We were delighted that our visitors from the U3A (University of the Third Age) went ahead with their visit to the Chippendale School of Furniture last Saturday despite the Arctic conditions. U3A are self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older people, providing opportunities for members to share learning experiences in a wide range of interest …
U3A Brave Arctic Conditions to Visit Furniture School Read More »
A short blog by Dmitriy Panteleyev who graduated from the Chippendale International School of Furniture, one of the UK’s leading cabinet making schools, in June 2012.
Since its mid October, I just wanted to wish everyone at Chippendale Furniture to have a great school year.
I, myself, am doing fairly well, at least, I feel that so far everything is going according to plan.
The Chippendale International School of Furniture has just won a local Chamber of Commerce Award for a successful Family Business by “demonstrating sustained success across a broad range of measures”. The award is sponsored by local accountants and tax advisors, Springfords, and the ceremony was hosted by Queen Margaret University.
Anselm Fraser and his wife Antonia set up the international furniture school near Gifford more than 25 years ago. More recently, they have been joined by their son, Jamie, who graduated from the furniture school this June and is now one of five tutors.
“The school’s success means that for the second year running we have a full student roll for our furniture making and restoration course”, says Anselm Fraser. “Forty per cent of this year’s new students come from overseas, including Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Barbados, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
An interview with leading furniture historian David Jones of St Andrews University, who has been delivering keynote lectures on the Life and Times of Thomas Chippendale at the Chippendale International School of Furniture for more than 12 years.
“Students at the Chippendale International School of Furniture learn about different furniture making styles, and how to take the best ideas from the past and adapt them to modern needs. Diversity and practicality are key features of the furniture design course,” says David Jones.
With a focus on Thomas Chippendale, David Jones’ furniture history talks also include a lecture on modern furniture from the 1950’s up to the present day. This takes in ‘experimental modernism’ in Italy (Fornasetti), American furniture makers (Charles and Ray Eames) and concludes with leading contemporary furniture designers like Angus Ross, based in Aberfeldy in Scotland.
Former Chippendale School of Furniture student Matthew Meyerhoff and father Doug, Graham Davies (the school’s senior tutor), and Anselm Fraser spent two weeks during the summer in the Swiss Alps renovating a derelict, 250 year old, pine chalet. The experience proved what the Swiss can do with ‘nothing but pine’ available as a building material.
A blog by Chippendale graduate and former teacher, Liz Jackson, on the joys of learning by doing (experiential learning) and from your colleagues (collaborative learning). Liz now has her own furniture making business within the Chippendale Incubator workshops.
Having recently graduated from the 2011-12 Chippendale course, I have spent some time reflecting on what made it such an enjoyable and effective learning experience.
As with most things in life, it comes down to the people involved and how we all worked together. Which in turn is a result of the student recruitment process and the learning approaches within the course itself.
