• Journey Through the Chakras Yoga Retreat for Visual Artists in Vietri Italy

    September 21 - 28, 2024

  • Key to the Castle Workshop for Writers in Torre di Cetara

    October 19 - 26, 2024

  • What do you see? And where is the story?

    A generative creative writing workshop with KTTC instructor Kathy Curto at The Idea Kitchen

  • TWO NIGHTS TO THE END: Write a story from beginning to end in two nights

    A generative creative writing workshop with KTTC instructor Pat Dunn and guest instructor Alexandra Soiseth at The Idea Kitchen

    TWO NIGHTS TO THE END:  Write a story from beginning to end in two nights
  • Info Session - Workshop for Writers in Cetara, Italy

    Cetara Info Session
  • Closing Reception - Southern Italy: An American Artist's Life

    Closing Reception - Southern Italy: An American Artist's Life

Key to the Castle Workshop

Welcome to our generative workshops where writing, art, and yoga co-mingle.

 

OUR MISSION AND VISION

As instructors in these forms of art and as active creative citizens in various maker communities, we have witnessed the magic of the multidisciplinary approach. Our mission is to demystify the generative process and offer students a chance to locate their own key to their own castle, no matter where that castle lives. Is it in a physical space? Or, an emotional one? Perhaps, in a place that holds room for both?

We offer adult students a chance to look both inward and outward and see where the paying attention - to body, mind and soul - leads. Our immediate goal is to provide time and space for those individuals who are looking to leave their usual creative comfort zone and locate a new one - for just a day, or a weekend, or even a full week - with our longer vision to grow a supportive community of creative people who nurture and celebrate each other along the way.

OUR PROCESS

In our teaching work together, we regularly offer prompts to our students and ask them to take the ideas or questions into a walk-through nature, then onto their yoga mat, and ultimately to the canvas and / or their blank page. We encourage students to approach their process without judgement and look to nature, our community and their own internal musings for guidance. We promote full engagement with the senses and believe this too offers opportunity to shake up memories and ways of seeing the world: past, present and future.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The ideal participant is open to adventure and discovery as a community of artists. One benefit of working as an artist in community with others is the gaining of new insight, particularly when it comes to ways of seeing and valuing their own work—both process and product. This applies on the page, the mat, out in the natural world and on the canvas. An ideal student also recognizes the importance of getting away from their own day to day life to experience the illuminating effects of travel and the sharing of culture—in all ways. Many students attend our workshops to collect fresh understandings of their own promise as artists and to gain the variety of perspectives that come from being in a new place.

ARE YOU READY TO APPLY?

The word courage comes from Old French, corage, which translates to mean heart. We believe our mission, as demonstrated through our workshops, has a beating heart. It pulses and changes and can break and be open.

It takes courage to embark on a workshop away from our comfort zone, perhaps in a foreign country, with new people and routines, to trust that the lasting bonds that are formed and the creative growth that is sparked can become keys to whatever it is an artist hopes to open.

 

Meet the Team

  • Kathy Curto

    WRITING INSTRUCTOR

  • Patricia Dunn

    WRITING INSTRUCTOR

  • William Papaleo

    PAINTING INSTRUCTOR

  • Angela Derecas Taylor

    STORYTELLER & WORKSHOP PLANNER

Testimonials

  • "What a pleasure it was to be in your company this past weekend. It is not easiest thing to do - join a group of strangers while hoping to find the mental space to explore one’s craft. Kathy, Angela, and Pat made this remarkably easy for me. Their warm welcome, convivial approach to our evenings, and the endless efforts to make sure our bodies and souls were well nourished with both food, breath, and words - was a much needed reprieve for me. Thank you."

    Jamie J.

  • "Equal parts amazing hosts and amazing co-attendees made the retreat so special. Thank you to Pat and Kathy and Angela for all the hard work it takes to make something look seamless. Thanks to all my new writer-friends for being instantly easy and fun to hang out with."

    Melanie A.

  • "Thankful to Pat, Kathy and Angela for your endless work and meticulous planning to make this weekend's outing inspiring, upbeat, fun and a great spark..I so enjoyed meeting everyone...it's rare to find a group who don't all know each other to coalesce so quickly, support one another so totally, and inspire each other to keep going."

    Rainy H.

  • "What a wonderful weekend it was…the sense of community that Kathy, Pat and Angela created for us blew me away. Thank you so much you three for creating such a safe space...enough for us all to come together, or to be alone…I spent a lot of time taking in the spirit and energy of your generosity…and to the women who you three created such a treat for…I have been in many groups and communities... you three set the standard...I am grateful to each and every one of you on this weekend journey, for giving me the opportunity to look at and into myself, and see my reflection in each and every one of you."

    Carol K.

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