Frame Drum Retreat
Craft Your Drum. Remember Your Rhythm.
A five-day retreat for those longing to return to rhythm. Explore creativity, communal music-making, voice, ceremony and your relationship with the living rhythms of body, land and expression
Humans are made for rhythm.
There’s something deeply familiar about sitting, singing with others, feeling sound move through your body.
Yet modern life rarely gives space for that kind of experience and participation.
When life is constantly oriented to urgency, isolation and consumption, creativity becomes something we watch instead of something we live inside.
This retreat offers another way.
A chance to spend five days on the land making, drumming, singing, learning and gathering in a way that feels grounded, relational and fully human.
For the People who…
want to reconnect with creativity through making with their hands
are drawn to grounded, relational and psychologically aware retreat spaces
long for slower days shaped by nature, music and shared experience
want to explore rhythm as relationship rather than performance
value depth, craftsmanship and skilled drum making
want to understand the materials and traditions behind frame drums
are ready to spend a few days immersed in creativity, community and the living world
Craft your drum.
Create a professional-quality frame drum by your own hand.
Learn the language of rhythm.
Explore drumming, voice and communal rhythm.
Return to embodied creativity.
Spend time making, singing and participating.
Gather in shared space.
Experience communal retreat life on the land.
Carry the rhythm home.
Leave with your drum and the confidence to use it.
This is not simply about making a drum.
It’s about spending five days immersed in creativity, communal music and retreat life in a way many women haven’t experienced for a very long time.
You’ll craft a professional-quality frame drum by hand alongside respected drum maker Jayatii Berry from Divine Heart Drums, learn the foundations of drumming and communal rhythm, gather around fires, share meals and explore what becomes possible when creativity is given enough space and time to unfold.
You’ll leave with a beautiful sounding instrument, practical skills and the confidence to continue working with music, rhythm and creative practice long after the retreat ends.
What people say…
I really value these retreats, I’m incredibly grateful for the space hollie creates. It is hard to shape a thank you that means enough. Big gratitude.
~ Elisa
Playing my drum is a daily practice. It has really been an awakening, like a calling which has allowed me to step into my power and connect with something much greater.
~ Elizabeth
Jayatii offers such a unique and beautiful opportunity to make your own drum. My husband and I had a wonderful 3 days crafting, designing and producing our own frame drums.
Jayatii supported us throughout the whole process and nourished us with yummy food over the workshop. We are both so glad to have done this workshop and completely recommend it.”
~ Rachel
Jayatii makes one of the best and finest drums that I have used over the years. I can personally say that just holding the drum alone sent wonderful energy through my body. I can feel the love, attention and care put in every inch of the drum.
Highly recommend Divine Heart drums and Jayatii Berry for her excellent skill and spirit-hearted approach to drum-making.
~ Kuna
Frame Drum Retreat
What We’ll Do Together...
Drum Construction
Learn the full process of building and finishing your own frame drum using handcrafted timber frames and ethically sourced hide.
Horses & Land Connection
Spend time alongside our herd through grounded, choice-led experiences woven naturally into retreat life.
Rhythm & Voice
Work with pulse, repetition, drumming and song through communal rhythm practices woven across the retreat.
Fire & Evening Gatherings
Share meals, stories, music and campfire evenings beneath the night sky at The Wilde.
Land & Immersion
Spend five days living closely with land, creativity and communal retreat life through slower rhythms of making and participation.
Drum Care & Playing
Learn how to tune, care for and continue working with your drum once you return home.
Women’s Retreat : November 5-9th, 2026
or
All Genders Retreat : 12-16th, 2026
2pm start Thursday | 3pm end Monday
$1390 for 5 days | $990 early bird if booked before August 1st
Max 10 participants | kept small for intimacy and safety
Location: The Wilde, near Braidwood NSW (90 mins Canberra, 60 mins Batemans Bay, 3 hrs Sydney)
Camping accomodation | Optional Upgrades
This Is Perfect for You If…
You feel drawn to rhythm → Live inside shared drumming, voice and song.
You miss making things with your hands → Craft your own frame drum.
You long for slower ways of living → Spend five days immersed in land and rhythm.
You want creativity without performance → Explore rhythm through participation.
You crave meaningful connection → Gather around fire, music and shared meals.
You want something lasting → Carry rhythm home.
Profound Work, Even If…
You’ve never touched a drum before → You’re guided through every step.
You don’t think of yourself as musical → Rhythm begins with participation, not performance.
You feel disconnected from creativity → Making returns to daily life.
You feel unsure in group spaces → The retreat is grounded, invitational and well held.
You’ve spent years caring for everyone else → These five days are shaped around your own experience.
You’ve forgotten what it feels like to slow down → Life on the land moves to a different rhythm.
You feel nervous about doing something creative → You’re supported to move at your pace.
This retreat is co-facilitated in the essence of collaboration and shared wisdom - together, we offer a container that is creative, relational and held.
Meet your facilitators
hollie wildëthorn
psychotherapist and ritualist
A trauma-focused psychotherapist with transpersonal training, deeply skilled in clinical and group work. hollie’s work weaves psychotherapy, ritual, land-based practice and women’s mysteries into spaces that are steady, ethical and profoundly human; supporting women to meet their lives with clarity, safety and depth.
Jayatii Aynsley-Berry
drum maker and death doula
Working through healing, craft and energetic practice, carrying a path shaped by devotion, lineage and long relationship with depth work. Jayatti’s presence is grounded and steady, supporting people to recognise their own gifts and bring them into form through embodiment, ritual and carefully made sacred tools.
What will stay with you after the Retreat?
