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The focus of this course will be painting an icon of the crucifixion, remembering the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ at a significant time of the year.

This course provides an introduction to all aspects of traditional Byzantine icon painting. The aim is to understand the history and meaning of icons, as well as painting one.

Students will learn to paint in translucent layers of egg tempera, using natural and semi-precious pigments. The course will also cover using clay and gold leaf for gilding.

The tutor will paint along with students on her icon, to demonstrate each step in an easy-to-follow way.

Labyrinths are geometric patterns that mark out a journey - a journey of the soul to a central place.

They contain a pathway that runs from the periphery of the pattern to its centre which twists and turns in many different directions. The reaching of the centre is then followed by a return back outwards along the same path.

Labyrinths have a very long history and are found in many different cultures - from the ancient world to medieval Christendom and all the way up to the current time in which they are experiencing a significant resurgence.

In this practical drawing course we will draw various different labyrinths and consider their history and symbolic meanings.

Study master examples of Japanese woodblock printing before making your own black and white print. Then, learn to make a Japanese folded screen on which you can mount and display your print.

This is a rare chance to learn how to make a Japanese folded screen, including how to make paper hinges. You will also be guided in the process of how to paste and mount your print for display.

The screen making and woodblock printmaking will run parallel as there is a lot of time needed for drying.

Please note that students who take this course should plan on attending all 5 days, as it is difficult to catch up if you miss a day.

The Ganges River flows over 2,500 miles through several states in Northern India. It is regarded as the holy personification of the goddess Ganga, and people bathe in its waters to achieve spiritual cleansing. Along with the Ganges, there are four other major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, all of which are extremely important to India. It’s no surprise that these expansive waterways are often featured in Indian miniature paintings.

In this course, we will explore depictions of the river itself, as well as the diverse animals, flowers, and people that thrive in or near the water. Students will observe scenes such as elephants bathing, women washing clothes, fish swimming, and beautiful lotuses growing in the water.

We will also learn how to prepare paper and techniques for staining and burnishing. Additionally, students will be guided through various painting techniques, including color mixing, flooding, and creating wave effects found in rivers.

Rumî is the name of a motif found in traditional Ottoman decorative arts. Rumî compositions feature stylised animal figures such as birds, lions, deer, fish, and mythical creatures like dragons and the Simurgh.

During this course, students will learn to draw and paint a stunning variant of this motif, flower-inlaid Rumî.

To begin, students will learn the design rules before making their compositions. They will also learn how to prepare genuine gold and paint with it.

Alongside learning how to draw and paint these motifs, students will be given insights into technical considerations for illumination such as the traditional colour palette and different methods for shading flowers.

By the end of the course, students will have drawn, transferred and painted an art piece with flower-inlaid Rumî motifs.

In this course we will look at architectural designs in early Pahari painting, focussing on Basohli style pavilions as settings of the romantic encounters of Krishna-Radha or Nayika-Nayaka.

These architectural elements are painted with vibrant colours and decorated with intricate geometric and floral patterns.

Guler Pahari painting is known for its delicate depiction of nature. Groves of trees entwined with creepers and surrounded by flowering bushes were often set as nature sanctuaries, dwellings of sages or places for love encounters. This course will focus on different techniques of painting beautiful trees as developed by the Guler masters.

Blue is the colour of the heavens; its nature is contemplative; its energy is inward directing. The qualities of blue are stillness, receptivity and depth. Kandinsky in talking about blue said that “it calls man towards the infinite”.

The different shades of blue are understood to indicate religious feeling. There are so many different types of blue in nature, some very cool and leaning towards green, others are more warm and are closer to purple. It is this subtle interrelationship of these different shades gives blue which bring life and beauty to a painting.

Day 1 of the workshop will involve looking at the symbolism of blue with reference to Goethe’s colour theory and parallels with the Persian poet and mystic Nizami Ganjavi.

Day 2 of the workshop will involve various exercises of watercolour on paper exploring blue through the use of tonal themes incorporating warm and cool shades of blue through transparent and opaque applications as well as colour layering exercises.

