The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat.
- Yes
A one-week full immersion retreat in the heart of Tuscany.
THE RETREAT
Authenticity is the degree to which an individual’s actions are congruent with their beliefs and desires, despite external pressures. The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat is designed to help participants recalibrate their practice in alignment with this idea — help them attune their work with their artistic integrity, develop their artistic core, and lay a solid foundation on which to build forward.
Through a week’s worth of analyses, exercises, photography assignments, reflection and shared inspiration, The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat aims to help you achieve a greater level of authenticity in your work while at the same time achieving greater maturity in your projects. The Retreat is a chance to understand how photography serves you and to venture new approaches that may strengthen your practice. It is also a chance to take a break from everyday responsibilities and embark on a personal journey — A week just for you.
The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat is a ‘photograph and reflect’ workshop. It is neither a technical course nor a portfolio review. It is a unique combination of analysing your existing work or project, engaging through assignments, and reflecting in a constructive, empowering way – reflecting on your strengths, possible improvements, and future goals.
Because it is a communal experience, The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat builds on mutual support, shared analyses and the intelligence of the group.
Ultimately, The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat is about strengthening your resilience — as a photographer, as a person, as a woman — so that you may make convincing work that is aligned with your values and immune to external pressure.
The mentors custom-tailor each retreat based on the retreat participants and their specific needs and interests, and in response to individual objectives expressed during application.
Participant presentations, reflection session, work reviews and feedback sessions, photography assignments, exercises and one-on-one mentoring sessions are carefully curated to help each participant reach their goals.
The Retreat Objectives:
Recharge and recalibrate your practice
Strengthen and fine-tune your artistic ingegrity
Achieve greater maturity in your projects
Define future goals
Improve and enrich each other
Nourish yourself in a regenerative environment
Who Is It For?
The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat is designed for both aspiring and advanced female photographers, professionals or semi-professionals, photography students or self-taught photographers in any genre (fine art, documentary, conceptual, landscape) who wish to deepen their practice.
Community Spirit
During one week, participants and instructors live and work together in a remote location in Chiusdino, Italy. Sharing instruction and feedback sessions, exercises, meals and walks, participants benefit from lively discussions and support, creating opportunities for valuable exchange and friendships. At the same time, each participant has enough opportunity to work alone and focus on their individual process.
Small Groups
The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat accepts a maximum of 8-10 applications. This allows for a focused setting in which each participant gets due support, while having enough time for valuable exchange. We find this to be an ideal context to recharge and recalibrate.
One of a Kind Location
We have looked long and hard for a perfect location that can offer enough peace and tranquility for a productive week, inspire us with its character, and is surrounded by stunning scenery. We have found all that and more at Villa Tirisondola. Read more about this unique setting below.
During the workshop week, The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat participants live at a one-of-a-kind rustic villa located at a 15-min walk from the Chiusdino town center. Tirisondola, as the villa is called, is run by Thomas, an American archeologist who purchased it in 1983 and transformed it from a ruin to a beautiful vacation home. The property includes 4 apartments, a natural swimming pond, pergolas, terraces, working areas, and a workshop hall. Adorning the property are memorabilia and artefacts acquired by Thomas during a lifetime of travels.
For this one week, participants leave the urban bustle and replace it with old-fashioned simplicity: we slow down, eat fresh produce from the local area and enjoy simple accommodations in a no-frills setting. Meals are cooked and enjoyed as best fits participants’ preference – each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and participants choose whether to cook and eat together or privately.
Accommodations
Villa Tirisondola offers 3 apartments for participants.
Each apartment is shared by 3-4 participants.
Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and a bathroom.
Meals
A welcome and a farewell meal as well as an optional wine-tasting on the premises will be offered by the organizers. Participants are free to cook the remaining meals together, prepare their own meals or visit local restaurants. Nearby shops and markets are available for grocery shopping. Bigger grocery trips for the whole group can be organized. Group dinners are possible and will be decided on with the participants upon arrival.
The Art & Authenticity Photography Retreat guarantees each participant an intensive review of their work/project and a constructive action plan moving forward
The language of instruction is English. For non-native English speakers, Eva and Mirjana speak Dutch, German, French and Serbia and can assist you in those languages.
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