Meetup Dates 2026
Sorry, Sold out!
Intrigued by the notion of designing for life, people come to a MeetUp for two main reasons. They might be working on a live project, thesis, course, or book, and use the week to move it forward. Or else they want to transform their working life completely and use their time here to figure out how.
The MeetUp is for designers of all kinds, ecologists, curators, team leaders, professors, postgrad students, researchers, artists, and writers.
What happens at a Thackara MeetUp?
The week combines me-time, you-time, and we-time.
In one-to-ones with me, I’ll cast fresh eyes on your project, plan, or thesis. I might suggest new ways to frame the questions you arrive with. Otherwise: Ask me Anything.
In group discussions – in our courtyard, on walks, or whilst river swimming – you’ll interact with the people from diverse backgrounds you’ll spend time with here.
You’ll have plenty of quiet and private time – in the house, at the river, or in nature. Also important: you get to shop at the market, cook in our summer kitchen, and breathe the clean air of the Cévennes.
What kinds of project did people bring to a Meetup?
What kinds of project did people bring to a Meetup?
- Finishing a book on design futures (UK)
- Rural tech hub (Italy)
- River daylighting (Mexico)
- Seeking exit from academic research (UK)
- Foresight work among converging crises (Canada)
- Career counselling in creative industries (USA)
- Edible forest garden (Canada)
- Knowledge sharing for art teachers (UK)
- Launching a fashion podcast (Japan)
- Pivoting out of the consulting industry (USA)
- Future of a fifteenth century castle (Romania)
- Energy transitions in Africa(Germany)
- Book about ecoliteracy (USA)
- Design thesis on mending as connecting (UK)
- Rural hub in a former brick factory (Portugal)
- Village revitalisation (Italy)
- Relational design masters (Wales)
- Rural social innovation (Poland)
- Municipal urban farms (China)
- Ecotourism and wellbeing (USA)
- School in a forest (Ireland)
- Sustainable mobility lab (Pakistan)
- Ecodesign and water (NL, US, France)
- Design firm leadership transition (NL)
- Agtech for agroecology (Sweden)
- Wearable tech for the fragrance industry (UK)
- Method cards for sustainable design (Spain)
- Design for soil care (France)
- Urban ecology dashboard (China)
- School for village hosts (Italy)
- Watershed restoration (Scotland)
- Starter course on bioregioning (England)
- A national digital archive (Netherlands)
- Social-ecological atlas for a province (Belgium)
- post-tourism hospitality (France)
How to apply
Our meet-up is limited to six-ish people, so we have to select participants. Fill out the application form and write a 100 word project statement that tells us: who you are; what you’re working on; and what you want to achieve during your stay.
After receiving your application we aim to inform you within a week if it’s been accepted. Successful applicants will be directed to an Eventbrite web page where you sign up and pay. Your spot is secured after payment.
Photos
Faq
What a joyous week of indulging by doing the project closest to my heart, with support and company and a beautiful environment.
Dear Kristi and John, thank you for hosting us for our annual Holis retreat. We enjoyed our stay in your beautiful house. The nearby market is a festival for any food lover. The walks in the surroundings gave us an opportunity to have deep talks. Your hospitality made us feel at home. I’m grateful for that experience. Hope to be there again soon.
The Meetup was a wonderful experience and a unique opportunity to develop a better understanding of my personal-professional practice. After spending time with John and Kristi and the other meetupers in Ganges, in nature and on my own, I was able to develop a more cohesive story to define my personal-professional practice and goals. I’m forever grateful for this opportunity.
Such a treat to meet one of your favorites… then spend a week in retreat. Thank you John and Kristi for the Meetup – the conversation, such loving guidance and deep listening. One of my favorite weeks.
Thanks John and Kristi for such a wonderful week. I got to reflect on a lot, help set priorities and direction in my project, as well as have a lot interested, organic conversations with people that give me a lot of new perspectives to draw on. Plus good food, wine, swimming and lots of laughs!
This was my second Thackara meetup and it was magnificent;
a great way to meet people, relax, swim in the glorious river and move projects on to the next step.
Thank you – I hope to come back!
For me, the meet-up was truly life-changing; brilliant content, group company, accommodation, food and the waterfalls were to die for! John gave me the boost I needed and input from the group kickstarted a project so dear to my heart — thank you John!
John and Kristi, your house is an absolute dream! I felt so welcomed and comfortable. You allowed us to take everything at our own paces, and gave us access to some beautiful places around Ganges. The mixture of one-to-ones and group conversations provided an effective framework to help push my design practice forward. I’m coming away feeling refreshed, excited to work, and with a whole new set of amazing friends!
the perfect place to hide out and finish writing
that thesis, project proposal, or book
I genuinely enjoyed every single moment! Thanks to not only the fantabulous Thackara team but also amazing talents from diverse backgrounds who all were absolutely lovely, I had a very productive week. The right balance of fun & work in an absolutely gorgeous environment, which contributed to great creativity/ satisfaction
I was working on my first book and it was amazingly helpful to
have the space (both mentally and physically) to concentrate
on this whilst getting constructive input and advice from JT
and other participants.