RAKU FOR EVERYONE!

Cinzia, ceramist

An appreciation day for Raku pottery and nude Raku. The participants will be asked to decorate and glaze three artifacts made and prepared just for them. The objects will then be baked in a special gas fueled oven and completed within the end of the day with the Raku and nude Raku techniques. This is an old Japanese process that creates stunning objects: covered in marked cracks or strong iridescent metallic colors that aren't reproducible. An important part of the course will be a careful analysis of the coats you can use, as to allow every student to learn how to decorate in full autonomy. During the course of the day there will also be the opportunity to observe the workshop, see the process that goes in to making pottery and lastly to see the various finished products. The seminary starts at 10:00 and finishes at 18:00 and breaks briefly for lunch (which is included). The pieces will be left to the students at the end of the day.

SENIGALLIA, An

FAMILY TOUR AT THE GOLDBEATER

Marino, goldbeater

This 40 minutes guided tour is perfect for a family since it is available for maximum 5 people. In the workshop of the venetian Battiloro, the only one in Italy and in Europe that turns gold bars into thin leaves following a method of the 18C, you will understand and observe how they actually transform this precious material. We will show this noble craft in all its stages inside the palace of the famous painter Titian. We will explain the different applications of those thin gold leaves. In the historic workshop, that is still intact since 1926, gold, silver and other precious metals are transformed into thin leaves, suitable for applications in many fields. The added value of our family-run business is the artisanal production and the passion that drives us: in fact, the whole working process is carried out with the old wisdom and the wealth of human labor. A unique experience that will make you touch gold with your hands! The price is always the same and collective, from 1 to a maximum of 5 people.

VENEZIA, Ve

THE BESPOKE SHOES LAB

Olivia, shoe maker and designer

I would love to welcome you in my world, where vintage tools and modern machineries are connected by an endless passion for this work. I will tell you about the whole process through which an handcrafted shoe is made, starting from the one-to-one design method to the one-of-a-kind actual realization. The visit will last approximately one hour and an half.

PESARO, Pu

SCULPTURE AND THE WHITE LECCE CHALKY STONE

Stefano, sculptor

I propose you a 3 hours long meeting consisting in a lab visit, a display of my creations, an introductory lesson to comprehend the typical Baroque from Lecce and to get familiar with the material (Lecce chalky stone), and a demonstration of baroque sculpture. You will then have a breakfast in my garden, so that you can taste the authentic Pasticciotti from Galatina, an amazing and unique pastry!

SOGLIANO CAVOUR, Le

YOUR FIRST JAPANESE PRINT

Mara, engraver

Become a carver and printer for a day and create your first Japanese woodblock print. An afternoon to be introduced to the wonders of this ancient printing technique that does not require the use of solvents or acids. After a brief introduction where you will have the chance to admire some original vintage woodblocks and some original Ukiyo-e prints; I will explain you the steps to create your first print. At this point you can work at your own design, or you can let yourself inspire by the many books in the studio. Carve and print your first simple printing with two wooden matrices and then print more copies of them on Japanese paper.

AVIGLIANA, To

THE WEAVING ART IN PERUGIA

Marta, weaver

Welcome to my atelier in the heart of Perugia! It will be a pleasure to host you in my atelier, the former Church of San Francesco delle Donne, a deconsecrated building that in 1200AD was the first Franciscan church in Perugia. Since 1996, the hand-weaving workshop of Giuditta Brozzetti—my great-grandmother and founder of the atelier—has been based in these magnificent premises, and today it is one of the last places in Italy to practice hand-weaving. I will tell you the history of the workshop, started in 1921 with the intuition of Giuditta who recovered traditional motifs and designs from the Umbrian territory and founded the workshop-school for the production of high quality artistic fabrics for home furnishings. Millennial techniques and ancient production phases are still used today to create incredibly contemporary fabrics of historical inspiration. I will show you our artistic production that has been hand-woven in linen, cotton, silk, cashmere blend and gold and silver laminate on antique eighteenth-century pedal looms and nineteenth-century Jacquard looms. You will understand the functioning of our imposing Jacquard looms and of my beloved original loom of the 1700s, with which I still make copies of the fabrics found in the frescoes by Pinturicchio, Giotto, and Luca Signorelli, but also the initial phase of the work process: the preparation of the warp and weft, set up with a machine that was modified by Leonardo da Vinci, according to a system that is more than 500 years old! After discovering the secrets of production, you will test yourself under my guide, creating a decorative tassel made with the yarns I use for my production, which you can take home with you as a souvenir of the experience!

PERUGIA, Pg

ARTISAN FOR AN HOUR

Gianpaolo, screen printer

A tour inside the discovery of screen-silk printing, a technique that allows you to experiment with colors and make a reproducible work of art while maintaining its uniqueness. The hands-on workshop takes place in the historic silkscreen laboratory of Cannaregio, in a unique and authentic Venice where art and tradition come together and come to life in the ancient crafts of the artisan workshops. Immersed in an archive consisting of more than a thousand works of art printed from 1968 to present, you will learn the secrets of the silkscreen and you will experience the printing of a one-color graphic on a support you choose among cardboard, t-shirt or canvas bag, which you'll take home as a souvenir of a creative and unusual adventure.

VENEZIA, Ve

FACCIAMO IL PAIO SHOES & DRINK

Olivia, shoe maker and designer

Tre serate esclusive all'insegna del romanticismo in cui potrete gustare un aperitivo in laboratorio a lume di candela mentre progettate le vostre scarpe di coppia. Possiamo incidere insieme i vostri nomi come all’interno delle fedi o progettare qualsiasi altra personalizzazione che racconti qualcosa di voi! ...un modo diverso per festeggiare non solo San Valentino, ma anche tutto il cammino che si fa a due. Le scarpe saranno poi realizzate da me e spedite direttamente a casa vostra!

PESARO, Pu

MARBLE AND STONE TAKE SHAPE

Luca, sculptor

This experience in my workshop will last a few hours, during which I will support you in the creation of an artifact carved in stone, with hammer and chisel in your hand and you will experience the thrill of giving birth to a piece of work just with your creativity and your manual skills. At the end of the workshop you will bring home your own creation.

GUBBIO, Pg