Call for Applications: First Cohort, Autumn 2026
The Naqsh School of Crafts is seeking applications to join its first cohort of full-time students this autumn in an exciting new Diploma Programme, designed and delivered by The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts in collaboration with the ACDF.
Applications close Sunday 28 August. The first day of class is Monday 5 October 2026.
Theoretical and Practical Education in Traditional Arts
The Diploma Programme offers theoretical and practical education in traditional arts, with a focus on the rich architectural heritage of Uzbekistan.
The principles of beauty and harmony form the basis of a rich curriculum of practice-based research, traditional skills development, and creativity.
A two-year, full-time, accredited course
Three terms of eight weeks each
Daily during term time, 9:00-17:00
$2,500
Monday 5 October 2026
From the Order of Nature to Applied Craft
The programme is structured around three core modules that support the student to develop both as a designer and as a maker. Each module brings together a family of taught courses.
The Order of Nature · Introduction to Geometry · Introduction to Biomorphic Ornamentation
Pigments · Colour Harmony
Site Drawing · Composition: Integration of Decorative Elements within Architectural Design
The Geometry of Central Asia · Geometry: Composition
Biomorphic Ornament of Central Asia · Biomorph: Composition
Tile Making: Pressed and Cut Tiles · Tile Decorating: Cuerda Seca, Painted Tiles, Lustre · Calligraphy and Architecture
Pigments · Binders · Techniques
Chip Carving · Inlay · Fretwork and Screens
The Heritage Project · The Final Project
Applicants of All Backgrounds and Experiences Are Welcome
The application consists of two elements, submitted together no later than Sunday 9 August.
Submit your application by Sunday 28 August.
3-4 September, up to 25 applicants invited.
Offers by 9 September · registration 10-25 September.
Monday 5 October.
Даты второго года будут объявлены позже
5 October - 11 December
11 January - 5 March
29 March - 21 May
A Journey Through Uzbekistan's Living Heritage
Продолжительность:
20-29 October in Tashkent, followed by 2 weeks in Samarkand during the 43rd UNESCO General Conference
Количество мест:
15 participants
Чему вы научитесь:
Step into the heart of Samarkand and explore the geometry and natural order of the iconic Ulugh Beg Madrasa. This immersive module begins in Tashkent and culminates in Samarkand, where you will study the architectural and cultural significance of this historic monument.
Продолжительность:
3 weeks (Tashkent)
Количество мест:
15 participants
Чему вы научитесь:
Стоимость курса:
$200
Discover the timeless beauty of Uzbekistan's architectural heritage. This module explores a family of patterns governed by the Golden Ratio and investigates how it has been incorporated into the beautiful monuments of Registan.
Join a team of expert tutors from the King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts at the Naqsh School of Crafts in Tashkent for an introduction to principles of design. Case studies from Registan and Bibi Khanum will provide participants with a framework to explore the exquisite harmonies created by the masters of the past. Discover universal principles of harmony and proportion that are manifest in the order of nature and echoed in the architectural heritage of Uzbekistan.
Продолжительность:
3 weeks in Tashkent
Количество мест:
15 participants
Чему вы научитесь:
Стоимость курса:
$200
This practical workshop investigates how proportional principles govern and unify every aspect of architectural composition.
Working with expert tutors from the King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts, participants will explore how geometry structures the façade, elevation, and ornamentation of the Shad-i Mulk Aqa Mausoleum, part of the Shah-i Zinda necropolis in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Participants will learn how floral ornament has been adapted to a variety of different ceramic techniques, part of Uzbekistan's rich architectural heritage, and will discover how the elements of a building are brought together in harmony.
Продолжительность:
3 weeks in Tashkent
Количество мест:
15 participants
Чему вы научитесь:
Стоимость курса:
$200
Explore how a basic design has been adapted to different architectural and craft contexts during different eras and in different monuments and regions of Uzbekistan. Participants will investigate the importance of the ornament that beautifies Uzbekistan's monuments, learn about the interrelationship between geometry, proportion, and symmetry, and discover how the artist's chosen materials shape the final design.
Students will learn to construct designs of varying complexity, culminating in a case study from Khiva's intricately painted tilework.
Продолжительность:
3 weeks in Tashkent
Количество мест:
15 participants
Чему вы научитесь:
Стоимость курса:
$200
This module explores the interplay between brickwork patterning and kufic script, offering a deeper understanding of their cultural and aesthetic significance. Discover a family of 8-fold patterns and learn how these designs have been interpreted in a variety of architectural contexts and materials, including their importance to squared script compositions.
Participants will explore the design principles underpinning masonry ornament. In addition to working with the module of the brick and its implications for proportioning architectural compositions, students will also learn how the eight-fold family of patterns is constructed with compass and ruler. The course will conclude with an introduction to integrating the square script into geometric compositions focusing on case studies from the monuments of Samarkand and Bukhara.
Обратите внимание: Мастер-классы требуют полного присутствия и активного участия на протяжении всей сессии. Мы рекомендуем подавшим заявку убедиться в своей полной доступности на весь период выбранного модуля, чтобы максимально использовать возможности обучения.
