Nära Summer Festival 2026
Be more you.
Bring yourself more.
Into connection with others.
And into the world.
Join us for our 5th Anniversary Festival
Not a festival to escape from the world.
But to step into it.
Nära has ever since the start been about supporting people to grow more of who they already are. To meet yourself and others at greater depth. And to bring that into your life and into the world.
We want to stay in our core practices that have been our foundation from the beginning.
Make the practices relevantas part of our own life and the state of the world. Bringing that aliveness into our lives,our relationships, and into the world.
This summer, we're celebrating our 5th anniversary by bringing together everything that makes the Nära Festivals special.
We've cherry-picked the best from our previous years: quality workshops led by experienced facilitators, co-created celebration that emerges from what we all want to bring, and more space for landing in connection together during the weekend. And a heartful integration space on the last day.
What's Included
- 20+ workshops with a fantastic team of skilled facilitators
- A bed in a twin room, dorm or bring your tent/van
- 3 vegetarian/vegan meals per day + snacks
- Sauna and morning practices
- Co-created celebration weekend
- Lot's of oppertunities to make new connections
The Five-Day Journey
Designed for depth, celebration, and integration
Arrival & Opening
Check-in from lunch onwards. At 4 PM, we gather for the opening ceremony. It's a time to land in the context of the days we're about to explore together. To meet new people and to start form some new connections and perhaps revisit some cherished previous ones.
Workshop days to go deep
These days are filled by quality workshops of relational presence, and embodiment practices. Sound journeys and deep dance sessions. Choose from a menu of 20+ workshops by skilled faciliators.
Festival ProgrammeCo-Created Celebration
We launch our workshopped selves into the weekend by co creating a whole day of celebration. Be it festive, be it cosy, be it unpretentious, be it full of differents flavours by all of you. The Magical Villa opens up to more spaces and oppertunities to connect with each other.
Integration & Harvest
In the last day we're exiting through facilitated space for landing, grounding and integrating.
Team and Facilitators
A stellar team with years of experience in embodiment, relational practices and creative work. Each bringing their passions and gifts in service to the overarching theme of the festival.
Festival Organisers
Michaela Nielsen
Transformative midwife with roots in the medicine wheel, authentic relating, healing arts and dance. Seeker of gems unlocking our potentials.
Read moreMichaela Nielsen
Michaela have been in n out of the Authentic relating n circling world for two decades. She co organized the Danish Authentic relating Festivals 2016-2022. Her navigation lies in the elements, Earth, fire, water, air n Ether. In love with the biochemistry of our beings, she works as a Vega test therapist and is the sideshow vegan chef on circling leadership trainings. She's a parent, "my garden my grace n forever teacher". Since she could climb towards the sky, seeking answers to what we are, though practices, plant medicins and relational arts. Still life's roughness thought her the most. Green peas and people not painkillers. mOre ear plugs and Forest walks! I'm human, full of flaw's, want to do to much, write to many words, settle in just doing my best, find gold in ageing agile, and lean into Trust of the Great Mystery. Wish to bring mOre of: Finding our innermost nature and become safe in our environment while unfolding it ~ playing the edges where we grow , with care n Dare ~ leaning back into trust that Who we are ~ all inclusive is exactly what we here to offer..! Messy parts toO! A big believer that~when allowing to be whole, something shines from our soul. Linking us humans together on transformational pathways to joyful freedom n peace as Goal.
Fredrik Gynnhammar
Therapist, trainer and consultant passionate about embodiment, leadership and relational practices.
Read moreFredrik Gynnhammar
Fredrik is a long-time facilitator of relational and embodiment workshops. He's passionate about exploring the depths of human existence and what brings about development and health. Believing that playfulness and contact with our innocence and younger parts are central to health, zest for life, and the ability to handle life's challenges in a creative and elegant way. He loves dancing and works with bringing embodiment and relational practices into contexts where they matter deeply - with leaders and organizations through Embodied Relational Leadership, a framework he co-created, and with psychologists and psychotherapists, training them in coming home into their bodies and including the body more as a subject in therapy. Fredrik is one of the initiators of Nära and have been co-organising previous year's festivals.
Workshops at the festival
Relational attunement, agency, and embodied curiosity centered around immediacy - what is the moment to moment experience of being together?
Andrew Venezia
Wizards consult him.
Read moreAndrew Venezia
Andrew Louis Venezia is a practitioner, writer, and teacher based in Amsterdam whose work presents Circling as a tantric, embodied path of awakening. He draws from Tibetan Buddhist contemplative traditions, Kashmir Shaivism, somatic and nervous-system work, Integral Theory, and years of practice in various interpersonal forms — primarily through Circling. He recently published *What is it Like to Be You?*, a guidebook for Circling, which you can get for free at his website (andrewlouisvenezia.life). His work stems from the conviction that direct, embodied relationship is a civilizational skill, and the most important practice for this radical moment in human history.
Workshops at the festival
A way into the transformational practice of Circling, or a way back to the basics for anyone already practiced - this workshop will give you the fundamentals of Circling and helpful tools for the festival.
A practice of dropping beneath personality, mood, and surface-self until something quieter and more alive shows up — and meeting other souls from there.
Meeting non-duality in relationship, meeting relationship in non-duality.
Elin Gabriella
Theatre pedagogue influenced by clown work, psychodrama and forum play.
Read moreElin Gabriella
Elin Gabriella is a theatre pedagogue whose work draws from polarity, feminine and masculine communication, clown work, psychodrama and forum play. She is fascinated by unlocking interpersonal and stuck energies — finding playful ways to move through patterns that keep us from meeting each other fully. Her facilitation blends creative expression with embodied exploration, always grounded in a deep trust in the power of simple play, dance and spontaneity. She brings a rare combination of theatrical boldness and relational warmth to every space she holds.
Workshops at the festival
LALL playroom - Live and Let Live. Where the Low and the High and the Stillness and the Explosions co-exist in synergy.
Ida Helmers
Ida is a somatic therapist & facilitator exploring the innate wisdom of our bodies in relationship, community and healing.
Read moreIda Helmers
Ida is a somatic therapist and group facilitator exploring the innate wisdom of our bodies and how it guides us in relationship, community and healing. She is trained in various forms of somatic work and facilitation styles, like Somatic Experiencing (SE), Embodied Intimacy and Field Facilitation, and especially loves to hang out in the meeting point between somatics and relational healing. The earth as our bigger body and the potent relationship it invites us into with our own body is her greatest muse.
Workshops at the festival
Bring awareness to projections that come in the way of authentic connection. A gentle embodied journey that supports integrating lost parts within ourselves that we only see in others.
Landing in our body and on the Earth as our bigger body through gentle movement and an (optional) blindfolded nature journey.
Daniel DeTerrence Brooks
Took a year or two off. Consulted Andrew. Decided he couldn't stay away.
Read moreDaniel DeTerrence Brooks
Took a year or two off. Consulted Andrew. Decided I couldn't stay away. Many years before that, a monastery, then facilitator training in Boulder, Colorado. They used to keep people ten years so nobody would wander off and blab unskillfully about Zen. I got three months, and have been blabbing ever since. Many many workshops and courses later, what I still love is making it easier for humans to go deep with one another. Time for another round: a few games you've never tried, alongside the tried-and-true favourites.
Workshops at the festival
What happens when your relating practice meets people who never trained in it? A workshop on listening past your own jargon to hear the bid for connection underneath.
Our welcome for the whole group! A playful, fast-moving taste of every flavor the week holds, so you arrive in your body, meet the other, and find your bearings through the festival.
Daniel Kaplan
Biologist and sex-educator exploring liminal spaces of relationality.
Read moreDaniel Kaplan
Daniel Kaplan is a biologist and sex-educator exploring liminal spaces of relationality at the intersection of meditative practice, truth-based relating and biology. Informed by a polyvagal perspective and inspired by Embodied Intimacy, the Wheel of Consent and Non-violent Communication, he brings curiosity and care to the edges where vulnerability and connection meet. Daniel holds over ten years of experiential inquiry in relational work, alongside pedagogic work in primary schools and social sustainability projects in Malmö. In recent years he has leaned increasingly into embodied relationality as his primary form of practice.
