Join beloved writer and spiritual activist Gareth Higgins for explorations into in spirituality, society, courage, creativity, and the common good.

Gareth Higgins writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He has been involved in peace-building and violence reduction in northern Ireland and helping address the legacy of conflict, and helped found the Wild Goose, New Story and Movies & Meaning festivals. Gareth leads retreats in the US and Ireland; and he founded The Porch Magazine.

Events often feature storytelling and conversation about spirituality, peacemaking, storytelling, cinema, and more. Gareth’s itinerary-in-progress is below. Contact us for more details of any of the events below, or to invite me to speak at your event.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Upcoming events in Vancouver, San Francisco, and County Down

    I’ll be in Vancouver and San Francisco in April 2025, and we’ve space on one of our Ireland retreats in June as well - love to see you at any of these & please let others know about them too.

    Vancouver, BC - Friday April 11th, 7-9pm

    How Not to be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying

    Vancouver School of Theology, Epiphany Chapel - details here.

    Saturday April 12th, 10am-4pm

    Transformative Storytelling as a Way of Life

    Allard School of Law, UBC - details here.

    San Francisco, Saturday April 19th, 7-9pm

    How Not to be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying

    Black Bird Bookstore - details here.

    Kilkeel & Cultra, Northern Ireland, June 20th-27th

    Ireland Retreat co-hosted by Gareth Higgins and Brian Ammons, with special guests Over the Rhine (Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler)

    There are still a few spaces left on this retreat with our dear friends Linford & Karin, whose work as Over the Rhine is beloved as an exquisite imagining of who, where, and why we are. Details at www.irelandretreats.com.

  • August 7th-14th or September 8th-15th: Kilkeel and Cultra, northern Ireland: Ireland Retreats - immersions in landscape, creativity, peacebuilding and community, with special guests David Wilcox and Diana Butler Bass. Details at www.irelandretreats.com.

Previous Events Include

  • In 2025

  • March 5: Ann Arbor, MI: A Whole Life in Twelve Movies - an evening at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. Details here.

  • March 6-7: Ann Arbor, MI: Reframing Your Leadership Stories and Beliefs - two day workshop with Ari Weinzwieg. Details here.

  • March 13-16: Montreat, near Asheville, NC: The Porch Gathering - festival of transformative storytelling. See www.theporchgathering.com for details.

    In 2024

  • Glasnevin, Ireland - How Not to be Afraid: Transforming Our Fear Through Storytelling - 10am-1pm workshop, details here

  • Online event - Zingerman’s Intentional Leadership

  • Various events in transformative storytelling, integrated masculinity, and How Not to be Afraid.

  • Ireland Retreats.

  • In 2023

    How Not to be Afraid events in Portland, Seattle, and Ashland

  • New Story Spokane festival in Spokane, details here.

  • JUNE - OCTOBER 2023: Several retreats in Ireland with friends exploring the possibilities of transforming our stories, depolarizing society, and living into a better world. Visit www.irelandretreats.com to learn more.

  • In 2022

    How Not to be Afraid events in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Madison, Chicago, Spokane, Portland, Bellingham, Minneapolis, Boston, and Middlebury

  • In 2020

    Medicine Stories retreat with David Wilcox, Santa Monica, CA. Click here for details.

    Movies & Meaning festival, Asheville, NC Click here for details.

  • In 2019

    Nowhere Else Festival in Ohio

    Columbafest with Iona Community in Glasgow

    Eight Night Ireland Retreat with John Dear.

    Eight Night Ireland Retreat with Kathleen Norris.

    Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC

  • In Previous Years

  • RetreatTs to Ireland with guests including David Wilcox, Eric Elnes, Barry Taylor, David LaMotte, Brian McLaren

  • Medicine Stories Retreats with David Wilcox

  • Co-founder & co-host of New Story Festival in Austin, TX

  • AVL Wordfest in Asheville, NC

  • Movies & Meaning in Albuquerque, NM and Asheville, NC

  • New Year Retreat with David Wilcox

  • Glen Workshop in Santa Fe, NM

  • Seventh Story event with Brian McLaren

  • Search For Meaning Book Festival at Seattle University

  • Weekend Retreat with David Wilcox in Kelowna, BC

  • Storytelling, Landscape, Music and Peace Retreat in Ireland with David LaMotte

  • Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC

  • Greenbelt Festival in Kettering, UK

  • The Search for Home, Lecture at Lookingglass Theater in Chicago, IL

  • Telling a New Story, Lecture at Chied O’Neill’s

  • Skylight Festival in Toronto, Canada

  • Sie Film Center in Denver, CO

  • TransFORM in San Diego, CA