WELCOME ONBOARD
Dearest newest and returning members of Feÿtopia,
Welcome! We are super excited to welcome you and get to know you here at Château du Fey.
Feÿtopia is a constantly evolving ecosystem and an incredible laboratory for experimenting with how we live together. Feÿtopia is also a unique opportunity to share experiences, work, have intellectual stimulation, and physical well-being in an exceptional setting.
Our onboarding process is a proactive step towards making the culture of Feÿtopia explicit to each member. We strive to craft a space where it feels safe to let go of societal masks, to explore and experiment. And remember: true safety is a shared responsibility, not a given. We encourage you to understand and respect your own boundaries and those of others. We strive to create a space where we hold each other accountable and feel empowered to stand up for each other. Mutual awareness is the key to enthusiastic and flourishing participation in our community.
You will find here all the info you need to navigate your stay at Feÿ.
Looking forward to serendipitous adventures with you, see you soon!!
Love,
Feytopians
❤️
What you should do before or upon arriving
💬👋 Comms
Join this Signal channel , say hi, and introduce yourself 🙌. This is where you’ll learn about what’s happening. For example, our daily sport, dinner gong, evening improv sessions or a mid-day football game. This is also where we are holding asynchronous communications about topics of interest, feel free to explore the different channels.
🚕 Getting here
By train : Château du Feÿ is located 1h10 from Paris from the Lyon and Bercy (shorter) stations (direct train TER, stop at Joigny). www.sncf.com or Download the app Trainline
By car : Château du Feÿ is just 1h30 from Paris on the A6. Simply take exit 18 towards Joigny, then drive 15km before taking the turning for Villecien. There is plenty of onsite parking space for guests.
Before arriving make sure you've secured a car to pick you up at the station :
Option 1: a friend at Feytopia picking you up
Option 2 : a Taxi. Salim (+33 6 50 64 25 30) is wonderful, you can whats’app him. Otherwise Hassan : +33 6 79 61 50 32
🥗 🧽 Meals and Cleaning
Feÿtopia is fully vegetarian. Please express diet preferences and food hopes & dreams when you arrive on the white board in the breakfast room - we will try to accommodate if appropriate. Grocery stores are available for complementary purchase to adapt to your personal needs.
Be ready to participate! We are a community who believes it’s more about what you give than what you get. We cook for each other, eat together and always try to leave places better than how we found them. For example, we always wash, dry, and put away our dishes. We take turns hosting events for each other. We party and clean together because we love each other 💞.
Practical aspects
🗑 Cleaning& Recycling
Always clean after yourself, and leave spaces better than you found them.
Please support the staff and remove your bed sheets before leaving ! It is a small gesture that will make the life of the staff much easier !
Recycling at fey: there are signs around to help you understand what goes in what bin. In doubt, ask around or in Whatsapp Group
Washing dishes: follow signs!
Laundry: Use the outside washing machines, the indoor ones are strictly reserved for the Fey team. If you need help to locate the outside machine, ask someone.
🚗 Cosmobile
This is our communal car: Keys are in the staff office - never lock the car or we wont be able to open it again. Fill the tank when you can.
☂️ Weather
Winter can be cold. We have the luxury of having fireplaces to keep us warm but we also recommend bringing warm clothes and blankets to keep you comfy throughout the day.
Château fashion can involve wearing coats inside for stylistic and practical purposes
Feel free to ask château team members for additional blankets whenever needed!
🧯Fire Safety
Fireplaces: there are only two usable fireplaces in the Chateau, one in the living room and one in the dining room. Please do not turn any other fireplaces. For more information, see the video below:
🧖♀️Sauna Stewardship
Sauna: We have recently set up a multi person wood sauna next to the Cosmic Spa. This is a community tended experience and each week one person will volunteer to tend to the sauna prep. When the sauna is running and people are using it, please place a log on the fire. The last person or group in the sauna at night should let the fire go out and do not need to put a log onto the fire.
Watch the video below for more in depth instructions on how to use the sauna:
✅Help the Environment
To limit our contribution to climate change and keep the energy bill to a reasonable level we embrace energy sobriety. To support:
* Do not change the heating settings in your rooms. If you are cold, try putting on a few more layers <3.
* Close open doors at all times. Keep windows closed at all times.
