A 7-day course in
Ancient Byzantine Iconography
10th - 16th June 2025
Welcoming both novices and experienced iconographers to the Prosopon style of icon-writing
A 7-day icon-writing course led by Deacon Nikita Andrejev, of the Prosopon School of Iconology
The practice of writing icons is primarily a spiritual one, reflecting the theological world-view of the Christian faith. Each element of the process is imbued with symbolism, inviting the icon-writer into a deeper contemplation of the Christian faith and making a prayer of his work.
Over the 7 days of this iconography course, students will write their own icon using the ancient art of liquid egg tempera technique.
The teaching of the technical process will be accompanied by a theological discourse and by prayer. The practical demonstrations will be framed by explanations of the symbolic meaning of the iconic forms, the materials and the processes involved.
Set in beautiful surroundings and with a light-filled and spacious venue, this week-long immersion into an ancient form of prayer is a unique opportunity to refresh and recreate your soul in prayer and a warm community environment.
“Profound, yet gentle and supportive”
“I don’t know of any other course at such a high standard, with plenty of theological & spiritual input”
“Wonderful teaching. A well-balanced course”
Our course welcomes both novices to the Prosopon technique and more experienced iconographers alike.
Both novices and advanced student will work on the same Deisis icon of the Mother of God.
A varying level of detail and adornment on this icon will be tasked to each student according to their experience.
Novices will benefit from the support of an additional tutor, Sharon Seager, and supervised skills practice.
Left: Example image of a Deisis icon
For years Nikita Andreyev apprenticed to his father, Vladislav Andreyev, complimenting this experience with postgraduate theological studies in Paris and the United States.
As a member of the faculty team of the Prosopon School of Iconology, Nikita has contributed to the development of unique teaching methods. The resulting workshop experience enables participants to create and grow through their icon making, developing spiritually through each icon.
Since its founding in the 1980s, the School has rediscovered lost techniques of the ancient art of liquid egg tempera and has helped ignite a renewed interest in icons across the USA and the western world.
For more information about Deacon Nikita Andrejev, please click here.
Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for icon painting. With abundant natural light from the glass roof panels flooding the atrium, this is an inspiring venue for icon painting. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer an ideally peaceful setting. The first floor gallery, which gives access to the comfortable, en-suite bedrooms, affords a birds-eye view of the workshop below. Guests will also enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.
For more information about Theodore House, please click here.
Classes start daily at 9am with the Office of Morning Prayer at 8:45am, beginning on Tuesday 10th June.
Classes end in the afternoon of Monday 16th June, with departures between 2pm and 4pm.
Residential participants are welcome to arrive during the day on Monday 9th June, with dinner included that evening. No lunch will be provided on Monday.
Non-residential participants have lunch included from Tuesday 10th June, and dinner as per the booking option.
For all participants, the last meal offered is lunch on Monday 16th June.
Accommodation for the night of Monday 16th June can be purchased as an optional extra.
We are conveniently situated an hour’s drive from Manchester Airport, which is well-connected internationally.
Once you have booked your flights, please provide us with your flight details.
We will aim to arrange either a pick-up or shared transport with other course participants, either from Manchester Airport itself, or from Preston train station, which has a direct connection to Manchester airport.
Cost
Full board* & lodging, single room: £1,070 p.p.
Full board* & lodging, shared twin room: £870 p.p. – subject to availability
Non-residential, full board (lunch and dinner*): £660 p.p. – Non-residential participation is not recommended unless within a 15-minute drive of the venue, due to the intense nature of the course.
A non-refundable deposit of £250 will be required upon booking.
Balance of course fees will be due 1 month before the course, but may be spread over several installments prior to this date.
*Please note: all meals on this course are fish or vegetarian, as is the custom in this work.
“It’s been an extraordinary week”
“It is always a privilege and a humble experience to be part of an icon painting class; but it is particularly with this class that I learnt the most and had the most change in myself”
Please register below (deposit payment required).
£50 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: 5 places left!
Venue & Getting to us:
If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: events@christianheritagecentre.com
Father Michael Miners o.c.d.s was born in Blackburn in 1953. He read theology at St Johns College, Durham, becoming a Catholic there in 1974. He undertook postgraduate research in Durham and then at Keble College, Oxford, before joining Ushaw College Seminary. He was ordained as a priest of the Order of Discaled Carmelites in 1984. Fr Michael has worked in both parish ministry and in formation as a novice master and master of students. He edited the Spiritual Journal “Mount Carmel” for eight years, and has a long experience of preaching retreats and offering Spiritual Direction. After five years as Catholic Chaplain at Keele University (1993-1998) he became a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Fr Michael lectures in Ecumenism at Oscott College and was Chair of the Diocesan Ecumenism Commission.
Fr Dominic White is a priest of the Order of Preachers and Prior of Saint Dominic’s in North London. He is also Acting Director of Research at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in the Cambridge Theological Federation, and Research Fellow of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology. Additionally he is founder of the Cosmos Dance Project and patron of the Eliot Smith Dance Company. Fr Dominic’s research interests include theology and the arts, sophiology (Wisdom theology), and the relationship between faith and culture.
Dr Joey Belleza is a philosopher and theologian, and CHC Assistant for Marketing & Communications. His research interests span the areas of Thomism, Franciscan studies, medieval mysticism, Church history, and sacramental-liturgical theology in general. His recent doctoral dissertation contrasted the poetics of Saint Thomas Aquinas with the poetics of the Franciscan friars Saint Bonaventure and Iacopone da Todi, viewed in light of their competing receptions of Neoplatonic metaphysics as formulated by the mysterious sixth century writer known as Dionysius the Areopagite.
Fr Emmanuel Mansford is originally from a small village in Bedfordshire. He joined the Franciscan of the Renewal in the Bronx, NY in 1998 and made his solemn vows in 2003. Ordained a priest in 2007, he lived for several years in the friary in the East End of London where he served as the local superior. In 2014 he became the vocation director for the friars and lived in New York City where he was involved in the friars apostolates of preaching the Gospel and serving the needy. He has a passion for preaching and people and loves to see God’s people encounter Him and come to life through the Gospel. He also enjoys playing and watching football and is a boyhood fan of Luton Town FC. He recently moved back to the UK to serve with the friars in their mission in Bradford.
Fr Roger Dawson SJ is a Jesuit priest, previously Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre. He is trained as a clinical psychologist and has a long experience as retreat and spiritual director. He is currently the Superior of the Jesuits in Scotland.
Fr Lawrence Lew is the General Promoter of the Rosary and the Rosary Confraternity for the Dominican Order throughout the world. He is author of 
Stefan and Ella Kaminski both have Licentiates from the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family Life, having dedicated their studies to the themes of human love and sexual complementarity. Stefan serves as Director of The Christian Heritage Centre, where he has been creating and delivering Catholic formation content for the last five years. Ella previously worked at the John Paul II Institute in Rome, before joining Stefan in Lancashire following their marriage. She is engaged in teaching dogmatic theology to seminarians on the one hand, and 5-year-olds on the other. Together, they offer marriage preparation courses and ongoing formation for catechetists.
Fr Jean Gové’s research—in philosophy of mind and language—focuses on the relationship between thought, reference, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
Fr Anthony Doe is a priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster, ordained in 1981. He is a qualified psychotherapist, with multiple post graduate degrees. He exercises his priestly ministry as a therapist and spiritual director, and is an experienced retreat director. Fr Doe has served as the Spiritual Director of the Venerable English College in Rome and is currently Spiritual Director at Allen Hall Seminary in London.