In the last three years, Camelot Castle Hotel in Cornwall, England has become one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in Britain.

Located where Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote “Idylls of the King”, where Elgar composed his second symphony and Turner painted, Camelot Castle looks out over the majestic Tintagel Island and the Atlantic. It commands a view that has been known to inspire heathens to prayer.

The Camelot Hotel has always been a favourite of artists and the guest book reads like a who’s who of the creative minds of the last century.

Theories as to why this is the case and why artists have felt compelled to visit this location are as diverse and interesting as the mythology that surrounds Tintagel Castle, the ancient ruins overlooked by the Camelot Castle Hotel. What is not in doubt is the extraordinary benefit and inspiration that artists have experienced as a result of arriving at John Mappin's Camelot.

Today, any artist who feels that their creativity or inspiration would benefit from staying at Camelot Castle is eligible to apply for the Mappins' "Artist in Residence" Programme.

Indeed, in the last fourteen months Camelot Castle has activated and helped over three hundred and fifty artists from around the world who have benefited from this programme.

The programme, run at the discretion of the owners of Camelot, John and Irina Mappin and Ted Stourton, is one of the most exciting, fresh and innovative ideas to influence the creative community for many years.

“The whole purpose of the artist in residence program is to validate and help artists in any way possible." says John Mappin.

Creating a space for artists that is free from any evaluation or invalidation has been the first step. 

"Artists, which we define as anyone interested in creating a high quality of communication in any media or form, are immensely valuable to the culture and should be looked after and helped at every opportunity.”