What The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts does

The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts is a UK-registered non-profit educational institution operating as part of The King's Foundation charity (Scottish Charity No. SC038770). Founded in 2004 and headquartered at 19-22 Charlotte Road in London's Shoreditch area, the school delivers postgraduate degrees, certificate programmes, and short courses in traditional arts and crafts. Its core academic offering is a two-year MA in Traditional Arts, supplemented by research degrees (PhD and MPhil) validated through a partnership with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), a three-year part-time Icon Painting certificate programme, and an open-enrolment short-course catalogue covering geometry, icon painting, miniature painting, manuscript illumination, watercolour, and pigment preparation. Curriculum is built on the 'Order of Nature' philosophy, integrating practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and traditional materials (including natural pigments prepared from minerals, plants, and earths) across Islamic, Byzantine, Indian, Chinese, and Western traditions.

The school operates a hybrid go-to-market: a formal two-stage postgraduate admissions process (application/portfolio review plus interview) for the MA and research programmes, alongside self-serve booking for short courses via a Digitickets-powered e-commerce platform, online delivery through Zoom with Thinkific-hosted supplementary content, and a community-led international outreach model. Outreach centres in Cairo, Jeddah, Karachi, Suzhou, and AlUla deliver local programmes, with the AlUla centre established through a 2019 partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla. Marketing relies on the school's website, social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), email newsletters, and participation in events such as London Craft Week, supplemented by annual Degree Shows and exhibitions that serve as both community engagement and recruitment channels. Pricing across short courses ranges from £250 to £510, with concessions available to seniors, students, and benefit recipients.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees for postgraduate programmes (paid annually and indexed to inflation), one-time fees for short courses and lectures, and the three-year Icon Painting certificate. The institution does not publicly disclose revenue, and operates without disclosed external funding rounds; it relies on tuition, parent-charity support from The King's Foundation, and outreach partnerships. Formerly known as The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, the institution was renamed in 2020 following King Charles III's accession.

Name

The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts

Legal name

The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts

Website

https://schooloftraditionalarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Postgraduate Tuition Fees: Annual tuition fees charged for MA and research degree programmes. Fees are payable annually and may be increased in line with inflation.
2. Short Course and Lecture Fees: One-time fees for short practical courses and lectures in traditional arts, ranging from £250-£510 depending on course duration and format.
3. Icon Painting Programme: Three-year part-time certificate programme in icon painting, offered through in-person sessions and home study.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts is a non-profit educational institution delivering postgraduate degrees (MA in Traditional Arts, PhD, MPhil), short courses, and a three-year Icon Painting certificate programme. It teaches traditional arts and crafts including geometry, icon painting, miniature painting, and manuscript illumination using authentic materials and methods, with curriculum validated by UWTSD and supported by The King's Foundation.

Product overview

The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts operates as an educational institution offering a unified portfolio of traditional arts programmes. The core offerings include the two-year MA in Traditional Arts and Research Degrees (PhD & MPhil) for postgraduate study, supplemented by short courses and lectures open to all. A dedicated Three-Year Icon Painting Programme provides certificate-level training in Byzantine icon painting. The School also maintains extensive Outreach Programmes with physical centres in Cairo, Jeddah, Karachi, Suzhou, and other locations. Supporting offerings include a Publications programme producing books on traditional arts, a Library for student resources, and regular Degree Shows and Exhibitions showcasing student and alumni work. All programmes are centred on the practice of traditional arts and the understanding of the 'Order of Nature' as inspiration for visual arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jameel House of Traditional Arts: Outreach centre in Cairo teaching traditional arts
• Jameel House of Traditional Arts, Jeddah
• Jia Yuan Hall
• VM Centre for Traditional Arts, Karachi