Workshops at the festival
Might we wake up to the perception of our hands to become aware of subtleties and a listening beyond words? A space for those of us who need rest, centering and access to self.
What becomes possible in our relating when we bring both body and words into connection? Which way speaks to your sense of aliveness the most? A workshop for curious souls.
Sarha Rodin Holst
Sarha guides you to explore patterns and connection through embodied awareness and creative therapeutic practices.
Read moreSarha Rodin Holst
Sarha Rodin Holst is a somatic and relational therapist working with individual clients and smaller groups to help strengthen self-awareness, agency and conscious choice in how we navigate life. Her approach is rooted in creative modalities such as Gestalt therapy, parts work and dance. She is driven by a deep curiosity about how the body, movement and playfulness can be used as tools to deepen our connection with ourselves and with one another. She facilitates workshops exploring somatic and relational themes, including parts work (IFS), and has hosted women’s circles throughout Sweden and at Nära Community Center.
Workshops at the festival
A movement-based workshop to explore your present state, connect with your intentions, and embody the path between where you are and where you're going.
What part of you is asking for attention at this festival? Through somatic practices, group exercises and role-play, we'll investigate its deeper needs and hidden strengths.
Hanna-My Jansson
System developer and relational practitioner exploring the depth of living fully together.
Read moreHanna-My Jansson
Hanna-My has spent several years immersed in relational practices and is interested in diving deeper into one self. For her, it's about finding the balance between growth, integration and acceptance. To enjoy life's contrasts and dare to follow what we are longing for. A piece in that is how our values, longings and what drives and inspires us can shape the way we live – to see how we are connected and how we could support each other to move more fully in a direction of aliveness, together. She has a SAS certification and has facilitated birthday circles, surrendered leadership, relational presencing and more.
Workshops at the festival
When all this is said and done, what is important, really? Explore your values, through heartfelt sharing and calm reflection, and reach for your North star – your words to live by.
Relational attunement, agency, and embodied curiosity centered around immediacy - what is the moment to moment experience of being together?
Benjamin Raki
Resident psychiatrist and facilitator of relational mindfulness, embodiment and emotional intelligence practices.
Read moreBenjamin Raki
Benjamin Raki is a resident psychiatrist and facilitator working to unite the wisdom of biology, psychology and spirituality into one cohesive model for human flourishing. He sees emotional intelligence as one of our most underdeveloped capacities — especially relevant in the age of AI. Drawing from clinical psychiatry, Circling, authentic relating, shadow work, tantric practices and Vipassana meditation, he creates spaces where scientific understanding and lived experience support each other — weaving modern psychological insight with age-old practices of awareness and presence. He regularly leads workshops in relational mindfulness, authentic relating and emotional intelligence — from psychiatric congresses to festivals and community spaces. His intention across all settings is the same: to make deep relational work accessible, practical and embodied.
Workshops at the festival
A body-based workshop in self-regulation and co-regulation. We practice simple ways to find safety, presence, and grounded connection — alone and with others.
Stine Thorning Andersen
Stine explores the body as a space for expression, imagination, and connection, blending movement arts, psychomotor therapy and somatic practices to invite curiosity and presence.
Read moreStine Thorning Andersen
Stine explores the body as a space for expression, imagination, and connection. At the heart of her work is the belief that embodied expression allows what lives within us to find movement, voice, and form. Her background spans performative practices such as Commedia dell'arte, Laban, and Butoh, as well as psychomotor therapy and other embodied approaches. Through dance, movement, and creative exploration, she has developed a practice that bridges artistic expression and somatic inquiry. As the founder of Movement Lab Copenhagen, Stine created an experimental platform for interdisciplinary exchange, where movement artists, therapists, and somatic practitioners meet to explore new ways of working with the body and integrate movement arts into therapeutic practice. Inspired by practices such as Authentic Movement, her work explores the dialogue between body, imagination, and expression. She invites participants into spaces of curiosity, presence, and play, where movement becomes a pathway to deeper listening, creativity, and connection—both with ourselves and with others.
Workshops at the festival
An invitation into dance and free movement inspired by the elements. Explore earth, water, fire, and wind as qualities of both movement and being, expanding your expression, presence, and connection through the body.
