we play with concepts

Celebrating 15 years of creative philosophy projects for imaginative minds of all ages!

In honour of Brila's big birthday, we are building a new website and training platform! In the meantime, you can learn a bit about our approach and projects on this temporary page.

we specialize in immersive philosophical experiences

Brila is an educational charity committed to inspiring youth and communities through philosophical dialogue and creative projects. Our workshops, camps, trainings and consultations encourage participants young and old to wonder aloud about life’s big questions and express their ideas through our signature Philocreation® approach. If you’ve got quirky, caring brains, Brila projects are for you!

registration is open!

Register for our summer camps...
Please fill out an information form. We will then contact you with registration availability according to your child's age and language preferences!

Click here for our adult mini-camp !

FEATURED NEWS

discover our land of wonder!

Discover our new headquarters in the wilderness just one hour north of Montréal! This beautiful 96-acre space boasts a lake, a forest, a field, eco-friendly lodgings and more, to enable truly immersive philocreative experiences in nature for youth and communities. We are so excited to be launching our camps, workshops and trainings in the great outdoors as of the summer of 2023!

This film was made on the unceded territory of the Algonquin people.
IN THE MEDIA

brila's projects have been featured in....

the power of philosophy

In a world overflowing with complex issues, Brila feels it is crucial to curate immersive and collaborative philosophical spaces for curious humans to explore and enact what matters to them so they can grow in their confidence as capable, considerate thinkers.

what is philocreation?

Since 2007, Brila has been developing its signature Philocreation® approach that offers hundreds of hours of original, fully bilingual programming for thinkers of all ages. Fusing different kinds of philosophical dialogues and unique creative projects, this approach inspires participants to playfully and rigorously engage with the concepts that are most alive in their lives, and share their ideas in our philosophical magazines. Brila’s pedagogical materials have been tested with thousands of brilliant youth and hundreds of inspired educators, and form the focus of longitudinal studies on the positive impacts of creative philosophy. Brila is a proud member of the global network for public philosophy and the international Philosophy for/with Children (P4wC) movement, endorsed by UNESCO for its commitment to peace-building.

BRILA'S GLOBAL AFFILIATIONS INCLUDE...

our clients

Brila has had the privilege of working with amazing organizations, both locally and globally, providing them with expert training, tailored pedagogical materials and immersive experiences in Philocreation®, including…

Brila is also the community partner of the University of Montreal’s Institute of Philosophy, Citizenship and Youth.

BRILA AT A GLANCE...
+20,000
youth participants
+5,000
adult trainees
+22,000
philosophical dialogues
+230
international events

our services

At Brila, we imagine concepts as if they were living creatures with lessons to share with us!

Our programs strive to curate safe, inspiring spaces to explore perspectives and make sense of the world and our place in it.
As a charity, Brila has a special focus on marginalized communities, offering bursaries to families and schools, and serving refugee and new immigrant populations.

camps & intensives

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY 

Our multi-day imaginative thinking labs in nature—available for youth and for adults—inspire participants to take on a flurry of philosophical dialogues, creative projects and conceptual games, setting the stage for producing their very own philosophical magazines.

workshops & clubs

GET A REGULAR DOSE OF PHILOCREATIVE FUN

Our workshop series offer brain candy for all ages! We design classroom and extra-curricular programs for youth from preschool through college, as well as special seminars for families and community groups looking to play with concepts to bulk up their grey matter.

trainings & coaching

LEARN TO USE THE PHILOCREATION® APPROACH

Our training programs and certification pathway equip educators, parents and community leaders with the skills to become strong philosophical facilitators and gain access to our huge bank of tried and tested pedagogical materials for thinkers at all life stages.

conceptual consulting

GROW AS A TEAM WITH PHILOCREATIVE SUPPORTS

Our custom consultations support artists, creative companies, social entrepreneurs and outreach groups to think through the concepts underlying their missions, empowering them with unique philosophical team-building and project development.

our upcoming programs

2023

summer programs

Experience our amazing new space in the wilderness in one of our immersive Philocreation® adventures.

Note: While all our summer programs are bilingual, participants can choose between English and French for the dialogue activities.
save the date!
REGISTRATION OPENS FEBRUARY 24!

VISIT OUR CAMP PAGE!

Sign up to get the details:
overnight camps (ages 9-12) | JULY 10-28, 2023
Calling kids aged 9 through 12 who have big hearts, bold thoughts and spirited imaginations! Our summer overnight camps are unique thinking labs set in a beautiful natural setting by our lake and enchanted forest. Inspired by their own philosophical dialogues, participants will take on a flurry of projects, from drawing and photography to writing, performance and multimedia, energized by facilitators and special guests who are practicing professionals. Beyond learning to think and make outside the box, participants will get to enjoy the great outdoors with activities ranging from swimming and kayaking to hikes, campfires and stargazing!

SESSION 1: July 10-14, 2023
(5 days, 4 nights, from Monday morning to Friday evening)

SESSION 2: July 17-21, 2023
(5 days, 4 nights, from Monday morning to Friday evening)

SESSION 3: July 24-28, 2023
(5 days, 4 nights, from Monday morning to Friday evening)

Camp fees include meals and lodgings, as well as bus transport to and from our nature space (meeting spot in Montreal). Bursaries available.

Click here for registration and payment details!
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
family day (ages 6+) | AUGUST 5, 2023
Bond with your loved ones in a jam-packed day of thinking games and creative outbursts in our beautiful space in the wild! From conceptual scavenger hunts and artistic projects to hilarious relay races, our philosophical family day is an inspiration booster for budding thinkers and their parents. Beyond learning to think and make outside the box, participants will get to enjoy the great outdoors with activities ranging from swimming to hiking!

