Art projects

Before moving to Italy Paul worked in Theatre running workshops that made props and special effects as well as designing, teaching and working with young people. Clients ranged from opera and drama companies to Rock Bands, and highlights included creating The Wild Things on stage for Maurice Sendak and monsters and statues for Iron Maiden and Metallica. Although based in the UK there were also opportunities to travel including a six-year spell in Hong Kong. Alongside the theatre work Paul also found time to make his own art and has had several exhibitions over the years. Work at La Mandria doesn’t allow much time for anything else but he has managed to create a series of sculpted ‘Moon boxes’ for sale at local craft fairs and some guests have taken one home as a souvenir of their visit. In addition to this there have been a series of projects for children, starting with giant Praying Mantis puppets in Umbria and, more recently, a collaboration with three local young families that has produced creative events in and around Fivizzano. The first, called ‘The Little Tree of Big Dreams’ offered children the opportunity to make a picture to add to a garden around the tree and for everyone to write a dream on leaves that were gradually added to the bare branches over the three days of the ‘Sapori’ food festival held each year in May. Next came a Knight on Horseback for the ‘Disfida’ Medieval Festival in July where children were invited to design their coat of arms on a shield that was then added to the finished piece. There followed a number of simple puppet projects and performances, and fora festival at Turlago, set in the hills above Fivizzano, we created a scale model of the village and the children living there made the houses and buildings. These projects have gathered further momentum with the establishment of a permanent children’s centre in Fivizzano. It is called ‘Zigopoli’ (the word for ‘kids’ in local dialect) and some of the activities can be seen at zigopoli Future plans include sculpture in and around La Mandria, time and energy permitting!