White is symbolic of spiritual consciousness and knowledge. It symbolises purity and has associations with the moon. It reflects all and therefore gives nothing but itself. In this sense, it is seen as the ‘father’, whereas darkness, which absorbs and contains all colour, is the ‘mother’.

White is the manifestation of the mystery of darkness. It is the other side of darkness and resides within darkness just as darkness resides within light/white. Without the other, neither can exist. White is the physical ‘created’ light whereas gold denotes spiritual, ‘uncreated’ light, eternal light which existed before the creation.

The first day of the workshop will be an enquiry into the nature of white, how it is made alchemically from darkness and its symbolic nature in the souls the awakening.

The second day will be a practical exploration with ink and brush on paper journeying into the nature of white in all its aspects through the seven tones and the seven levels of being, each tone expressing a different stage in the evolution of the soul's awakening.

Of all colours, black was one of the earliest pigments to be used by artists, evident in cave paintings over 60,000 years old. Symbolically black is the mother of colour, absorbing all other colours and light. Black signifies the receptive, existing beyond time and space, and embodies primordial feminine wisdom—the source of the universe. It is the hidden darkness from which all light emerges.

We will focus on the particular significance of black in traditional Chinese ink making, a craft that dates back to the 12th century. This process involves creating black ink through the burning of resinous pine, resulting in a unique black that is regarded as the finest of all blacks. Additionally, we will examine other historical black pigments, such as ivory, bone, lampblack, and vine black, and discuss how an understanding of ink-making processes is essential to its creative expression.

Yellow in alchemy marks the beginning of the soul's awakening through the passage of its soul's journey from darkness to light. In India, yellow is considered a sacred colour due to its relationship to the cow, symbolic of the mother of all creation. Yellow is one of the three primary colours; when mixed with blue or black, it becomes green. When combined with purple, its complementary opposite, its colour disappears, and we are left with grey. When placed beside purple, it vibrates with an extraordinary intensity.

Day 1 of the workshop will begin with a talk on the different yellows found
in nature - in minerals and plants, with examples of the processes by which these can be extracted from nature.

Day 2 will involve colour exercises exploring different shade of yellow and their relationship to other colours, with particular reference to the major and minor colours and how these can be employed compositionally using different colour harmonies.

Calligraphy was always prized in the Ottoman Court and thus inscriptions of remarkable strength emerged from this period. The manuscripts of 18th Century Calligrapher Mehmed Shawqi Effendi from the Ottoman School will be used as examples for the workshop.

The fluid style of thuluth ranks as one of the most popular scripts of choice for aesthetic expression due to its versatility and endless creativity. Thuluth is a proportioned script based on the principles of past masters. A rhomboid dot is used to measure each letter shape. The oblique angle of the pen (qalam) lends itself to the aesthetics of producing thick and thin angles. To control the flowing line whilst maintaining balance, elegance and harmony is a great achievement of artistic expression. Thuluth’s popularity is expressed in text, poems and aphorisms and  inscriptions are found in various mediums; architecture, manuscripts, metalwork, glass, wood, textiles and ceramics .

The workshop is a practical introduction to the script and provides participants a step-by-step guide to writing the Arabic letters according to the thuluth proportion system. Students will be shown how to construct each letter through basic strokes and learn the traditional practice, tools and materials used for thuluth.

Inspired by the Aya Sophia, recreate the striking calligraphy roundels by the Ottoman luminary Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi (1901-1876).    Practice the jali (large) thuluth script and the techniques employed by Kazasker Efendi to write the roundels in pen and ink, an art form rooted in principles passed down through generations.

Through hands-on sessions develop your own smaller calligraphy roundels, featuring the sacred name of Allah or the name of the Prophet Muhammad. The Aya Sophia stands as an icon of global architecture. The historic roundels were meticulously placed during the 19th Century repairs. The mastery embedded in these monumental 7.5- metre roundels has left an indelible mark in the records of calligraphy history.  The eight calligraphy roundels bear the names of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, his grandsons Hasan and Hussein, and the four companions - all adorned with gold leaf against a rich dark background.

