<![CDATA[Kingshill House - Blog]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:32:28 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[Family Fun Activities at Kingshill House]]>Tue, 13 Jun 2023 05:22:41 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/family-fun-activities-at-kingshill-house
Recently we hosted some wonderful half-term family activities at Kingshill House Creative Centre called Share and Play. The House was full of young creatives drawing, crafting, listening and learning. We had storytelling by our resident storyteller Bill Church, which was great fun to see the kids and adults enjoy. Also, we hosted a monster trail, where each sneaky monster hiding around the House had a letter to find which made a secret word. Some of the monsters asked the kiddies to complete a task, such as making a fortune teller. And you can find out how to make your own fortune teller at home with the instructions below. 
Picture
In the art room, we had lots of lovely activities such as making paper-chain friends, finger-printing faces, and a funky 3D hand creation all supplied by the super-amazing book by Marion Deuchars Art Play. If you’ve not come across it before, it is a great resource packed full of great activities for young creatives. We will be taking more inspiration from this book later in our programme.
We also had make your own clay snail which was great to see all the brilliant creations, including local MP @siobhan.baillie and her family. Siobhan made a great reel of her visit which you can check out here, thanks Siobhan for making it down!
And of course, our bar was open for coffee, squash, and delicious sausage rolls, brownies, and cupcakes from our local baker Sticky Fingers. Our bar will be open more frequently now so you can enjoy barista coffee whilst attending a class at Kingshill House.
Our next family creative activity at the House is Art Play Saturday 24 June, 10:30am-12pm by Stroud-based artist Ruth Batham. Designed to get the creative juices flowing you can make your own space character - real or imaginary or a mix of both - from collaged paper. Beginning working in 2D, they will also be able to add to your character in 3D using googly eyes, split pins, and concertina limbs. They will also have the chance to have their character photographed in a collaborative, group piece of art before taking them home. 
Find more details and reserve your spot here. 
At the same time, we are hosting a 2-hour Maternal Journal workshop with artist Athene Grieg for anyone in pregnancy, birth and parenthood. For carers, you could attend the Art Play workshop with older kids, whilst the other carer joins the Maternal Journal workshop either solo or with babes-in-arms. 
In this session, Athene will introduce what creative journaling is, guide you through a journal activity and hold space for sharing with each other in a relaxed and supportive environment.
And after the session, a picnic will be hosted in the garden for everyone who has ever attended a Maternal Journal session, come join us!

Here's why journaling is so amazing, “We're expected to casually stroll into motherhood and parenthood while trying to get our heads around a million new ways to do things and keep our new emotions in check. 
Holding it all together, preferably with a smile, can be kind of exhausting. 
Journaling is well-known for its positive benefits on mental health and well-being. It also plays a big part in the history of women's creativity.”

  • Babies under 1 are welcome to join us.
  • All materials and light refreshments are provided.
  • You don't need to be 'creative'!
  • We will work on paper but feel free to bring a journal.
We have a whole host of family activities at Kingshill House including our monthly Let’s Create sessions in the garden which see a lot of young people of all ages get stuck into creative imagination. Think unstructured, loose parts, googly eyes, lots of tape, glue, paint, a little bit mad and plenty of fun. Come along, second-Saturday of the month, more details can be found here. ​
We also have family theatre coming up including Sherlock Holmes and a miscellany of other larger-than-life characters in a wonderfully original one-man show! What connects a father's disappearance with an audacious robbery committed in the dead of night? And what has become of the great Agra Treasure? 

​Suitable for 11 years+
Friday 16 June, 7:30 pm. Bar open from 6:30 pm. £16.
Further still we have Impromptu Shakespeare coming to Kingshill House for a day of hilarious Shakespearean comedy on Saturday 29 July, 11:30am-12:30pm. Not only are they performing their theatre production, but beforehand there is a special family workshop taking place - with limited spaces! The workshop will be fun and silly, with some really insightful educational bits too. Suitable for anyone who has started doing some Shakespeare at school or home (around 11+ but this can vary). 
£7 per young person (accompanying adult is free). Check out the production here. 

