The Mayor of Fivizzano, the walled mediaeval town near the Watermill, where we go for an introductory dinner in the main square the first Saturday of our creative courses and to visit the weekly market on Tuesdays, has written to the director of the world-famous Uffizi gallery in Florence, saying “we are ready when you are.†(Or words to that effect.)
It is part of a new initiative by Eike Schmidt, the director of the most important Italian museum, called Uffizi diffuse. The aim is to unearth some of the hidden artworks, buried in the gallery’s basements and other storage areas, and display them in other venues throughout Tuscany.
Our mayor, Gianluigi Giannetti, has written to the Director, asking to participate in the project and we are now expecting a visit by managers from the Uffizi to inspect our local museum, in the old Augustinian monastery, just off the main piazza.
I don’t think we are expecting Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, nor Leonardo’s Annunciation, but it will be fascinating to see what hidden Italian art treasures find the way to our sleepy and unspoiled market town. Yet another reason to come on one of our renowned creative courses. You can find out all about them by clicking here.
As we begin, at last, to get to grips with the coronavirus, we are confident that in a couple of months time we are going to be able to welcome guests again on our creative courses. Rest assured that, like you, we are monitoring the situation carefully and if we are still unable to run some of our earliest courses, we have contingency plans to postpone them until later in the year.
We already have many bookings for next year’s creative courses at the Watermill, in painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language. Some 215 places are already taken out of a potential total of some 250/260. So now is the time
We would love to welcome you here and we have made a little slideshow to try to capture the atmosphere the Watermill. You can view it by clicking here. And below you will find details of all our painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language weeks. Come and join us: it will be a wonderful way of celebrating a new beginning.
Carl March One or two places available
Saturday 15 May to Saturday 22 May 2021
Drawing and watercolours en plein air
To learn more about Carl and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Grahame Booth Fully booked, waiting list open
Saturday 22 May to Saturday 29 May 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Grahame and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Sandra Strohschein (1) One or two places remaining
Saturday 5 June to Saturday 12 June 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Sandra Strohschein (2) Fully booked, waiting list open
Saturday 12 June to Saturday 19 June 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Paul Talbot-Greaves Places available
Saturday 19 June to Saturday 26 June 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Paul and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Rebecca de Mendonça Three or four places remaining
Saturday 26 June to Saturday 3 July 2021
Pastels and mixed media
To learn more about Rebecca and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Vicki Norman One or two places remaining
Saturday 3 July to Saturday 10 July 2021
Oils and watercolours (and other mediums)
To learn more about Vicki and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Sue Ford Places available
Saturday 10 July to Saturday 17 July 2021
Watercolours, pastels, collage and mixed media plus acrylic
To learn more about Sue and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Caroline Deeble Places available
Saturday 7 August to Saturday 14 August 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Caroline and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Randy Hale Places available
Saturday 21 August to Saturday 28 August 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Randy and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Mike Willdridge Recently opened, places available
Saturday 28 August to Saturday 4 September 2021
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics.)
To learn more about Mike and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Mike Willdridge One place available
Saturday 4 September to Saturday 11 September 2021
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)
To learn more about Mike and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Milind Mulick Places available
Saturday 11 September to Saturday 18 September 2021
‘Colourful Watercolours’
To learn more about Milind and his week at the Watermill please click here.
Brienne Brown one or two places remaining
Saturday 18 September to Saturday 25 September 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Brienne and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Charles Sluga Places available
Saturday 25 September to Saturday 2 October 2021
Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)
To learn more about Charles and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Tim Wilmot One or two places remaining
Saturday 2 October to Saturday 9 October 2021
Watercolours
To learn more about Tim and his week at the Watermill, please click here.
Ali Hargreaves Two places available
Saturday 9 October to Saturday 16 October 2021
Watercolour and mixed media
To learn more about Ali and her week at the Watermill, please please click here.
Our elevating knitting weeks
Louisa Harding Fully booked, waiting list open
29 May – 5 June 2021
Knitting and la Bella Vita
To learn more about Louisa and her week at the Watermill, please click here.
Knitting retreat Three or flour places remaining
17-24 July 2021
Knitting and la Bella Vita
To learn more about our knitting retreat week at the mill, please click here.
Our illuminating creative writing weeks
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran Places available
8 -15 May 2021
Scriptwriting
To learn more about Laurence and Maurice and their course at the mill, please click here.
Jo Parfitt Two or three places remaining
14 -21 August 2021
Writing your life stories
To learn more about Jo and her course at the mill, please click here.
Our impassioned Italian week
Francesca La Sala Two or three places remaining
16-23 October 2021
A novel approach to learning Italian
To learn more about Francesca an her course at the mill, please click here.