What is the cost?

Individual attendee costs range from CAD $830 to $1,280, depending on your accommodation choice. There are a variety of sleeping options to suit your privacy needs. The retreat cost includes 6 nights accommodation at the Casino di Mare villa in Santa Maria di Castellabate on the Cilento Coast, south of Naples. It also includes private car transfer from Naples, as well as shared snacks and fresh ingredients for self-prepared breakfast and lunch meals.

The retreat cost does not include your airfare. Each attendee is fully responsible for coordinating their flight, and meeting at the Naples meeting point (tbd) to take advantage of private car transfer to the villa.

As a group, we will discuss options for excursions or workshops, which will be offered on an opt-in basis at additional cost (this may include things like a cooking class, or private boat tour along the coast).

Likewise, we are leaving evenings open so that attendees can enjoy the local Italian restaurants at their own discretion and cost, or we may collaborate together on homemade meals.

What are the sleeping arrangements?

Room 1: First floor, private bedroom with one double bed and an ensuite bathroom. Ideal if you prefer more privacy, or want to save costs by sharing a bed with a friend or partner.

Single occupancy: $1,230 | Double occupancy: $1,880

Room 2: First floor, private bedroom with one double bed, an ensuite bathroom, and access to a terrace. Ideal if you prefer more privacy, or want to save costs by sharing a bed with a friend or partner.

Single occupancy: $1,280 | Double occupancy: $1,930

Room 3: First floor, shared bedroom with one double bed and two single beds. An attached bathroom, with access to a terrace.

Double bed: $880 | Single bed: $830

Room 4: Tower room, shared bedroom with two single beds.

Single bed: $830

Tell me about the venue

Casino di Mare is an historic 18th century villa, just 50 metres from the small seaside beaches that look out over the Tyrrhenian Sea, and beyond that, the Mediterranean Sea. The property is surrounded by a lemon grove, six acres of olive trees, and two vineyards.

The villa is two levels, containing 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms within, as well as a small external suite. Several terraces offer sweeping views of the sea beyond. There is an outdoor shower, gardens and an outdoor dining and BBQ area. A fully-equipped kitchen on the ground floor will allow us to prepare our own shared meals and snacks. On this level there is also a living room and fireplace, and a dining room area which can seat 12 people for a shared meal. The first floor contains another living room plus three bedrooms with ensuites, and the tower contains the fourth bedroom.

The town centre of Santa Maria di Castellabate is nearby and offers many shops and restaurants. The villa provides bicycles to use, or the town is a 15-minute walk away.

What is the daily schedule?

There will be some flexibility built into the schedule. A sample day may look like:

• 7am: Shared breakfast, setting intentions for the day 

• 9am: Morning workshop

• 10am: Personal practice

• 12pm: Lunch

• 1pm: Activity (yoga, walk, swim) - optional

• 2pm: Afternoon workshop

• 3pm: Personal practice

• 5pm: Happy hour, share your daily progress - optional

• 7pm: Shared dinner

What is this workshop requirement?

This is a creative co-operative retreat, and we are keeping costs down by opting not to hire professional workshop leaders or speakers. Instead, we will learn from and collaborate with one another. Our intention is to host a medley of artists, such as writers, marketers, photographers, chefs, musicians, filmmakers, artists, coaches, and beyond. We think this will provide all the right ingredients for cross-pollination across different creative practices, which enriches our individual work.

Each attendee will be responsible for leading a 30-60 minute workshop, ideally including some type of creative exercise (versus just a presentation). This might look like writing prompts, photo challenges, meditation, wine or food tasting, journalling exercises, a poetry walk, or anything else you could dream up! You do not have to be a credentialed expert, you just have to be confident enough to lead a compelling session on your chosen topic.

Terri and Danielle will help you refine your workshop plan to ensure it is complementary to the group’s needs.

What kind of project should I work on?

Your personal project is really up to you! It may be a script or manuscript you are working on, a collection of photographs, a series of watercolours, or a concept for your next installation. Maybe you are setting up a website for your new business, or composing a score. You just need to be able to travel with the materials you need to create.

We ask about your creative project not because we need to “approve” it, but to ensure a good mix of disciplines within our retreat group. If you aren’t quite sure exactly what you’re going to work on, you can submit a seed of an idea.

When will the trip be confirmed?

The deadline to apply is July 31, 2024.

We will confirm retreat participants by mid-August. This will give everyone time to book flights before prices typically go up in September. If you are looking at flight options, ensure you will arrive in Naples by midday November 3 and depart no earlier than midday November 9.

Depending where you are flying from, it may be more flexible and affordable to fly into Rome and take the train (~1 hour) to Naples. We will provide flight suggestions and confirm meeting times for the car transfer once our final attendee group is confirmed and we know where everyone is traveling from.