Desert Mirage Journey

We are constantly surrounded by

influences, references, techniques, information, aesthetics, expectations.

Layer upon layer accumulates, until
what wants to be born can't find its way.

In Japanese, there is a word for the space where something can be born.

間Mathe space in between

Not emptiness, but a living interval: the pause between movements, the silence between sounds, the unseen field from which forms emerge.

The desert is a vast field of Ma.
Desert Mirage Journey is the space you offer yourself, so that what wants to be born can finally find its way.

I give myself this space

Days walking with the nomads. Nights under the stars. Time to create, far from screens.

At a glance

12 daysDecember 10 – 21, 2026. From Marrakech to the Sahara and back.

8 days, 9 nightsof nomadic walking through the dunes, with a nomad team born in the desert.

8 to 14 participantsEvery discipline, every level. Held in English.

Co-creationNo teacher, no program. We hold the space like midwives, the desert is the guide, and what wants to emerge finds its own form.

Everything includedRiad, camp, bivouac, meals in the desert, transfers, nomad guides. Not included: flights and insurance.

From €1,350Early bird extended until October 17.

"No noise, no cars, no TV, no radio, no lights, no signs, no phone. Nothing, just being there. Magnificent. Travelling with Anys is not a trip. It's an adventure."Pascal Wagner · April 2024

Price

Early bird extended until October 17.12 days, everything included.

Dormitory

€1350

~~€1560~~

Twin room

€1450

~~€1640~~

Single room

€1640

~~€1820~~

Included: accommodation, vegetarian meals during the journey, airport and desert transfers, nomad guides, the residency itself, a professional photographer.
Not included: flights, travel insurance, meals on arrival and departure days in Marrakech, tips. Partial scholarships available on request.

Optional: Hugo Martial, photographer of the residency, covers the journey. You will be able to buy photos of you, or book an individual session with him.
Learn more

14 places

Are you ready?

Leave your details. We reply with the full information and set up a short call to meet you.

Thank you.

Your request has reached us. We will write to you soon with the full details and to set up a short call.

Prefer to talk first?

I'd rather write on WhatsApp

The Journey · Theme: Ma

December 10 – 21
12 Days · From Marrakech to the Sahara

Day 1

Marrakech.

The colours, the smells, the effervescence, before everything goes quiet.

Airport pickup, night in a traditional riad in the medina.

Day 2

The road south.

Through the Atlas, down into the Sahara.

Days 3 to 8

Desert.

Walking with the nomads and the camels. Bivouac, practice, silence.

Days 9 and 10

Artistic emergence.

What surfaced in the desert finds its own form.

At the fixed camp: co-creation, performance, integration.

Days 11 and 12

The road back north,

and one last night in the medina.

Departure on December 21.

Racines du Désert

Walking with the nomads.

Our hosts are nomads from the Draa Valley, born in the desert. Faysal, Abdallah, Ali, Mohamed, Bachir and their team walk, cook and live with you every step of the way.

They share their way of life: the fire made only from dead wood, the water never wasted, the traces left behind always erased. Tea poured slowly, songs and stories under the stars.

"I grew up in an environment that unites the simplicity of nomads and their noble culture. Today, even settled, at the bottom of my heart I remain a Nomad."Faysal · Desert guide, M'Hamid el Ghizlane

Where You Sleep

Accommodation

Marrakech, Nights 1 & 12

Riad

Traditional Moroccan architecture in the heart of the medina. Breakfast included, airport transfers included.

Fixed Camp, Nights 2, 3, 10, 11

Fixed Bivouac

Adobe buildings built by nomad hands in the dunes. Rooms of 4, some with private bathroom. Shared spaces, communal meals.

Sahara, Nights 4 to 9

Nomadic Bivouac

Sleep under a shared nomad tent or under the Milky Way. Universe as roof, spacious desert as ground, silence as lullaby.

A culture of midwifery

The midwives who hold the space.

This residency is not organized around a central authority, teacher, or guide. Instead, we practice mutual midwifery.

As organizers, we hold the structure and the safe space that allow the residency to unfold, so that each of you can arrive, feel held, and let go. The desert itself becomes the primary guide.

And within that space, each participant carries their own agency, responsibility, and permission in the creative process. No one over-determines the outcome. Together we create the conditions in which something can emerge.

Yi Chen@yi.ankoku

Born in China, Yi Chen is a Butoh-inspired dancer, performance artist, facilitator, and curator. Her work explores a dimensional space bridging the visible and invisible. Drawing from Qigong, Kalaripayattu, Noguchi Taiso, Ankoku Butoh, and the exploration of subconscious and subtle-body states, her practice investigates the body as a site of transformation, perception, and encounter.