A kilim is a type of flat, woven rug that is created by interlacing warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads and characterised by exuberant colours, bold motifs and vivid designs. This course offers participants a rare opportunity to try weaving a kilim in the traditional manner. Students will leave the course with a small piece.   

Explore Persian miniature painting through the love story of Layla and Majnun, a tale of intense, unfulfilled love popularised by the 12th-century poet Nizami Ganjavi. Layla and Qays fall in love at school, and Qays becomes so consumed by his passion that he becomes known as Majnun (meaning "mad"), while Layla is forced to marry another. Despite their mutual love, the two ultimately die of heartbreak without ever being able to be together.

We focus on the scene of the lovers' meeting in a palm grove, contrasting the peaceful garden setting with their inner turmoil. You will learn to depict the lovers' glances, oasis vegetation, Majnun's wild appearance, and Layla's veiled beauty. The course covers traditional techniques for brushwork, paper and paint preparation, bringing this timeless story to life through art.

In this course we will explore the geometry of the Christian Tradition in Egypt. These motifs appear in monasteries, churches, and manuscripts throughout the centuries.

We will analyze and draw these patterns from St. Apollinaris monastery, St. Catherine monastery, and manuscripts from the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

Explore geometric patterns from the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. This site is unique in that construction of its various buildings spanned a number of Islamic caliphates, including the Umayyad, Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Craftspeople and artisans not only applied geometric patterns across time, but also a variety of materials, including woodwork, marble, glass, and stucco carving. This course gives students an understanding of how the fundamentals of Islamic geometry were used to create a beautiful place of worship, across different buildings and time periods. We will look at how patterns from the same family are expressed in different ways as stars or rosettes and also how patterns from different Islamic periods share the same construction.   

Join tutor, Sara Choudhrey, for further explorations of Islamic curvilinear designs. This new course pays particular focus to examples of curvilinear roundels within lavishly illuminated leaves of historical Qur’an manuscripts dating from the 13th – 16th centuries. While this is an ideal follow-on from her previous curvilinear roundels course, continuing the compass-based construction method to recreate the nested and interlaced circular designs distinctive to Islamic Spain and North Africa, no previous experience is required.

With the use of compass and straight edge, students will learn to draft an underlying geometric construction and use proportional interlinking circles to develop the designs which can function as standalone compositions. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of these distinctive designs and be equipped to analyse or create their own.

Gothic rose windows are masterpieces of architectural ornamentation, combining delicate tracery with intricate geometric structures. These stunning designs, found in cathedrals across Europe, are the result of precise geometric design and creativity.

In this course, we will explore the geometry behind these mesmerizing forms by studying the south rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris. Through this example, we will learn key elements of Gothic architectural design and apply them step by step to construct one version of this magnificent rose window.

Create a woodblock print in colour, inspired by the work of artists such as Onchi Koshiro and Kawase Hasui.  This course employs slightly different techniques to our other Japanese woodblock printing courses, and does not require the use of a key block. Instead, we use a more contemporary approach to create a design as Koshiro or Hasui would have done. You will also learn bokashi, a technique for achieving a gradation of tone in a colour or multiple colours.    

The Falnama is a form of bibliomancy with a long history in religious thought. What might appear strange or wondrous to us had meaning in the past. One approach to divinatory paintings is not to ‘predict’ the future. Rather it is to understand how these paintings allowed people to gain insight into the hidden meanings of the universe and interpret its signs and symbols. The Falnama manuscripts contain wonderful miniatures and we focus on these forms in class, with the knowledge that their origins lie in mysticism and wonder.

The pleasure of concentrating on a single miniature for an extended period involves us deeply. We are immersed in it; we live with it; we live in it. Inhabiting and internalising a painting this way is a wonderful and traditional way to learn. In today’s fast-paced world, we need to sit, focus on and contemplate our single piece and grow to love and understand it. We will understand the subtle art of colour, composition, and blending through our actions of making and doing, connecting with the work. The aim is not to rush, but to dwell. Thus painting is a form of meditation in itself. Students are invited to recreate this work alongside the tutor, incorporate elements into existing work or be inspired to create their own astrological or heavenly compositions, perhaps even a fictitious Falnama.

