It began with her story.

For an 80th birthday, sixteen people came to Provence for four days together. Before designing the programme, we researched the woman at the centre of the celebration. Her story became the creative starting point for a journey connecting art, culinary experiences and time with the people close to her.

In Lourmarin, four family teams set off with baskets, a little money and a few useful sentences in French. Their mission was to find ingredients and collect birthday wishes. A familiar market became something personal: a reason to ask questions, meet people and discover together.

What they didn’t know…

The ingredients they chose that morning would become part of their lunch at a wine estate. One moment opened into the next. The surprise was in the connection between them — and in finding that everyone had already helped create the table.

Art and food, woven into the same story.

At an art estate, a treasure hunt gave children and adults their own discoveries. The encounter with art formed part of the same personal journey as the market and the shared meals. Later, olive oil made during the afternoon became part of dinner. Each experience connected discovery with participation, bringing the family back together around something they had helped create.

The idea, and everything behind it.

Creative direction only becomes an experience when the details work. Places, partners, timings, transport and the needs of the guests all had to fit the story. That is the work we bring together: imagining the celebration and producing it on the ground.

The family’s identity is kept private. Their story is shared here through the ideas that brought the celebration to life.