All of this is made possible by the generous support from The National Lottery players and the Community Fund, helping us deliver our Made for Sharing Project.

Picture
]]><![CDATA[A summer of family theatre!]]>Fri, 26 May 2023 10:18:47 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/a-summer-of-family-theatreWe're excited to be hosting multiple theatre groups this summer and are inviting the whole family to be immersed in live theatre for the first time at our historic venue.

Live theatre is a great way to introduce young people to different stories, historical events, and social issues in a fun and engaging way. With this new programme of events we're reaching a new, younger audience in the local area.

Starting the summer off is Midlands based theatre company, Don't Go Into The Cellar!, with Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of the Four on Friday 16 June at 7:30pm. It is an original one-man show where Sherlock Holmes meets a miscellany of other larger-than-life characters - classical Victorian detective action at its finest! The show is adapted from the Conan Doyle and is suitable for 11 years+. £16.00 per person/£42.00 per family (2 adults 2 children).
​Later in July, we will be joined by award-winning theatre group, Impromptu Shakespeare, before they head off to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They will be running a theatre workshop which will be followed by a theatre production. During the workshop, with artist Rebecca Macmillan, the attendees will learn how to make up their own Shakespearean insults and poems, and translate how they speak to their friends. This is a special family workshop for kids together with their parents or carers - it'll be fun and silly, with some really insightful educational bits too. This workshop is suitable for anyone who has started doing some Shakespeare at school or home (around 11+ but this can vary). £7 per young person (accompanying adult is free). Saturday 29 July, 11:30am-12:30pm.

The theatre production follows at 2pm with the Impromptu Shakespeare whip-smart cast. This performance will be packed with priceless wit, lyrical smarts, romance, and double-crossing, as this leading ensemble do the Bard proud with a new one-act hit every time, inspired by audience suggestions. General ticket is £11, family ticket is £40 (two adults and two young people (under 18)). ​
​If you haven’t had enough of Shakespeare by that point, be sure to visit Dursley Heritage Centre and see their exhibition ‘Shakespeare’s possible links to Dursley’, which will be open from July.

Tickets for these events are available from our What's On page.

Eleanor 

Marketing & PR Manager 

]]><![CDATA[Green Drinks networking events are a great initiate but why is it so important to Kingshill House to host them?]]>Tue, 23 May 2023 09:27:10 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/green-drinks-networking-events-are-a-great-initiate-but-why-is-it-so-important-to-kingshill-house-to-host-them
Hosting Green Drinks demonstrates Kingshill House Creative Centre's commitment to engaging with the local community and fostering connections within the environmental space. We are aiming to becomes a hub for environmentally-minded individuals to gather, exchange ideas, and collaborate on initiatives that benefit the community, and our first commitment is providing a venue for these events.
Come to the first Green Drinks Wednesday 24th May 2023, 7:30pm which will become a monthly event and a central meeting place for professionals, activists, and individuals interested in environmental issues. This is in partnership with the Cam and Dursley Climate Action Network (C&D CAN) and everyone is welcome. It will be chance to meet like-minded people in an informal setting. We want to helps create a supportive and collaborative network where attendees can find potential partners, mentors, or resources for their environmental projects.
Kingshill House is at the beginning of its sustainable journey and we are excited to start planning our response to climate action both in the team, the building and our community. We want to establish and strengthen partnerships with local environmental organizations, businesses, and government agencies because we see that there is strength in working together. Collaborating with these entities can lead to shared resources, joint initiatives, and a collective effort towards addressing local environmental challenges. 
Take a look at the Green Drinks Code which states that

