Our second retreat will be held August 16-19, 2024 at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. The following retreat will be held in summer 2026.

Applications for the 2026 retreat will open in February/March 2026. More information will be posted here in the coming months, but you can look at the “How to Apply” page for details on last year’s application process.

We do not adhere to any particular style or school of poetry. You do not have to be published. However, we are looking for people with a deep and demonstrated commitment to poetry, especially as a community practice. Applications are open to emerging as well as established writers. 

While we hold a capacious definition of movement-building, we prioritize folks whose work involves building power in directly-affected communities in order to address the root causes of oppression. This may include people working toward—and engaging the intersections between—racial justice, climate justice, carceral abolition, LGBTQ+ liberation, worker power, disability justice and/or indigenous sovereignty. Applications are open to new and experienced organizers!

We're excited to welcome folks who do both! For the sake of our processes, we ask you to choose one primary designation, with the knowledge that many participants straddle multiple worlds and identities.

In order to cultivate a sense of community, we ask that all Fellows attend the full retreat, from 5:00 pm on Friday to 12:00 pm on Monday. If you have a conflict, we encourage you to apply for the next retreat in 2026!

We accept applications from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and DC. Indigenous applicants who are native to those lands are also welcome to apply.

The retreat is open to participants who are connected to this region, as a way of encouraging the possibility of future collaborations. That said, if you don’t currently live here but are indigenous to these lands or have deep connections that bring you back often, we encourage you to apply.

No. The Witches & Warriors Retreat is for BIPOC writers and movement workers only.

Every eligible, complete application is read by two readers, who nominate applications to the final round. Final decisions are made by the retreat coordinators. In 2022, we had a group of six volunteer readers, who represented a mix of writers and movement workers. 

Unfortunately, we don't have the capacity to give feedback on individual applications. Our best advice is to make sure your application is complete; to include the work you are proudest off in your work sample; and to make your essay responses as clear, specific, and thorough as possible.

There is no registration fee to attend the Witches & Warriors Retreat! Food and lodging are completely covered. While Fellows are asked to arrange and cover their own travel, we can offer support up to $150.

Most participants will be sharing a room with one roommate. There is a limited number of single rooms available for those who have an access need requiring solo accommodations.

We love animals, but we can’t allow pets other than service animals.

Most group activities will be held in a large indoor space or outside. When we have to be indoors, we will try to open doors and use HEPA filters to ventilate. We will require all faculty, staff, and participants to be fully vaccinated as medically able. Additionally, we require you to send us proof of a negative test prior to traveling, and will be conducting rapid-testing onsite each day. We will determine masking policies closer to the retreat date, based on current guidelines and the needs of our participants.

We are currently assessing our capacity to provide these access services and will update this website once we have more information.

Our access plan will be shaped based on the needs of our participants. The application includes space to share your access needs; this is strictly optional, does not factor into acceptance decisions, and is just there to help us plan. If you have specific questions, you are welcome to email us at hello@brewandforge.com.

Our crew is small, and we’re focusing on our immediate geographical region for now. But if you want to start your own version of this retreat, please do! We’re happy to support your efforts and share what we’ve learned.

Please email hello @ brewandforge.com, and we will be happy to answer!