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The Centre Fee is sometimes a tricky one to explain to customers who feel they are paying for nothing. In reality we had to come up with a fee that reflects the cost of running the art centre with all the overheads and staff etc and we have taken pains to make this fee reflect a fair proportion of those costs not associated with the residential side of the business. These costs are 'hidden' effectively in the room fees of those staying on-site. One particularly important element of the fee is the membership of the association (€65) which is absolutely a legal requirement to be covered by our insurance should anything happen to someone in our buildings and applies to anyone who stays for more than one meal at the centre (I.e. a non participating partner would need to be included in the insurance by paying the membership fee). It is to do with how we are founded as a 'cultural association' in Italy.
I know it can seem strange when you have paid a course fee or tuition fee to the tutors for the course, however these are retained by the tutors to cover their costs and services and not passed on to the Art Centre. So if we didn't charge a 'Centre Fee' to those staying off site it would place the burden of all our Art Centre costs on those staying with us and make the rooms seem rather expensive.
I hope this explanation is clear and doesn't seem unreasonable and the fee doesn't make the trip work out too expensive overall.
Verrocchio Arts Centre has teamed up with Travel Insurance specialists, P J Hayman & Company Ltd to bring you Travel Plus.
Or call 02392 419 070 quoting VER2166 (Monday - Friday 8 am - 6 pm, closed Bank Holidays) for an instant quote and immediate cover. Please note, when you enter the Travel Plus website or when you call you will be dealing with P J Hayman & Company Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FS register number 497103).
Q. Why is there a Centre Fee for non-residents?
A. We introduced the Centre Fee in recent years as it was deemed necessary for all those taking courses at the centre to contribute in a proportionate way to the cost of the running of the centre so that the burden didn't fall solely on those staying in the Centre accommodation. The tuition/course fee goes in it's entirely to the tutor or St Ives/RWA. The costs of running an Art Centre run into tens of thousands each year. The Centre Fee ensures that both residents and non-residents pay a fair proportion of those costs.
In addition part of this fee is for the membership of the Association. The Centro is designated in Italy as a "Cultural Association". To be included in the public liability insurance of the Centro all those attending courses must become members. This is a legal requirement. Any person eating more than one meal at the Centre, even if they are not taking a course, would need to be a member in order to be covered by the public liability insurance in case anything should happen to them while on the premises.
Q. Can I bring my dog?
A. Our policy regarding dogs:
We will welcome service dogs (i.e. dogs trained to do specific jobs for a person with a disability) and we allow emotional support dogs under certain circumstances. We need to be warned in advance.
- such dogs must be well controlled and on a leash at all times.
- during meal times they must be tethered and out of the way of tables and thoroughfares. The same applies in the studios and in all the common areas.
- absolutely no access to the main kitchen
- dogs must not be allowed on the beds or be groomed in the bedrooms
- dogs must be clean and flea-free and worm free
- please be considerate of other guests as not everyone likes dogs
Q. Why are transfers not included for the Choral Singing Course?
A. The reason that transfers are not included in these courses is that they tend to attract a very international group who may be arriving at a variety of airports, train stations or by car, so it is not possible to make arrangements to include everyone.
Q. Why is the pick up time from Pisa Airport not til 16.30 when my flight gets in much earlier?
A. This is to allow as many of the group as possible time to reach the airport by the pick up time. We don't usually know what time the whole group will be arriving until quite close to the start of the course because of late bookings. On some occasions if the whole group will be there earlier than 16.30 we can arrange an earlier pick up. This is not always possible though as the staff at the Centre need time to tidy and clean between groups and, not least, take a well earned rest to recharge their batteries so they can take good care of your group!
Q. What can I do at Pisa if I have a few hours to fill?
A. There is a left luggage facility at Pisa Airport so you can leave your bags and explore Pisa and environs. There is much more to Pisa than just the Leaning Tower! Our guests have found that long lunches by the sea and the many less famous attractions of Pisa mean they can have a very pleasant time there. If you are travelling alone and would prefer company, we can connect you with a fellow guest arriving at a similar time who can enjoy the experience with you.
Q. How will I pay the Euro balance if I do not have a Euro bank account?
A. We have a borderless account which means you can pay in your own currency (Euros, US Dollars, Australian Dollars or British Pounds) by bank transfer with the amount equivallent to the Euro amount calculated at the mid market rate according to Transferwise on the day of issue of the invoice.
Q. Why does it cost more for two participants sharing a room than for a participant with a non-participant?
A. We have to limit the numbers for painting course participants so that the tutors do not have an unmanageable sized group to teach. This ensures a better experience for the students. Tutors differ in the number they prefer to limit the group size to. Non participating partners do not affect this number so we can take as many of those as we have double rooms to accommodate. However as we can only take a limited number of participants and if they shared rooms at the same reduced rate we would very likely be left with vacant single rooms and not make sufficient funds to cover our costs.
Visitors need to be reasonably fit and mobile to access the Art Centre as the structure of the building makes disabled access difficult. There is only one bedroom on the ground floor, the rest are on the first floor, up a flight of stairs. We have one disabled toilet in the studio area. The entrance to the building is down several steps and the ground floor involves several steps up and down between areas. The terrace is up a couple of steps as well. The village is a short walk from the Art Centre, a couple of minutes up paved alleys with some steps. The sculpture studio can be reached from the main building via a spiral staircase or a alternatively via Via San Michele and Via Roma to avoid steps but rather a longer distance.
What is provided in the painting studios?
- Boards of various sizes for drawing and painting
- Studio easels, portable easels
- Portable stools
Available to buy in the village:
- Turpentine and white spirit
- PVA medium
- White emulsion
- Sketching paper
- We have an extensive Art library and several Roman portraits for reference use
It is possible to order art supplies that are not available at our shop and that you do not wish to bring with you by ordering from ZECCHI Art Supplies (NB - English translation is available by clicking UK flag in top left-centre of website) in Florence and asking them to send the materials to Casole ahead of you. Please use our address in Italy: Your Name, c/o Verrocchio Art Centre, Via San Michele, 16, Casole d'Elsa, Siena, 53031 SI Italia
Worth bringing with you:
- Digital camera
- An old shirt or apron
- Bag to carry materials
- Sun hat
- Sun cream
- Fleece for evenings
As for as art materials to bring it is best to refer to the tutor's list for your chosen course.