Green Drinks are Agenda Free
  • Green Drinks is not a channel to circulate announcements or news about environmental issues. Green Drinkers are already deluged with information from thousands of other sources. Green Drinks is a place to go to get away from all that.
  • It's OK to have speakers for 20-30 mins or so or to have a theme for the evening to help stimulate discussion, but the bulk of the evening should be freeform and random.
  • The host venue itself creates some slant inevitably but must be gracious and open; independent venues such as bars or restaurants are preferred.
  • Green Drinks as an entity will never endorse or have a position or stance on an environmental topic.
  • There will be no non-Green Drinks-related content or messages or appeals or ads circulated to the city organisers or appearing on the greendrinks.org website.
We would like to encourage people to share ideas of how they see the Green Drinks developing in the future, what sort of speakers you would like to hear and suggestions of how to turn discussion into action. We are hoping that by hosting events such as this we are reducing the amount of doubling-up on work and acting blind to what others doing. 
Networking is at the heart of creating a community, so our first event will be Green Drinks at Kingshill House Creative Centre on the 24th May with 7:30pm as ringing of a bell as a start time. This is intended as an entirely inclusive social get together for all and everyone wanting to find out about or engage with, making Cam & Dursley a sustainable place to live where nature thrives. 

Hope to see you there. 
Images are from our Permaculture Community Garden and our large garden to the side of the House which we hope to develop soon. 

Author; Georgie White Winter

Business Development Manager at Kingshill House, believes that collectively we can make a difference and work together as a community to reduce climate change. 

]]><![CDATA[The beautiful sounds of the harp, Kingshill House is a magical place for a gig]]>Sun, 21 May 2023 07:39:17 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/the-beautiful-sounds-of-the-harp-kingshill-house-is-a-magical-place-for-a-gig
Last week we were treated to a magical concert with award-winning harpist  Gabriella Jones. What a staggering instrument, its size, and peddle system is impressive, let alone the beautiful music. Gaberiella took the time to show the audience just how complicated the instrument is to play and explain the reason for the pieces she played. ​
Many of the pieces were contemporary and not originally written for the harp, but converted for her to perform. “Gabriella has a passion for the role of the harp within the contemporary music space and the future of the instrument on the concert platform.” I was so intrigued with what the harp would sound like in person, only every seeing it being performed on tv and I wasn’t disappointed, it really is a fascinating sound, and its not surprising that it is attributed to the visual of heaven, or mythological storytelling. ​
Watching Gabriella perform, using her whole body to play the instrument, curving over during a low note and leaning back, moving her shoulders, neck and head in a flow during a higher note, was a magical thing to watch. ​
Seeing the harp being performed in one of the Georgian rooms of Kingshill House Creative Centre with its high ceilings, large windows and bay was very special. It looked like it had always been there, just beautiful as the warm evening sunlight drifted across the room spotlighting the harp and audience. ​
Picture
More classical performances will be on the horizon and we hope to programme some mini classical performances for our young audience to enjoy. Keep checking our website for information. Thank you to everyone who came to this concert and the whole Classical series. ​
]]><![CDATA[What did you make with your wild garlic?]]>Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:48:41 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/what-did-you-make-with-your-wild-garlicPicture
In the beautiful woods surrounding Dursley the banks are smothered with lush green wild garlic, and every year my kids and I venture out to gather leaves. This year we made wild garlic pesto, which is delicious with pasta, onion bhajis and a pretty amazing curry. 
Here you can find the recipe for the wild garlic pesto and the onion bhajis for you to make yourself. But you need to move quickly as it is close to the end of the season. This bank holiday weekend would be the perfect time to go and forage. And if you're interested in foraging, then watch this space for our future workshops as we will be hosting one later this year with Martin Conyers from Wild Acres which will be all about foraging and art. 
Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients
150g wild garlic leaves 
50g parmesan, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
50g pine nuts, toasted
150ml rapeseed or olive oil

Method
STEP 1
Rinse and roughly chop the wild garlic leaves. Then blanch quickly, just to make a smoother flavour. 

STEP 2
Blitz the wild garlic leaves, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and pine nuts to a rough paste in a food processor. Season, and with the motor running slowly, add almost all the oil. Taste, season and add a few squeezes of lemon juice.

STEP 3
Transfer the pesto to a clean jar and top with the remaining oil. Will keep in the fridge for two weeks and can be stirred into warm pasta like a paste.
Wild Garlic Onion Bhajis
Ingredients
100 grams chickpea flour also known as gram flour, but plain flour can be used instead
3 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp medium curry powder
1 handful wild garlic leaves
1 large onion
100-150 millilitres of beer or water
oil for frying

Method
 
STEP 1
Mix together the chickpea flour and spices in a bowl.
Rinse the wild garlic leaves and pat dry.

