Craft Festival Wales

Craft Festival Wales will blaze a trail across Cardigan from September 6-8 hosting over 80 makers at Cardigan Castle.  The Castle grounds will be heaving with activities including demonstrations, sculpture trails, exhibitions, talks, workshops, children’s activities, local food, live music, walk-about theatre & storytelling. Well known makers, including Keith from The Pottery Throwdown and My Chapel Dream will be at The Castle.

Meet and chat with the makers about their work and buy exquisite handmade craft in jewellery, pottery, furniture, textiles, basketry, woodwork, glass and print and much more.


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 a leading makers, 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.

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!

You can enjoy pottery painting, jewellery making, book binding, needle felting, embroidery, weaving and crochet.

 

Families

Over the weekend at the castle, there will be a Children’s Craft Lab supported by Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, National Wool Museum, Carmarthen School of Art, Jim Parkyn and Small World Theatre - offering children the opportunity to get creative while having lots of fun. Free & Drop In. The results of our Youth Project with Small World Theatre and QEST will be displayed in Miss Woods Room during the Craft Festival.


More than a weekend

As well as the activity over the weekend, Craft Festival Wales presents satellite events throughout the town, running through September. Highlights include a ceramics exhibition, Significant Forms, with museum quality ceramics from Wales presented at Oriel Canfas curated by West Wales potter, Peter Bodenham.

A Sculpture Trail presented by Carmarthen School of Art and Coleg Ceredigion will be spread over the Castle grounds. (after the Festival, Castle entry applies) and a willow archway, commissioned from local willow artist, Michelle Cain to welcome visitors to Craft Festival Wales will be in-situ at the Castle until early October.

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. ⁠ ⁠