August 5, 2023
(Saturday, mid morning to late afternoon)

Program fees include activities facilitated by our seasoned educational team as well as lunch and snacks.

Registration and payment details will be available March 31!
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
teen leadership workshop (ages 13+) | AUGUST 9-11, 2023
Are you an emerging leader in your school or community? Our teen leadership program is a highly concentred dose of creative thinking for young agents of change! Over three days, participants will get the opportunity to hone their skills as leaders, experimenting with novel ideas and creative forms alongside seasoned educators and practicing professionals in creative fields ranging from writing and design to illustration and new media. Through multifaceted projects inspired by the social issues that resonate with them most, they will get to collaborate with others who share their energy and vision, while shaping each other into leaders in their schools and communities. Beyond learning to think and make outside the box, participants will get to enjoy the great outdoors with activities ranging from swimming and kayaking to hikes, campfires and stargazing!

August 9-11, 2023
(3 days, 2 nights, from Wednesday morning to Friday evening)

Workshop fees include meals and lodgings, as well as transport to and from our nature space (meeting spot in Montreal). Bursaries available.

Click here for registration and payment details!
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
adult mini-camp (all levels) | AUGUST 18-20, 2023
Who says overnight camp is just for kids? Set in our beautiful nature space, our philosophy mini-camp for the young at heart invites adults to boost and bend their mental landscape with thought experiments, collaborative dialogues and creative projects, illuminating the unexpected through their ideas and creations. Each day will zero in on an intriguing concept, investigating it from every angle for maximum mental gymnastics. Beyond learning to think and make outside the box, participants will get to enjoy the great outdoors with activities ranging from swimming and kayaking to hikes, campfires and stargazing!

August 18-20, 2023
(2.5 days, 2 nights, from Friday late afternoon to Sunday late afternoon)

Program fees include meals and lodgings. No experience necessary. Student rate and bursaries available.

Click here for registration and payment details!
Spots are limited; first come, first served.

our current programs

2023

winter
programs

Enrol in one of our Philocreation® trainings to learn how to facilitate our signature workshops and dive into the world of creative philosophy.

Note: The winter/spring cohorts are full!
registration closed
NEW PROGRAMS COMING NEXT AUTUMN!
comprehensive certification | JANUARY-MAY, 2023
Our comprehensive certification program (Level 1) aims to support a small, focused group of practitioners in developing the skills necessary to facilitate beginner Philocreation® workshops for youth and adult communities. The program includes training sessions, coaching sessions as well as apprenticeship hours over five months.

IN-PERSON AND ONLINE SESSIONS
Language of instruction: French

This program is full.
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
emerging ethical minds  | JANUARY-MAY, 2023
This intimate online course aims to nurture collaborative inquiry into our unquestioned assumptions about childhood and children’s capacities as ethical thinkers. The program includes virtual sessions, interviews with leading experts and reflection activities.

ONLINE SESSIONS
Language of instruction: English

This program is full.
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
OUR TESTIMONIALS

experiences with brila

For more than 15 years, we have had the chance of witnessing amazing humans grow up with our philocreative programs! Meet some of our long-standing participants and parents:

"I think it’s a very welcoming, accepting environment so my girls have felt very free to be themselves, to express themselves, to ask questions that are outside the normal realm."

"It's so fun! You get to think about things a lot more deeply than just a surface level and realize that your actions have real impact and realize your reasons for doing things."

"Since arriving in Canada, my sons feel part of something important so they have a responsibility to build toward a more peaceful atmosphere of discussion."

More testimonials coming soon! These films were made on the unceded territory of the Algonquin people.

FEATURE PUBLICATIONS

our philozines

Brila’s philosophical magazines—or “philozines”—come alive with the ideas and creations of our participants, from powerful words and drawings to inventive photos and multimedia. Check out some of our latest issues:

issue 32

Can belief be scary? This philozine explores the nature of belief and our fears over what we cherish most.

issue 33

How can teens find their voice? This philozine dives deep into taking action for the environment and citizenship.

issue 20

What does it mean to know? This philozine uses comics to consider the tricky dimensions of knowledge.

FREE RESOURCES

adventures in your mind

We are working on a new training platform full of Philocreation® materials! In the meantime, discover these free resources to launch your mind adventures:

philoquests

An online platform with over a hundred free activities of creative reflection and conceptual play for youth and their families, developed with the University of Montreal.

philopodcast

An award-nominated series with Radio Canada featuring our expert young philosophers discussing with leading thinkers on everything from art and power to the environment.

philocomics

A series of concept-driven comics co-created with the magazines Les Explorateurs and Les Débrouillards for kids ages 6 to 12, including the award-winning books Les Oizofilos.

support our cause

Oh, you generous thing! If you are willing and able, we'd love your support, whether through a donation of funds or equipment. As an educational charity committed to ethics and sustainability, we make the most of every penny and appreciate any gifts. All donations are tax deductible.

make a donation

the meaning of brila

Brila means “brilliant” and “bright” in Esperanto, which is fitting as we believe shiny brains are far better than lacklustre ones! Plus, we chose a name that defies boundaries since we work in multiple languages with many cultures, from Indigenous communities to immigrant families.

watch our documentary
CONTACT

connect with us

info@brila.org
438.338.5956
PO Box 47535, RPO Plateau Mont-Royal, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H2H 2S8
SIGN UP FOR OUR


Brila’s space is situated in Lanaudière, Québec, Canada, one hour north of Montréal. We acknowledge that our headquarters is located in the unceded territory of the Algonquin people.

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