Brought to you by Cork Craft Month. 

This year marks the biggest Cork Craft Month yet.

With live, in-person events back on the cards at last and an exciting digital line-up planned for the online community, 110 members of Cork Craft & Design have collaborated on over 70 exceptional workshops, masterclasses, artist talks, trails and demos showcasing the very best of contemporary Irish craft throughout August.

Crafters, hobbyists, collectors and people of all ages are invited to connect at family-friendly events throughout the month (for a full calendar of events and to visit the Cork Craft Month shop visit corkcraftanddesign.com) with a series of markets taking place across the city where you can browse the stalls while enjoying delicious local food and coffee.

It’s just the remedy after a year spent inside, a theme that will inspire the showcase exhibition Baile/Home, which opens on July 31st at Working Artist Studios, Ballydehob.

“The energy and vision of our members was so instrumental to the success of last year’s festival as we pivoted online with them, and we are eager to build on that this year through our online exhibition and digital workshops,” said Carol Walsh, Operations Manager at Cork Craft & Design.

“We are also excited about our physical events. Following Government guidelines, we welcome the public to our workshops, exhibitions, artist talks and demonstrations where they can connect directly with local crafters, see the fruits of the creativity of the last year, and even learn some new skills themselves.”

Here are six of our top picks to book during this year’s Cork Craft Month:

1. TRAVEL BACK IN TIME IN MACROOM

August 21st, 2021 (all day) at Chapel Hill, Sleveen East, Macroom

To coincide with Heritage Week, three workshops will be held in the Chapel Hill School of Art, Macroom on August 21st, each spotlighting traditional heritage crafts and their importance to Irish culture. Rosemary Kavanagh of Wild Rose Basketry will deliver a basket weaving workshop, Helle Helsner will demonstrate Bronze Age casting and mould making, and stone sculptor James Horan will deliver a Sketching in Stone workshop.

More details here.

2. WOODTURNING WITH JOHN O’SHEA

August 21st, 3pm-4pm, Connaberry, Castletownroche

John O’Shea will use his lathe to show the process involved in producing a beautiful and functional bowl made from Irish wood in this fascinating woodturning demonstration. All the timber that John uses is Irish grown, every piece either storm felled or removed for building work.

Free to attend, book here.

3. TRY FELTING IN YOUGHAL

August 22nd, 3pm-4pm, The Wildflower Creative, 2 North Main Street, Youghal

Paulina from Woolly Crafts studio in Youghal will introduce and compare the ancient craft of wet felting with the contemporary craft of needle felting at this instructive demo. This is the perfect crafty hobby for the colder months so now is an ideal time to teach yourself a new skill.

All are welcome to attend, more here.

4. FRIDAY WORKSHOPS AT GREYWOOD ARTS

Fridays from August 6th, 5.30pm-8pm, Greywood Arts, Killeagh

Greywood Arts, based in a historic Georgian house in the centre of Killeagh, East Cork, will host a series of workshops on Fridays during Cork Craft Month. On August 6th, Martha Cashman will run a Drawing with Clay workshop and demonstration. A jewellery making workshop will take place the week after with Jaki Coffey on August 13th, while a Family and Friends Needle Felting Workshop to ‘Create Your Own Fairy’ by Paulina of Woolly Crafts takes place on August 20th. Woodturner John O’Shea will host the final workshop on August 27th.

Details here.

5. IMAGES ON WOOD

August 14th, 3pm – 4pm, Connaberry, Castletownroche

Patti O’Leary, the artist behind Lovely Things by Luna Claire, will demonstrate her hand-rubbed technique for transferring an image to wood for a vintage effect. With the right tools and a little creativity, you could use Patti’s tutorial as a jumping-off point to begin transforming your own pieces at home.

More information here.

6. TRADITIONAL STRAW CRAFT

August 24th, Kilcoe Studios 

Down in West Cork, Kilcoe Studios will be running a series of events celebrating traditional straw craft, An Tionscadal Túí (The Straw Project). The series will open with a harvest workshop on August 21st, followed by a family-friendly, multigenerational straw craft workshop, suitable for children over the age of nine on August 24th.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it down West as there will also be a unique online straw plaiting workshop on August 25th too, where materials will be sent out in advance so people can craft along together.

The full programme for Cork Craft Month is available at corkcraftanddesign.com and follow Cork Craft Month on Facebook and Instagram for more #corkcraftmonth21.

Cork Craft Month is supported by the Local Enterprise Office, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Education and Training Board, and Cork County Council’s Cobh Municipal District, Creative Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Main image: Jeweller and Cork Craft & Design member Eimear Crowley. Picture: Darragh Kane