Why Learn with PSQT?
Tuition is very much on a one to one basis as students are developing their own ideas. This is a particular strength of our course and participants see different skills being used by others as their work progresses with a sociable and supportive atmosphere created within the group. Many people keep in contact after the course and sometimes arrange to come back as groups.
You can experience a landscape that is a catalyst for the creation of a new piece of work, allow the landscape to influence an ‘idea or generate a completely new one. Leave with in-depth understanding of stone and stone working history of the place.
You will develop new directions in your work and a high level of skill which you can take forward through different routes. Participants have enrolled on further courses, exhibited work, taken on commissioned work, followed careers in letter cutting, stone carving, stone conservation and taken part in international sculpture symposiums.
PSQT outdoor workshop in Tout Quarry Sculpture Park is set amongst many inspirational sculptures which show how many different ways stone can be worked. But it is the pure light that participants find the most extraordinary factor and particularly the changing light throughout the day that reveals the form and fine detail.
Students have an opportunity to envisage and take forward their ideas from a wide selection of freshly quarried stone which creates a more dynamic carving.
On the first day we show the necessary safety points for handling stone and use of tools. We cover this with all participants whether they are complete beginners or more experienced and generally by lunchtime all participants will have selected their stone and be working in their space on a ‘carving banker.’ There are different kinds and sizes of hammers from 2lb to something very light such as 1/2lb small wooden mallet or a 1lb dummy hammer. Learning to carve Portland stone is not about strength – its about learning the techniques to remove the stone easily.
One Week Course
Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm
Courses are designed for beginners and all levels of skill
Monday:
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Demonstration of tools and stone carving techniques.
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Selection of freshly quarried stone for individual work.
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Lifting, moving and handling stone.
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Starting points for carving with individual tuition.
Tuesday to Thursday:
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One to one tuition in learning skills and techniques from roughing out to fine detail for low relief and 3D carving.
Friday:
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Finishing techniques.
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Individual discussion on work achieved, pointers for the future.
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Photographing work and loading into vehicles with supervision.
Thursday Evenings: Eating out (optional) overlooking the sea and sunset-The Cove House Inn,The Crab House or BBQ at the Beech Hut at Church Ope Cove
Covid 19 & Social Distancing
We are pleased to reassure our course attendees that strict social distancing will be adhered throughout your experience with us, we have ensured that working spaces, and reduced numbers are allowing strict social distancing for all of our users.
Course Overview
Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust offer the best experience of learning skills in carving freshly quarried Portland Stone within an inspirational environment, with the balance of elements sea, sky and stone and the pure quality of natural light that interacts with the surface and volume of the stone throughout the day.
Our courses have been running annually for 37 years, and continue to deliver a high quality experience of carving stone with professional tuition in the outdoor workshop of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve and at the Drill Hall Indoor Carving Studio.
5 Days – £250
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fees include professional tuition, use of hand carving tools and provision of freshly quarried stone either in the Tout Quarry open air workshop (with weather cover), or indoors in the newly refurbished Drill Hall Stone Workspace. Please Note: there is an additional cost for powered equipment re Stone Saw, Air Tooling, Rotary Equipment / Polisher, Fork Lift Truck, Drills, Consumables, etc;
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fees do not include travel, personal medical insurance, accommodation or food (self-catering accommodation offered by PSQT is in connection with courses only).
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reduced rates are for full-time students at a School, College or University and people with Unemployment Status at the time of the course taking place.
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Summer Courses May to September take place in the open air stone carving and sculpture workshop at the heart of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. Indoor courses take place in the well equipped the Drill Hall Stone / Work / Space. (please see *Note at foot of page)
Booking
4 Week Course
Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm
Four Week Courses start on any Monday of our listed weeks and can run through consecutively or be taken as blocks of two weeks with a break in the middle, or as individual weeks spread over the summer months.
The courses are ideal for those who want to carve works that persue a personal idea that needs more sustained time to develop or as an opportunity to develop specific examples of stone masonry and mouldings, carved architectural detail, letter cutting and relief carving.
We can also cover clay modelling, mould making and casting techniques that can be used to inform carving. If you are interested in this type of work please discuss with PSQT before booking your course to arrive at a programme that fits with your needs.
Covid 19 & Social Distancing
We are pleased to reassure our course attendees that strict social distancing will be adhered throughout your experience with us, we have ensured that working spaces, and reduced numbers are allowing strict social distancing for all of our users.
