Opened in 2015 in a traditional coral-stone house in the heart of the Old Town (Al-Balad) of Jeddah as a partnership between Art Jameel and the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah is a major educational programme that focuses on Islamic geometry, patterns and design, nabati ornaments, colour harmony and decorative techniques, woodwork, gypsum-carving and other traditional crafts within the rich architectural heritage of the Old Town.
Participants of Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah – about 20 each year – undertake a one-year programme developed and delivered by the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, according to the same principles and standards as the postgraduate courses of the original London school. Jameel House in Jeddah also engages with the local community through a calendar of public workshops and evening classes, and participation in the lively festivals of the Old Town.
The end-of-year show by the 2021 cohort will be the culmination of the current iteration of the Jameel House in Jeddah, which will relocate from Al Balad to Hayy Jameel. In conversation with the Prince’s Foundation and other organisations, Art Jameel has begun to devise new ways to support the crafts community in Saudi that complement and build on the Kingdom-wide effort to preserve its rich architectural and artisanal history.
The Jameel House in Jeddah is located in the heart of Jeddah historic district, just off Al-Dahab Street and behind Al-Ma’amar Mosque, here. Opening hours are from Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm.
For more information, please email [email protected]
A film by Ian Skelly demonstrating the work of The Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah as it delivers a programme devised and run by the Prince of Wales's School of Traditional Arts in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Society for Arts and Culture.