STEP 2
Thinly slice the wild garlic and the onions and add them to the spiced chickpea flour mix.
Toss the wild garlic ribbons and the sliced onion to ensure they are well coated.
Slowly add the first 100ml of the beer (or water) and stir until a smooth, thick, sticky batter has formed around the wild garlic and onions. You may not need the extra 50ml of beer – use it as required.

STEP 3
Cover the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan or frying pan with 1-2cm of oil.
Heat the oil to roughly 165C. You can test that the oil is ready by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil – it should bubble immediately.

Scoop up roughly 1 heaped tbsp of the onion bhaji mix and carefully spoon it into the oil. Repeat with a few more spoonfuls, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Let the first batch of bhajis cook for 4-5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Carefully turn the bhajis over and cook for another 4-5 minutes until golden.
Remove the bhajis from the oil once cooked and drain on kitchen paper.
Repeat the process until you've used all of the mix.

Serve while still hot.

Author; Georgie White Winter

Business Development Manager at Kingshill House, with a passion for creativity and a big believer that art is for everyone.

]]><![CDATA[Kingshill House has often been described as a space of sanctuary but why is that important?]]>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 19:54:11 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/kingshill-house-has-often-been-described-as-a-space-of-sanctuary-but-why-is-that-important
Kingshill House Creative Centre is a space that people often describe as a sanctuary, somewhere they feel safe and calm, away from the hustle of the real world. But why is that, and why is that so important for the classes, courses, and all the activities that we host here? 

I don't think its any coincidence that the Georgian proportions have a lot to answer for when it comes to providing a calm space, with its high ceilings, gran open rooms, and large windows letting in plenty of light. A calming environment can have a positive effect on a person's mental state. Natural light, high ceilings, and open space can create a feeling of spaciousness, which can help reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Further still, a calm environment can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that people are more productive in bright, airy spaces. The abundance of natural light can help regulate sleep patterns, which can lead to increased focus and productivity during the day.
 
Overall, buildings like Kingshill House provide a calm and tranquil environment that can have a positive impact on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the people who use them.
​
All this is true when it comes to Kingshill House being used as somewhere to boost health and wellbeing, support good mental health and meet new and old friends. Our beautiful therapy room can also be booked for ad hoc and regular hire. The calm and sanctuary-like environment that Kingshill House provides can have positive benefits for individuals seeking therapy by reducing stress, encouraging openness, promoting focus, and enhancing comfort. The therapy room is a space that is free of distractions that can helps individuals to stay focused on the therapy session. When there are no distractions, the individual is more likely to engage in the therapy process and make progress towards their goals. It also gets described as a calm and peaceful environment and this can help to reduce stress levels. When you are in a calm environment, your body responds by slowing down and relaxing, which can make it easier to cope with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
Do take a look at our Therapy Room page for more details and if you wish to view the space then please contact one of our friendly team who will be delighted to show you around. ​
Book a viewing
]]><![CDATA[Our classical music series returns this spring]]>Wed, 08 Feb 2023 10:45:17 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/our-classical-music-series-returns-this-springOur classical music series is returning in March at Kingshill House Creative Centre with an exciting mix of concerts. 

Following the success of our first ever classical music series last year, we're back with a special three-part series featuring baroque, classical and romantic concerts. 
Picture
Passacaglia Duo at Kingshill House Creative Centre last year
​Our music series is bringing a high-level of musicianship to the area, and at a reasonable price too, as we want to make our events accessible to as many people as we can. We’ve all felt the impact of the last few years, and we're encouraging people to come out and hear new things that might not usually be available to them in their local area.​

Our next series begins in March and ends in May. The first classical concert of 2023 is with the prizewinning Fitzroy Quartet with their programme of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. Next, in April, we have the wonderful baroque ensemble Brook Street Band - famed for their interpretations of Handel. Ending the spring series is upcoming Welsh harpist, Gabriella Jones. Gabriella will be performing a romantic programme including Franck, Rachmaninov, Puccini and Liszt. ​
We are offering a 'classical music series' discount when you book all three events in our series.

