Little Nights Big Weekend takes the ideas at the heart of our event series —trying something new without the pressure of having to do it well, and doing it in community—and expands it into multi-day retreats in different scenic locations outside New York City.
Unlike other retreats or residencies, you don’t have to be a writer or an artist to come along. You don’t need a portfolio or a writing sample. You don’t even need to have any experience writing or drawing. All you need is to want to spend a few days focused on your creative practice, and an interest in doing that work in a small community of 6-8 others.
Sound like fun? Learn more below, and join us for a few days of writing, drawing, and exercising all those creative muscles we rarely have time to fully activate in our daily lives.
Upcoming Retreats
Applications are currently closed for our Memorial Day Weekend retreat in Staatsburg, New York.
Learn more about past retreats, and join the mailing list for updates on new retreats and events around NYC.
What’s a typical retreat like?
Each day we’ll hold two 2-hour workshops, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. There will be writing and drawing prompts, craft exercises, lessons on different mediums and approaches, and ways to practice your observation.
Past exercises include automatic and ekphrastic writing, blind-contour drawings, and making both paper and fabric cyanotypes . (To get a feel for our teaching style, check out the photos below from past retreats, or see what Josh and Hannah have done in the past.)
In between workshops, there’s intentionally unstructured time for you to write, draw, read, rest, or privately explore your practice however you wish. There will also be optional evening activities, and vegan/vegetarian-friendly communal meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
After a few days of making, sharing, and discussing your process together, our hope is you’ll have made connections that’ll continue to support you long after the retreat is over.
The Hosts
Josh Krigman (he/him) is a writer, teacher, and facilitator in New York City.
He has taught creative writing at Hunter College, the United Nations International School, 826NYC, The Writer’s Rock, and for National Geographic’s Student Expeditions. Currently, he is a private writing coach and instructor for writers of all ages and levels of experience.
He is the founder of little nights, a pop-up series that collaborates with organizations around New York City to build events that make art-making more accessible to new audiences. He is also the co-founder and New York host of Club Motte, an international storytelling series that holds events in New York and Berlin.
Josh has been awarded residencies from Vermont Studio Center, and received his MFA in fiction from Hunter College. His plays have been developed and staged by The Abingdon Theatre and Psychopomp Productions, and his short fiction has appeared in The Summerset Review, Akashic Books, Necessary Fiction, and elsewhere.
Hannah Perrine Mode (she/they) is an artist, educator, and designer working at the confluence of art and environmental science. Through making, teaching, and organizing, she harnesses creative practices to deepen human connection to Earth systems and foster intersectional approaches to climate justice.
Hannah works extensively with environmental and outdoor organizations to develop curricula, create programming, and teach art. She currently serves in faculty/leadership roles with the Juneau Icefield Research Program and Inspiring Girls* Expeditions, and previously was a visiting artist with Chulengo Expeditions, the International Arctic Science Committee, Parks Canada, Alaska State Parks, Google, Vermont Studio Center, and Central Michigan University. Hannah has exhibited at museums and galleries around the country, in addition to creating large-scale public artworks.
She is the Design Director at Storyroot, an environmental and social impact studio. She holds an MFA in Visual Art from Mills College and a BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College. Hannah lives in Providence, RI and spends her summers in Alaska.
Testimonials
-
I was worried that I wouldn’t be as accepted because I am not a career artist or writer, but the minute I arrived it felt like such a safe space where I was immediately welcomed and loved.
Truly one of the best, most fun, and constructive experiences I’ve had. I’m so glad I allowed myself to very much step out of my comfort zone because I will remember this weekend for years and years to come!
— Emily L.
-
It was so refreshing to be in a space for more than just a few hours with people who have different approaches and ideas than me while creating.
I feel so inspired by my interactions with everyone who was there. You created such a welcoming and safe space to be ourselves and create freely.
— Jess D.
-
Getting to know the intimate group of creatives was such a pleasure. We really cultivated a close bond in a very short period of time.
Even outside of workshops and exercises, people were telling stories about who they are and what they do with their lives, just while sitting around the fireplace or making lunch, and every story was utterly fascinating.
— Robert W.
-
I felt so comfortable! I felt that everyone was very supportive and actively listened. I also felt that there was essentially no pressure to speak, yet when I did I never regretted it because of the kindness and openness of everyone around me.
— Rosie. F.
-
I felt like the group was hand-picked to succeed as a whole. We all seemed to arrive with open minds and intentions to support ourselves and one another from the start.
— Nicola B.
-
I don’t think it’s easy to strike the right balance of people not knowing each other, keeping things genuine, and connecting deeply. I’m blown away how Little Nights pulled this off so well.
— Faye H.