Helping young people pursue their passions, our 2024 The King’s Trust Australia Scholarship students have returned home after pursuing their passions for traditional for traditional building techniques at four incredible summer schools around the world.

One student, Darshana Thapa, attended The King’s Foundation summer school at Dumfries House in Scotland, where she learnt from expert craftspeople to expand her knowledge of traditional architecture and sustainable building techniques.  

Across the programme, Darshana gained hands-on experience in sculpture, stained glass, traditional timber framing, stone masonry and tile vaulting. Critically, she also learnt what happens when conservation isn’t done as it should be, and how to avoid this in the future.

“It underscored the need for careful and informed conservation practices and an understanding of how materials interact with one another,” said Darshana.

A highlight of the scholarship was learning the art of stained glass from design to completion, and gaining a new appreciation for how it’s made.

‍“These skills have helped me understand stained glass in a new way. They will be very valuable when I observe buildings with stained glass elements in the future, as I have a deeper understanding about what it takes to create and conserve them.”

The stained glass Darshana made now takes pride of place on her home office window, as a constant reminder of the skills she has learnt and her time on the programme.

The King's Trust Australia scholarships, which are run each year in association with INTBAU and The King’s Foundation gives students real world experiences to learn and develop traditional architecture skills they can take into their careers, as well as meet like-minded students and inspiring craftspeople who are experts in their trades.  

Darshana is excited to take this new knowledge forward into her remaining studies and her career.  

“This programme has demonstrated the importance of hands-on learning, and the critical need to preserve traditional skills.”

“The King’s Foundation Summer School has been a life-changing experience, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” she concluded.

The scholarship programme has ended for 2024 - stay tuned for updates on how to apply in 2025.  

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