Workshop Details

Join me for a week of sculptural basket making in the beautiful Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France.

In this workshop you will:

• Challenge Tradition: Learn to ask “Says who?” and decide for yourself what is and isn’t a basket.
• Explore Freedom: Walk away with the freedom to say that your imagination is your only limitation, not the arbitrary rules of traditional basketry.
• Create Fluid Forms: Create fluid, organic forms in the studio, incorporating natural and found materials as desired.
• Build Strong Structures: Learn tools to create strong, solid, stand-alone structures with fluidity, movement, and light.
• Work with Nature: Collect materials along the banks of the Gave L’Oloron and potentially create impromptu sculptures on the river path.

Please note: This workshop is open to everyone, from complete beginners to experienced weavers wanting to learn how to make their work “weird” (or weirder).

Goals

1. Impart a sense of creative freedom (“Says who?”).
2. Meld tradition and art with materials from nature (sticks, driftwood, seedpods).
3. Create pieces evocative of the natural world (amoebas, sea anemones, pods, vines).
4. Develop techniques to achieve shapes and forms you wouldn’t have believed possible.

Schedule

Details:

• Dates: June 14–21, 2026.
• Arrival: Sunday, June 14 (Welcome dinner included).
• Departure: Sunday, June 21.
• Instruction: Five days of classes, talks, and exploratory walks.
• Studio Time: Ample daily studio time with one-on-one personalized instruction.
• Setting: The workshop takes place in the historic 1,000-year-old Guard House in Sauveterre-de-Béarn.

What is included:

• Welcome dinner on June 14.
• 7 days and 8 nights accommodations in the Guard House.
• Ample daily studio time.
• One-on-one personalized instruction with Donya Stockton.
• Five days of classes, talks, and exploratory walks.
• Many tools and materials.
• Daily continental breakfast.
• Most lunches and dinners (includes coffee, tea, or a glass of wine).
• Pick up at Biarritz airport or train station on June 14.

What is not included:

• Airfare and transportation (other than the scheduled pickup).
• Optional lunch at Choko-Ona in Espelette (Michelin-starred restaurant), approximately €70 including transportation.

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Pricing

Cost:

• €3,950: Private room (single) with private bathroom.
• €3,450: Private room with shared bathroom.
• €2,950: Shared room with shared bathroom (per person).

Payment Schedule:

• Deposit: 50% due upon registration.
• Balance: Due 90 days before the workshop begins (March 18, 2026).

Payment Methods:

• Stripe, Bank Transfer, or Klarna.

Cancellation & Insurance: IMPORTANT. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that everyone take out a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy to cover your investment in case the class is canceled or you cannot travel.

Meet Your Instructor: Donya Stockton

Started weaving baskets in 1994 while studying Anthropology and Art History. Her work has transformed from traditional basketry into something new, using traditional techniques in abstract forms that are both organic and alien. Her move to Oaxaca in 2017 influenced her work with the incorporation of natural dyes, seed pods, and driftwood. Her pieces are named for the books she listens to while working.

TO REGISTER: please contact Magdalena at info@be-artz.com