Freedom to Learn Forum 2026.

A dynamic and fun space to imagine, create, play, and rest, woven together over four days through our relationships with each other and the land that hosts us.

The Freedom to Learn Forum is a four day in-person gathering cultivating a culture of reciprocity and mutual support through playful curiosity, connection and joy.

The Forum honours young people’s voices, needs, and dreams within a wider intergenerational exploration of how we live, learn, and grow together.

The Forum is an unconference where, unlike traditional conferences, there are no pre-set speakers or fixed topics; anyone can propose or request an event, workshop, discussion or activity and everyone’s contribution matters.

More details can be found on our website.

Tickets:

Tickets include access to the forum at The Beeches for all 5 days. Children and young people under 21 are free.

Accomodation:

Camping in the large main field and limited on site indoor rooms for those with access needs (see Access section below) are included in the price of the ticket.

For those who prefer not to camp nearby accommodation options are available independently.

Food & Solidarity:

Optional food tickets are available.

Please order any food tickets by the end of Sunday 9th August.

There are two options for food tickets - Global Food Ticket and The Food Bar. You will need to choose one type of food for the entire event.

The Global Food Ticket will provide a light lunch and a substantial one-pot type evening meal (for example curry, pasta, tagine). The evening meal will be plant based with dairy and meat additions for those who would like them.

We would like all people coming to the Forum to be able to participate in the food if they wish. This includes people with food preferences that are not usualy catered for, as well as children and young people with personal food preferences. The aim of The Food Bar is to make communal eating more accessible by offering a range of options that people can combine to create a meal they enjoy eating.

In previous years, this has included meals such as pasta/ jacket potatoes/ fish fingers/sausages with a choice of meat/vegetarian/plant based toppings and accompaniments. Please let us know about your food access needs, allergies, and preferences using the ‘Food Access Needs and Allergies’ section, and we will do our best to accommodate them within the Food Bar offering.

An ‘All Meals’ ticket is for all the meals from the Thursday evening meal to Monday lunch inclusive. They include breakfast of cereals, toast, fruit, yoghurt etc. and hot drinks throughout.

An ‘All Meals’ ticket for smaller appetites is also available in the Smaller Portion Food Tickets section.

It is also possible to only choose specific meals. Please email us with ‘Forum - Specific Meals’ in the subject line.

Last year part of our meal ticket price and profits went to support a Palestinian fundraiser. Whilst this has not been possible this year, we want to state that we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and continue to call for an end to the ongoing genocide. We also stand in solidarity with all communities experiencing displacement, occupation, genocide and the impacts of war, colonial violence, and systemic injustice across the world.

Payment Details:

We are using Open Collective to take payment.

• When you have chosen your tickets, press ‘Pay with Open Collective’ to go to the payment site.
• You will see a Contribution Details box. This is your ticket payment - please do not change it!
• Open Collective will automatically include an optional 15% 'contribution to the platform' in your total, which you can edit if you wish when you get to the ‘Your info’ section (later they refer to it as a ‘tip’).
• Press ‘Your info’ and add your details (and edit the optional contribution to the platform)
• Press ‘Payment’ and you will be taken to the card payment section.

Access

We hold a broad definition of access that goes beyond traditional definitions of physical disability and are committed to making accommodations for people wherever possible.

Practical, cultural, sensory and financial aspects of participation- including camping , shared living, and costs associated with attending- may create barriers for some. Please email us (hello@freedomtolearn.uk) as early as possible about your access needs, so we can do our best to plan for and accommodate them. This may include whether indoor on site accomodation is needed, as spaces are limited, and/or whether financial support with the ticket/food costs would make it possible for you to attend. Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.

We especially seek to make space for people whose voices and ways of being are often marginalised, including (but not limited to) Global Majority, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and working-class and other marginalised communities.

We also welcome people of all faiths, beliefs, and non-belief, and a diversity of cultural, spiritual, and philosophical worldviews.

We have reflected on, and continue to learn about representation, visibility, tokenism and holding brave spaces. Please look at our websiteto read about our approach to these complex and evolving issues.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your place, please let us know as soon as possible.

Cancellations made 14 days or more before the start of the Forum are eligible for a refund, minus any non-refundable payment processing fees incurred through our payment processing platforms.

We are generally unable to offer refunds for cancellations made within 14 days of the Forum. This is because, by then, we have usually confirmed catering, accommodation and other costs, and it may no longer be possible to reallocate places or meet changing access and accommodation needs.

If we are able to fill your place, we may, at our discretion, offer a refund minus any non-refundable processing fees.

Tickets may be transferred to another person with the agreement of the organisers, provided any accommodation, access and registration details can be updated.

If we need to cancel the Forum

In the unlikely event that Freedom to Learn needs to cancel the Forum, we will make every effort to refund participant as fully as possible. Any refunds will depend on the costs we are able to recover from the venue together with any non refundable payment processing fees charged by our payment platforms. Our liability is limited to the refund of the ticket price where possible, and we are unable to reimburse any additional costs or consequential losses, such as travel, accommodation or other expenses incurred in relation to the forum.

Thank you for helping us plan and sustain a financially viable community Forum.