The Rural School of Arts and The People's Forest

Aim

Together we can establish a unique land based school, The Rural School of Arts & The People's Forest a legacy for generations to come

In a time of disconnection and separation The Rural School of Arts is a place to rekindle our bond with the earth, to cultivate creativity that is in harmony with the world and the resources around us. 

We are looking to raise funds to secure 24 hectares of wildland in central Portugal, for permanent conservation alongside the establishment of a world-class cultural and artistic preservation hub. A living place for craft, art, rewilding, and the kind of deep, soulful learning the world is running short of. A beacon for what's possible when communities protect what matters.           

The project operates at the intersection of Ecological Restoration and Cultural Preservation, addressing the decline of both biodiversity and traditional skills in the Iberian Peninsula. It thus operates as a Dual Restoration Model.

Phase 1 Ecological Restoration - The People’s Forest
Restoring 24 hectares of wild land to serve as a refuge for species such as the deer, eagle, and honey buzzard. The strategy focuses on Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) to build soil health, increase water retention, and develop "Green Firebreaks" to mitigate wildfire risks, creating wildlife corridors, operating as a guardianship model. The land will be held in trust by an Association to create a legacy project for generations to come.      

Phase 2 Cultural Preservation - The Rural School of Arts
The Rural School of Arts will preserve "at-risk" traditional arts and crafts. By integrating intergenerational knowledge-sharing, with world-class artistic direction, in an ecologically important setting, the school will foster a circular economy where students learn to work in harmony with natural resources. The Rural School of Arts will provide economic stability to the project by promoting local artisans and attracting international students to a marginalized rural region.  

 The Rural School of Arts programmes will cultivate highly skilled hands and vital minds from the integration of a diverse range of practices. Living crafts—woodwork, metalwork, textiles and ceramics. Image crafts—cinema, moving image and photography. Ecological poetics, myth, intuitive architecture, land medicine and music.Through these teachings, all those who pass through the land will become part of its legacy.

Background
Six months ago, 24 hectares of wildland was about to be lost to a developer. A community of artists, makers and educators said no, and raised a deposit towards saving it. The sellers, moved by the vision, reduced their price by €300,000. We have now raised £400,000 to purchase the land and to turn it into The Rural School of Arts and The People's Forest.To read more about our journey and legal framework to protect the land for future generations visit our website 

A legacy project
In 20 years time this will become a place of vitality, beauty and celebrated learning. A flourishing native forest, abundant ecosystem, managed waterways. A thriving village culture that keeps its young people and involves them in local heritage land and craft. Guest houses and teaching spaces. A legacy of highly skilled students nationally and internationally.

The 24 hectares of land has a river, mixed areas of pasture, native trees, rocky outcrops and ruins, olive grove

WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

The world is in deep need of places that nurture. Nurturing the potential of human creativity alongside nature. There is a global decline in habitats and a decline of skills of the hand. Your donation will unlock the potential to create a special place that repairs and rewilds humans and nature side by side. Working with and for the local community. 

Who we are 

We are established artists, makers, architects and educators with over 20 years of experience working across arts, community practice, architecture and land-based practices. Craig and Isik through Sasa Works, design and build beautiful spaces – buildings, furniture and gardens. Isik, through Fourthland, has been delivering transformative workshops, retreats and community gatherings for two decades.

Together we have delivered commissions for private clients worldwide, run award-winning projects, and built a reputation for deep, committed, soulful work.Received and managed major grant funding from all the big UK funders: National Lottery, Arts Council, London Community Fund.

We want to ground all of this nomadic teaching and making into one place – a place for living crafts, cultural experiences, teaching residencies, and profound connection to the land and local villages. 

Over the last 6 months we have formed a strong local partnership team in Portugal that will walk alongside us to make this vision possible. 

What we will teach 

Our Portuguese collaborators include: Bruno Ramos, who will lead cultural programmes on local crafts, communications and community led strategy. Bruno is known for his work to realise the Aldeias do Xisto (Schist Villages) Project in central Portugal, a project that rebuilt abandoned villages, transforming them into vibrant cultural hubs for craft.

We have researched and made connection with a range of local networks in Portugal including: Aldeia dos Girassóis, community networks for grantmaking and participation, The Poets House in Póva de Atalia, for local led cultural programming, Cova Da Beira Converge, organic farming networks and local cooperative produce. With support of our networks and collaborators we have begun research on Grant schemes for future post 2026. Grant options including: Portugal 2030, CIMBSE, Rural Development Agency, Interreg V Sudoe

The Land
The land is already home to a wide forest ecosystem including: rare birds of prey, nightingales, hoopoe, golden oriels, honey buzzard, red kites, white booted eagles, deer, snakes and boar and an abundance of natural life. This land is a key resource for maintaining the rhythm and abundance of the whole area and it needs to be nurtured so that more of the native trees grow back. We will create The People’s Forest in service to this journey and the potential that places like this offer to the environment, cultural heritage and human vitality.

Phase 1: Buy the land and set up a Portuguese Association with an asset protection clause

Phase 2:  Build the school through The Living crafts Programme

Phase 3: Open the school
                         

Testimonials 

"This is exactly the kind of project that is needed in the world right now"

Project supporter  

"Your work has left a lasting impression on me, a real ability to create stillness,  and flow that is so rarely experienced in art"

Project supporter 

Your donations will

Help us secure this land for future generations and create a truly unique place 

 Play your role in creating this place 

To find out more about our values and commitment to this project please visit our website 

www.ilhaandus.com       

REWARDS AND DONATIONS   

Everyone who gives to this project will be honoured as part of the founding community that made this possible!

Pure Donations (No VAT)

This is the simplest and best way to support the project. No rewards, no returns, no VAT. All the donations going to support the project

Rewards 

FOR FULL VIEW OF REWARDS VISIT HERE

Our deepest thanks to everyone who has supported this project so far. We are so moved about whats to come.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st August 2026 at 3:20pm