The Corsetry Retreat Bursary Fund
Thanks to the kind donations we have received we are delighted to be able to offer a bursary place on our October 2026 and our November 2026 Retreats to somebody with financial barriers that would otherwise prevent them from being able to attend.
We would like the place to help somebody who will benefit from the retreat to further their personal skills development or career.
We particularly welcome candidates who are underrepresented in the corsetry or costuming worlds.
During your application we will ask you to tell us about your financial circumstances and how this bursary will benefit your skills, personal development or career. This is your opportunity to sell yourself and really share what this could mean to you.
What it covers
The bursary will cover a full place on the retreat, you will stay in Room 21 (Please let us know if you require an accessible downstairs room instead), an ensuite double room with views over the courtyard and a cute fireplace. The retreat includes home cooked evening meals every day as well as breakfasts, lunches and light refreshments.
Also included is a full schedule of corsetry workshops from two experienced tutors who will be on hand for guidance throughout. We provide all materials needed for the workshops including coutil, boning and busks, flossing threads and eyelets. You’ll also have use of the manor’s hot tub, extensive gardens and the communal areas for socialising.
In addition, we have a gallery of corsetry, a corsetry library and a swap table for the exchange of materials and embellishments. The cost of travel to and from the venue is not covered.
Defining financial barriers
A financial barrier is any circumstance which means you cannot accumulate the funds to attend one of our retreats.
We are not providing a specific set of requirements as we want you to tell us about your circumstance without restricting you. There may be many reasons why you are experiencing hardship, including but are not limited to: caring responsibilities, disability or long term illness, or socio-economic status. If your financial circumstance restricts you from being able to attend, and attending will enable you to access important career or personal skills development, then we invite you to tell us why.
How the application process works.
Please apply using the button below for the form.
We will then assess the applications anonymously using a panel to ensure fairness.
Those who get through our first round will be entered into a draw and the final beneficiary will be selected at random. We will notify you to inform you of the outcome.
Please only apply of you are able to attend the Retreat:
• Dates: 5th to 9th October 2026
• Location: Caer Beris Manor Builth Wells, Powys, Wales, LD2 3NP
You must be over 18 on the date of the retreat to attend.
If you are offered the bursary position and you are not able to make it, we will offer it to the next person.
We are not able to reserve a space on the retreat in case you don’t get the bursary, the bursary is specifically for those who would not be able to otherwise pay for a position. If you would be able to pay for a position, we would advise you to book your place before they sell out, as there is a chance the rest of the places on the retreat will sell out before the bursary application process is complete.
Applications close – May 31st 2026.
If the successful applicant is happy for us to do so, we would like to publicise our bursary winner once selected. We would ask you for a few pictures that we can use and/or a short bio about yourself and how the bursary will benefit you.