January prize draw - win membership of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts!

Posted 6th January 2009 11:13am by Alison Duguid

We would like to wish all members of The Prince's Charities Community a very happy 2009. As means of helping to encourage any artistic new year resolutions you might have, The Prince's Charities Community Website can offer three members a year-long membership to The Prince's School of Traditional Arts.

The membership scheme helps to support the work of the School in sustaining and regenerating traditional arts, encouraging new artists to learn traditional craft and design techniques and working with communities both in the UK and abroad - see the story below to learn more about this aspect of The PSTA. In return, the membership offers social events, priority booking on courses, a 10% discount on one course a year, a quarterly newsletter and advance updates on exhibitions and lectures.

To enter the prize draw to win one of the membership places, email us at princes.charities@royal.gsx.gov.uk with your name, address and telephone number by January 31st.

You must be a member of The Prince's Charities Community Website to enter. If you're not, or you would like to invite your friends to join, it's easy to sign up today here - it only takes a moment, and anyone can register.

Good luck, and remember there is a new members' prize draw every month!

(No alternative will be offered. Only the winners will be notified. T&C apply.)

Open House at The Prince's Charities building in Shoreditch

Posted 16th September 2009 15:09pm by Alison Duguid

This Saturday the Shoreditch building which is home to The Prince's Drawing School, The Prince's School of Traditional Arts and The Prince's Foundation for The Built Environment will be opening its doors to the public as part of the London Open House scheme.

The building is a former Victorian warehouse refurbished from old to functional modern with interiors by Robert Kime and furniture by Leon Krier.

Visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the Shoreditch building on Saturday 19th September 2009 at either 10am, 11am or 12pm. 

For more information, visit the Open House website.

The Prince's Charities Foundation (China) opens Beijing office

Posted 19th October 2009 12:10pm

The Prince’s Charities Foundation (China) will open an office in Beijing, China today (19th October 2009). 

The new Prince’s Charities office in Beijing will be home to a small team who will facilitate a series of collaborations between The Prince’s Charities Foundation, the Chinese authorities and local charitable organisations, in the areas of architecture, heritage, health and the arts.

One of the main collaborations between The Prince’s Charities Foundation and local Chinese organisations is the restoration of a Hutong neighbourhood in the area surrounding the Forbidden City. The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, Beijing Municipal Government and Tsing Hua University are partners on this project. It is hoped the resulting Design Strategy will enhance the municipality’s existing plans to preserve the built heritage and demonstrate how other Hutong neighbourhoods can develop in ways which sustain the unique characteristics of traditional Beijing. The Hutongs are the traditional alleyways and courtyard homes surrounding the Forbidden City in Beijing. They date back to the 13th Century Yuan Dynasty. In the 1940s there were nearly 4,000 hutongs, but 75% have been demolished due to industrialization and urbanization of the city.

Sir David Tang, Chair of The Prince’s Charities Foundation (China) said:
“The establishment of an office in Beijing by The Prince’s Charities Foundation (China) is a sign of affection and cooperation between like-minded people in China and Britain. It will enhance and entrench that universal language of culture that underpins the preservation of heritage and the environment. It will also provide day-to-day exchanges and interactions of ideas between our two peoples. I am very happy about this Sino-British initiative and confident that this modest beginning will lead to great things."

Sir Tom Shebbeare, Director of The Prince’s Charities Foundation said:
“We are very excited to be opening this office in Beijing, which is a culmination of discussions between The Prince’s Charities and Chinese business leaders over the past three years. We hope to use this office as a base to assist where we can in highlighting China’s architecture, heritage and unique culture.”

The opening of the office is the next phase of the on going constructive engagement between The Prince of Wales and China. In 2006, The Prince of Wales and his charities met visiting Chinese business leaders in London. The Prince also met State Councillor Tang at Clarence House and most significantly, His Excellency President Hu Jintao while the President was in London for the G20 summit in April this year.

Another project that the new office will be facilitating is a series of workshops conducted by The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts and the China Academy of Arts to share knowledge of traditional Chinese motifs and designs.

In addition, The Prince’s Charities Foundation is working with film directors, Mr Zhou Bin and Andre Singer on a television documentary about the restoration of the Private Lodge of Retirement in the 18th-century Qian Long Garden complex (called “Juan Qin Zai”) in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

The film is a collaboration between The Palace Museum, The Prince’s Charities Foundation and the World Monument Fund.
 

Free drawing classes in London on 3rd December 2009

Posted 1st December 2009 17:09pm by Alison Duguid

As part of the 'First Thursday' events in East London, The Prince's School of Traditional Arts and The Prince's Drawing School will offer free drawing classes at their shared gallery in Shoreditch.

Visit the gallery on Thursday 3rd December between 5.30pm and 9pm for drop-in sessions teaching either geometric design or life drawing. All levels of experience are welcome.