Course Overview
Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust offer the best experience of learning skills in carving freshly quarried Portland Stone within an inspirational environment, with the balance of elements sea, sky and stone and the pure quality of natural light that interacts with the surface and volume of the stone throughout the day.
Our courses have been running annually for 37 years, and continue to deliver a high quality experience of carving stone with professional tuition in the outdoor workshop of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve and at the Drill Hall Indoor Carving Studio.
4 Weeks – £720
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fees include professional tuition, use of hand carving tools and provision of freshly quarried stone either in the Tout Quarry open air workshop (with weather cover), or indoors in the newly refurbished Drill Hall Stone Workspace. Please Note: there is an additional cost for powered equipment re Stone Saw, Air Tooling, Rotary Equipment / Polisher, Fork Lift Truck, Drills, Consumables, etc;
-
fees do not include travel, personal medical insurance, accommodation or food (self-catering accommodation offered by PSQT is in connection with courses only).
-
reduced rates are for full-time students at a School, College or University and people with Unemployment Status at the time of the course taking place.
-
Summer Courses May to September take place in the open air stone carving and sculpture workshop at the heart of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. Indoor courses take place in the well equipped the Drill Hall Stone / Work / Space. (please see *Note at foot of page)
Booking
Weekend Course
2/3/ or 4 days Friday to Monday (week dependant) 9.30am to 5.30pm
Courses are designed for beginners and all levels of skill
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Weekend Courses start Friday morning at 9.30am and work through to 5.30pm each day Friday to Sunday 3Day, or Friday to Monday for 4Day Bank Holiday Weekend. If you would like to book a 2Day Course it can start on Friday or Saturday.
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Weekend courses normally take place at the Drill Hall Stone Workspace – a well equipped indoor carving studio with excellent natural light from roof-lights and gables, hydraulic carving bankers, lettering easels, wood burning stove. In the Drill Hall Gallery there are toilets and a Refreshment area with Tea/Coffee/s where you can take breaks and have lunch.
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The courses provide an introductory experience of carving Portland stone, with time to achieve work mainly in relief carving, letter-cutting and fine detail. We like to work with people on their own ideas as this makes every course unique to the individual. We are also able to offer courses on themes such as the Green man, Gargoyles, house names, bowls, birdbaths, lizards, floral carving; , etc., for people who prefer a more exercise based approach.
Covid 19 & Social Distancing
We are pleased to reassure our course attendees that strict social distancing will be adhered throughout your experience with us, we have ensured that working spaces, and reduced numbers are allowing strict social distancing for all of our users.
Course Overview
Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust offer the best experience of learning skills in carving freshly quarried Portland Stone within an inspirational environment, with the balance of elements sea, sky and stone and the pure quality of natural light that interacts with the surface and volume of the stone throughout the day.
Our courses have been running annually for 37 years, and continue to deliver a high quality experience of carving stone with professional tuition in the outdoor workshop of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve and at the Drill Hall Indoor Carving Studio.
2 day – £175 | 3 day – £200 |4 day £225
-
fees include professional tuition, use of hand carving tools and provision of freshly quarried stone either in the Tout Quarry open air workshop (with weather cover), or indoors in the newly refurbished Drill Hall Stone Workspace. Please Note: there is an additional cost for powered equipment re Stone Saw, Air Tooling, Rotary Equipment / Polisher, Fork Lift Truck, Drills, Consumables, etc;
-
fees do not include travel, personal medical insurance, accommodation or food (self-catering accommodation offered by PSQT is in connection with courses only).
-
reduced rates are for full-time students at a School, College or University and people with Unemployment Status at the time of the course taking place.
-
Summer Courses May to September take place in the open air stone carving and sculpture workshop at the heart of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. Indoor courses take place in the well equipped the Drill Hall Stone / Work / Space. (please see *Note at foot of page)
Booking
Taster Day Course
Tuesday – Sunday 9.30am to 5.30pm
Courses are designed for beginners and all levels of skill
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Taster Days can be booked to take place during any One Week or Weekend Course (except Monday) The course starts at 9.30am through to 5.30pm and normally takes place at the well equipped Drill Hall Indoor Carving Studio.
