Another way of being in the world
My journey
Having embarked on the rewilding path since 2019, it became my mission to understand, research, support, and influence the rewilding of people as well as its global community by being part of local initiatives by creating Wild I Productions as well as Feral Movement.
With my academic background in Social and Visual Anthropology, returning to the wild ways of being inspires me enormously, and it has become important for me to use my camera to capture the different communities and individuals that are part of the rewilding movement around the world.
Since October 2023 I have had the pleasure of starting a PhD in Sociology at the University of Tasmania, giving me the amazing opportunity of researching human rewilding in Australia.
From the age of 18, climbing, slacklining, acroyoga, and dance are movement practices that have been a big part of my life and have created the foundations of how I move and relate to my local environment as well as the larger world around me.
It is this path, my interest in rewilding and natural movement, as well as my desire to teach, which have influenced me to create Feral Movement as a practice aimed at helping individuals to reconnect to their primal bodies by moving in natural settings, as well as the tribe by having a unique and memorable group experience.
Being English, and having grown up in France and travelled regularly to Australia and New Zealand, my nomadic lifestyle enables me to connect with different rewilding individuals as well as to contribute to rewilding communities around the globe. Something I am passionate about and which brings me a lot of joy!
Now, by doing a PhD on the subject, I can push my interest even further, with the hope of offering my research through both writing and film.
My journey
Highlights
Start of PhD in Sociology at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) researching human rewilding in Australia [October 2024]
Offered a Feral Movement workshop as well as photography at the “Women’s Wild Wellness Immersion” facilitated by Felicity from the School of Wild Wellness, Tasmania, Australia [2023]
Offered photography and Feral Movement warm-ups at the “Women’s ReWilding Gathering” facilitated by Eva and Emma from Wild Beings, NSW, Australia [2022]
“Ateliers Connexion Nature” (“Nature Connection Workshops”) facilitated by Yannick Geffroy from Grain d’Argent, Die, France [2022]
“Réveille ta vraie nature” (“Wake up your true nature”) course by Wolf Movement, facilitated and founded by Hugo & Amélie, Gard, France [2022]
Wild women’s immersion, privately organised between friends in the Diois, France [2022]
Creation of Wild I Productions & Feral Movement [2021]
“Expédition Sauvage expérimentale” (“Experimental rewilding expedition”) of three weeks in the Carpathian forest in Romania, with Pâris Faini & CanCan Huang from Gens des Bois [2021]
Flint knapping course with Frédéric Abbès (Director of the UMR 5133 Archéorient, CNRS – Lyon 2 University), at Jales, en France. [2021]
Collaboration with “La Rencontre des REVES” as their photographer, filmmaker, and Feral Movement practitioner. [2020-2021]
Online “MovNat® Level 1 Fundamentals” course, to inspire my learnings for my Feral Movement practice.
Co-creation (with Mika, from La Voie du Sauvage) of a project and rewilding “tribe” called “les Sauvages du Diois” (“the rewilders of the Diois”) in the Drome, France. [2020-2022]
Collective community purchase of a 92ha forest.
Masters (MA with Honors) in Visual Anthropology, Aix-Marseille University, France. Creation of the documentary, Way of Life. [2020]
Discovery of rewilding in Australia during a two year trip. Discovery of the “Rewild Yourself” podcast by Daniel Vitalis.
Nomadic immersion of two months at the heart of the red Australian desert.
Graduated in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent, UK.
[2014]
My teachers
I would like to thank and acknowledge all of my teachers that have participated in as well as influenced my personal rewilding journey, as well as my anthropological path, the world of filmmaking and photography, and any of the valuable learnings I have gained in the world of movement and body practices. Some of these individuals are mentioned above in my “highlights”, however there are many more who are not mentioned here as it would be impossible to cite you all. However, I acknowledge your influence and support and know the importance you have for me on this journey.
I acknowledge the natural world and the lands that I walk and crawl on, as well as the plants and beings I connect to all as invaluable teachers.
My journey
Projects & Collaborations
The Human Rewilding Project
The Human Rewilding Network came from the dream of creating an international rewilding community.
It’s this strong vision that inspired me at the beginning of my rewilding journey as I was understanding the significance of this worldview. I sensed how important it would be to connect the different people that are rewilding throughout the world.