Gabriel Stille
Gabriel is a teacher and facilitator helping people find personal growth.
Read moreGabriel Stille
Gabriel is exploring how we find and act on the values helping us contribute to others, to yourselves and to the world. He is fascinated by all that is happening in our lives, when we start to meet ourselves with honesty, care and responsibility. Gabriel hosts meetings and courses inspired by Nonviolent Communication, Socratic Dialogue, Stoicism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He is a teacher at a community adult education school, helping people to new beginnings in their lives.
Workshops at the festival
When all this is said and done, what is important, really? Explore your values, through heartfelt sharing and calm reflection, and reach for your North star – your words to live by.
Sujan Varma
Multidisciplinary creative and facilitator of sensuality, consent and community connection.
Read moreSujan Varma
Sujan Varma is a multidisciplinary creative and facilitator whose work spans music, photography, fashion design and scenography. Drawn to the intersection of creativity and human connection, Sujan brings aesthetic vision, spiritual groundedness and relational warmth to every space held. The facilitation work centres on sensuality, consent, saunagus and creative expression — always in service of community building and self-discovery. At Nära, Sujan brings a colourful scenographic aesthetic, playful music-driven energy and a workshop designed to invite people into more authentic connection.
Workshops at the festival
Secret Touch is a workshop that resonates with the element of Earth. It is a blindfolded, non-verbal exploration and self-discovery of boundaries, strengths and sensuality, through consent led touch by others.
Alea Laura
Alea is trained in coaching and group facilitation by Transformational Connection and is practising a variety of relational modalities.
Read moreAlea Laura
Alea feels deeply called to be present with people in emotional states that may feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or difficult to face alone. In these moments, her heart opens and she experiences a profound sense of meaning. Alea’s path has been shaped most deeply by her own inner journey— turning toward emotional states she once resisted at any cost. This has become the foundation of her work. Alea is passionate about creating guided meditations to support people to connect deeper with their inner world while in solitude. She seeks to extend relational work beyond interpersonal settings, making its principles accessible within the relationship one has with oneself.
Rebecka Gotlib
Medical doctor, lover of dance, and explorer of what becomes possible when we slow down enough to truly meet ourselves and each other.
Read moreRebecka Gotlib
Working with medicine has given Rebecka a deep appreciation for the beauty, complexity and vulnerability of being human. Her path has also led her to train in relational presence and become a certified Circling facilitator, deepening her trust in honest connection as a way of exploring ourselves and each other. She is passionate about creating spaces where nothing needs to be fixed and where truth can be welcomed with curiosity rather than judgment. Whether through conversation, silence or movement, Rebecka loves the moments when people rediscover their aliveness and feel a little more at home in themselves and with others.
Sebastian Grubb
Sebastian is a movement coach, dance artist, and founder of Agile Beast. He teaches integrated movement practices that help people become stronger, more capable, and more connected.
Read moreSebastian Grubb
Sebastian Grubb helps people build a more trusting relationship with their bodies and with each other through movement. His work cultivates physical ability within a context of connection, curiosity, and grounded presence. Drawing from dance, somatics, and strength training, Sebastian brings these influences together under the name Agile Beast, where naturalistic and integrated movement practices are taught in ways that make deep sense for the human animal while honoring the incredible planet all our movement takes place on. Sebastian is a movement coach and dance artist with more than two decades of professional and personal exploration in these fields. His interests in spontaneous poetry, somatic meditation, and embodied creativity continue to inform and evolve his teaching practice. Learn more at www.sebastian.fit
Workshops at the festival
A somatic meditation session that begins in seated stillness and unfolds toward intuitive movement. Expect a gentle, guided practice that activates grounding and presence.
Already Animals brings us into dynamic movement through solo body integration, playful partner exercises, and the practice of consensual resistance.
Julia Björn
Julia is an Authentic Relating facilitator working with relating as a gateway into a deeper experience of life.
