Theme Camps - Global Bushcraft Symposium

Download Theme Camp Timetable & Descriptions

Download the Theme Camp Timetable and the accompanying document with descriptions and details of all scheduled Theme Camp workshops, classes and demonstrations, Theme Camp Descriptions, below…. Both documents are in PDF format.

Download the Theme Camps Timetable

Download the Theme Camps Descriptions

Download the GBS 2022 site map with Theme Camp Locations

Signing-up for Theme Camp Sessions

Some Theme Camp sessions have a maximum number as agreed with the provider. To attend these, you will need to sign-up. Other sessions do not have limits on participant numbers and you can turn up at the time. Please see the Theme Camp Descriptions document linked above for participant numbers.

For Theme Camp sessions with maximum class or audience sizes, please sign up on the morning of the day of the workshop, at the sign-up desk in the main hall (sports hall) between 08:00 and 09:00.

What Are Theme Camps?

Our Theme Camps are set up outside the main lecture halls of the symposium and stand to further promote professional standards and developmental learning for all those working in the professional fields of bushcraft, survival and traditional living skills.

Theme Camp sessions are centred around an interaction with a natural resource or serving a particular demographic, anchoring each workshop but allowing for fluid cross-over of activities, thoughts and practices. The underlying drive being our pedagogical approaches, and what we can learn from one another about the ‘how we teach’ and well as ‘what we teach’.

Each camp is headed up by a camp leader but there will be numerous instructors operating under the umbrella of each camp.

Delegates will have the opportunity to join a select range of workshops hosted by experienced instructors from around the world.

The Theme Camps offering of the 2022 Global Bushcraft Symposium has been organised by Jamie Dakota, our Theme Camps Coordinator.

Youth Engagement Camp

The Youth Engagement camp is a hub for professionals who work with young people in the outdoors. Reaching out to children at a young age has a massive impact on their world view, and their feelings about the natural world. This camp is an open forum for discussions on exciting young people in nature, and a place to share ideas and develop as professionals. We’re hosting several workshops across the symposium on practical skills and project ideas, to managing groups and crafting fun sessions.

Contributing to the Youth Engagement Camp will be

Terry Longhurst
Jon McArthur
Paul Moseley
Sam Longhurst
Ian Winnall
Max Hemmingway

Youth Engagement Camp Leader – Terry Longhurst.

Primitive Technology Camp

This camp, centred on what can seem an expansive and often daunting area of study, will focus on accessing ancient technology methods and resources in a professional setting. How to integrate primitive methods into modern practices, adopting ancient pathways to facilitate learning in current multidisciplinary schools. We’ll get into flint knapping, tanning, fibre craft, primitive fishing kits and much more.

Contributing to the Prmitive Technology Camp will be

Primitive Technology Camp Leader – Thijmen Apswoude.

Fire Craft Camp

This cornerstone of an instructor’s skill set is one of rich experiences and offers a vast capacity for development. Our ability as instructors is often founded on knowledge gleaned from failures, and this wealth of understanding is something of incredible value when passed on to our students. This camp will seek to up skill you as an instructor as well as promote a practical reflection on ‘how we teach’ to students. How to effectively develop students in this field is a strong undercurrent in the field of bushcraft tuition.

Contributing to the Fire Craft Camp will be

Fire Craft Camp Leader – Dave Watson.

Woodland Skills Camp

This camp deliberately provides a broad canvas. The Woodland Skills Camp will provide us with a flexible space in which to explore a wide range of skillsets which instructors can share and students can deploy in woodland, forest and bush settings. From barkcraft to tracking, from knifecraft to the safe and effective use of larger cutting tools, there is much we can share and develop amongst our peers.

Contributing to the Woodland Skills Camp will be

Woodland Skills Camp Leader – Adam Logan.

Expedition and Canoeing Skills Camp

Taking your students out on the trail, by foot, canoe, snowshoe… is a whole new arena of experiential learning and refinement of skills. An empowering journey for the teacher as much as the student in facilitating lessons and effective learning gateways while managing risk, exposure and interpersonal pressures. This camp will focus on workshops for instructors personal skills with an eye to reflecting how the journey affects our students and our ability to teach in challenging environments. In particular, given the time of year of the GBS and that the venue is on a lakeside, we have ensured a good focus on canoe tripping. Canoeing and Bushcraft have always been excellent partners for adventures close to nature. You’ll get the opportunity to learn from highly experienced paddlesports instructors as well as superbly knowledgeable bushcraft instructors that use the canoe as a means of endeavour and training for their students.