Women’s Weaving Retreat – Peloponnese

The Council for the Revival of Matriarchal Arts and Tsakonika Ifanta present

A Women’s Weaving Retreat in the Peloponnese

The family-run workshop of Tsakonika Ifanta is based in Tyros, Arcadia, in the Peloponnese region of Greece, where the upright loom weaving tradition has thrived since the late 18th century. The region of Tsakonia is known for its rich folkloric heritage from the unique Tsakonian dialect, to its ancient history, distinctive dances, traditional costumes, and of course, its weaving art.

What makes Tsakonian weaving truly unique is the technique and tools. Each creation is woven with a cotton warp and wool weft, making seamless pieces with identical designs on both sides. This meticulous hand-weaving is done using only one tool, the loom’s beater comb.

Since 1948, we have continued to practice the traditional Tsakonian weaving technique, an art passed down from mother to daughter through three generations. Today, our workshop remains the only professional weaving studio in the region, preserving this centuries-old craft with deep respect and creativity. Our work has been featured in national and international media, reflecting the cultural significance of Tsakonian weaving.

Our weaving tradition has received official recognition and is currently being documented for inclusion in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.

Elisavet Rodopoulou, a third-generation weaver, is recognized as a representative of Tsakonian weaving. She teaches at craft schools, offering workshops for beginners and professionals alike.

A recent highlight of our workshop was representing Greece at the International Conference on Geographical Indications, an event organized by the EUIPO to honor handmade cultural products. This recognition is a vital step toward ensuring that the Tsakonian weaving tradition will be cherished and preserved for generations to come.

With love and meraki, we continue the craft passed down to us by our great-grandmothers.

https://www.tsakonikaifanta.gr/

Retreat Logistics

Dates:  Saturday, October 18 – Wednesday, October 22 (arrival Friday evening October 17)

Location:  Tsakonika Ifanta Studio, Tyros, Arcadia

Duration:  5 days, 5 hours per day

Workshop Fee:  650 Euro (VAT included) – fee includes all materials and weaving equipment for the duration of the workshop.*

Accomodation:  40 euro per night for a shared room; 80 per night for a single (VAT included), 5 nights.  https://www.studios-kyparissi.eu/

Meals and Transfers:  Meals can be prepared together or provided for us at Kyparissi Studios, and/or taken at local Taverna’s, depending on group and individual desires.  Cost of transfers will be shared.  We’ll have a car traveling from Athens on the 17th.

Retreat Overview:   The workshop offers a hands-on experience in traditional weaving, allowing participants to engage in every stage of the process.  Participants will learn historical techniques, work with hand-spun, naturally-dyed wool, and weave their own 30cm x 40 cm (12” x 15”) kilim textile using a traditional vertical loom.  One workshop day will be dedicated to learning sustainable plant-based dye sourcing and dyeing techniques.  Optional daily somatic body conditioning sessions and spa treatments available through Kyparissi studios.  Outside workshop hours the group will share meals, and determine additional group activities and excursions together.  The schedule will allow for individual/personal time daily.

* A few scholarships for workshop fee only will be available for women needing financial assistance.  To apply, send an inquiry to councilformatriarchalarts@gmail.com detailing your interest in traditional arts, women’s lineage, and/or the field of modern matriarchal studies.

Inquiries and to register email councilformatriarchalarts@gmail.com

The Council for the Revival of Matriarchal Arts was conceived to reweave the ancient wisdom and traditions of women into our modern social structures.  Inspired by the rich and growing field of Modern Matriarchal Studies, our activities are co-created to heal and strengthen the bonds among women, and to reintegrate maternal values of attuned care, nurturance, generosity, egalitarianism, and responsible Earth stewardship into our interpersonal and communal relations at all levels.

To this end we are gathering to re-member the practical and spiritual arts that were developed and shared through generations and lineages.  We engage in focused dialogues about things that matter deeply to us as women and to the world; we share food, life experiences, talents, responsibilities, and challenges, and meet the trials and tribulations of beginning again with humility.  Find out more at https://matriarchalartscouncil.com