Read moreJulia Björn
With a background that weaves together authentic relating, yoga, and geology, Julia brings a unique perspective shaped by both inner and relational exploration and the vastness of deep time. These fields, though seemingly different, share a common thread: they invite us into a broader and deeper perspective of life. Julia is passionate about exploring the many layers of our human experience, from the personalities we’ve developed to the deeper, living presence that exists within us all. What becomes possible when we truly see and feel each other? How intelligent can we become together? What opens up when we begin to trust life more fully? Her path includes training as an Authentic Relating Facilitator with ART International and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Green Yoga International.
Workshops at the festival
What becomes possible in our relating when we bring both body and words into connection? Which way speaks to your sense of aliveness the most? A workshop for curious souls.
Choose Your Ticket
All tickets include workshops, accommodation, and meals
Discounts for nära patreon members will be offered on regular tickets
Regular and Contributor tickets • Three accommodation types each
Early bird and volunteer tickets sale has passed.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL & ITS PRACTICES
NÄRA is a Swedish word meaning near or close, as in near to our hearts or being close together. At the same time it means to nourish, as in nourishing ourselves and our connections.
NÄRA is also the name of a community and physical venue in central Malmö, that has been experimenting with ways of involving and inspiring more people into practices of relational awareness and growth. Where facilitators offers diverse workshops and morning practices.
This festival stems from a longing to provide more opportunities for people to connect around authentic practices, circling and embodiment. As the local and Scandinavian communities involved with this are growing, we want to celebrate, combining deep processing with the ease and joy of just being in togetherness. We hope this festival will support further development of these communities and bring valuable and inspiring experiences for everyone participating.
Authentic Relating is an umbrella term covering both a movement and set of practices that facilitate an honest and heartful way of exploring communication and connection beyond social masks and norms.
Relational Precensing is an organic authentic relating practice based on a few principles that support you in being more in touch with your own truth and at the same time staying in connection to others. It’s organic in the sense that the group’s aliveness and experience of relatedness direct the unfolding of the process, rather than imposing any specific structure.
Embodiment suggests that as human beings, our bodily existence is at the core of who we are. Through our body, we are in a direct relationship with all other bodies and the world. Ways of exploring embodiment can be meditation, dancing, martial art, playing music – any activity where you’re experientially in touch with your direct sensory experience of being alive right at this present moment.
NÄRA, both the festival and the community based in Malmö, are inspired by the longing to contribute to a more beautiful and peaceful world, and support people’s ability to co-operate and relate well together. It builds on the idea that we humans are fantastic beings with enormous gifts and capacity to connect and love, AND that many of us need to practice using this capacity. Patterns of self resistance, trauma, and disconnection to ourselves and others and the world make it harder for us to stay attuned to our gifts and act from this place of love. Our deeper mission is to inspire the exploration of how we can connect more, communicate bravely and with aliveness, stay grounded, stay curious, be responsible and whole beings, and cultivate deeply loving relationships to ourselves, each other and nature. At NÄRA, and through our practices, we want to work at core level of our global challenges; the ability to be whole together, and believe the larger-scale changes we are hoping for will follow naturally as humans feel more connected and understanding of each other.
Food, venue & accomodation
Venue & Accommodation
The venue for the festival is a conference facility in Sunnanå, located just outside of Malmö. It has several big spaces for workshops, a beautiful main hall with big glass windows towards the garden where the twin acacia trees stand, overlooking the festival in their full majesty. Connected to the main hall is a hang out room, that also houses a little gym and a sauna. There is a big outdoor lawn area for different activities such as playing football, relaxing, eating, and the brave might try exploring the narrow paths into the small forest next to it. Maybe you’re lucky enough to find some ripe blackberries hidden among the bushes?
There are different accommodation options:
Twin Room
Rooms with two beds and space for personal items and clothes.
Dormitory
Indoor accomodation in shared room with 4-5 mattresses.
Tent/Camper
Bring your own tent/camper and sleeping equipment and you get a spot in our beautiful garden.
Food & Drink
The food that is included with the ticket will be served three times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with occasional snacks, tea and coffee in between. The food is mainly vegan, with some vegetarian alternatives.
The festival is alcohol & drug free.
Ready to Join?
Step into five days of quality embodiment and relational connection practices paired with a broad oppertunitiy to form new connection. Newcomers are warmly welcome, as are our community members.