15 - 20 July - Creative Mosaic Retreat - Cleo Mussi
Retreat Details
Dates: 15- 20 July 2026
Duration: 6 days/ 5 nights
Tutor: Cleo Mussi
Hosts: Helen, Mick & CHF team (Victoria, Kirstie, Sophie, Paris)
Venue: Court House Farm, Portishead BS20 6PU, UK
Experience level: Suitable for all levels
Small group for focused tuition and connection
Includes
5 nights’ accommodation, all meals and refreshments, expert tuition, inspiring talks, studio time, activities, and local visitsCost
From £1990 residential (see full pricing below)£990 Non-residential option available (see below)
About the retreat
Join renowned mosaic artist Cleo Mussi for six days of creative exploration at Court House Farm. This immersive retreat welcomes both beginners and those with some previous experience, offering time and space to play with pattern, colour and form through a series of small-scale mosaic compositions.
Working with reclaimed ceramic tableware, you’ll learn techniques for cutting, shaping and designing your own richly detailed pieces, guided by Cleo’s distinctive narrative approach. Across the week, you’ll discover how repetition, colour and personal symbolism can evolve into your own visual language — creating mosaics that are bold, expressive and uniquely yours.
This is a retreat about process as much as outcome — a balance of technique, experimentation and individual interpretation, set within the calm and creative surroundings of Court House Farm
Costs & Booking
Residential (5 nights, all inclusive)
Arrival: 2pm, 15 July for afternoon tea and gather at 3pm for introduction & studio session with Cleo
Farewell: 11.30am, 20 July
£2,550 — Own ensuite room in the historic Manor
once our allocation of rooms are filled in the manor we use our Court Lodge accommodation (Victorian house just at end of drive) All rooms are ensuite£2,350 — Own room, shared bathroom (2 sharing)
£1,990 — Shared twin room (price per guest)
Reserve with a £500 non-refundable deposit - see our terms & conditions for details
we welcome non-participating guests to join us with a paying guest - price for room & food will be quoted on request
For those with longer to travel we offer additional nights without catering - price quoted on request
Non- residential option Join us with a 6- day pass - see below
Costs & booking- continued
Non-Residential — 6-Day Studio Pass
For those creatives who live locally and can travel to us daily we offer a 6-day pass. On-site parking available.
Read more about day- guests >>
Venue: Court House Farm, Portishead BS20 6PU, UK
Cost: £990
Arrival: 2pm, 15 July 2026
Daily workshops: 9.30am – 4.30pm + talks
Farewell: 11.30am, 20 July 2026- we would welcome you to join us for some time to reflect on the experience, share the work created and say farewells
Includes: all tuition & workshops, studio access, and lunches (excludes accommodation, bar and evening meal).
Reserve with a non-refundable deposit - see our terms & conditions for details
what you’ll explore in Cleo’s workshops/ studio time
Each day unfolds naturally in the studio, blending demonstrations and discussion with time to work independently and develop your own ideas.
Day 1 — Arrival & Welcome
Arrive at Court House Farm in the afternoon and settle into your room. You’ll meet Cleo and your fellow participants over a relaxed welcome gathering before setting up your workspace in the spacious Cow Shed studio. An introduction to the week’s rhythm and materials will help you ease into the creative flow.
Day 2 — Exploring Shape and Pattern
Begin with a series of small-format tiles, exploring the cutting and shaping of shards from your own reclaimed ceramics. Working with a limited colour palette, you’ll experiment with pattern, grout lines and contrast — developing confidence in both composition and design.
Day 3 — Still Life and Colour
Work from a still life setting created from Cleo’s personal collection of ceramic tableware, seasonal flowers and produce. Through collage and sketching, you’ll translate what you see into colourful compositions for larger-format designs, developing your own visual language in mosaic form.
Day 4 — Personal Palette and Inspiration
Bring your own objects — ceramics, textiles, natural forms or found items — to create a personal still life. From these, you’ll develop sketches and ideas for a larger work on board or tile that reflects your individual palette and inspirations, whether abstract or representational.
Day 5 — Grouting and Repetition
Grout the small-format tiles from earlier in the week, then work from your personal still life to design a repeated motif through tessellation. You may choose to make a small series of matching tiles or a single piece that could be photographed and repeated to form a continuous pattern.
Day 6 — Reflection & Farewell
A final morning in the studio to reflect on your creative journey and share completed work with the group. We’ll discuss next steps for continuing your mosaic practice before a farewell lunch and goodbyes
What’s Included
Tutor-led workshops and dedicated studio time to develop your practice
Morning mindful movement or gentle stretching sessions (optional)
Art history/ relevant talks for inspiration
Access to Court House Farm’s gardens, grounds, and communal spaces
Local excursions, seasonal walks, or gallery visits
All meals and refreshments by our wonderful retreat Chef & team
(residential/ day guests join us for Lunch & refreshments)Accommodation in the Historic Manor House or Court Lodge (residential)
Workshop materials list provided; after booking (some materials provided)
About Court House Farm
Set in Portishead near Bristol, Court House Farm is a historic Somerset retreat space dedicated to creativity, connection and calm. Its manor house, gardens and converted farmstead buildings offer a tranquil, immersive setting where time in the studio, shared meals and the surrounding landscape all support the creative process.
The spacious Cow Shed studio, the manor’s eclectic interiors and wild gardens provide inspiration and focus for Cleo’s mosaic retreat — a chance to slow down, work with your hands, and immerse yourself in colour, pattern and story. Guests stay within the manor and nearby lodge house, enjoying seasonal food, warm hospitality and the quiet beauty of a place apart from everyday life.
About Cleo Mussi
Cleo Mussi is a mosaic artist and tutor originally trained in textiles, celebrated for her intricate, narrative-driven mosaics that combine vibrant colour, texture and storytelling. Her work draws on folklore, nature and domestic life, transforming fragments of ceramic tableware into expressive, imaginative compositions.
As a tutor, Cleo brings warmth, patience and deep technical knowledge, encouraging each participant to find their own creative rhythm.
Explore more of her work at mussimosaics.co.uk
Instagram: @cleomussimosaics and @mussimosaicdrop
Love the sound of this retreat but can’t make the dates? Let us know, and we’ll add you to our interest list for future retreats with Cleo — you’ll be the first to hear when new dates are announced.