top of page

The School of Forgotten Arts

Exploring heritage craft practices within the UK, The School of Forgotten Arts is a speculative educational community that shares the knowledge of traditional papermaking in a time that has long since forgotten the value of the traditional.

As part of this project, a textbook was created to share the knowledge of traditional papermaking. Made using the very practices it teaches, the book is made from handmade recycled paper, leather bound and sewn with gold thread. The pages are all hand-written due to the delicacy of handmade paper. The book cover has no title, meaning only the curious will uncover the secrets of the school.

Project Date: October-December 2022

​

A spread in the School of Forgotten Arts textbook explaining how to make a mould and deckle.
The outside cover of the book, which is purposely without a title so that only the curious may uncover the secrets of the school.
The final page in the textbook, which reads 'this book was handmade using the papermaking techniques shared here'.
The library check-out card within the book used as a way of hiding the co-ordinates of the school entrances.

The dates in this library check-out card may look strange. That's because they were actually used as a way of hiding the coordinates of the three school entrances within the book for future readers to find! Each of the three entrances are old mining ventilation shafts found in my home town.

The inside cover title page of the book, it reads 'Tradional Papermaking. Heritage Craft Practices Volume One. The School of the Forgotten Arts".
A close-up photo of the gold title detailing within the book, the title reads 'The School of Forgotten Arts".
A spread in the School of Forgotten Arts textbook explaining what the school is.
A spread in the School of Forgotten Arts textbook explaining how to prepare your paper pulp.
A close-up of a spread in the School of Forgotten Arts textbook explaining how to customise your paper..
bottom of page