we play with concepts

Celebrating 16 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!

our big events at a glance

Save the dates for our upcoming programs. Registration will open soon!
comprehensive certification
certified training in philo facilitation
DETAILS
winter
programs
snowy camps and retreats for all ages
DETAILS
summer
camps
overnight camps in the wilderness for all ages
DETAILS
ideation
conference
international NAACI colloquium and workshops
DETAILS

autumn 2024

Our autumn events at our land of wonder in Lanaudière and in Montréal

All events are bilingual unless otherwise indicated. To stay informed, join our mailing list!
27-29 SEPTEMBER: Certification, part 1
4-6 OCTOBER: Research retreat
29 OCTOBER: Certification, virtual 1
30 OCTOBER: Philo club for adults (en)
8-9 NOVEMBER: Certification, part 2
10 NOVEMBER: Youth board workshop
13 NOVEMBER: Philo club for adults (fr)
26 NOVEMBER: Certification, virtual 2
27 NOVEMBER: Philo club for adults (en)
11 DECEMBER: Philo club for adults (fr)
13-14 DECEMBER: Certification, part 2
15 DECEMBER: Youth board workshop

winter 2025

Our winter events at our land of wonder in Lanaudière and in Montréal

All events are bilingual unless otherwise indicated. To stay informed, join our mailing list!
31 JAN-2 FEBRUARY: Research retreat
19 FEBRUARY: Philo club for adults (french)
22-23 FEBRUARY: Mini-camp for adults
3-7 MARCH: Winter camp for youth
11 MARCH: Philo club for adults (english)
26 MARCH: Philo club for adults (french)
9 APRIL: Philo club for adults (english)
23 APRIL: Philo club for adults (french)
27 APRIL: Youth board workshop
8 MAY: Philo club for adults (english)
TO COME: Philozineathon
TO COME: Research retreat

summer 2025

Our summer events at our land of wonder in Lanaudière and in Montréal

All events are bilingual unless otherwise indicated. To stay informed, join our mailing list!
19-20 JUNE: Team training
21 JUNE: Philo-family day
2-4 JULY: Discovery camp (ages 7-8)
7-11 JULY: Youth camp (ages 9-12)
14-18 JULY: Youth camp (ages 9-12)
28 JUL-1 AUG: Youth camp (ages 9-12)
5-6 AUGUST: Ideation workshop
7 AUGUST: Ideation tourist day
8-10 AUGUST: Ideation conference (NAACI)
13-15 AUGUST: Teen camp (ages 13+)
22-24 AUGUST: Mini-camp for adults
TO COME: Philozineathon
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 that promote human growth for curious humans to explore and enact what matters to them so they can grow in their confidence as capable, considerate thinkers. Philosophy should belong to everyone, so Brila wants to help democratize it!

what is philocreation?

Since 2007, Brila has been developing its signature Philocreation® approach that offers hundreds of hours of original, fully bilingual educational 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 educational 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 immersive programs

2025

our immersive
programs

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

Note: While all our programs are bilingual, participants can choose between English and French for the dialogue activities.
registration is open!
SPACES ARE LIMITED.
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.


Sign up to get details about our programs:
research-creation retreat
(ages 18+) | 31 JANUARY-2 FEBRUARY, 2025
Looking for an inspirational space to work on your next project? Our research-creation retreat invites you to carve out some quality time to devote to your project—whether it be an essay, a research proposal, an artistic piece, a course, a new multimedia initiative, and everything in between! Our retreat weekend offers you everything you need to dedicate yourself to your project, including brainstorming support, conceptual explorations, team activities and healthy meals. At Brila, we strive to promote human growth through accessible, supportive programs!

January 31-February 2, 2025
(2 days, 2 nights, from Saturday early afternoon to Sunday late afternoon)

$225

Program fees include meals, snacks and lodging, as well as the support and outdoor activities. No experience necessary. Participants are responsible for their own transport to and from our camp space in Lanaudière, Québec (one hour north of Montréal). We are happy to help coordinate carpooling!

