The King’s Foundation has announced plans to create a new training and education base at His Majesty King Charles III's Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire.
Building on the success of the Foundation’s work at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire and Trinity Buoy Wharf and Charlotte Road in London, the new site will extend access to the Foundation’s courses into the south-west of England.
The new facilities will be based within His Majesty's Highgrove Estate, and opportunities will include:
Fine Woodworking: A bespoke training course including marquetry and cabinet making curated by Lord Snowdon, Vice President of The King’s Foundation.
Textiles: Building on the success of the Future Textiles Programme at Dumfries House, which created the Modern Artisan Project in partnership with Yoox Net-A-Porter, the programme will teach production skills whilst also incorporating design influences from the Highgrove Gardens.
Craft Residencies: The new location will provide workspaces for up-and-coming artisans in the early stages of their careers. They will be offered the chance to work and collaborate in the studios, drawing inspiration from the surroundings of The Highgrove Estate.
Building Crafts Programme: Live builds of structures that allow apprentices the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills into practice.
In addition, The King’s Foundation also plans to take responsibility for the opening of the Highgrove Gardens to the public, which generates an annual income for charity. Following over a decade of experience running a visitor attraction at Dumfries House, The King’s Foundation will take over the stewardship of the Gardens in order to ensure they continue to be appreciated by the visiting public and to support the Foundation’s charitable endeavours.
Constantine Innemee, The King’s Foundation Director, Highgrove, said: “The aim of The Prince’s Foundation has always been to provide access to training and development in craft skills and other artisanal endeavours that are very often under threat due to lack of knowledge. By developing a new base in the south of England, we will be able to offer new opportunities to keep these valuable skills thriving in a part of the country where there is a great deal of talent but where the opportunities to harness and develop them are not always readily available.”
He added, “Highgrove is synonymous with craftsmanship and aesthetic excellence. The hope is that this new base within the Estate will allow that influence to permeate every element of the programmes on offer.”
More information about the programmes on offer at The Prince’s Foundation can be found here: www.kings-foundation.org/education. To register interest in taking part in a new programme please contact highgrove@kings-foundation.org
The sale of Highgrove Products, Garden Tours and Events support and enable the life and work of The King’s Foundation.