Astrological charts lay out the heavenly structure of things. We will paint the famous Horoscope of Iskandar, grandson of Tamerlane the Conqueror. The position of the heavens at the time of his birth is recorded in this wondrous 1411 Timurid manuscript painting. The stars align and fate is painted. We will think about how fate and destiny, time and magic intertwine in a painting to form a coalition of the arts and sciences: astronomy, calligraphy, illumination and painting gather to create a marvel of the book arts that is a beautiful record of a life. The starry skies hold everything together and the Zodiac signs are recognisable even today.

The pleasure of concentrating on a single miniature for a period of time involves us deeply. We are immersed in it; we live with it; we live in it. Inhabiting and internalising a painting in this way is a wonderful and traditional way to learn. In today’s fast-paced world we need to sit, focus on and contemplate our single piece and grow to love and understand it. We will understand the subtle art of colour, composition and blending by our action of making and doing, connecting with the work. The aim is not to rush, but to dwell. Thus painting is a form of meditation in itself. Students are invited to recreate this work alongside the tutor, incorporate elements into existing work or be inspired to create their own astrological or heavenly compositions, perhaps even a fictitious (or real) horoscope.

This course is designed to deepen your understanding of drawing as a fundamental artistic skill. The drawings made on this course will be studies of rhythm, thought and expression of line across different cultures. Each session will focus on a different drawing, covering a range of cultures, including Indian, Persian, Chinese, and European medieval and Renaissance traditions.

Thematically, we will explore depictions of birds and angels, the messengers between Heaven and Earth. "The idea of the birds’ movements and patterns made in the sky, are used as a way of describing the space; the clarity of marks, shapes, tones and pencil or brush strokes on the sheet of paper, every visible mark is an affirmation of being alive and is a symbol of the invisible. A suggestion of the sky as the interior of a dome, a half-sphere above the horizon is referred to when looking at the way space can be seen and drawn."

Throughout the course, students will engage in hands-on practice using brush and pencil to develop their dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and ability to express their inner thoughts and feelings through marks and strokes. Most importantly we will have gained insight into the minds of the artists who made/make Traditional Art.

This course will give students a thorough understanding of the materials, procedures and skills required to make a traditional Indian Mughal miniature painting. Students will follow a process that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years since the time of Akbar and the Mughal ateliers of northern India. Students will be taken step by step through the various stages: preparing handmade paper; grinding and mixing paint; tracing subject matter using pigment paper; colour filling; burnishing with agate stone; learning how to use a squirrel hair brush for fine detailing; applying liquid gold; further fine shading (perdacht), and how to apply a decorated border. Finally, students will burnish one last time to create a finished painting ready for display.

Iznik tiles get their name from the Turkish town of Iznik where they were first made, starting in the 15th century. The tiles are easily recognised by their intricate floral designs and palette of cobalt blue, turqouise, and bole red against a glossy white background.    

Students will design and glaze a set of tiles. Beginning with design, learn a vocabulary of traditional floral forms. Students will then move on to testing glaze colours and finally painting the designs onto bisque tiles. 

Please note that the tiles require time to dry and be fired. Students will be asked to return after the course is over to collect their fired tiles.      

A mangour screen is a form of decorative wooden latticework. Assembled from an interlocking system of geometric wooden pieces, they are held together without nails or glue. These screens can still be seen on the decorated bay windows and interiors of Jeddah's historic homes, exhibiting a rich variety of forms.

In this practical workshop, discover how the geometric language of mangour and construction methods combine to produce a beautiful design. The course begins with an introduction to the alphabet of geometric shapes that can be used, and how the geometry translates to wood. Students will then be shown carving techniques, and how to work with a chisel and mallet to craft the interlocking pieces.

By the end of the course, students can expect to leave with a small carved screen panel and have an understanding and appreciation of this craft.

In this course, students will explore the art of creating intricate islimi/arabesque patterns and apply them to arches.