Geometric Design: classes are an hour long each, starting at: 5.30pm, 6.40pm, 7.50pm. Different patterns will be explored in each session. You are welcome to drop into any of these hour long sessions or to stay for the whole evening.

Life Drawing: drop in at any time. A model will sit in long and short poses and a tutor will be on hand to help you.

Location for both sessions: 19-22 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3SG

If you would like more information, contact Margot Stone via telephone 020 7613 8532 or email  margot.stone@psta.org.uk  
 

Win a year's membership of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts

Posted 13th January 2010 14:00pm by Alison Duguid

We would like to wish all members of The Prince's Charities Community a very happy 2010, and to kick off the new year in style, we're giving away three one-year memberships of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts worth up to £30 each.

The Prince's School of Traditional Arts (PSTA) was founded in 2004 by HRH The Prince of Wales. It developed from the Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts Programme that was established at The Royal College of Art in 1984 by Professor Keith Critchlow who pioneered a post-graduate programme based on the practice of, and research into, the traditional arts. The School offers practising artists the opportunity to undertake research at the highest level with post-graduate degrees (MA, MPhil, PhD) validated by the University of Wales.

The School's courses combine the teaching of the practical skills of the traditional arts and crafts with an understanding of the philosophy inherent within them. People come from all over the world to study making a diverse and unique mix of students.

The postgraduate courses are the foundation for the development of the Short Course Programme and the work conducted by the Outreach team, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. These programmes enable people to learn practical skills, encourage an appreciation of the universal values that are essential to the practice and understanding of the traditional arts and crafts, and support the recognition of the traditional arts as a valid means of contemporary expression.

PSTA's membership scheme helps to support the work of the School in sustaining and regenerating traditional arts, encouraging new artists to learn traditional craft and design techniques and working with communities. In return, the membership offers social events, priority booking on courses, a 10% discount on one course a year, a quarterly newsletter and advance updates on exhibitions and lectures.

To enter the prize draw to win one of three memberships, email us at princes.charities@royal.gsx.gov.uk with your name, address and telephone number by Monday 8th February 2010 at 9am. (These details will only be used to contact the winning entrant. Entrants must be members of the website. There will be one winner. No alternative prize will be offered. Only the winner will be notified. T&C apply.)

Visit The Prince's School of Traditional Arts website for more information about the School's courses and how to get involved as a student, member or volunteer.

The Prince of Wales returns to Burnley

Posted 11th February 2010 15:58pm by Alison Duguid

HRH The Prince of Wales returned to Burnley earlier this month to hear about the progress made by his charities which are working towards the social, economic and environmental regeneration of the Lancashire town.

Ten of The Prince's Charities are now involved in the partnership with Burnley Borough Council and other local organisations as part of a long-term commitment to the development of the town. The partnership has been supported by the North West Regional Development Agency, The British Asian Trust and Lancashire County Council and The Altajir Trust.

The Prince's tour began with a visit to Turf Moor, the home of Burnley Football Club, where His Royal Highness heard from young people who have been working with The Prince's Trust and Business in the Community. The Prince's Trust and Burnley FC have joined forces to run the Get Started with Football programme, which aims to motivate unemployed young people through the sport.

The Prince then visited the Burnley College/University of Central Lancashire Campus to learn from staff and students about work The Prince's School of Traditional Arts is doing in the field of traditional arts and crafts.

During a lunchtime reception at Towneley Hall, His Royal Highness met with key business and community leaders as well as receiving an update on work to regenerate the Weavers' Triangle. The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and The Prince's Regeneration Trust have joined the Weavers' Triangle working group to help Burnley Borough Council lead a long term plan to regenerate the historic canal area of the town.

The tour rounded off with visits to Cherry Fold Primary School and Fraser Street Youth Centre, both of which have been supported by Business in the Community.

During the visit, a new initiative within the partnership was unveiled by NHS East Lancashire which has joined forces with The Prince's Charities in Burnley to promote volunteering.  NHS East Lancashire Chair, Kathy Reade and Dame Julia Cleverdon, Director of The Prince’s Charities in Burnley, signed a pledge to encourage and increase volunteering opportunities in and around Burnley.

The aim of the partnership will be for health service staff to share their knowledge and skills with Burnley’s young people, in a bid to help young people identify opportunities for employment and future careers.

Speaking to guests assembled at Towneley Hall, The Prince said: "I take great notice in this town because of the wonderful people in Lancashire and also I believe in investing in the future. We cannot do it without bringing in all sorts of sympathetic people who can share in that vision. I look forward to continue taking an interest in Burnley." 

The Prince's Charities in Burnley: Working in Partnership

Posted 8th March 2010 10:57am by Alison Duguid

The Prince of Wales recently visited Burnley in Lancashire to see at first-hand the work of The Prince's Charities in the town.

In this film, Dame Julia Cleverdon, Vice-President of Business in the Community - one of The Prince's Charities - talks about The Prince's interest in the town and his recent visit.

