Textiles retreat

With Matthew harris
3rd to the 8th August 2025

What’s Included

• Accommodation in a stunning medieval manor (1300sAD) or adjoining Tudor Manor house (1500sAD) the opportunity to stay in a beautifully renovated country house, steeped in history

• Fully catered, chef prepared meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner with selected wines and all refreshments.

• Daily guided mindfulness sessions / low key yoga! (optional)

• Inspiring and engaging talk from History of Art professional

• Flower Picking and Arranging in our beautiful flower garden

• Fulfilling conversation with likeminded individuals

• Visit from a textile trader bringing mouthwatering vintage textiles to purchase from her expeditions in France.

• A local visit to a nearby cultural spot, Brunels suspension bridge, and / or the nearby Clevedon Pier- the prettiest in England!

• Time to potter to the shops or walk to the nearby Marina or estuary to see the beautiful sunsets.

What Will You Learn?

To Cut On Fold

 To ….. To….. To ….. To ….. To ….. To ….. To ….. To….. To ….. ?

        Adventures in drawing and making for textiles

‘Play continues to be a big factor in my studio, because that’s how one allows oneself to move in directions which one could not have foreseen’ Richard Serra

This workshop will explore adventurous and playful ways in which to gather and manipulate visual imagery, both two and three dimensionally, in order to develop ideas for textiles.

Through the processes of, drawing, painting, stencilling, collage etc, you will create a collection of visual information that exploits colour, line, shape and pattern.

This gathered material will then be subject to a series of dynamic activities which take as there starting point the ‘verb list’ of the artist Richard Serra. By subjecting both drawn image and textile materials to these series of actions, we will endeavour to explore the potential of both image and materials to do unexpected and surprising things.  

Day 1 Drawing

Day one will be about an immersive and dynamic gathering of visual material. Working primarily from observation and using a number of different approaches you will gather information and create images that explore line, colour, texture, shape, pattern and scale. 

Day 2\3\4 Response and Development

Days two, three and four are about manipulation and development, playfulness and interpretation. Using Serra’s list of verbs and games of chance, you will begin to explore ways in which to  manipulate and develop ideas in both two and three dimensions, taking imagery and process further into cloth and textiles by utilising the possibilities of stitch, construction appliqué etc. With the help of Serra’s instructions to roll, crease, crumple, stretch, join, repair, bind, laminate, knot, distill etc, we will be moving imagery away from it’s original starting point in an attempt to create new, unexpected and highly personal visual material.

A LITTLE ABOUT COURT HOUSE FARM…

Which isn’t really a working farm at all! It’s more of a lovely cluster of charming historic buildings, the site originally dating from pre doomsday. The remaining Manor and smaller Manor are medieval and Tudor, dating from 1350, with some characterful outbuildings. (You may be making things in the cowshed- but no cows and clean!) we have 4 acres of land around the buildings with a little flower farm, and we are right in the heart of a small estuary sea-side town of Portishead in Somerset (with a lovely little high street, Marina and stunning coastal walks and the most fabulous setting suns). Do look at more information on the website and for photographs of the interiors and exteriors. During your stay, we will have some additional fun interludes and entertainment (we must show you our neighbouring little seaside town called Clevedon- with the prettiest Pier in England) and of course plenty of flowers!

FURTHER DETAILS

• This is a 5-night residential retreat. ( 5 nights accommodation and full board ).

• The price is £2550 for single occupancy, own room with ensuite, £2350 for single occupancy own room sharing a bathroom, £2150 shared room (both attending the retreat booked together. Contact us if you would like a non-participating partner to attend).

• If you are local and would like to attend the retreat on a day only basis the cost is £1,250. This includes all materials, delicious chef cooked lunch and early evening meal, plus wine, talks and visits. Please contact Helen for further details or to book at: at.courthousefarm@gmail.com

• The booking deposit is £500. ( please get in touch for other currency )

• The balance will be due 8 weeks prior to the retreat. Payments can be made by Paypal or Bank Transfer ( although we do charge for the PayPal fee)

• The Course Fees are non-refundable once paid, but of course, if we cancel for any reason all payments will be refunded, or mutually agreeable alternative dates offered.

• If you are coming from abroad or feel you may want to spend a day or more on either side of the retreat for rest and relaxation, do, please discuss this with us.

If you have a question or need further details please contact us using the button below.