Stories: Our Creative Tutor – Matthew Harris tells us more

Time seems to slow at Court House Farm. The outside world slips quietly away, and creativity moves to the very centre of things.

Within this pause, guests are given the rare gift of space—to think, to play, to let ideas unfold. In the studio, that stillness hums with life as Matthew Harris fills the room with energy, curiosity and experimentation.

His retreats are less about following instructions and more about opening doors: to new ways of seeing, making and connecting.

“What I hope is that people experience an opportunity to immerse themselves in their own creativity and to discover and develop their own personal visual language.” Matthew

This isn’t about polished endings or finished masterpieces. Instead, Matthew’s workshops are deliberately open-ended:

“What I want people to take away are the beginnings of new things. My workshops are never about endings, instead they are about beginnings, asking questions and leaving with material that has the potential to grow and develop beyond the workshop setting. My aim is to rekindle a curiosity about the visual world and what it means to make things.”

That sense of curiosity is nurtured through playfulness and conversation.

“My approach is always one of experimentation and playfulness. I’m interested in students as individuals, in how they think and how they make and finding ways that might enable them to rediscover this. Whilst everyone might start from the same place in my workshops, by the end each participant will have moved in very different directions and produced very individual work. There’s always a lot of conversation in my workshops as opposed to instruction. My hope is that through reflection and conversation, people discover things about what makes them tick creatively.”

Court House Farm itself is part of the magic. The summer studio opens onto gardens that feel both secluded and inspiring, and the farmhouse dining table has a way of turning every meal into a small celebration.

“Court house Farm is such a wonderful place in which to teach. The studio is a unique environment that feels open and adaptable to whatever tutor and students want to do. We are surrounded on all sides by tantalising garden spaces and there is a real sense of being almost cut off from the outside world such that each student can really focus on their own development, immersing themselves in the place and the work they’re doing. The immersive creative approach to everything at Court House Farm was exemplified by the culinary experience of every meal. Just such exceptional and delicious food which kept alive the whole idea of being playful and experimental beyond the studio and into the dining room.”

For anyone hesitating to book, Matthew’s advice is simple:

“Don’t have any doubts about joining any of the retreats at Court House Farm. As soon as you arrive you will feel welcomed and supported in whatever you do by an amazing team and a wonderful environment. It truly is a special place. A sacred space as someone called it.”

And for him, the anticipation never fades:

“It’s always exciting for me to meet a new group of students and to see where they will take things. How they might stretch my own thinking and respond to a project by producing outcomes I might never have expected. I look forward to being in the wonderful environment of Court House Farm, especially in a different season and seeing what impact that has on how a group comes together and works.”

Whether you’re new to textiles or a seasoned maker, a retreat with Matthew Harris is less about technique and more about opening a door—to possibility, to curiosity, and to the quiet thrill of beginnings.

Retreat TutorCourt House Farm