They will learn how to draw an arch using geometry, and then to fill the spandrels above the arch with flowing floral patterns. Students will leave the course with painted design.

This short course provides an immersive exploration of floral painting techniques inspired by the rich traditions of the Ottoman Empire. Focusing on the style of the painter Ali Uskudari, students will master detailed brushwork, vibrant color layering, and delicate shading to bring floral subjects to life. They will learn to capture the essence of Ottoman floral motifs using traditional painting methods, gaining hands-on experience with these unique techniques along the way.

The School of Traditional Arts is pleased to announce our first Miniature Masterclass, a week-long immersive course. Following a pattern established in our annual Geometry Summer Schools, this Miniature Masterclass brings together multiple expert tutors with diverse areas of expertise to provide an intense, multi-faceted engagement with an ancient tradition. In addition to daily sessions on focused topics, the week includes evening sessions, a panel discussion on contemporary exploration of traditional miniature painting, and behind-the-scenes access to selected treasures at the Victorian and Albert Museum.

Using finely-ground, semi-precious pigments and delicately-pointed squirrel hair brushes, master painters in the Indian miniature tradition have, for centuries, brought sacred scenes and historical events to life, evoking a sense of wonder and awe at their skill. In this week, we hope to expand participants’ awareness of skills and techniques that underpin a beautiful painting. From paper preparation, to drawing with the brush, to working with khariya and preparing shell gold, participants will be introduced to details of the miniature tradition that typically lie beyond the scope of a standard painting course. The team of tutors will also provide feedback and troubleshooting solutions to those who wish to bring any unfinished painting projects to one of the dedicated morning sessions.

The Miniature Masterclass supplements the daytime courses with additional evening activities and excursions. Participants will receive behind-the-scenes access to a selection of beautiful miniature paintings and drawings from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum that are not on display to the general public. An evening panel discussion will explore the future of this tradition and how elements of the craft are sustained in modern practises.

This immersive week-long programme is ideal for those seeking to elevate their understanding of Indian Miniature painting techniques and tools. It is a unique opportunity to join a community of experts with diverse experience and insights. We welcome experienced painters as well as curious beginners who wish to dip their toes into this beautiful world.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to all aspects of Byzantine icon painting and to teach students how to create their own patterns for halos.

Students will learn various gilding techniques and how to paint with traditional egg tempera, which is made with natural and semi-precious pigments, on gessoed wooden boards.

The tutor will paint alongside the class to demonstrate each process and stage of this traditional art form, serving as a guide for students to follow. Additionally, the course will include a brief introduction to the history of icon painting, exploring their significance and discussing why icons are still painted today from the perspective of a practicing artist.

This course provides an introduction to all aspects of traditional Byzantine icon painting. The aim is to understand the history and meaning of icons, as well as painting one.

Students will learn to paint in translucent layers of egg tempera, using natural and semi-precious pigments. The course will also cover using clay and gold leaf for gilding.

The tutor will paint along with students on her icon, to demonstrate each step in an easy-to-follow way.

The focus of this course will be painting an icon of a guardian angel.

The earth is the natural apothecary of the arts; hidden within its depths are all the variety of pigments as seen in the great paintings and galleries of the world. During this workshop, students will explore the traditional processes by which these pure pigments are extracted from their natural sources in the form of earth, rocks, roots and berries, and how these are transformed into pure pigments.   

The traditional methods used to transform these raw materials were, in earlier times, a natural part of the traditional training of the artist; the process of preparing these natural materials was seen as an integral part of the painting process and was not separate from the painting. These craft practices are a journey into the very heart of the creative process, preparing the artist both outwardly and inwardly.   

Working with the semi-precious rocks malachite, azurite, cinnabar and chrysocolla, as well as certain plant colours (Madder roots and Persian berries), students will discover first-hand the miraculous processes by which these raw materials are ground, washed, purified and, in some cases, heated and precipitated, and slowly transformed into luminous jewel-like pigments.   

