New Culture Summer Camp East 2024 Presenters
Lisa K Swallow is the co-founder and Executive Director of Crossing Party Lines, Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing toxic polarization by creating open dialogue between Americans with dissimilar political views.
Trained in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Lisa hadn’t considered bringing her work into the political arena until 2016, when politics became personal. That year, a long-awaited reunion with a conservative cousin turned contentious as soon as conversation became political, which it did regardless of what topic they chose. Then, on the second day of her visit Lisa thought to apply her active listening skills and the conversation shifted from toxic to respectful.
On returning to her home in Portland, Oregon, Lisa set about identifying the specific skills that lead to civil, productive political conversations. She learned that the key to talking across differences lies in cultivating a curious, open mind and empathic listening to understand why another person’s views make sense for them. Her nonprofit, Crossing Party Lines, provides two crucial services: workshops teaching the concepts and skills and weekly facilitated meetings where members can practice those skills.
Her work is rooted in NVC, inspired by the work of John and Julie Gottman and Stephen Stosny, and draws from cognitive science, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Her workshops emphasize mindfulness, active listening, clear boundaries, and understanding the unspoken contracts at play in any conversation.
Lisa has written two books on the subject: Her memoir, No One Was Listening. and a workbook, Yes, You can Talk Politics which makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to learn the skills for listening and talking across differences. Both are available on Amazon.com.
Find her at www.LisaKSwallow.com
Thomas Daily II hails from Bloomington, Minnesota, where he entered this world amidst chaos and parents burdened by trauma. As a young adolescent, he began delving into the profound impact of trauma. Along his journey of unlearning and acceptance, he embarked on backpacking adventures through 13 countries, a transformative experience that led him to adopt the moniker “Major Tom.” Returning to the States, he felt compelled and prepared to embark on the path of personal growth.
He’s been facilitating for 6 years, with over 100 events, workshops, and retreats under his belt. These workshops have allowed him to witness firsthand the profound impact that intentional human connection can have on personal growth, relationships, and overall well-being. By creating a safe and supportive environment, participants have been able to explore their vulnerabilities, break down barriers, and forge deep connections with others. It is through these connections that we can truly understand and appreciate the beauty of shared experiences and diverse perspectives.
Through these workshops and retreats, Major has had the opportunity to work with diverse groups of individuals from various backgrounds, ages, and cultures. Each interaction has contributed to my ever-expanding toolkit of techniques and strategies to help people connect authentically, communicate with clarity, and tap into the joy of play.
All individuals are warmly welcomed into the containers Major creates, utilizing the principles of Integral Theory. This framework draws from elements of psychodrama, tantra, conscious kink, authentic relating, and long-form improv. Conscious play is the foundation upon which we embark, fully immersed in the exploration and experiences that allow us to transform and evolve into new versions of ourselves.
Learn more at Consciousplay.net
Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch activist who practices closeness as a way to break down barriers between people. As co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Because oppression is a part of historical and present American culture, the long term impact of those trauma stories should be acknowledged and held as a map for our collective healing.
Quanta Jana Cutler (they / her•she) is an InnerLife and Spiritual Sherpa. Their calling in cultivating Upliftment, WellBeing, Restoration and Surrender motivated the co-founding of YASHAPI, a 501(c)3 entity that focuses on helping people transition and transform themselves to more fulfilling lives that also serve the Highest Good (https://www.facebook.com/
Experiencing 73 trips around the Sun, 20 years of Intentional Community living, formal training in dance and expressive movement, life-coaching and group dynamics, and a lifetime lived in Circles combining movement, meditation, compassionate confrontation, intimate connection and personal revelations, they bring their expertise and facilitation skills into play in a variety of modalities. Entering earth-life on Sacred Native Yakima reservation land… Growing up trapped in a dynamic of oppression, trauma, addiction and dysfunction… and journeying through bi-polar disorder and pancreatic cancer…
Through processes of transformational Intervention, Meditation and deep Shadow-work, they uplifted themselves into breakthroughs of Self-Discovery and Empowerment… emerging to provide holistic personal care and spiritual service to others, raise a child in Community, build satisfying and fulfilling relationships, and live a life of Centered Creative Expression. They stand now embodied as a thriving caramel-colored mother/grandmother/great-
Sarah Taub, Ph.D. (she/her), (www.
What excites Sarah most is holding space for the deepest group conflicts so that an even deeper level of connection, understanding, and creativity can emerge.
Indigo Dawn (they/them) is a Somatic Therapeutic Coach, Touch Therapist, and healing community builder who lives & works for joy, safety, and serenity for All. Since 2016, they’ve organized hundreds of catalytic workshops and events with anywhere from 10 to 2200 attendees. They are also Program Director for New Culture Summer Camp East and the Founder & Director of the Consent Program for Interfusion Festival. Indigo has trained to coach Trauma Resolution with Mindlight Institute and facilitate participatory Group Coaching with The Connection Institute. As a Somatic Therapeutic Coach, Indigo empowers changemakers to deepen their embodied wisdom; heal past wounds; and create the life and relationships they yearn for. Indigo adores catalyzing deep transformation, and also delights in intellectual conversation, kitzy (feather light touch), & embodied meditation.
Owen Harper Quante (they/them) is a queer, trans, neurodivergent, Jewish facilitator of workshops, meditations, and rituals. Their offerings are designed to help people heal and deepen their connections with themselves, other people, the Earth, and all the other beings in this richly interconnected web of life. They are also employed supporting neurodivergent folks in navigating daily life and developing self-advocacy skills. They are happiest when exploring forests and wetlands, making new connections between disparate ideas, and working in community towards a future where everyone can feel safe, supported, fulfilled, and free.
Fuzzy Shostak (they/any) is an organizer, author, and educator of consent, co-ops, contact improvisation, and alternative economic systems. Chronically ill, disabled, polyamorous, queer, gender transcendent. Founder of six co-ops, including Consent Beyond Yes—a worker co-op doing sex-positive consent education with an orientation toward mutual desire, under contract with Routledge to publish a book of the same name in 2024. Fuzzy also works as a worker co-op consultant with Collective Seeds Consulting Co-op and a freelance web and software developer. Their current home base is the New Culture Co-op in Greenfield, MA, which they helped create. Fuzzy’s theme for this year is deep rest and restoration.
Emma Daley (they/she) is a body psychotherapist, consent educator, and occasional math tutor. They began developing the desire-based, trauma-informed, embodied model of consent now known as Consent Beyond Yes with Fuzzy Shostak while completing their Master’s degree in somatic counseling at Naropa University. They have presented this model and led workshops at universities, national conferences, and Center for a New Culture events. Emma has a background in PreK-12 and post-secondary education and is an Our Whole Lives sexuality education facilitator. When they’re not talking about sex, they might be found dancing, journaling, or climbing trees.