Your True Colours
Retreat: 7-10 November 2024
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
A wellbeing retreat for gay, bi, and queer men wanting to live more authentic lives and improve their relationships with others.
As gay, bi, and queer men we grow up with a unique set of assumptions and challenges from our families and society at large.
For many of us, these expectations in our formative years shape who we become as adults. They often have a lasting impact on our self-image and the relationships we form.
This 4-day (2 full days + 2 half days) retreat is about unpacking and processing these challenges, in order to achieve self-acceptance and improve our relationships with others.
The retreat is based at a picturesque and relaxing spa hotel in sunny Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Located in the middle of the island, surrounded by serene nature, the spa hotel is the perfect location for both indoor and outdoor activities.
Through workshops and work groups, we will learn to better understand the role both societal and internalised sexual identity related stigma and shame play in shaping our self-image and self-worth. We will gain insights and practical tools to live more authentically and unashamedly.
We will also focus on why loneliness and isolation are such big problems in our community, and how it links back to societal heteronormative expectations.
We will discuss and workshop what we can do to build more authentic and fulfilling relationships, with romantic partners, as well as with friends, family and work colleagues.
You will come away from the retreat with an improved self-acceptance of who you are, and the types of relationships you want to foster and cultivate to live a more authentic, inspired and connected life.
The Retreat: Hotel Spa Villalba
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
An idyllic location at the base of Mount Teide
Hotel Spa Villalba is majestically situated at 1,500 metres above sea level, in the heart of Vilaflor, Tenerife. Surrounded by the impressive Corona Forestal of Mount Teide, the hotel promises not only a stay surrounded by the grandeur of nature, but also an unforgettable experience with a wide range of activities. This 4-star hotel comes with a restaurant, bar, spa facilities, fully equipped gym, and a climbing wall.
Hotel website: https://www.hotelvillalba.com/en/
Hotel Spa Villalba, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Cost & Programme
The retreat cost varies depending on the room choice you make (single or shared) and includes full board at the hotel as well as all workshops and other retreat activities. Please note, it does not include flights or airport transfers. See next section for room information and prices.
A 50% deposit is required at the point of booking confirmation. The deposit is fully refundable until September 11th, 2024.
7-10 November 2024
Thursday 7th (half day)
Plan to arrive by 5pm
Welcome drinks and ice breaking activities
Dinner
Opening circle & evening activity
Friday & Saturday 8-9th (full days)
Morning physical exercise
Workshops
Lunch
Workshops or other local activities
Dinner
Evening activities
Sunday 10th (half day)
Morning physical activity
Breakfast
Workshop & closing circle
Lunch
Departures
What’s included?
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All food and drinks from arrival to departure are included, served in the hotel restaurant.
All meals are served buffet style and cater for all dietary requirements, including vegetarian/vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Wine and beer is served with dinner.
Coffee breaks are also included.
Alcohol outside of dinner is not included but can be purchased separately at the hotel bar.
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A 4-day programme of workshops and work groups covering a number of LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing topics ranging from minority stress, shame and internalised stigma, to self-love, authentic connection, and empathy.
The full programme with timings and detailed workshop information will be shared with participants following registration.
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In addition to the workshops, other activities will be offered throughout the weekend. This includes daily morning physical exercises and an evening star gazing excursion for all participants, as well as an optional activity of your choice between hiking, vineyard visit and wine tasting, and snorkelling/diving.
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Full access to the spa and gym facilities is included throughout your stay.
Accommodation Options & Prices
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General room information
The rooms have been grouped into three price options. The room sizes will vary slightly and will be allocated in order of registration.
All rooms come with:
En-suite bathroom
Private terrace
Coffee/tea maker
TV
Air conditioning
Mini bar (extra cost)
Safe
WiFi
Laundry service (extra cost)
Bathrobe
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Single Room
Early Bird Fee: €1,500 (until July 31st)
Standard Fee: €1,800
Your own private room with a double bed, not sharing with anyone else.
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Double/Twin Room
Early Bird Fee: €1,200 (until July 31st)
Standard Fee: €1,500
Double or twin room shared with one other person from the retreat. The price is per person.
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Premium Double/Twin Room
Early Bird Fee: €1,370 (until July 31st)
Standard Fee: €1,670
Premium double or twin room shared with one other person from the retreat. The price is per person.
These larger rooms come with a jacuzzi and a larger terrace, in some rooms with an additional outdoor jacuzzi.
Travel Advice
We advise you to book your flights as soon as possible and plan to arrive at the retreat by 5pm on Thursday 7th and depart by 2pm on Sunday 10th.
Tenerife has two airports, one in the north (TFN) and one in the south (TFS) part of the island. The retreat is a 30min drive from TFS and a 1hr drive from TFN.
Car rentals from both airports are currently around €80 for the duration of the retreat.
We will help coordinate the airport transfers (taxi/car rental sharing) once all participants flight schedules have been finalised.
Should you have to arrive later or depart earlier than the advised timings, we still encourage you to join the retreat: the part you will miss will be much smaller than the benefit you will get by joining the retreat.
Meet the Team
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Co-Founder & CEO of Wise HumanityDavide holds an MSc in Physics, an MBA from London Business School and a Coaching Practitioner Diploma from the Academy of Executive Coaching of London. He’s also a leadership lecturer at Ravensbourne University London.
For 20 years, Davide enjoyed an international career in a variety of engineering industries.
His corporate life culminated in heading a Business Unit for a global Engineering and Construction company. He then decided he had achieved the zenith of his corporate career and could use his leadership and people skills in a more fulfilling, impactful way. That’s when he became a coach, a teacher of personal growth programs at The Rao Institute, and later a co-founder of Wise Humanity.
Davide’s vision is to launch and support individuals and businesses on a journey of enhanced fulfilment and empowerment, to build a better future for themselves, their communities and the planet. Among other interests, Davide enjoys painting oil portraits, has a passion for theatre, and is an avid book reader, cinema goer and globe trotter.
“Wise Humanity is my way to pay forward all the happiness I’ve had in my life, the incredible opportunities and learnings, the practical wisdom tools I’ve learnt and developed, and all the love I’ve received. It’s at the same time the place where all my eclectic past unites and finds meaning, and my way to share it all to help people enhance their whole experience of life, find fulfilment and their own meaning.
- Davide Pagnotta
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Social Psychologist & Your True Colours Retreat DirectorMarc Svensson is a social psychologist, researcher, minority stress expert, and LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing coach. He holds an MSc in Research Psychology from Birkbeck, University of London, and is on his final year on his PhD in Social Psychology at University College London. His research centres around sexual and gender minority identity formation and their relationship with health, stress, resilience, and psychological wellbeing. He has published several academic papers and book chapters on LGBTQ+ mental health as well as given talks and presentations at conferences and seminars.
Marc also runs his own company, called Helsa (meaning ‘health’ in Swedish, his native language) which he founded in 2019. Helsa’s mission is to improve mental health and wellbeing in the LGBTQ+ community through research, training and support. Helsa has provided training workshops and talks on LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing to various global organisations, including the NHS, CGIAR, FarFetch, Deliveroo, and Richemont.
Previously, he has worked as a seminar leader and university teacher to both under- and post graduate students at UCL, London, and GEC Academy, Shanghai (online), teaching modules on Stigma & Wellbeing, Social Psychology & Social Justice, Social Policy, and Research Methods.
He lives in London with his husband Luca and their boxer Dexter.
Want to find out more about this retreat? Get in touch.
yourtruecolours@wisehumanity.org
(+44) 7914 358573