinity Spaces
Black, Asian, People of Colour (BAPOC) sanctuary
We invite all beings who identify as Afrikan, Asian & dual heritage, black, brown, beige-bodied, and those who do not identify as white to our BAPOC Sanctuary. We would love for you to come and camp with us or visit us and help us grow a multifaceted, multicultural community where our beautiful Black, Brown, and Beige bodies can interweave, intermingle, and interconnect. Let’s come together & celebrate our similarities & our differences. Come, dance, sing, play, drum, meditate, explore our histories, share our stories, praise our ancestors, and bring all of your Joys and Sorrows. All genders and sexualities are welcome to our intentional haven. Bring your uniqueness, magic, voice, beauty, vibrancy & energy.
Meet our Team/Sangha/Community - Keith, Vibha, Jayasuri, Vimalasara, Noel, Elroy, Bav, Shakyasiddhi. Check out our jam-packed program filled with workshops including: Drum Circle, Shadow Boxing, Reflexology, Indian Head and Thai Massage, Dance Meditation, 8-Step Recovery meeting and much more. YOGA & MEDITATION EVERY MORNING. DRUM & MUSIC JAM EVERY NIGHT AROUND THE FIRE.SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY & MORE…
Queer Space
Our Queer Dome crew have been offering a space for gender non-conforming beings and the whole range of LGBTIQA+ people at Buddhafield for several years. This year we are pleased to offer our expanded Queer Village where we welcome all those who feel comfortable to camp alongside us, whatever gender or sexuality, or to visit and join our activities. These will include a wild range of queer themed workshops, some of which will explore movement, touch and consent as well as light fireside chats in the evenings; an all day tea and empathy tent for deeper connections as well as confidential heart sharing circles every morning. At the end of the day, we aim to be a deeply welcoming space for all curious beings, from those who might just need a hug to those who fancy a laugh in a very safe space.
Women’s
A well-held, inclusive, nurturing space where all who identify as women can come and share positive connection with others and feel part of a larger community. Our space is founded on the core values of kindness, respect, integrity, equity, and love. We offer camping for those who identify as women and have space for meditation, yoga and workshops.
This year’s workshop programme has many wonderful, heartfelt offerings. Here is just a taste! Emily Stewart with Menstrual Wellbeing for Everyone, Brydie Rowan teaching Body Medicine for Play, Power, Purpose and Peace, Florence Seck with Nutrition for the Nervous System and Ruth Harvey guiding us in Finding Personal Plant Allies.
There will also be daily meditation, yoga and chi gung sessions, women’s recovery space meetings in collaboration with the recovery space team and much joy, laughter, sharing and cups of tea!
Please come and join us, either to camp or just drop in. Check the main board for our daily programme or pick up a full women’s space festival programme at the women’s space dome.
Men’s
In the men’s space all of you will be welcomed- you will find community, vulnerability, friendship and holding. There is space for you to camp, sit around the fire, connect and drink tea. Bring your food to eat together at 6 pm daily.
We long to be held, witnessed and heard by other men. Many of us have feared other men. We share what’s in our hearts (sharing circle 9am daily) and have many well held workshops.
FAQs
My group is not included/ I don’t think we should have spaces like this/ I feel otherwise difficult about this…
We support groups that have asked for space where we have the resources and team members with energy to grow and manage them. We recognise that not every marginalised group is covered, that each space can’t hope to fully represent everyone who might belong to their community and that not everyone finds a home in one of the spaces. Indeed, some people find themselves conflicted over the existence of such spaces. It’s a complex area.
In the world we aspire to, it might be that everyone can find a feeling of home and a place to practice and connect at the Buddhafield Festival without needing to know they will definitely meet people who support a particular aspect of their identity. We also accept that we don’t currently live in this world, and some folks might not come to Buddhafield without the stepping stone of this support. The affinity spaces are our approach to listening to those people.
We continue the conversation within the teams and the festival audience. There are plenty of experiences to be had at the festival. If the affinity spaces are not for you, that’s ok, and you are also welcome.
Are the gendered affinity spaces inclusive?
The affinity spaces offer camping and community for various groups that have expressed a need and desire to explore a particular expression of themselves. The men’s and women’s spaces are inclusive of everyone who identifies with those terms and feels they will benefit from and positively contribute to the offerings in those areas. We trust people to self-select on that basis. This aligns with current guidance and reflects our commitment to diversity, inclusion, compassion, and kindness.