—ARRIVALS: Friday, as of 1pm
—DEPARTURES: Sunday, as of 4pm

Email us for more details!
Spots are limited; first come, first served.
adult winter mini-camp
(ages +18) | FEBRUARY 22-23, 2025
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 to grow and develop as human beings through thought experiments, collaborative dialogues and creative projects, illuminating the unexpected through their ideas and creations. Each day will zero in on intriguing concepts, investigating them 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 snowshoeing and sledding to campfires and stargazing! Our cabins and indoor spaces all fully equipped with electricity and heating so everyone will be comfortable day and night.

February 22-23, 2025
(2 days, 1 night, from Saturday mid morning to Sunday late afternoon)

$225
***Reduced early registration fee of $185 before mid-December***

Program fees include meals, snacks and lodging, as well as all our original educational programming and outdoor activities. No experience necessary. Participants are responsible for their own transport to and from our camp space in Lanaudière, Québec (one hour north of Montréal). We are happy to help coordinate carpooling!

Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions for more details concerning our camps for adults.

—ARRIVALS: Saturday between 9am-9:30am
—DEPARTURES: Sunday, as of 4pm

Register now!
This program is full.

Spots are limited; first come, first served. STUDENT RATE available.

winter youth camp
(ages 9+) | MARCH 3-7, 2025
We are delighted to invite you to a winter adventure that will stimulate your children's creativity and thinking (ages 9 and up)! During March break 2025, join us for a bilingual camp in the heart of winter, where philosophy meets creativity and wilderness to promote human growth and fulfillment.

We will warm our brains with hot chocolate under a cozy blanket and engage in fascinating philosophical dialogues, followed by creative multimedia projects, wacky games and tasty meals. To complement these educational activities, we will also enjoy the great outdoors with snowshoeing in the forest, skating on the frozen beach and tobogganing down the hill. In the evenings, participants will stay in our heated eco-cabins, offering modern comforts in the heart of wintry nature. Our camp promises an unforgettable experience to think, imagine, play and discover. So if you are keen, grab your purple mittens and join us this winter!

March 3-7, 2025
(5 days, 4 nights, from Monday morning to Friday late afternoon)

$735
***Reduced early registration fee of $695 before mid-December***

Camp fees include meals, snacks and lodging for one week (5 days, 4 nights), all our original educational programming and outdoor activities, as well as bus transport between Montreal and our camp space in Lanaudière, Québec.

Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions for more details concerning our camps for youth.

Spots are LIMITED; FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. BURSARIES AVAILABLE. (PLEASE EMAIL US FOR BURSARY DETAILS).

This program is full.


our intensive trainings

2025

comprehensive
certifications & virtual courses

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

registration is open!
SPOTS ARE LIMITED. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.


Sign up to get details about our programs:
comprehensive certification
SEPTEMBER 2025-FEBRUARY 2026
(CANADIAN COHORT – QUEBEC, CANADA)
Our certification program aims to support a small group of people in developing the skills necessary to facilitate Philocreation® workshops (Level 1) for youth and adult communities. The program includes in-person and online training sessions (synchronous and asynchronous) over five months as well as individualised coaching and apprenticeship hours following the training. In keeping with the values of Philosophy for/with Children (P4wC), the training will take place in an immersive atmosphere that is both playful and rigorous to encourage collaboration between participants.

Three of the main strengths of our training are :

the emphasis on hands-on practice, which concretises and consolidates learning, and access to over 50 hours of pedagogical material on a variety of concepts tested with thousands of youth and adults;
the limited number of participants, which allows for targeted support and an intimate ambience; and
the quality assurance of our methods and materials ensured by Brila's 17+ years of experience in the field and by the expertise in P4wC facilitation, training and research of our team, who hold doctorates in philosophy and education.