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The courses provide a short introductory experience of carving Portland stone, with time to achieve work mainly in relief carving. We like to work with people on individual ideas and examples of work made during one day courses include shallow bowls, house names with raised letters, carved candle holders, leaf carvings, wildlife plaques, pond stones, etc….. This is a list of just a few examples and might be helpful in shaping your ideas that can be discussed with the course tutor when starting your course.
Covid 19 & Social Distancing
We are pleased to reassure our course attendees that strict social distancing will be adhered throughout your experience with us, we have ensured that working spaces, and reduced numbers are allowing strict social distancing for all of our users.
Course Overview
Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust offer the best experience of learning skills in carving freshly quarried Portland Stone within an inspirational environment, with the balance of elements sea, sky and stone and the pure quality of natural light that interacts with the surface and volume of the stone throughout the day.
Our courses have been running annually for 37 years, and continue to deliver a high quality experience of carving stone with professional tuition in the outdoor workshop of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve and at the Drill Hall Indoor Carving Studio.
1 day – £75
-
fees include professional tuition, use of hand carving tools and provision of freshly quarried stone either in the Tout Quarry open air workshop (with weather cover), or indoors in the newly refurbished Drill Hall Stone Workspace. Please Note: there is an additional cost for powered equipment re Stone Saw, Air Tooling, Rotary Equipment / Polisher, Fork Lift Truck, Drills, Consumables, etc;
-
fees do not include travel, personal medical insurance, accommodation or food (self-catering accommodation offered by PSQT is in connection with courses only).
-
reduced rates are for full-time students at a School, College or University and people with Unemployment Status at the time of the course taking place.
-
Summer Courses May to September take place in the open air stone carving and sculpture workshop at the heart of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. Indoor courses take place in the well equipped the Drill Hall Stone / Work / Space. (please see *Note at foot of page)
Booking
Course Vouchers
Can be purchased to be given as a gift for any of our courses and can be personalised with a name and message and posted to an address of your choosing. Once you have booked a voucher the person it’s given to can decide on their course date with the Trust.
Hannah Sofaer studied at Goldsmiths College, Chelsea College of Art & Design before her Masters in Fine Art and Sculpture at the Royal College of Art. One of the first of 50 artists to make work during the first sculpture symposium in Tout Quarries and helped to save the quarry from further mineral extraction. She set up the stone carving courses in Tout Quarry. She is a visiting Tutor in Art Colleges / Universities and has shown work in galleries, other sculpture parks as well as one off projects such as Art By Pass. She has been commissioned to create work / public art in UK, Singapore, Northern Spain. Hannah is skilled in the selection of stone for individual ideas and has extensive knowledge of direct carving and stone carving techniques (drawing directly with tools), helping students to achieve a high standard of work. Hannah was admitted to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Masons in 2016.
Paul Crabtree studied at Bradford Regional College of Art and Fine Art Sculpture at the Central School of Art & Design. Paul trained as a stone conservator at the British Museum where he worked with limestone and low relief carvings from the Egyptian Department and including block figures from the Duke of Northumberland’s collection. Paul has a MA in Art and Design and Education from University of London Institute of Education and also holds a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Applied Architectural Stone Work from Weymouth College. Paul was admitted to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Masons in 2016.
It’s not difficult to find a nice place to stay on Portland, but it’s good to book early.
PSQT offers self catering accommodation for course participants – for further details call 01305 826736 Or Contact Us for further details.
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We can also assist overseas participants in booking accomodation who should call +44(0)1305 826736.
Accommodation also recommended by previous students:
| Fairview, 14 Old Coastguard Cottages, Portland Bill |
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| Old Lower Lighthouse (Bird Observatory – warden is Martin Cade) |
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| Heights Hotel |
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| Queen Anne House, Fortuneswell (Margaret Dunlope) |
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| Royal Breakwater Hotel. Castletown |
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| Portland YMCA – Red Triangle Club, Reforne |
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Please note that we are not agents for the accommodation providers listed above.
Local resources which may also help:
Bespoke learning Opportunities
We also offer art & environmental science opportunities that applies interdisciplinary approaches to rewilding our landscape and ecosystems linked to :
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University undergraduate, postgraduate and research level students.
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Continue Professional Development ( CPD) short courses for artist, architects, landscape / interior designers, educators,
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Team building 1 to 2 day courses designed to stimulate creativity, cooperation and problem solving,
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Schools and FE Colleges (external examinations GCSE / AS / A Level, national curriculum and foundation studies)
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Community (incl. adults, young people, families, out of school activities, home learners)