In the second part of this five-day workshop, students will be taught about traditional recipes and how these pure pigments can be made into handmade paints using gum arabic, egg tempera and oil. As well as producing pigments from plant dyes, students will also have the opportunity to experiment with tie-dying techniques on silk using gardenia and Brazil wood dyes.    

Labyrinths are geometric patterns that mark out a journey - a journey of the soul to a central place.     They contain a pathway that runs from the periphery of the pattern to its centre which twists and turns in many different directions. The reaching of the centre is then followed by a return back outwards along the same path.    

Labyrinths have a very long history and are found in many different cultures - from the ancient world to medieval Christendom and all the way up to the current time in which they are experiencing a significant resurgence.    

In this one day workshop, students will mark out and construct some life size labyrinths on the ground in a face-to-face session at the School of Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, London.

This course reintroduces the Archimedean solids through a new methodology, emphasizing the unseen internal spaces that belong to this foundational set of polyhedra. It explores how these thirteen shapes not only relate to their platonic origins but also exist in an active relationship with each other.

This expansive approach challenges the way that these forms have been conventionally understood and opens new doors for creative exploration.

Here students will be led through a hands-on process of nesting Archimedean forms within each other while observing how the angles within each form must be adjusted to accommodate different arrangements. Attendees will construct nets of a unique group of intermediary shapes and develop skills in ruler, compass, and paper craft to aid in future experimentation.  

Through constructing these forms by hand students will gain a unique understanding of the internal composition of the Archimedean system, its parts, and their relationships as they may benefit fields of sculpture, architecture, and 3D design.

Throughout history, the 'Tree of Life' has been depicted in different ways across many religions and cultures. Explore the symbolism of this motif, before painting your own design. Choose to paint an image from history or your imagination.

Then consider the background of the painting - It may be set in a garden, landscape, or an individual vision. Plan the atmosphere of your painting through a series of colour harmony studies relating colour to nuance. Decide upon the palette and time of day in which the tree is situated.

In this course we will be using the medium of egg tempera, working with artists' pigments. Students will practice different techniques including working with a larger size brush as well as smaller brushes for fine work, dry brush and glazing.

In this course we will be using the medium of egg tempera, working with artists' pigments and medium. Students will practice different techniques including working with a larger size brush before switching to smaller brushes for dry brush and glazing.

Immerse yourself in the traditional techniques used by Piero della Francesca in this intensive egg tempera course. You will choose a portrait from a selection of paintings by Piero della Francesca and create a copy using egg tempera on a gessoed panel.

In this course students will learn about a traditional process of painting that reveal’s the delicate brilliance of the egg tempera method and techniques, including working in layers from dark to light in a chiaroscuro technique and fine brushwork. Students will explore glazing and the dry brush technique and Piero della Francesca's palette.

Learn about the rich history and artistic traditions of Chinese polychrome paintings. These paintings decorating wooden palace buildings, are reflections of Chinese traditional culture and aesthetic concepts.

In this hands-on course, students will learn about the design principles of these paintings, key colour configurations, and painting techniques. Any returning students can try their hand at more complex designs.

Attention will be paid to the connection between these paintings and the architectural structures they are designed for. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about and appreciate the unique cultural heritage of China.

Casein is an ancient, water-soluble paint made from milk protein and slaked lime, thought to be one of the oldest paint mediums. Cave paintings dating back 125,000 years were created using milk-based paints, and artifacts from King Tutankhamen's tomb, discovered in 1924, were also painted with casein. For thousands of years, casein's simple production formula made it a popular medium for decoration. Artists like Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) famously used this paint. Casein is valued for its ability to dry to a consistent finish, making it ideal for murals and easel paintings. It offers versatility, allowing for effects that mimic both oil paint and watercolor washes, while drying to a velvety matte finish.

During this five day workshop students will be instructed in the process by which this medium is prepared from milk; Through making a series of studies students will explore the technique of handling casein paint and the different ways this medium can be utilised.

Gain hands-on experience in how masons built traditional domed structures such as churches, mosques, tombs, palaces, and simple homes using just one material - earth. Learn the techniques to rotate and incline small blocks of natural materials to create arches, vaults, and domes, allowing you to design in harmony with the Earth. Engage in full-scale exercises and model-building activities to understand the timeless design principles that can inspire the creation of new homes, places of worship, and community spaces.

