The International Camphill Youth Conference took place in May 2026, hosted by The Mount Camphill Community in East Sussex, England. From 28th to 31st May 2026, The Mount Camphill Community welcomed young people from across the world who shared a connection to, or interest in, the Camphill impulse. The conference created a vibrant space for the next generation of committed lifesharers to come together, exchange ideas and experiences, strengthen international connections, and forge enduring friendships.
The conference theme, Michaelic Youth: Connection, Courage, Belonging, inspired participants to come together beneath the statue of Michael to explore how boldness, bravery, overcoming challenges, discovery, and community shape everyday life.
Megan from The Cascadia Society, Canada reflected on this experience. “Saint Michael, the dragon, and the gestures they take were at the heart of this year’s Youth Conference at the Mount Community in Wadhurst. Many of the ideas that have been sitting with me since were brought by Jan from the Goetheanum and Beaver Run, and from Georgina from Sturts Community Trust. During his talk, Jan (Jan Goeshel – President of Camphill Academy) translated passages from a book he is reading that discusses how our society has become accustomed to, and increasingly reliant on, automated systems designed to uphold standards and minimize imperfection and inefficiency; there can be no exceptions. By adhering to these systems, there is a kind of equality and perfection, but a lack of risk, empathy, and imagination. As Georgina noted in her talk: “We need to be in control of technology, not in the thrall of it.” Maybe one of the dragons we face today, then, is automation and indifference. Is our gesture as Saint Michael simply to engage with each other as individuals when we have every excuse not to, when our very action could make us liable? According to Jan’s talk, if our dragon is indeed indifference, we need to meet each other, to connect with each other, and to participate in each other’s way of being. In doing so, we can enter a state of co-transformation. This is where creative action and courage live.”
Lobosch, from Beaver Farm shared his reflections: “For me personally the conference was really nice to connect with other people from different communities, especially those outside North America for I have never met anyone” from these other Camphill communities “and to hear about their different approaches, ideas and also their struggles. When hearing and talking about other people’s connection with their villagers/students it was also really helpful to reflect on my own relationship with them cause it’s an opinion from outside our own community. Additionally it was really nice to see a part of the whole dimension of the international community of Camphill and to see how well everyone got along.”
The movement now has a YouTube channel *Youth Conference YouTube Channel*! You can see all conference videos created since 2023! Stay tuned for the 2026 conference video!
Camphill Academy was delighted to sponsor the International Camphill Youth Conference, recognizing the importance of creating spaces where young people can come together across communities and countries.
If you enjoyed reading about the Camphill Youth Conference, you may also be interested in these upcoming events:
North American Youth section conference ‘COURAGE – from idea to initiative’ from August 3 – 7, 2026 in Fair Oaks, California. Camphill Academy is one of the sponsors and some of our current students will be attending the gathering. Registration is open here: https://www.nayouthsection.org/courage
Collective Wisdom Camp, Sweden August 12 – September 11, 2026 – Camp Information Link!
Pre-conference gathering for Young Professionals in the field of Inclusive Social Development from September 30 – October 2, 2026, at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. https://inclusivesocial.goetheanum.ch/en/news/pre-conference-for-young-professionals
