Ecoprinting with Caroline Nixon
Ecoprinting & Natural Dyes
16 - 23 September 2023
£730 per person
The Venue Well known for magical meaningful holidays, excellent food and exceptional staff, the award-winning set up relocated in 2020 to a stunning sustainably-run Ecolodge beside the town walls with a pool and permaculture gardens. Enjoy the sun all year round as well as exceptional menu of local healthy food. Located on the south side of the ancient town walls of Taroudant, it enjoys the best winter climate in Morocco due to its southerly setting in the fertile Souss Valley.
“A wonderful holiday. Its reputation is well-established, but it is now based at an amazing new sustainable, purpose-built ecolodge. .. exceeded our expectations (plus we are not normally fans of organised/group holidays!). Fabulous team, delicious food (including vegan), amazing accommodation, wonderful activities! Taroudant was a brilliant location to get a feel of authentic Morocco.” J Elmes, January 2020.
Places to Visit Taroudant is little visited by tourists, has shopper-friendly souks with an exotic traditional atmosphere. It lies between contrasting mountain landscapes: the majestic High Atlas and the extraordinary Anti-Atlas (beyond which lies the Sahara). And it is only an hour’s drive from the sandy, rocky and marshy habitats of the Atlantic coast. Option to extend your week with a tour starting on the 1st October.
Feel safe thanks to the care of loving English-speaking staff, good medical facilities, excellent WiFi, safe water as well as the town being small, relaxed and friendly with few tourists.
Heartful Holistic Holidays with a wide choice of other authentic activities including option to support charitable projects. Explore the fascinating culture with the help of delightful guides; option to explore, use our library or small spa, swim or laze in the sun or shade.
The People Enjoy the support of 11 charming experienced mainly English-speaking Moroccan staff and the resident tutor for your chosen week. The Holidays with Heart UK team provide substantial pre-visit information and support based on 25 years’ experience of Morocco.
Optional activities include crafts, cookery, language, visits to charitable projects, trekking, wildlife, massage and several other choices run by the amazingly knowledgeable guides.
Summary
Cost: £730 per person
Optional Tour available following this week.
Includes:
- Airport transfers from/to Agadir at one designated time
- Accommodation in en suite twin or double bedroom, single occupancy on request
- Substantial breakfasts and vegetarian evening meals (meat or fish at extra cost)
- Lunches every day except one, when lunch is optional
- Tutored half day long workshops daily
Excludes:
- £75 payable directly to Caroline in advance for access to extensive video tutorials on types of fabric, dyes, what you need and why, as well as for materials
- Flights (often under £70 return if booked early)
- Single occupancy supplement £20 per night
- Travel insurance (required)
- Tips
- Meat or fish supplement
- Tourist Taxes 41 MAD (approx £3.20) per person per night)
Options payable in Morocco
- Cultural experiences
- Excursions
- Supplement for meat or fish dishes at evening meal.
- Feast for the Senses.
- Airport taxi transfers at times other than the designated flight.
See details of prices and choices
Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice 2020 & 2021
Voted Top 10 in the World: Lonely Planet Eco Stays 2014 & VegeNews Vegetarian Holidays 2005
Responsible Tourism Trophy for Community Project Work 2009
Green Key Certified from 2012
About the retreat
Morocco is a feast for the eyes. Everywhere you look there is vibrant colour. We will be recapturing the same vibrant colours in our ecoprinted textiles. Using natural dyes, tannins, indigo, mordants and modifiers you will learn to extend your colour palette, for stunning results. We shall have a wide variety of exciting foliage to experiment with, and you will learn how to assess an entirely unfamiliar leaf, to bring out it’s best printing potential.
Your tutor Caroline is renowned for her clear teaching, her crisp colourful prints, and for innovative new techniques. Working in either indoor or outdoor spaces we will forage a rich and exciting array of plant material from the well-stocked garden, or from further afield, with the help of our knowledgeable local botanist Said.
This workshop is for experienced printers. If you are bundling confidently, getting clear prints, have some knowledge of mordanting, and understand how to use carrier cloths/blankets then this will be the workshop to take your printing to the next level. If you are a beginner but would still like to attend, an option is to take Caroline’s online foundation skills course, which will give you the essential skills and techniques needed for this course. Contact Caroline for details.
We will work with a variety of dyes and tannins, alone and in combination, and we will spend time understanding how mordant dye and leaf influence each other. We will also spend time understanding how you can investigate a tannin or dye that is new to you, to learn how to use it to its maximum potential. An indigo vat will be available, with tuition on how to make and maintain it if wished. We will work with both protein and cellulose fabrics. Teaching will be geared to your level and your needs, and individual projects will be encouraged and supported. You can work on scarves, yardage or garments etc. A detailed materials list will be provided.
Each day there will be half a day of formal teaching, with the other half free for independent studio time or to get involved in an exciting array of other activities.
Left photo: Caroline
To Book or Express an Interest: Limited places available. Book early to get good flight prices, but please do NOT book flights until we give the go-ahead! Request a place at www.cecu.co.uk/book
We will then send you the payment schedule (split into 4 instalments. £100 initial deposit) & then we send lots of useful pre-visit information – we have 20 years’ experience behind us.
More Information: about Morocco please contact us here or visit www.holidays-with-heart.co.uk
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Each day there will be half a day of formal teaching daily access to the workspace for independent printing, and an option to choose one of the many cultural experiences and activities on offer here.
Day 1 Arrival Day – welcome & settle in.
Day 2 Morning teaching. Afternoon studio time plus optional Cultural Experience eg ride around town on a horse-drawn taxi.
Day 3 – 6 Morning studio time. Afternoon teaching.
Day 7 Half day teaching, half day studio time with wrap up session and ‘show and tell’ of the week’s work. Optional “Feast for the Senses” after supper.
Day 8 Optional lunch out in town. Option to return home or Day 8-15 join a tour to contrasting parts of Morocco with our excellent driver.