Say goodbye to…
❌ Creativity squeezed into the gaps between responsibilities.
❌ Feeling disconnected from your own voice, rhythm and creative instincts.
❌ Watching other people participate while holding yourself back.
❌ Moving through life without spaces for music, making and communal gathering.
And instead…
✅ Carry home a professional-quality frame drum made with your own hands.
✅ Feel more confident with rhythm, voice and creative expression.
✅ Experience the steadiness of gathering through music, fire and shared participation.
✅ Leave with rhythms, songs and practices that continue long after the retreat ends
A NOTE ON SAFETY AND FIT
This retreat is held with strong attention to pacing, participation and psychological awareness.
Everything throughout the retreat is invitational. You will never be pressured to share personal experiences, perform emotionally or participate beyond your own sense of readiness.
If you’re unsure whether this retreat is the right fit for where you are currently, you’re warmly invited to contact hollie to talk it through together.
Ready to craft your own frame drum?
Step away from the pace of ordinary life and spend five immersive days making, drumming, singing and gathering on the land at The Wilde, near Braidwood.
Held by psychotherapist hollie wildëthorn and guided by professional drum maker Jayatii Berry, you’ll create a powerful sounding, professional-quality frame drum while learning rhythm through shared music, participation and communal retreat life.
You’ll leave with a handcrafted instrument, practical rhythm skills and the lived experience of creativity, music and slower ways of gathering.
Early Bird Pricing Ends August 1st
Early Bird Price : $990
Full Rate: $1390
Places are intentionally limited to maintain a small and deeply supported retreat environment.
Questions?
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You have the option to build a 13 sided drum or a round drum. We will be in touch to check which you prefer, as Jayatii will be hand-making these before she arrives.
We are expecting to be working with Goat Skins, but this will depend on availability closer to the time.
You can bring your own special stick for the handle of your drum, and/or beater if you like. Alternatively, you are invited to scope out your stick-bestie when you arrive at The Wilde.
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Yes, you’re welcome to bring your own hide or selected materials if you feel called to do so.
However, all hides will need to be assessed by Jayatii on arrival to ensure they are suitable for construction and capable of producing a strong, high-quality drum sound. Not every hide is appropriate for this style of drum making.
Please note that retreat pricing remains the same whether you use retreat-provided materials or bring your own.
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This style of traditional frame drum is made using animal hide rather than synthetic materials. Part of the philosophy of the retreat is working with natural materials and participating in the process of bringing something back into relationship, sound and use that might otherwise have been discarded.
The hides we work with are ethically sourced from animals already harvested within the food system. Nothing is killed specifically for drum making.
For many people, part of the process is developing a deeper relationship with where materials come from, how objects are made and what it means to create with respect, care and reciprocity.
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No. There will be moments for gentle reflection and optional sharing about your present experience, but you will never be asked to tell painful or traumatic stories. This boundary is intentional; to keep the group safe and supportive. Healing unfolds in many ways, and in this retreat, it happens through creative process, connection, and ritual, without the need to re-tell your past.
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We are holding two individual Retreats in 2026.
November 5-9 is strictly a Women’s event. Babes in arms are not excluded with mamas, and please note this is practical hands-on experiential retreat.
November 12-16 is an All Genders Retreat. Individuals and couples of any gender are invited to attend.
If you feel vulnerable about attending, you’re welcome to book a free 15-minute call with hollie to explore whether this space is right for you.
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We limit the group to a maximum of 10 participants plus staff.
Small groups ensure intimacy, safety, and depth.
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No. You’ll be guided step-by-step through the full process, whether you’ve worked with your hands before or not.
What makes this retreat different is that the process and the craftsmanship matter equally. Alongside the deeper creative and communal experience, you are also learning from respected drum maker Jayatii, whose drums are known for their quality, sound and construction.
This isn’t simply about “doing the process” of making a drum.
It’s about leaving with a professional-quality instrument that feels good in your hands, sounds powerful when played and is built to continue travelling with you long after the retreat ends.
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Yes. The group is intentionally small, trauma-informed and invitational.
You choose how much to participate and you’ll never be pushed to share more than feels safe.
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This space is different.
Safety, choice, and respect are central. Clear boundaries and trauma-informed care mean you’ll never be asked to perform and you’re always supported to go at your own pace.
If you prefer women’s spaces, we are offering two different Retreats; one for women only, and one for all genders.
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Scholarships and volunteer places may be available.
Check. it out here : instituteforselfcrafting.com/retreats
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Yes.
Sygfa the teen wolfhound, will be present.
Horses and other farm animals will be in the space, but interaction is optional.
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The retreat is held outdoors on forested land, with nature-based crafts and camping as part of the experience.
Terrain is uneven and facilities are simple. If you have physical accessibility needs, please reach out before booking so we can explore options together.
More of What People Say…
Thanks for a great drum circle Jayatii. I wasn't sure what to expect, but loved what you created.
I journeyed deeply with each practice, and it was held and guided in a way that felt attuned to and gave space for the subtle energetics of the experience.
Loved it! And experienced a very clear shift in my state and being. I left feeling clear, connected, light and grounded. Love to come again when you hold another circle.
~ Belinda
The retreat was so nourishing. It felt so restorative to get away on land and slow down into the more natural timing and rhythm, connecting with other women, animals, drink & swim and hear the sounds of fresh water, participate in the craft and healing processes, eat well, rest. I will definitely recommend to others and be back.
~ Lisa
I honestly was expecting to feel a bit ""woo"" with the nature-earth based side of this, as this is not something I have participated in (physically or psychologically) in a very long time. So it took me back to those roots but without feeling or being too ""woohey"" and abstract.
~ Amber