Watching live classical music offers an immersive and unparalleled experience. This brand-new series at Kingshill House Creative Centre allows access to world-class performances and we're also hoping to welcome new comers to visit our historic venue for the first time. 
classical music series

Eleanor Telfer

Marketing Manager at Kingshill House, with a masters degree in Ethnology, Folklore & Ethnomusicology, and is a big supporter of arts, culture and traditions.

]]><![CDATA[Wrap of the year, 2022 was busy!!]]>Mon, 16 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/wrap-of-the-year-2022-was-busy
Yes, 2022 was a busy year with many events and developments. Some notable events include the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the rollout of vaccines, ongoing tensions between various countries, and advancements in technology and science. Here at Kingshill House Creative Centre we had so much creative fun in 2022!
Creativity can be a great source of enjoyment and can take many forms, such as art, music, writing, and more. Last year our focus was Health and Wellbeing with four sub-focusses throughout the year; Mind, Body, Nature and Food, which propped up through our programme. 
 In 2022 alone we had Qigong, Meditation, Taijiquan, Kundalini Yoga, Parent & Toddler Yoga, Yoga Shred, Yoga for Beginners to name just a few of the Health and Wellbeing through Movement activities that have been a permanent fixture in our programme.
We also launched several firsts for Dursley, the first Maternal Journal sessions with artist Athene Greig, Dursley’s first Diwali celebrations (which was so good) and included live music from DanceGuru, Dursley’s first Record Fair with Vinyl Daze Record Fairs and we brought Drag to Dursley for all ages! Cake, Neon, Salt, and Sofira all put on an unbelievable show (especially considering the heat as it was the hottest day of 2022!) More Drag to Kingshill House Creative Centre come soon!!

