Paris → Loire Valley → Brittany
March – April 2018
Workshop Demonstrations by Michel Garcia
Led by Yoshiko I. Wada
Medieval Tapestries + European Dye Traditions + History of Trade from East to West + Modern Organic Chemistry + Workshop Demonstrations + Filming of Natural Dye Workshop IV
The 2018 Natural Dye Workshop Tour in France will culminate at the new studio of our mentor Michel Garcia in Brittany, a region inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic Period. Michel continues his research and experimentation to unlock the mysteries of natural colors from the peninsula regions along the northern Atlantic coast, as well as from his world travels where he engages with local communities.
Workshops + Filming
25 March – 01 April 2018
7 nights, 6 days | Begins: Le Faouët (Lorient), Ends: Lorient
12 participants maximum
Full Tour (Includes Workshops + Filming)
20 March – 01 April 2018
12 nights, 11 days | Begins: Paris, Ends: Lorient
6 participants maximum
Workshops + Filming
25 March – 01 April 2018
7 nights, 6 days | Begins: Le Faouët (Lorient), Ends: Lorient
12 participants maximum
995 USD (approx. 805 EUR / 715 GPB)
1275 USD (approx. 1040 EUR / 920 GBP)
+ 500 EUR (approx. 600 USD / 440 GBP) for workshop demonstrations
Inaugurate Michel’s new studio in Le Faouët with five half-day workshop demonstrations on lost traditions of early natural dye practice, and enjoy the rare opportunity to witness the filming of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World.
In addition to the multitude of colors obtainable from plants, Michel will show what oceans and minerals can offer natural dyers to widen the palette for artistic expression. Visit the seashore with Michel to gather shells, seaweed, and other materials for use in natural dye practice. His historical anecdotes and explanations of botany and phytochemistry help dyers gain insight into the background of their craft. Participate in natural dye immersion sessions with two local dyers, including Michel’s protégé.
Includes
- Shared accommodations throughout workshops and filming (7 nights)
- 14 meals: 7 breakfasts; 5 lunches; 2 dinners
- Private transport throughout workshops and filming to destinations in the itinerary
- Entry to the Museum of the East India Company in Lorient
- 5 half-day workshop demonstrations with Michel Garcia
- View the filming of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World
- 2 DVD copies of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World upon initial release
- Optional half-day natural dye immersion session with local dyers
Single supplement for accommodations available for $355 USD (approx. 290 EUR / 260 GBP).
Ticket does not include 500 EUR (approx. 600 USD / 440 GBP) for the five half-day workshop demonstrations, to be paid directly to Michel Garcia.
Full Tour (Includes Workshops + Filming)
20 March – 01 April 2018
12 nights, 11 days | Begins: Paris, Ends: Lorient
8 participants maximum
3175 USD (approx. 2570 EUR / 2290 GPB)
3425 USD (approx. 2800 EUR / 2480 GBP)
+ 500 EUR (approx. 600 USD / 440 GBP) for the workshop demonstrations
Led by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, founder of Slow Fiber Studios and producer of the Natural Dye Workshop film series, the 2018 Natural Dye Workshop Tour will explore the cultural regions of the Loire Valley and Brittany and focus on some of the most precious textile works in history. Gain deepened understanding of European natural dyeing – from medieval processes to modern organic chemistry.
Meet in Paris and enjoy a presentation by Dr. Francoise Cousin, former curator of Musée du quai Branly. Participate in an informal discussion and exchange with Parisian textile colleagues. Explore the history of trade from East to West and the development of textile manufacturing in Europe with a visit to the Musée de la Toile de Jouy, near Versailles, where the fashionable printed fabrics of 18th-century France were once produced using natural dyes. Visit the Château d’Angers, a 9th-century castle containing the Apocalypse Tapestry, a 600 year–old naturally dyed masterpiece spanning 140m. Witness the extraordinary textile works of Jean Lurçat, a key figure in the revival of contemporary tapestries.
Trace the evolution of textile manufacturing in Cholet with a tour through a former cloth bleaching factory and visit to an extraordinary garden of plants used for fiber and dye. Explore the unique history of Nantes on the Loire River, the largest industrial center for the trade and production of cotton printed fabrics, with guided visits to old historical landmarks and gardens. Journey to the harbor of Port Louis to uncover the history of the precious dyed textiles and painted Indian cottons traded by the Compagnie des Indes at this aperture to the world.
Includes
- Shared accommodations throughout tour and workshops and filming (12 nights)
- 23 meals: 12 breakfasts, 8 lunches; 3 dinners
- Private and public transport throughout tour and workshops and filming to destinations in the itinerary
- Entry fees to museums, historical sites, and other activities in the itinerary
- 5 half-day workshop demonstrations with Michel Garcia
- View the filming of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World
- 2 DVD copies of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World upon initial release
- Optional half-day natural dye immersion session with local dyers
Single supplement for accommodations available for $655 USD (approx. 540 EUR / 480 GBP).
Ticket does not include 500 EUR (approx. 600 USD / 440 GBP) for the five half-day workshop demonstrations, to be paid directly to Michel Garcia.
Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World
The fourth film in the Natural Dye Workshop series is inspired by a region inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic period. In his new studio in Brittany near the Atlantic Ocean, Michel Garcia continues his research and experimentation to unlock the mysteries of natural colors from the peninsula regions as well as from his travels in the world where he engages with local communities.
In addition to the multitude of colors obtainable from plants, Michel will showmwhat oceans and minerals can offer natural dyers for their artistic expression. He shares historical anecdotes and explains botany and phytochemistry for dyers to gain insight into the background behind their craft.
Natural Dye Workshop Tour participants will be given the opportunity to witness the filming of Natural Dye Workshop IV: Colors of the Ancient World and receive 2 free DVD copies upon its initial release.
Biographies
Michel Garcia is a world-renowned botanist, chemist, naturalist, and natural dye expert. He is the founder of Couleur Garance (1998) in Lauris, France, and established Le Jardin Conservatoire de Plantes Tinctoriales (Botanical Garden of Dye Plants) in 2000 as a horticultural resource for chemists, natural dye researchers, and botanists. He has been instrumental in revitalizing the natural dye practice in France and abroad.
Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada is an artist, curator, and textile scholar, president of World Shibori Network, founder of Slow Fiber Studios, producer of the Natural Dye Workshop film series, and co-chair of the 1st – 11th International Shibori Symposiums. A Berkeley resident since 1973, she continues to lead a wide range of workshops, lectures, tours, and symposia internationally, emphasizing sustainability, tradition, and innovation in design.
Tour Policies
View Google MapsSlow Fiber Studios tours are only open to World Shibori Network members. Read about membership privileges on the World Shibori Network Membership website.
Please carefully read Slow Fiber Studios tour policies. Among other things you are responsible for purchasing your own airfare and travel insurance.
Deposits are 85% refundable until March 8, 2018.
Please contact us to request a refund.