News 9 March 2018
The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts: a new beginning
Founded in 2004, The School of Traditional Arts’ purpose is to teach the principles and techniques of the traditional arts of the world’s great civilisations. With all levels of study – from Masters and Research Degrees to short courses and lectures – on practices including mosaics, painting, drawing and geometry, anyone can get involved in regenerating the traditional cultural heritage of different regions and communities. With teaching facilities spread across the globe our aim has always been to engage and reconnect community with heritage. And we are now proud to become part of The Prince’s Foundation – a charity that is tasked with achieving HRH The Prince of Wales’s goal of creating harmonious communities through the combined forces of education, heritage and development. The charity will achieve HRH’s vision by working across three core tiers.
Firstly, Education: the Foundation will continue to give people access to innovative, skills-based courses in a broad range of subjects, from traditional arts and science to heritage crafts, horticulture, health and personal care, all carried out with an emphasis on the greater social cohesion that transpires when members of a community learn, as well as live, together. Programmes will operate within and beyond the confines of the charity’s sites. These naturally include all our teaching facilities at Charlotte road, new residential programmes at Dumfries House in Scotland and our international centres.
Secondly, the Projects tier concentrates on the restoration of historic buildings and the construction of new sustainable structures. A beautiful, resourceful building has the power to engage and invigorate its surrounding community, and the Foundation will work together with local groups to ensure these sites will be of great benefit to many people. Recent successes include the construction of The Prince’s Natural House at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford – a low-carbon home offering an answer to sustainable eco-living. Meanwhile, works on the impressive revival of Ballater train station in Aberdeenshire are well under way.
Finally, the Attractions tier will focus on raising further awareness of the Foundation’s historic centrepieces – be it dining at the elegant Rothesay Rooms restaurant, taking a dip in the New Cumnock open-air swimming pool or marveling at Dumfries House’s rare collection of 18th century Chippendale furniture. Attractions all serve the purpose of building economic growth and preserving cultural history in regions throughout the UK, as well as providing landmarks for future generations to enjoy.
From transforming our public realm to providing skills-based education, The Prince’s Foundation exists above all to champion and celebrate the most important part of any community: its people.