Once the certification is obtained, participants will have the opportunity to facilitate creative philosophy workshops on their own in the settings that interest them, whether with youth in schools or extra-curricular activities, or with adults in a variety of contexts. Certified participants can also participate in Brila's many projects. So do not wait any longer—embark on the Philocreation® adventure!

In-person training
(44 hours of immersive training)
—Session 1: September 26 (start: 18h) to September 28 (end: 16h30) – at our space in the wilderness in Lanaudière, in a retreat format
—Session 2: December 5 (16h30 to 21h30) and December 6 (9h to 18h30) – in Montreal
—Session 3: February 20 (16h30 to 21h30) and February 21 (9h to 18h30) – in Montreal

Online synchronous training
(4 hours of community of practice)
—Session 1: November 5 (19h to 21h) – on Zoom
—Session 2: February 4 (19h to 21h) – on Zoom

Online asynchronous training
(12 hours of guided preparation)
—Autumn: 8 hours at participants’ own rhythm – on the online platform
—Winter:
4 hours at participants’ own rhythm – on the online platform

Language of instruction: French (with support for anglophones)

$1,350
Spots are limited; first come, first served. STUDENT RATE AND BURSARIES AVAILABLE. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

Program fees include: the synchronous training sessions (48 hours), the asynchronous hours of guided preparation (12 hours), the pedagogical guide with workshop plans and facilitation supports (50+ hours of tried and tested programming), the online multimedia platform, remote support throughout the program, the individualised online coaching, the written assessment and the retreat (lodging, meals and snacks as well as wilderness activities).

Program requirements include:
the asynchronous hours of guided preparation online, the facilitation practice alongside peers with feedback during the in-person sessions, the 24 apprentice hours in the field with a practice journal, te two representative videos to be submitted for final assessment in order to obtain the certification.

For more information, please click on the links below to download the training overview and training outline. If you would like to register for certification, please complete the information form first by clicking the “application” button below and we will contact you as soon as possible with registration availability.

training outline
transforming perceptions of childhood
FEBRUARY-JUNE, 2026
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 (with support for francophones)

Details will be available this spring.
Spots are limited; first come, first served. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
OUR TESTIMONIALS

experiences with brila

For more than 16 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:

what parents are saying...‍

AFTER A DECADE WITH BRILA

"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."

"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."

what participants are saying...

AFTER SPENDING THEIR CHILDHOOD WITH BRILA

"I’ve spent two-thirds of my life at Brila! Without philosophy, I wouldn’t have learnt there is a whole world to explore: your mind. I love the hands-on creative projects and the perspectives."

"I keep coming back because Brila is something special. It has really changed me—forged and sculpted part of my personality for the better. Transformation is the word to describe it!"

"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."

what apprentices are saying...‍

AFTER TRAINING WITH BRILA

"I think everyone should go through this training! I see it as a deepening and a widening of perspectives on philosophical facilitation. Philocreation gives so many tools and aids to make the process both playful and rigorous."

"What keeps me coming back is I feel like my way of thinking is finally challenged and welcomed at the same time, which is truly the best experience possible. Sharing beautiful thinking with other wonderful people!"

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 educational resources to launch your mind adventures:

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

give the gift of imagination

Celebrate the holidays philocreatively as a family! Download our free activities, especially chosen for the holidays, from conceptual dances and innovative scavenger hunts to hope mobiles and wacky meals that test your team spirit!

MUSIC VIDEO

dancing in your mind: a story about philosophy

Imagine a world where concepts are alive and living in community, as creatures with their own thoughts and feelings. Now imagine we could visit this Land of Wonder… with a very special guide: Philosophy! What might happen? What could we learn? This music video “Dancing in your Mind” features young philosophers from Brila telling an imaginative tale about following the concept of Philosophy on its creative path. Watch the video then download the free workshop plan that offers a series of Philocreation® activities for kids ages 9 and up! 

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 with the magazines Les Explorateurs and Les Débrouillards for kids ages 6 to 12, including the award-winning books Les Oizofilos.

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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