2022 saw us launch Let’s Create, an unstructured monthly activity session for all young people, a Classical Series which hosted baroque chamber ensemble Passacaglia as they perform as the Passacaglia Duo, internationally renowned Anglo-Irish Carducci String Quartet and the much anticipated award winning classical guitarist Renata Arlotti.
Wow! And that's just to name a handful of things. We also enjoyed an epic family Halloween event, some fun nights with the Dursley DJ Collective, Creative Summer School kindly supported by Sage Residential along with a summer soiree, a Junior Summer School, plenty of magical storytelling sessions with our residential storyteller Bill Church who also treated us to an evening of spooky tales for the adults with Tales from the Dark Side. 
Of course we had our annual show with Tyndale Art Trail who presented a wonderful talk from Aardman Art Director Richard Edmunds. And we are hoping that we are going to do more with Aardman in the future, watch this space.
2022 was the year of collaboration and making new friends, which we love! Projects including Foraging for Food & Art, a walk, talk, sketching and soup which was a collaboration with Wild Acres, Dursley Welcomes Walkers and Jo Beal. It was a day to slow down the pace, learn, explore, and taste whilst creating a wonderful nature map. We were also part of a wonderful project supported by the NHS and partnership with Prema, Under the Edge Arts, Create Gloucestershire, the Quarry Chapel and GL11 which provided a programme of creative activities designed to boost confidence and assist with well-being. Activities included printing with blocks, creating nature sketchbooks, Taiji and Qigong- and the feedback was great. In fact we have received further support to continue the project this year too (watch this space).
The community project, Response/Respond which invites everyone to come and join the discussion on climate action generously supported by Together For Our Planet - The National Lottery Community Fund and Summerfield Charitable Trust was also launched. To start with we asked the community to come join us to create a handwoven willow home with master weaver Sarah Edwards. The Willow Home will become a space for workshops, learning, sharing and discussion on climate action. Most importantly, this space is for you! 
The next part of Response/Respond also kicked off by putting together a steering group with the support of horticulture expert Martin Conyers from Wild Acres to build Dursley’s first community permaculture garden. The group have now met several times and created some great plans. If you’d like to join then please do, all are welcome. They meet at Kingshill House on the 3rd Saturday of every month 10am for a few hours, more details can be found on the permaculture page.
Throughout 2022 we have been so lucky to host 3 of our own exhibitions. Kicking off the year with ‘Mind - be here, present / be here’ now co-curated with Athene Greig which was an Open Call asking for submissions that considered the creative mind and mindful practice after several years of a pandemic. Then we hosted ‘Nature, Our Environment’ with artists Jo Ball, Maria Barbu (Marsh&Moor), Jo Beal, Izzy Bridgland, Ella Burling, Joss Cole, Ellie Hawkes, Julia Pomeroy, Kathryn Stevens & Georgie White who all explored the importance of our environment through their practice. Final we finished the year with ‘Food for All’, with artists Olivia Brazier, Jayne Dickinson, Lucy Duke, Karen Glover,  Claire Graves, Catherine Hill, Elaine Hunt, Henrietta MacPhee, Kate McDonnell, Qing Pud, Emilia Symis, Shahar Tuchner, Emily Vanns, Clicky White, Michelle Yun-jeong Choi, Madina Zholdybekova ​who all show the importance of food through their artworks. In this show we also share a collection of public submissions in response to our question "Do you have a fond food memory you’d love to show?” Photos of birthdays, handwritten recipes passed down, and personal stories of fond food memories are shown in the Purnell room, capturing moments that we can all relate to. It is on until 28th February and has a fun activity sheet to complete as you explore the show.
As ever we are delighted that our wonderful creative courses continue throughout the year including our much loved stained glass with Caroline Lambert, the increasingly popular Mindful Scrap Crafting with Peace and Craft, Anna Marshall and the fantastic flower arranging course with Katherine Kear. 2022 saw the launch of some new courses too, and wow have they been popular. Our classically trained resident artist Warren Sealey who delivers the watercolours class that seems to be packed every week, launched an Oil Painting course in the autumn, thanks to Sage Residential for supporting us with the procurement of new painting easels. We were also delighted to launch Handloom Weaving for Absolute Beginners with Alyson Matthews which saw some beautiful pieces being woven.
Further still our workshops have been epic this year with activities such as Wendy Murphy producing beautiful rings, Kate King creating Penguin Badge Framed artworks (they are gorgeous), Katy Kebbell making ceramics with leaves and flowers, the fantastic Lisa Lavery creating cyanotypes, and Eloise Gordon immersing us all in a beautiful gong bath workshop.
To finish the year of Mind, Body, Nature and Food we had our Festive Fortnight of workshops from Natural Soap Making with Meghan of SEAL, Christmas Table Centerpieces with Eve Squire of Daisy Belle Floral Design, and screen printing tote bags with Andy Kinnear. And if you're not exhausted then we finished the year with our Christmas Market which saw a wonderful selection of sellers including Kelly Eldridge,  Lyn Ang and Anna Jones, Katy Kebbell, Geg Fayle Ceramics, Elaine Hunt, Claire Failes and Cherie Rimmel-Faulds. We had some creative fun with festive family activities including printing cards, and writing a letter to santa (which received a reply fyi).
So that was 2022 (phew), and we have not stopped since (apart from a little break at Christmas of course.) This year is set to be just as wonderfully creative, community focused and open for all. Come join the fun at Kingshill House Creative Centre! And if there is anything you want to see at Kingshill House then tell us, we would love to know. ​

Come join the fun at Kingshill House Creative Centre! ​

Author; Georgie White Winter

Business Development Manager at Kingshill House, with a passion for creativity and a big believer that art is for everyone.

