MANCHESTER artist Rosana Ibarrola, is bringing the beauty of the written word to the people of Trafford, with the launch of ‘Love Calligraphy’.

Rosana and her business partner and fellow designer, Alejandra Gonaldi, are holding series of courses and workshops in Altrincham and Sale in early 2016.

Rosana said “We have been running calligraphy courses for over two years and they’ve started to develop a bit of a cult following amongst Manchester creatives. With demand growing and our passion to bring the handwritten word to everyday life, we set up Love Calligraphy to expand our teaching and give more people the opportunity to experience the joy of learning this unique art form.”

Rosana is already well known within the world of TV and film having applied her skills to hugely successful historical dramas. Last year she produced calligraphy for BBC 2’s “Banished” as well as teaching actors such as David Wenham, Ned Dennehy, David Dawson and Joseph Millson, to produce authentic calligraphy on screen.

She has recently worked on “Dark Angel” for ITV (to air early 2016), starring Downtown’s Joanne Froggatt; producing a series of key letters written by the notorious Mary Ann Cotton. Her next big commission was to produce calligraphy writing for “The Limehouse Golem,” a star-studded British horror-thriller film, based on the novel by Peter Ackroyd, set to release in 2016.

Alejandra added: “Calligraphy is such a beautiful skill and we’re seeing much more of this typography in the programmes and movies we watch. However, in the era of computer screens, we want to give people the chance to do something creative with nothing more complex than a pen and paper. Like the current obsession with adult colouring books, calligraphy makes the mind focus and relax. Although it quickly becomes a new obsession for many.

“We teach both traditional and modern calligraphy, which is a more free and flourishing letterform; stylistically very different from its medieval roots. This means calligraphy today has a broader appeal and who doesn’t enjoy receiving an exquisitely written card or thank you note?”

For those who want to see what it’s all about, Love Calligraphy is running free taster sessions in Sale on Thursday December 10th and in Didsbury on Saturday 12th December 12.

Love Calligraphy courses start in Didsbury and Altrincham in early January and in Sale from February.

For more details and to book your place visit www.lovecalligraphy.co.uk

Jpeg caption: (L to R) Rosana and Alejandra. Other photos available.