* Make a fire to spread the heat. (Fires are only allowed in the dining room and main salon room)
👩❤️👩Community Togetherness
Community meeting
Every Friday, at 7pm, we are holding our community meeting. It is a great opportunity to catch up amongst all of us, hear about our highlights from the week, and discuss outstanding issues and future activities. Join us if you can!
Château du Feÿ Workers
The community goes beyond Feÿtopia and includes the people that care for the Château du Feÿ by taking care of the garden, maintenance, housekeeping, admins…. Please say hi, introduce yourself in French: "je m’appelle X”. We never say “MERCI” enough.
Coworking
Please do not take calls in co-working areas. Calls are to be taken into open bedrooms.
Open Room Policy: to leave the room you occupy available to those who need an isolated space to make calls during the day, you can indicate a room is open by leaving the door open/ using a sign but PLEASE do not use clean rooms - only occupied rooms by fellow feytopians.
Sport
We hope to meet every day at noon for those who wish to participate. Please feel empowered to propose activities: runs / cardio, strength training, fitness classes, etc.
Get involved at the G.G.G.G (Greek Gods and Goddesses Gym)
Should you wish to lead a sports session, volunteer in the Signal group or coordinate with the volunteer community trainer.
Gardening
Winter: there is still work to do! Go find Jess or Rose if you want to be involved in gardening activities.
Evening activities
There are many possible evening activities: collective dinners or discussions, dance parties or philosophy salons, karaokes, debates, movies nights... Suggest an activity, find a buddy to help you set it up, or take the lead!
Please share when you are doing something fun, with the Signal group! Sometimes people are in their room and don’t realize there is an opportunity to participate.
Also please feel warmly invited to organize activities that are chill, adventurous, contemplative, and even silent. “Activity” doesn’t have to mean “party”! We also do reading together, cutting hair, walks, teaching and skill sharing sessions, etc.
Alcohol
Starting in 2025 alcohol can be purchased at your booking time or on site while at the castle.
Wine bottles can be purchased by the bottle at the sign out sheet. Each morning the staff will count the amount of bottles left and calculate the funds received.
Parties
We don’t have partying rules now, just be mindful of everyone in the chateau. Some are hoping for a peaceful and restorative stay. We might set up a party space a bit remote from main living areas, let us know if you’d like to help!
Consent
Consent Beyond the Bedroom: Consent at Feÿtopia is not confined to sexual contexts. Whether it's a group activity or a one-on-one conversation, consent is about ensuring everyone involved is on the same page.
How we understand consent: Getting consent is the act of making sure everyone involved in a given activity is able to give their ok, understands what’s going on, and willingly chooses to engage in that activity. The basics are simple. The application of consent is complex, emotional, and takes practice. Consent must be informed, reversible, and willfully given.
Altered States: In situations involving substances, tread very carefully. Consent gets trickier, particularly with people you have not had close intimacy with before. Clear, sober conversations beforehand about boundaries and desires are vital.
Authentic Participation: Asking and receiving verbal consent can be a good practice, but the body speaks, too. Pay attention to non-verbal cues – they're often louder than words. In doubt, check-in, or take a step back.
Power: Power dynamics, often subtle and complex, are part of any social group. They manifest in various forms within communities– social standing, resource disparities, knowledge asymmetry - and intersect with wider power structures. Being aware of your own privilege and power over others is essential when practicing consent. Acknowledging these is the first step towards ensuring they don't undermine our collective effort to create a respectful and inclusive space.
Relationship History: The camaraderie and physical closeness you will observe may have been nurtured over years. Respect the uniqueness of each bond and don’t assume this proximity automatically transfers to you. Take time to organically build relationships with people.
Support System
Emotional Ecologists & Community Discussions: The Emotional Ecologists are your go-to for support and mediation. They host weekly sharing circles. The community will host regular workshops and discussions to explore and understand personal boundaries.
Self and Collective Accountability: At Feÿtopia, empowerment is important. Feel confident to speak up or check-in if something doesn't sit right with you. We are here to support each other, and self-reliance and boundary awareness are equally important.
Shared Responsibility and Participation towards collective care: Each of us holds some responsibility for the people we invite to Feÿtopia. Should an issue arise with someone you introduced into the collective, we encourage you to be part of the solution.
Continuous Learning: Learning about how to create meaningful and flourishing relationships is a journey. It's about evolving together, turning experiences into lessons, and building a culture of mutual respect and support.