This network is still a work in progress, however my intention is that it will be created one day in collaboration with others.
If this project is calling out to you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Les Sauvages du Diois
I was, with my collaborator Mika, at the head of this “tribe” (as we liked to call it) and local initiative as an organiser and facilitator of the many gatherings. My personal intention was to bring together individuals around rewilding. We had regular gatherings at the New Moons, Solstices, and Equinoxes to co-create ceremonies, to come together in women’s circles and men’s circles, to share our knowledge, skills, and desires, set intentions, and to co-create our community project. Our common dream led us to collectively buy a local forest which is now under our protection and stewardship.
I am humbly touched by the pace at which this project took off in such a small amount of time (especially the first six months!), and to all the connections and dreams that were created around the many campfires and gatherings!
La Rencontre des REVES
The “Rencontre des REVES” (REVES is a french acronym meaning “to find vital force and wild spirit”), is a course with the energy of a festival that has the intention to bring people together around rewilding: for a week there is a tribal way of life in a beautiful wild location, with a diverse array of workshops given by a handful of facilitators on ancestral techniques and knowledge, as well as arts and crafts.
My collaboration with the “REVES” was to support them from their very first gathering, and to give Feral Movement workshops as well as to visually capture the people and special moments during the event with my photography. I no longer participate in the REVES for personal reasons but I follow them closely and support them from afar!
Wild Beings, Australia
Wild Beings is an organisation based on the NSW (New South Wales) coast of Australia, that offers events centred on teaching ancestral skills and rewilding the individual with place based knowledge. They are very much inspired by local aboriginal skills as well as ancestral techniques and knowledge that are found throughout the world.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Eva and Emma, for their “Women’s ReWilding Gathering” in November 2022 by taking photos during their event, as well as giving Feral Movement warm ups first thing every morning. A very beautiful way to connect myself to the rewilding culture and community here in Australia!
FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does “rewilding” mean?
There can’t just be one definition of “rewilding”. Actually, by default, the wild does not like to be defined! However, for me, rewilding is a very personal and subjective path. To start this process, one must first of all decide to take this path and go in its direction. Opposed to this direction, there is the domesticated human who has no knowledge of this path, nor even any interest in it.
As an individual I can ask myself the following questions:
- What would I like to relearn from my ancestors? (e.g. ancestral knowledge and skills)
- What would I like to let go of from the modern world that neither serves me nor the earth? (e.g. the use of plastic, artificial chemical shampoo, my shoes, etc…)
- What do I decide to keep from this modern world that I am not ready to let go of? (e.g. for me at this stage, my camera and PC).
2. Can anyone anywhere rewild?
Yes, rewilding can be for anyone! Anyone, anywhere in the world, can become aware of this path and decide to go on it. Rewilding can be done in small steps and doesn’t have to be an “extreme” jump. A person in a city can, decide to take their shoes off in the nearest park for the first time, learn about the wild edible and medicinal plants growing in their local environment (even the properties of the dandelion growing through the cracks in the concrete), or perhaps even create a sense of community by connecting with their neighbours or by going to a local community event. I believe it doesn’t matter where the person finds themselves on the rewilding path that matters, but rather the choice to go in that direction!
3. Do you film and photograph other things that people who are “rewilding”?
Yes, of course! I am capable of a diverse approach as I also work and collaborate with people who don’t always have a clear interest in rewilding. However, I prioritise projects that have a connection with my core values. For example by working outdoors in natural environments, or for different types of movement practitioners, or people in the domain of healing and therapy, etc.
4. What’s the relationship between Wild I Productions & Feral Movement?
The common thread that reunites my movement practice with the audio-visual services I offer is first of all rewilding. However, I have also come to realise how complementary my practices are in a different way: thanks to Feral Movement, I have the capacity to move through challenging environments at the same time as using my camera! Furthermore, what I really enjoy is to bring them both together during rewilding (or other) events where I get to offer my movement practice as well as well as my services as Wild I Productions (such as retreats like the “Rencontre des REVES”, or Wild Beings – see above!).
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The large majority of photos illustrating this website have been created with passion by Christiane Howe.
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