The Woven Foundation is an incubator for new skills and opportunities. It is the operating name of The ISA Charity (326882) which was founded over forty years ago by the Paice Family.
Previously, our funding was delivered through two charitable organisations: The Artisa Foundation, supported creative and professional development in the visual arts; and The Traverse Trust, which provided financial support and mentoring, creating opportunities for individuals to challenge perspectives, gain new experiences and build sustainable careers.
Today, we operate solely as The Woven Foundation. We are a grant-giving organisation that collaborates with selected organisations to create meaningful change for people and their communities. We cultivate new ideas – enabling both the individuals and partner institutions we support to explore new ways of working, often yielding unexpected outcomes.
Founder
Richard is a passionate explorer of ideas and places. This appetite for new experiences took him to Iceland as a Queen Scout and Heidelberg University for a year, before he read Chemistry at Oxford. Following an MBA at Insead he hitchhiked through Africa joining his father’s business on his return. For 40 years he grew I.S.A. (Holdings), with a global network of offices from Hong Kong to Brazil. In 2004 he passed on the business to focus on other interests – furniture, architecture and contemporary craft. He has been the Chairman of both the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsman and the Gordon Russell Design Museum; Master of the Patternmaker’s Livery and President of the Footwear Friends Charity. He holds an honorary degree from Oxford Brookes and he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Director
Adriana is a curator, artist and editor. She is also the founder and director of Woven Spaces.
Adriana has been on both sides of the commissioning process: as an artist working with corporate clients creating BAFTA nominated interactive installations in their buildings, and as a developer revitalising commercial spaces.
She holds an MA in Italian and History of Art from Edinburgh University and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Trustee
Charlotte is a designer, maker and educator. After studying fashion textiles at Central St Martins, she completed a MA at the Royal College of Art. Focusing on design and colour forecasting for homewares, she established her own company Design Direction. Clients included John Lewis, Homebase, Next, M&S and House of Fraser. Alongside this, Charlotte was also a key lecturer and professional practice co-ordinator at Goldsmiths College, inspiring a generation of designers. In 2013, she returned to her roots as a designer-maker, honing her skills as a ceramicist. She now has a thriving practice, selling her work across the UK and Scandinavia. She has been awarded a Fellowship in Teaching and Learning at Goldsmiths College and the Peake Award for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.
Trustee
Tim is a leading London-based shoemaker. His shoemaking background dates back to the early 70s when he made shoes for artists visiting Glastonbury Festival, producing designs for the likes of David Bowie and Roxy Music. Together with his wife Fiona he runs Slack Shoemakers, an artisan business specialising in the creation of exurban shoes and bespoke trainers. From his workshop in rural Yorkshire, he offers training in craft, design and branding building techniques for aspiring shoemakers of tomorrow.
Trustee
Tim is a designer maker of footwear and has developed a training programme for budding independent shoemakers to learn and earn within his live shoemaking business. The company developed to sell to opinion leading stores in 31 countries worldwide. He has consulted to major corporate clients in Europe and North America including a stint on the board of Next PLC – the key message to them has always been to maintain design integrity and innovation. A belief in the benefits of portfolio careers is exemplified by Tim’s second organisation making limited edition prints of his artwork. His interest in education has led to appointments as an external assessor to design universities.
Trustee
Charlotte is a designer, maker and educator. After studying fashion textiles at Central St Martins, she completed a MA at the Royal College of Art. Focusing on design and colour forecasting for homewares, she established her own company Design Direction. Clients included John Lewis, Homebase, Next, M&S and House of Fraser. Alongside this, Charlotte was also a key lecturer and professional practice co-ordinator at Goldsmiths College, inspiring a generation of designers. In 2013, she returned to her roots as a designer-maker, honing her skills as a ceramicist. She now has a thriving practice, selling her work across the UK and Scandinavia. She has been awarded a Fellowship in Teaching and Learning at Goldsmiths College and the Peake Award for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.
Founder
Richard is a passionate explorer of ideas and places. This appetite for new experiences took him to Iceland as a Queen Scout and Heidelberg University for a year, before he read Chemistry at Oxford. Following an MBA at Insead he hitchhiked through Africa joining his father’s business on his return. For 40 years he grew I.S.A. (Holdings), with a global network of offices from Hong Kong to Brazil. In 2004 he passed on the business to focus on other interests – furniture, architecture and contemporary craft. He has been the Chairman of both the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsman and the Gordon Russell Design Museum; Master of the Patternmaker’s Livery and President of the Footwear Friends Charity. He holds an honorary degree from Oxford Brookes and he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Director
Adriana is a curator, artist and editor. She is also the founder and director of Woven Spaces.
Adriana has been on both sides of the commissioning process: as an artist working with corporate clients creating BAFTA nominated interactive installations in their buildings, and as a developer revitalising commercial spaces.
She holds an MA in Italian and History of Art from Edinburgh University and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Trustee
Charlotte is a designer, maker and educator. After studying fashion textiles at Central St Martins, she completed a MA at the Royal College of Art. Focusing on design and colour forecasting for homewares, she established her own company Design Direction. Clients included John Lewis, Homebase, Next, M&S and House of Fraser. Alongside this, Charlotte was also a key lecturer and professional practice co-ordinator at Goldsmiths College, inspiring a generation of designers. In 2013, she returned to her roots as a designer-maker, honing her skills as a ceramicist. She now has a thriving practice, selling her work across the UK and Scandinavia. She has been awarded a Fellowship in Teaching and Learning at Goldsmiths College and the Peake Award for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.
Trustee
Tim is a designer maker of footwear and has developed a training programme for budding independent shoemakers to learn and earn within his live shoemaking business. The company developed to sell to opinion leading stores in 31 countries worldwide. He has consulted to major corporate clients in Europe and North America including a stint on the board of Next PLC – the key message to them has always been to maintain design integrity and innovation. A belief in the benefits of portfolio careers is exemplified by Tim’s second organisation making limited edition prints of his artwork. His interest in education has led to appointments as an external assessor to design universities.