100 professional makers from across the UK have been selected to exhibit at Craft Festival Wales including local potter Peter Bodenham from St Dogmaels, artist maker Ruth Packham from Borth, known for her quirky textile birds and hand weaver Llio James, originally from Talybont.
Writer and broadcaster Kate Humble will be opening Craft Festival at 10am on Friday September 5th and joining Sarah James in conversation at The Capital of Craft Symposium in the Tower Room at Cardigan Castle.
Kate's talk is part of a 3-day programme of talks, masterclasses and panel discussions around the theme of Woven.
Wool was historically the most important and widespread of Wales's industries. The Capital of Craft Symposium explores its place in history, its past links to the slave trade and how contemporary practitioners respond to wool and weaving.
Other features of the Craft Festival Wales event include a sculpture trail through the Castle gardens and delicious local food and drink and an eclectic Welsh and English live music programme throughout the three-day event featuring Mari Mathias, Bwca, the Aberystwyth Silver Band, local singer songwriters Chwaer, and the Disclaimers featuring Brychan Llyr and Gareth Davies.
Live theatre and street performance and storytelling from the Mabinogi tradition in both Welsh and English is part of Craft Festival across the weekend, including a performance on Sunday by Hijinx, pioneers in promoting opportunities for actors with learning disabilities and autism.
The Capital of Craft LIVE
Over the 3 days of the Craft Festival Wales, The Capital of Craft LIVE will take place in the Tower Room of Cardigan Castle. Capital of Craft Live features talks, masterclasses and panel discussions with accomplished makers, authors and broadcasters exploring the importance of making and the depth of craft practice in Wales. Make sure you’ve book your seat for Capital of Craft LIVE to avoid disappointment.
Live craft demonstrations include ceramicist Ella Bua-In from Cardigan, whose work is inspired by the River Teifi, woodworker John Pearce from near Llandysul who was the 2024 winner of 'best new business' .
Book a workshop and try your hand at craft
Enjoying 2 hours of relaxation, making and learning a new skill is an important part of the Craft Festival experience. The workshops give insight into the skill, patience and tenacity needed to be a professional maker, it helps explain the value of the work and it's completely absorbing!
Visitors can pre-book a craft workshop from an exciting programme lead by ‘Make it in Wales’ including printing, textile creative piecing with Melin Tregwynt off-cuts, marbling, and macrame.
Families
Over the weekend at the castle, there will be a Children’s Craft Lab offering children the opportunity to get creative while having lots of fun. Children enter Craft Festival for free and can take part in the free drop-in craft activities on Saturday and Sunday.
The Children's Workshops in the Craft Lab are being provided by Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, National Woollen Museum, Carmarthen School of Art, Cered Menter Iaith and Walden Arts.
Craft Festival Town Trail
Craft Festival has partnered with Oriel Myrddin and 6 venues throughout the town of Cardigan to curate a contemporary craft trail that will showcase new work from six talented makers from across Wales. Each maker was invited to respond to artworks from the National Contemporary Art Gallery of Wales.
The commissioned work encompasses a diverse array of artistic mediums, including ceramics, textiles, brush making and willow weaving, to reinterpret eminent artworks from the National Collections. With support from Welsh Government funding, the aim is to make these valued collections more accessible and engaging for all.
More than a weekend
As well as the activity over the weekend, Craft Festival Wales presents satellite events throughout the town, running through September.
Carmarthen School of Art are presenting a Sculpture Trail around the Castle from September 5-12th. Students & tutors present their responses to the Cardigan Castle Gardens site in wood, metal and stone. They are also joined by a piece from Coleg Ceredigion's unique Furniture Making course with their own chair response to the site specific chair at the Castle.
The Woven exhibition is hosted at Oriel Canfas from September 5th through to October 5th.