Products and services

• MA in Traditional Arts A two-year postgraduate Master's degree programme integrating practical skills, knowledge, and wisdom to strengthen artistic and personal growth in traditional arts practice. Validated by UWTSD.
• Research Degrees (PhD & MPhil) Doctoral and Master's by research programmes enabling students to pursue advanced research in traditional arts practice, theology, and related fields. Validated by UWTSD.
• Short Courses and Lectures Short practical courses and lectures in traditional arts taught by experts from around the world. Open to all learners aged 18+ and inspired by the media, methods, and materials taught in postgraduate programmes. Includes online learning options and ranges from £250–£510 per course.
• Three-Year Icon Painting Programme A three-year part-time certificate programme in icon painting that teaches traditional egg tempera panel painting techniques, theology of icons, and the relationship between iconography and church architecture, delivered through in-person sessions and home study.
• Outreach Programmes Programmes working with communities worldwide to enable the revitalisation and continuation of traditional arts and crafts, delivered through centres in Cairo, Jeddah, Karachi, Suzhou, and AlUla.
• Jameel House of Traditional Arts, Cairo An outreach centre dedicated to teaching and preserving traditional arts and crafts in Cairo, Egypt.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates contribute to the practice, teaching, and research of traditional arts around the world

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Yunus Emre Enstitüsü LondonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2026Collaboration for the 'Understanding Pattern Families: A Logical Approach to Geometric Pattern Construction' course. Yunus Emre Institute supports Turkish culture and language globally.
• Royal Commission for AlUlacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2019Partnership to deliver the Arts & Crafts Programme in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The programme offers workshops in geometry, design principles, and traditional crafts using locally sourced materials. Record number of applicants received, with 25 students accepted for the seven-month programme.
• UWTSD (University of Wales Trinity Saint David)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school's postgraduate programmes are validated by UWTSD. Students are awarded MA and research degrees by UWTSD. The school follows UWTSD academic regulations and quality standards.
• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education)coreOthersThe school's admissions policy complies with QAA's UK Quality Code for Higher Education. The school follows QAA principles for student recruitment and admissions.
• The King's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school is part of The King's Foundation, a charity registered in Scotland (Charity No. SC038770). The Foundation supports the school's mission to preserve and teach traditional arts globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Penland School of Craft: US residential craft school offering intensive workshops in traditional craft media. Comparable as a craft-focused educational institution with workshop-based delivery and a tuition-driven model, though at a smaller scale and without postgraduate degrees.
• National College of Art and Design (Dublin): Ireland's only dedicated art and design college, offering validated degrees. Comparable as a specialist arts higher-education institution with a comparable scale and a focus on craft-based disciplines, though serving a contemporary rather than traditional-arts curriculum.
• Rhode Island School of Design: Leading US fine arts and design college offering accredited degrees. Comparable as a specialist arts higher-education institution with selective admissions and studio-led pedagogy, though serving a broader contemporary arts curriculum.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Major US fine arts college offering accredited postgraduate degrees across visual arts disciplines. Comparable as an arts-focused higher-education institution with studio-based learning and validated degree programmes, though broader in scope and contemporary in focus.
• Royal College of Art: London-based postgraduate university specialising in art and design. Comparable as a UK specialist fine arts higher-education institution offering validated degrees and international student cohorts, though operating at much larger scale and across contemporary rather than traditional arts.
• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts: US craft-school offering workshops and immersive craft programmes in ceramics, fibre, wood, and metals. Highly comparable as a craft-focused educational institution delivering hands-on traditional techniques, though US-based and operating without degree validation.

Others

• The Prince's Foundation: Parent charity of the school, operating complementary education and heritage programmes. Directly comparable as the parent organisation and brand vehicle, though broader in mission (sustainability, built heritage, hospitality) and not a direct education competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Central Saint Martins (UAL): London-based constituent college of the University of the Arts London, one of the world's leading art and design schools. Comparable as a London-based specialist arts higher-education institution, though vastly larger and oriented to contemporary practice.
• Pratt Institute: Large US private university with a leading school of art and design. Comparable as an accredited arts higher-education institution offering studio-based postgraduate programmes, though operating at significantly larger scale and across broader contemporary design disciplines.

Regional players

• American University in Cairo: Major Cairo-based university with arts programmes, co-located with the school's Jameel House outreach centre. Comparable as an arts-education institution in the same geography with regional student appeal, though operating as a broad university rather than a specialist traditional-arts school.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/princesschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchoolofTraditionalArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/schooloftraditionalarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/traditionalarts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts