Our Programmes

Have you ever been curious about the icons you may have seen in churches on holiday or in some churches in the UK? Has their mysterious beauty ever inspired you? Trying your hand at painting an icon of your own could bring you closer to the power of these ancient Christian images. The practice of icon painting draws the participant closer towards the invisible, inner world into which the icon is a “window.”

For centuries Christmas and the surrounding seasons have inspired composers to new heights of invention. The repertoire chosen for this course will reach across the ages: from the eternal beauty of the Tudor church right up to the twenty-first century.

Join The Gesualdo Six at St Laurence Church in Stroud and step into an enchanting sequence of festive works. For centuries Christmas and the surrounding seasons have inspired composers to new heights of invention. In this programme, The Gesualdo Six weave a tapestry of well-known seasonal carols together with Renaissance gems and highlights from the 21st century. Featuring works by Palestrina, Byrd, Vaughan Williams, Poulenc & Frances-Hoad. The concert will be taking place at St Laurence Church in Stroud.

This one-day course will introduce you to using an axe and carving knife to have a gentle and creative conversation with a piece of wood, turning it into a beautiful and functional spoon for cooking, serving or eating food. Maintenance and care of your tools, safety, selecting your wood, and how to bring your creation to life will all be covered throughout the day.

This contemporary embroidery course spans three days and consists of supported tutor time and guidance by Leeds based Embroidery Artist and Educator, Elnaz Yazdani. Elnaz will guide you through a variety of hand embroidery techniques, applications and creative methods to get you started on your own creative path for embroidery design and making. Who is this course for? The course is suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some embroidery experience. All levels are welcome. The course would be perfect for anyone looking to study art/textiles, gain a new hobby, find wellbeing through craft or just try something completely different.

Be inspired to draw, and harness this skill to reflect creatively and capture your life and the world around you. Kickstart or boost your creative habit with Jo’s Adventures in Art Journaling weekend retreat. The focus will be on drawing, enjoying drawing, and using drawing to gain new skills, having fun along the way!

Life drawing remains the best training an artist can undertake to improve their drawing. This session is perfect for beginners or as a refresher, but is also suitable for advanced students who can set their own goals for the day while enjoying the beauty and hospitality at Hawkwood.

Come and learn the ancient craft of basket weaving! During this one-day workshop you'll learn to weave your own small round basket suitable as a fruit bowl/ bread basket with locally grown willow in a range of colours. If there's time you will be able to add a simple handle to your basket. You will leave with a basket and the skills to know how to make another one at home. This course is suitable for complete beginners.

During this three day workshop participants will be working towards developing simple three-dimensional vessel forms and woven structures. Participants will be encouraged to consider ‘drawing’ with different materials, and to explore linear and spatial relationships by introducing content and detail with fibre and yarns. We will also work with collage, layering and weaving processes in relation to two- and three- dimensional compositions.

A day dedicated to the art of looking, you’ll take in the beautiful grounds at Hawkwood and spend the day painting. Students will start off sketching under birdsong, in the kitchen-gardens, before some detailed experiments in mixing colours in watercolour and a spectacular two course lunch. One-one guidance will take away fear of the blank page; this class is the perfect launch to start a regular journal or sketchbook practice.

Unlock your creativity at Hawkwood. Escape the distractions of everyday life and immerse yourself in a peaceful, inspiring environment designed to ignite your creativity. Join us at Hawkwood for a transformative four-day self-guided writers' retreat, where you'll find the space, time, and support to focus fully on your writing. Whether you're a seasoned author or working on your first draft, this untutored retreat offers the perfect balance of solitude, creativity, and community.

Unlock your creativity at Hawkwood. Escape the distractions of everyday life and immerse yourself in a peaceful, inspiring environment designed to ignite your creativity. Join us at Hawkwood for a transformative four-day self-guided writers' retreat, where you'll find the space, time, and support to focus fully on your writing. Whether you're a seasoned author or working on your first draft, this untutored retreat offers the perfect balance of solitude, creativity, and community.

Why are we, humans, drawn to represent ourselves in image? Humanoid figures are amongst some of the earliest surviving forms of art, so a desire to capture likeness or a portrayal of people is nothing new but how should you go about learning to do just that? A foundational knowledge of drawing is important to all artists, even if your interests lie in abstract or graphical art. A fundamental understanding of anatomy in portraiture will improve your interpretation of the human body and make the process of capturing it on paper easier and more expressive.