- Yi has co-directed and curated numerous international artistic gatherings, including the Space Between Butoh Festival in Bern, Switzerland, and several long-form Butoh residencies and performance laboratories in China. -

She is also a co-creator of the Desert Mirage Journey since its first edition. Having crossed this desert before, she knows that each journey reveals a different landscape, both outwardly and within.

Anys@anys.mechkar

Painter, dancer, and guide of desert retreats and initiatory journeys. His work, on paper and through the body, draws from Butoh, Tao, calligraphy, and elemental movement. Each performance is conceived as a ritual: a psychomagical act that bridges the personal and the universal.

Franco-Moroccan, nomadic by nature. The Sahara is not a destination for him. It is a place of return.

The photographer

Hugo MartialPhotographer & filmmaker

Hugo Martial devotes himself to exploring and sharing wonder and mystery.
As a photographer, he works with the worlds of lifestyle and wellbeing.
He founded vivres, a place of residency between art, awareness and nature, and photographed and filmed its story for years. He travels with Desert Mirage Journey and documents the journey.

Discover his work

They have walked this desert

Words from
past journeys

"No noise, no cars, no TV, no radio, no lights, no signs, no phone. Nothing, just being there. Magnificent. Travelling with Anys is not a trip. It's an adventure."

Pascal Wagner Desert journey, April 2024

"Each evening, I chose a dune to sleep under the stars with my bundle. A journey to the heart of the simple and the true. Anys knew how to accompany me through the inner desert while preserving my autonomy, with presence, gentleness, non-judgment."

Sandrine Barrande Initiatory desert journey, November 2023

"Before we left, Anys was precious in calming our concerns. Once we arrived, each of our needs, each sensitive state, found its place. I was struck by the range of approaches he was able to offer us, each one exactly right."

Céline Mercatello Desert retreat

"Anys took time with each of us. Time to care. Time to listen when we needed it. Time to let us be free, to laugh, to cry, to be silent. Sacred spaces of sharing. A harmony of rhythms. Very precious days."

Joséphina Bos 5 days in the Moroccan desert

Previous editions

What the desert has already held.

2024 · FilmImre ThormannButoh & Noguchi Taiso

2023 · FilmYumiko YoshiokaButoh dancer & facilitator

The previous editions were built around a single master practitioner. This edition takes another form: an open, cross-disciplinary residency where each participant brings their practice.

Details

Included & Excluded

Included

Artistic practice and co-creation throughout the residency
Guided nomadic desert trek with local guides
Airport pickup and drop off on Day 1 and Day 12
Round trip transportation Marrakech to desert and back
All vegetarian meals and drinking water during the journey, except on the arrival and departure days in Marrakech. Special diets on request
12 days accommodation: Marrakech, fixed camp and nomadic bivouac
Journey documented by a professional photographer

Excluded

Plane tickets
Extra private photo session in the desert
Travel insurance (required on arrival)
Individual care
Tips for guides and crew
Personal expenses

Vegetarian cuisine prepared by local chefs. Priority on local, seasonal ingredients. If you have specific dietary needs, contact us before booking.

Before you come

Questions

Do I need to be a professional artist?

No. The residency is open to all who have a passion for artistic creation and collaboration: professional or not, from any discipline, at any level. What matters is the willingness to create, to listen, and to co-create with others. We hold a short call with each applicant to make sure the journey is right for you.

What level of physical fitness is required?

The trek involves walking around 3 to 4 hours per day across sand, at a calm pace, with camels carrying the luggage. No specific training is needed, but you should be comfortable walking and spending full days outdoors. If you have any health concerns, tell us during the call.

What is the weather like in December?

December in the Sahara brings mild, sunny days (around 20°C) and cold nights that can drop near 0°C. Warm layers, a good sleeping bag, and a hat are essential. A full packing list is sent once you are registered.

What language is the residency in?

This is an international gathering, and the residency is conducted entirely in English. Participants come from many countries. It is important that you feel comfortable expressing yourself and understanding others in English, as this is how we will share, create, and hold the space together.

How does payment work?

A 50% transfer confirms your registration, with the balance due before departure. Early bird prices apply until October 17th. A scholarship is available on request. Payment details are shared after your call.

Your place in the desert

The desert is waiting.

Leave your details. No payment at this stage: first, a short call to meet you.