Royaldesigners

Earlier this year the Royal Designers invited applications to join us at our three-day residential Summer Session at Dartington Hall in Devon. We extended an invitation to join this conversation - to those finding their feet or looking for a catalyst or safe harbour; beyond formal education with its curriculum, classes and friends; to those moving beyond a first job, a teacher, or a mentor; to those who may want to engage with kindred spirits that spark them into the next phase of life and work.

We had a huge response to our call for applications and we can't wait for Entangle to start.

Supported by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, we're delighted that 40 early-career designers, scientists and engineers and 12 "Wildcards" (people whose life intersects ours in some way) will be joining RDIs at the beautiful Dartington Hall in Devon.

The Session’s full complement of sixty provides a chance for cross-inspiration, reflection and activity as we share experience and search for insight.

Entangle

This year's theme is Entangle. Entangle is the implied layering of systems, philosophies, art, science, beliefs.

We are all part of the interconnected processes that govern the function, resilience and adaptability of our world, yet have so effectively disabled. We have the creative capability to restore the equilibrium of the environments we inhabit, anticipate rather than react, think long-term, support interconnected life systems - the inherent and vital flow of energy between life forces.

The summer session brings people together who want to explore design in relation to the living world, to open a flow of thoughts and ideas. A release from our practices for a few days in a deeply beautiful environment. A messy, un-linear, generous tangle of thoughts, actions, needs, messages.

We extend an invitation to join this conversation - to those finding their feet or looking for a catalyst or safe harbour; beyond formal education with its curriculum, classes and friends; to those moving beyond a first job, a teacher, or a mentor; to those who may want to engage with kindred spirits that spark them into the next phase of life and work.

The Session will take its unique shape when we come together as this year’s cohort. It is open-started, open-ended and open-hearted. There is no expectation of a particular outcome (though past participants have remarked on the Session’s profound and lasting effects). The Session gives everyone space for a pause for thought, to enjoy shared experience with like-minded people across generations. Dartington Hall is in a beautiful landscape, with a history of hosting creative people to think, make, show and perform.

Writer Oli Stratford shares a personal response to Squeak & Bubble RDI Session 2025.

Reflections from RDI Session 2025

‘You never really know quite what form it’s going to take, but it’s always really inspiring, and creates connections that reverberate for years afterwards.’

‘The retreat creates interactions that trigger you to think, explore, discuss outside your comfort zone, dip into sources of data that you’d forgotten or that were hidden.’

‘I know it was a pivotal experience, even though I don’t yet know where that pivot will lead.'

Applications are now closed for 2026. Look out for our next round in early 2027.

About the Royal Designers

Royal Designers are a magnificent design eco-system of over 40 design disciplines - a fascinating design entanglement, and a profoundly influential force for good.

Royal Designers range from fashion to ceramics, furniture to cars, surgery to biodiversity. The title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ (RDI) is awarded annually by the RSA to designers of all disciplines from who have achieved ‘sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society’. Explore the profiles of current and past RDIs to understand their work.