Dame Julia explains how The Prince's Charities are working in partnership with a number of different organisations to make a difference in Burnley. 

Major cultural exchange programme launched between UK and Saudi Arabia

Posted 31st March 2010 00:00am

HRH The Prince of Wales, President, The Prince's School for Traditional Arts together with HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, President, Painting & Patronage, launched the 10th anniversary Painting & Patronage Programme at a meeting in Wales. 

The Painting & Patronage Programme, run for the first time between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia during 2000 and 2001, is a cultural, artistic and educational outreach and student exchange programme. The purpose of the Programme, which will take place under the joint Presidency of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, is to build bridges of artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and Europe and to establish a deeper understanding of each other’s distinct and diverse cultures and traditions.

The new programme will be delivered in the UK through a partnership of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts and Painting & Patronage.

Central to the newly announced Painting and Patronage UK programme is a school and community outreach programme initially to be held in Burnley and London. Through a cross-curricula approach, which integrates art, maths and philosophy, schools and community groups will learn how to produce patterns from nature reflected in traditional art and design and will use these skills to collaboratively produce works of art. Through working together children from different schools and different cultural backgrounds share knowledge, experience, and learn about, and from, each other.

The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts will also host a Painting & Patronage exchange programme for students from Saudi Arabia to spend a year on the School’s postgraduate programme in London. Through a series of courses students are introduced to the arts of the world’s great traditions. Each course demonstrates the practical skills behind the craft and also the principles that are embodied in the forms themselves and in the process of making. By experiencing the traditional arts as living skills, both tutors and students participate in the regeneration of the universal principles at their heart.
 

The Prince's School of Traditional Arts - Painting & Patronage Programme launched at London School

Posted 27th July 2010 13:41pm

London – 20 July 2010. The first workshop of the Painting & Patronage London Schools’ programme took place at Wilberforce Primary School in Queen’s Park, London W9 from 5-7 July 2010. 

Thirty year four students took part in a three-day workshop focused on painting and design. Through a collaborative, creative process students were led to recognise the traditional principles of form, pattern and design that derive from Nature. Students were taught how to make paints from their natural sources and apply them using traditional techniques.

Aimed at exploring the links between mathematics, science, art and nature, the workshop also introduced students to a new set of skills to enhance their work at school across the national curriculum. Participating teachers were given educational resources in order that they can continue to teach with this methodology.

Wilberforce school has a diverse mix of students, 96% are from UK minority ethnic groups, including Bangladeshi and Black African. One of the aims of workshop was to demonstrate the common principles exhibited in the arts of many traditions and thereby encourage a greater understanding of the heritage shared by all.

At the end of the three-day workshop participants had jointly created a tree inspired by motifs found in traditional Indian miniature painting. The permanent exhibition of this work of art will serve to act as a constant reminder of the unifying results that can be attained by a community whose efforts are directed together towards a common goal.

In March 2011, this artwork will join others in an exhibition to showcase the work created as part of the Painting & Patronage Programme 2010-2011.

Participant feedback:

Michael Guy, classroom teacher at Wilberforce Primary School

“The children enjoyed the process and were very proud of the final piece. They learned a lot about the source of paints and watercolour paint skills. It was particularly useful for them to be encouraged to work on fine details. It was very educational for me as well.”

Year 4 students:

“I liked the way they taught us to make paint from the rocks.”
“I liked it when all the pictures were together.”
“I recommend that if these people want to join you for three days, you accept.”

The Painting & Patronage Programme 2010 - 2011

The Painting & Patronage Programme, under the joint Presidency of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, aims to build bridges of artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and Europe through establishing a deeper and more meaningful awareness of each other’s distinct and diverse cultures and traditions.

The Programme further aims to build on the first Painting & Patronage Programme launched during 2000-2001 by Their Royal Highnesses in their respective roles as President of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts and President of Painting & Patronage.

In London and Burnley, eight schools, both primary and secondary, are participating in the Painting & Patronage Programme during 2010/11.

Dr Khaled Azzam, LVO, Director of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts:

“London is a multicultural community which brings together all the main cultures and civilisations of the world. This richness is best seen through the arts of the different communities who have settled here. Yet these arts are more than just a reflection of a cultural identity - they are an expression of the common consciousness of the unity of the order of nature which underlies all these great civilisations. We are grateful for this partnership with Painting & Patronage which has allowed us to extend our work to a wider community of London schools.”

Mr Anthony Bailey, OBE, Chairman of Painting & Patronage:

“Painting & Patronage is delighted to partner once again with The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in delivering cultural and artistic programmes into schools with some of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in Britain. In the words and deeds of children we see the innocence of youth developing a bridge cross communities and races which in unfettered by the misunderstandings of their elders. This programme also gives life to the longstanding vision of The Prince of Wales and Prince Khalid Al-Faisal and their partnering organizations which work to bring to life to the message that there is much more that unites us rather than divides and no more so is this illustrated through art and education”.