This course seeks to re-awaken a method, latent in the world’s diverse religious systems, of architectural design and building construction as an orderly process of spiritual guidance. In the process of “research and in-search” our quests become more meaningful when our goals meet with others' needs and goals (Khalili, 1984)

The content of this course includes one of the most ancient frames of reference: Masonry Architecture. It provides the participant with an ancient mnemonic, like a string of prayer beads or a ladder of ascent and descent. Continuing the essence of its tradition into the 21st century, digital fabrication with traditional masonry are integrated, building on the work of Masters.

"An arch is like a prayer,
its strength is in its unity,
its beauty in its repetition."

The course content addresses building with earth and masonry as a living art, relating historical precedent and contemporary practice. You will be learning to work with the universal elements of earth, water, air and fire as architectural design generators and innovators, within a design theory that works with their properties and qualities (divine names) and the process of analogy. The principle of unity within diverse multiplicity is explored through work “made without hands” (acheiropoeiton) and “doing while not doing” (anenergesia) in the design and fabrication of masonry buildings.

Lectures in theory are followed by hands-on building scale models and full-scale architectural elements. Both theory and hands-on teach a gravity-guided architecture experienced by all the senses.

This course introduces students to the art of Zillij, a ceramic tile style found throughout the Islamic world, particularly in Morocco. Students will be shown a variety of tile-making techniques, and create a panel composition to take home with them.   

Discover the ancient art of dyeing with natural and sustainable pigments.  This course is an introduction to preparing colour and hand-dying techniques for both paper and fabric.  On this course, students will learn:

• about a range of dyes and where they come from in nature, including walnuts, madder, pomegranate, and more. 
• how to prepare dyes from natural substances 
• how to prepare a surface for dying using a suitable mordant or non-mordant  experiment with dying cotton and silk, as well as paper   

Porcelain is a unique medium: the plasticity of its particles lends itself to fine detail, its whiteness, uncontaminated by other earth oxides, reflects light and gives a particular luminosity to glazes, and its high-vitrification point makes it incredibly durable and translucent when illuminated.   

During this five-day workshop, the participants will be introduced to porcelain’s enchanting history: used in China as early as 7th century A.D., attempts to recreate true porcelain in Europe seemed like an act of alchemy and magic. Taking it out of its utilitarian and industrial context, we will engage in the drawing and making process using plaster moulds to impress design details onto the clay surface. We will consider a range of making techniques, there will be an opportunity to experiment with matte and transparent glazes, and we will also consider the effects of kiln firing processes.

By the end of the course, each participant will have completed a small panel or a series of repeating design elements, where the designs are incised or in relief on the surface of porcelain, and will be equipped with skills for further experimentation and exploration into the beauty and functionality of this medium.    

Participants are encouraged to bring their own circular or square design composed of geometric and/or biomorphic motifs or may choose from a range of designs supplied by the tutor.

The artist, poet, designer, and publisher, William Morris, was deeply moved by illuminated manuscripts he saw in Canterbury Cathedral as a child. Later, while studying at Oxford, he encountered more manuscripts at the Bodleian Library that inspired him to try his hand at illumination. Morris eventually integrated ideas and designs from these manuscripts, along with other sources, into the books he published through the Kelmscott Press.

During this class, we will delve into the illustrious history of illuminated manuscripts, exploring how these exquisite works inspired William Morris’s Kelmscott Press books. Students will have opportunity to view one such book, The Story of the Glittering Plain, during a private visit to The King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace. In this journey, we will encounter the captivating beauty and craftsmanship that define these books.

In this immersive course, explore the ancient technique of painting on calfskin vellum. Learn to work with pigments from both botanical sources such as woad as well as colours from mineral deposits, then try your hand at traditional gilding methods to bring light to the page with gold leaf. Conclude the class by painting your own personalised manuscript border and illuminated letter inspired by the magical allure of William Morris’s beautiful book designs.