]]><![CDATA[What a wonderful season of activities we've had at Kingshill House and we still have the Christmas Market to come!]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2022 22:13:51 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/what-a-wonderful-season-of-activities-weve-had-at-kingshill-house-and-we-still-have-the-christmas-market-to-comePicture
 We have been full on this autumn with so many fun, creative and exciting events happening at Kingshill House, it has been fantastic to see the House so alive with activity from the community.  
The courses have been packed with students learning watercolours, oil painting (which is new!), stained glass, flower arranging, loom weaving (also new!) and of course we’ve had our wonderful Mindful Scrap Crafting with Anna of Peace and Craft, which has been lovely to see flourish.   
Images above from this years courses, including Mindful Scrapcraft and Oil Painting
Picture
Our programme of weekly classes has grown and grown with Beginners Yoga with Claire on a Monday morning, three sessions of yoga with Vicky Bird, aka The Yoga Bird, on a Wednesday, including parent and baby yoga. Then we have a beautifully gentle relaxation yoga for mothers on a Wednesday evening with Mischa from Let Go Yoga, and of course two nourishing flowing yoga classes from Sarah of Elm Tree Yoga on a Thursday evening. We are absolutely loving all the yoga that happens here! Plus our resident Taijiqun and Qigong instructor Joe teaches on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings, plus a Qigong & Meditation on a Thursday morning. These classes are for anyone to try, and there is no experience necessary, so they really are a marvellous way to refocus the mind and maintain healthy well-being. Plus you can meet new friends and enjoy activity with like-minded people.   ​
Images above from Wednesday evening mothers yoga class at Kingshill House with Mischa from Let Go Yoga
The real success of this season has been our wonderful Diwali event where guests danced the night away with DanceGuru who be played their signature electro-live bhangra dance fusion! Everyone loved Mamas Meals who cooked up a storm of delicious Indian street food and then we were entertained by award winning Bollywood Belles for a beautiful performance and bhangra dancing workshop. Kids, adults, young, old, everyone got stuck into the Diwali-inspired craft activities making their own clay or jam jar lanterns, printing with Indian woodblocks and paper plate rangoli to bring good luck and prosperity! We danced into the night, welcoming both familiar and new faces, it was a wonderfully uplifting event and we are delighted with some of the feedback from the community;  
"We enjoyed the food and especially Bhangra/ DJ night as we danced a lot at the time of closure. We would love to join next year as well."  

"What an absolutely wonderful evening. My 5 year son stated it was, 'The best night ever!' Thank you so much for hosting such a beautiful event." 

"Lovely atmosphere. Great food and good art activities for the family" 
​
"The friendliness of the people hosting and the visitors. It was a great experience and such a wonderful evening thank you" 
Images above from the fabulous Kingshill House Diwali event, a first in Dursley
We have just finished Festive Fortnight which saw lots of Christmassy workshops in the House including natural soap making, tote bag screen printing, scrap crafting, the famous willow weave a reindeer with Sarah Edwards, copper foiling with resident stained-glass artist Caroline Lambert and Christmas table centrepieces with Eve Squire of Daisy Belle Floral Design.  
Images above from Festive Fortnight 2022
We are now hurtling into December, it’s snow joke, Christmas is coming.... how that has happened I am not sure! But we are all looking forward to our Christmas Market on Sunday 4th December, and this year it is set to be the best ever! We have a whole host of fabulous sellers, including Kelly Eldridge,  Lyn Ang and Anna Jones, Katy Kebbell, Geg Fayle Ceramics, Elaine Hunt, Claire Failes, Cherie Rimmel-Faulds, Eve Squire. 
We have food, hot chocolates, sausage rolls, mince pies, soups. There will be music playing from ukulele legend Ed Brooking, our resident glass blower, Ben Gough, will be here so you can have a go at blowing your own hot glass bauble (booking essentially), and we have demonstrations from tutors including calligraphy by Adele Dark, screen-printing by Andy Kinnear and loom weaving by Alyson Matthews.  We also have family activities including making a tree-topper, printing wrapping paper, and writing a letter to Santa. Sunday is set to be our most wonderful day of the year!! (sorry I couldn’t help it!)
So hold on for deer life and come along to Kingshill House for our final event of the year, 11am-4pm.

​Merry Christmas!

