This arthouse is the culmination of 20+ years' intensive practise in art, deep ecology, wholistic philosophy, community transformation and spirituality! It lies in the medieval quarter of Guardia Sanframondi, in the foothills of the Monti del Matese, a couple of hours south-east of Rome.
The house itself is a collection of nine quirky rooms, which used to be part of a far larger family house, with a religious history. The rooms are on four levels, connected by raw stone steps and arched doorways. It is very character-full, and has massive potential, as have many properties in Guardia's centro storico. In settling here, I am stepping into my dream of a more relaxed and fulfilling life, away from the stress of high rent and cold weather. Here the cost of living is minimal, at the same time as being of a high standard. Having bought the house at an unimaginably low price, I am able to begin building the kind of vision that I was struggling to manifest in Scotland.
My vision is that it will function as a retreat, gallery, shop and events space; a vibrant hub of creativity and communication, which will support the creative rejuvenation of the lives of people who come here. It will promote the reclaiming of 'waste' materials (particularly those produced locally), as well as integrated values, ecology, community, and happy vitality. I hope that the arthouse will contribute to the resurgence of Guardia Sanframondi's medieval quarter as a thriving community, through cultural exchange between here and Scotland. I also intend to bring friends and colleagues here from around the world, and to set up some brilliant events and festivities! I have a seven-phase plan, which will unfold in who-knows-what-kind-of-a-time-scale: this year, in the early stages, I am welcoming volunteers for working holidays. Get in touch with me via the the contact page, if you are interested in visiting. There will eventually be two residential spaces for visiting artists and other creative folk, who wish to stay for long or short periods, to take advantage of the climate, scenery, culture and fantastic atmosphere of Guardia and surrounds.
The gallery will double up as studio/ workspace for people on retreat, and an events space for courses like 'informal inglese' and book-making, or workshops with visiting artists. There are two other rooms that mayy end up being sleeping and/ or working spaces, but time needs to go by for me to figure out how they will work best. Once the gallery and residential spaces are in order, I will be calling for artists and makers to contribute artwork for exhibition, items for sale in the shop, and to set up courses and workshops.
Some of you may remember the 'mostra in tenda' exhibition/ Secret Shop which ran during Vinalia and the Riti Settennali in 2010 (above). And some others in Scotland may have enjoyed the weeMAD festival of music art, dance and healing, which took place in Corrie, Isle of Arran in September of 2009. My hope is to bring atmospheric and beautiful events to Guardia, which can function to stimulate cultural dialogue, creativity and transformation.
Though the house is currently in a state of transformation itself, my vision is flexible and open to spontaneous co-involvement. I will be announcing opportunities as I invent them, and as the house allows, and am open to dialogue with anyone interested in contributing! Get in touch via the contact page. 
