The Lady by the Water (Summer Retreat)

                                                                                                         A very special in-service course for teachers       

                               An International, innovative, congenial, Unique, and magical experience in the beautiful Sremski Karlovci, Serbia right by the Danube.

                               Drama, Environment, Diversity, current issues, new connections, and friendships to experience and enjoy together.

                                The course will be held in the Ecological Centre, near Novi Sad with Jody Medland, Vladica Rakić and Sanja Čonjagić.

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This will be a very INTERNATIONAL experience with teachers of English from many countries in central and eastern Europe participating. It always engenders a wonderful spirit of togetherness, sharing the differences in each other’s lives, while appreciating that our calling to be a teacher is the same, wherever you live.

This is a fully immersive programme run from early morning, the accommodation is on site with morning yoga available for all to enjoy as part of the programme. Morning sessions will be led by Jody Medland, and the afternoon will be a broader mix of visits, sessions in the centre and some well-deserved free time. The evenings will offer a more social time together, including and international evening where we embrace cultural activities.

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 Aims of the course

Our mornings tutor, Jody Medland, is a fully credited screenwriter and a published novelist and playwright. His work is renowned for its strong characters and original concepts, and he is deeply passionate about education. He has been working with teachers, looking into ways to engage students in oracy skills, which includes reading, watching, listening, observing, creative thinking, group discussions and public speaking. His sessions will be built around a play, which was written by Jody, and has been used with our visiting students in Devon.

Lady by the Water: An oracy programme designed around a play

The source material is an original play, titled The Lady by the Water, follows a young orphan named Eve who is taken from her war-torn country and adopted by a loving couple in North Devon. As a young immigrant, Eve’s integration to England is made much harder by the fact the trauma leaves her unable to speak, until she encounters a mystical sea creature named Verity. It’s a play that tackles themes such as the challenges of immigration, untraditional families and coping with trauma and loss.

Jody uses an original play to promote oracy skills. Oracy doesn't focus on the creative or dramatic aspects of writing, but promotes the arts of reading, listening, observing, analysing, discussing, and public speaking skills in the English language. It is the combination of engaging content and the development of practical communication skills that makes this programme a “must attend” for both teachers and their students.

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Our other tutors are also our local organisers and hosts, Vladica and Sanja. They will both organise the visits but also lead a range of discussions and presentations in house. Altogether, these will help participants to:

-         Explore the local environment to understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs of people in this multicultural region.

-         Reflect and share your professional lives as teachers in a safe and supportive environment, identifying areas you wish to develop in the future.

-         Work together as an international group in a tolerant, peaceful, and understanding way.

-         Think about how we bring up young people in a spirit of internationalism.

-         Consider what we can take away from this week, and all the ways it can be brought into our own classrooms.

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Planned activities: Drama, creative writing, exploring the local environment, structured discussions, individual and group presentations, cultural activities, and yoga.

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Testimonials

“An amazing, unique experience that I would recommend to every English teacher.” Keti, Macedonia

“There is no course more wholesome than SOL’s Summer Retreat in Karlvoci, which makes you believe in the power of education.” Marija, Serbia

“One of the best international experiences I’ve ever had.” Ziga Krajnc, Slovenia

“I love how creative the course was, and the way it shows how powerful drama is for helping develop language.” Natalia Belousova, Russia

“Since returning home ,I’ve browsed through the photos and videos of the Summer Retreat a hundred times!” Dori Koltai, Hungary

“Even though I'm back at school, part of me is still in Sremski, Karlovci.” Katja, Montenegro

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‍The programme will run from the 3rd - 10th August 2025, the price is €525/£450 inclusive of everything in the programme including food and accommodation, but does not include the cost of transport to and from Novi Sad/ Karlovci.

Registration form, scan QR code:

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