Images above from Kingshill House Christmas Market last year, 2021

Author; Georgie White Winter

Business Development Manager at Kingshill House, with a passion for creativity and a big believer that art is for everyone. ​

]]><![CDATA[Office Space and Rooms To Rent: How to Find the Perfect Space for Your Business]]>Tue, 08 Nov 2022 17:59:31 GMThttps://www.kingshillhouse.org.uk/topics/office-space-and-rooms-to-rent-how-to-find-the-perfect-space-for-your-business​Finding the perfect space for your business can be difficult. But don't worry, we've got you covered! Read on to discover our top tips for finding the right place for your business.

​Start with an Estimate.

Before you start looking at properties, make sure you have an idea of what you're looking for. You'll need to consider things like square footage, number of rooms, parking availability, and how many team members you wish to fit into the space. At Kingshill House we have a variety of spaces from empty rooms with not much more than a cupboard in them, to rooms with tables, chairs and refreshment stations. Either way, you should consider if you are looking for a short-term rental agreement or perhaps something longer-term where you may wish to budget in converting the space for your business needs. ​
Picture
Image: Kingshill House entrance hall

Look at the Area's Demographics.

Once you have a good idea of what you're after, it's time to start looking at the area demographics. This will help you understand how much demand there is for your business in the area. Kingshill House is located in the market town Dursley, Gloucestershire with great connections to 
  • Gloucester 19 miles, 30 mins drive
  • Cirencester 21 miles, 36 mins drive
  • Bristol 25 miles, 40 mins drive
  • Swindon 34 miles, 1 hour drive

Dursley itself has a thriving community with plenty to do from beautiful country walks to a high street of independent shops to mooch around. There is certainly a sense of creativity and thirst for culture, as well as plenty of cosy pubs and lovely eateries to enjoy.

Muddy Stilettos recently announced Dursley as one of the best places to live because of its "nature trails and breathtaking views on your doorstep. This place has a strong arty streak, attracting a talented, bohemian community of creators, crafters and artists."

Kingshill House has rooms available for longer-term hire where a business can set up shop and join our community. You could be a developer, architect, graphic designer, start-up, or perhaps an office expansion. Or maybe you're a florist, barber, or brewery who is looking to launch your business.

​We are very open to ideas and have plenty of space as well as an audience living nearby who will support the success of your business.
Images; Dursley town centre

Check out the Local Amenities.

You'll also need to consider the local amenities available to you and your team. Are there any shops, restaurants, cafes, gyms, parks, schools, or other facilities that you'd like to be near? These things can make a big difference when it comes to choosing where to open your business. Dursley has an abundance of great things to keep you busy, including the Old Spot at the bottom of Stinchcombe Hill which was named CAMRA pub of the year in 2007, CYT gym with plenty of fitness classes to keep you going, and just down the road is the Slimbridge Wetlands centre both fun for bird watchers and those who love to splash in puddles! (if you know you know). Kingshill House hosts creative workshops, events, courses and activities for all ages and abilities. We also have a generous health and well-being programme which includes yoga, qigong, maternal journal, mindful scrapcrafting, taijiquan, sound baths and many more. There is also something to do and plenty to keep you busy in Dursley.
Image: Kingshill House Georgian building, entrance hall and stairs

​Ask Around.

If you're looking for somewhere new to set up shop, ask around. People who work in the area will often be able to give you some insider knowledge about what's going on in the area. They might even be able to recommend places that aren't listed online yet.
We have plenty of highly skilled tutors and passionate individuals who use Kingshill House regularly and benefit from the resources that the stunning Georgian rooms have to offer. This includes the Community Health & Wellbeing team from Stroud District Council, Kids and Adults Gaming days run by volunteers, Shine a charity that offers creative art therapy sessions for mums with postnatal depression, Cotswolds Vale Talking Newspaper (CVTN) a weekly talking newspaper for the blind, and a rehearsal space for a local brass band. This is an example of how Kingshill House provides a space for both traditional and contemporary creative practices, a hub of cross-pollination where a creative eco-system organically develops. It is worth talking to those who use Kingshill House already to understand what it is like to work here and be part of the community.

“Grow your business with Kingshill House and fast forward your dreams.”

Author; Georgie White Winter

Business Development Manager at Kingshill House, with a passion for creativity and a big believer that art is for everyone. 

]]>