Family Retreat: Creative Italy’s Summer in Sicily

This month’s article is dedicated to a special project that Creative Italy has envisioned for the summer: an edition designed for families, conceived not as a simple holiday, but as an experience of creativity, discovery, and shared moments.

Creative Italy has always paid special attention to children, offering activities designed to engage them in an authentic and stimulating way. Through workshops, retreats, and experiences organized over the years, children have always been given space to experiment, create, and have fun through activities that combine play, craftsmanship, and imagination.

It is precisely from this vision that the Family Retreat was born, taking place from July 27 to August 2, 2026. A week in Sicily where children become the true protagonists of a creative journey that intertwines theatre, play, and hands-on activities. While they explore expressive languages, learn new words, and work together to create a small performance, parents can choose to take part in craft workshops or enjoy the place at their own pace.

The idea behind the retreat is simple yet profound: children and adults learn and grow in different ways, but when creativity becomes the common ground, these experiences can coexist and enrich one another.

For this reason, the program is designed as a dual path: on one side, activities dedicated to children; on the other, the opportunity for adults to explore traditional crafts or simply carve out moments of rest.

All of this takes place in a setting that makes the experience even more special: Milazzo and Feudo San Pietro, an ancient Sicilian borgo that has been transformed into a creative hub where history, landscape, and artistic practices meet naturally.

The Theatre Workshop

At the heart of the children’s experience is a bilingual theatre workshop (Italian and English), conceived as a space for meeting, expression, and language learning.

Children work together through theatrical games, voice and movement exercises, improvisation activities, and the creation of simple scenes. In this dynamic and collaborative environment, theatre becomes a natural tool for learning words, expressions, and phrases in Italian.

Learning happens organically and without rigidity: while children move through the space, listen to one another, and invent small stories, their vocabulary grows spontaneously and the language becomes part of the experience.

Beyond language, theatre also encourages important skills: listening, collaboration, body and voice awareness, communication, and self-confidence.

At the end of the week, the children present a small final performance open to families and friends. It is not a competitive performance, but a moment of celebration and sharing—a simple and spontaneous reflection of the journey they experienced together during the retreat.

Scenery and Props: Creative Recycling Workshop

Alongside the theatre activities, a second workshop takes shape, dedicated to the creation of scenery and stage props through creative recycling.

The starting point is simple, often overlooked materials: cardboard, paper, fabric, and reclaimed objects. During the workshop, these materials become the foundation for imagining and building the visual elements that will accompany the theatrical performance.

The work begins with a shared design phase, where children collectively imagine settings, objects, and scenic details. Afterwards, they move on to the practical creation phase, experimenting with artistic and manual techniques that transform discarded materials into creative resources.

The workshop stimulates curiosity, manual skills, and a spirit of collaboration. Working with one’s hands becomes an integral part of the theatrical experience: what is created during the workshop directly enters the final performance, helping to shape the world imagined by the children.

The workshop is led by a Sicilian artist who has long worked in the field of creative recycling and eco-art. In her artistic practice and educational projects, she combines aesthetic research, sustainability, and stage practice.

Craft Workshops for Adults

While the children are immersed in their creative activities during the morning, adults can choose to participate in craft workshops. Some parents may prefer to join the activities, while others may choose to take a break—reading in the shade of the garden or simply enjoying the slow rhythm of summer days.

This flexible structure allows each member of the family to experience the retreat according to their own time and interests, while still maintaining a strong sense of shared experience.

Among the activities offered are experiences connected to traditional craftsmanship:

Basket Weaving 

A return to ancestral manual skill. Through the methodical rhythm of weaving natural fibers, participants transform raw matter into form. An exercise in focus and precision where repetitive motion becomes meditation and the object becomes architecture.

Perfume Making

The art of composing the invisible. A technical immersion into essences and raw materials to decode olfactory families and engineer a personal fragrance. An experience that translates instinct and memory into a unique chemical and emotional formula.

Bobbin Lace

The ultimate expression of patience and textile rigor. This workshop reveals the mathematical movements of the bobbins, turning centuries-old knowledge into intricate textures. It is not mere lace-making; it is absolute control over detail and a celebration of millennial expertise.

Floral Design

Designing with nature’s cycles. Using seasonal flowers and organic materials to build compositions that balance visual equilibrium with botanical sensitivity. An exercise in observation and design that creates a dialogue between vegetal form and space.

Feudo San Pietro and the City of Milazzo

The retreat takes place at Feudo San Pietro, an ancient Sicilian borgo gathered around a peaceful garden. Rich in history, the site has now been transformed into the Creative Italy Artisan School, a space dedicated to creativity, education, and craftsmanship.

The retreat was also conceived as a way to offer families a different way of discovering Sicily—not through a hectic program of visits or a list of must-see attractions, but through a more authentic and immersive experience of the territory.

Milazzo lends itself particularly well to this approach. The large castle that dominates the promontory, the sea surrounding the town, the streets of the historic center, and the daily life of the harbor tell the story of a Sicily shaped by layers of culture and rhythms that remain deeply Mediterranean.

A Summer to Experience Together

The Creative Italy Family Retreat is conceived as a shared experience where creativity, play, and discovery become the guiding thread of the week. The result is an experience that leaves lasting traces: in the things created, in the relationships that emerge, and in the memories that each family carries home.

To discover all the details about the program, activities, and participation, you can visit the dedicated page on the Creative Italy website ( link here ) or contact the team directly for further information.Those who wish to stay updated on upcoming events and summer season news can also subscribe to the Creative Italy newsletter.