Revealed: Why August is the time to get crafty in Cork

Home Editor Eve Kelliher previews Cork Craft Month — a fun, fascinating festival designed to fuel imaginations 

Weaver Sabina Lucas, above, right, wooden toy maker and chair of Cork Craft & Design Board Michael Whyte of Ro Óg Ltd, and makers (clockwise from left), Sabina Lucas, John Bastow, Fernanda Schneider, and Diana Skalkos (front), with Cork Craft Month team members Jade Hogan (left), Niamh Hughes (back), and Ava Hayes (right). Pictures: Michael O'Sullivan/OSM

To play Penelope in The Odyssey, Anne Hathaway mastered the ancient craft of weaving in real life. The skill is the main thread behind the character’s famous mythic ruse: Penelope tells the suitors swarming her Ithacan island queendom that she must complete a burial shroud before remarrying — then secretly unravels the work at night to buy time for her husband Odysseus’s return.

Crafty or what?

If we fancy addressing a loom ourselves, Cork Craft Month is where it’s at this August. 

OK, so the art of spinning slick yarns to keep lusty lotharios at bay may not be on the agenda (catch a showing of Christopher Nolan's epic blockbuster for ideas on fending off such unwelcome guests) — but pretty much everything else is, from puppet-making to porcelain art.

The event not only celebrates craft across the city and county, but it’s fully “hands-on”, as festival director Ava Hayes notes. 

Ava and her team specifically devised the programme to invite people “to engage with craft in a meaningful and accessible way,” she says. 

Cork Craft & Design makers (clockwise from left), Sabina Lucas, John Bastow, Fernanda Schneider, and Diana Skalkos (front), with Cork Craft Month team members Jade Hogan (left), Niamh Hughes (back), and Ava Hayes (right). 

“Cork Craft Month is all about bringing people closer to craft and the makers behind it.” 

Workshops

Two-thirds of activities are workshops, allowing visitors to experience the making process first-hand.  “This year’s programme offers more opportunities than ever for people to discover new skills, meet makers and experience the creativity, expertise and passion that goes into handmade work,” she adds.

Having been staged every August since 2009, the festival features exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and events that show off the region’s vibrant maker community. 

Cork Craft & Design maker and lino-print artist John Bastow of Solas Agus Scáth, at work.

Organised by Cork Craft & Design and delivered in association with August Craft Month, the programme connects the public with makers through practical experiences and creative showcases in venues across Cork.

Here at Home HQ, we had a sneak peek at the listings and are wowed by the variety on offer — not only is this its biggest showcase of Cork makers yet, but Cork Craft Month’s largest programme — featuring over 90 workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and markets designed to connect the public directly with the county’s vibrant craft community. 

From a two-day porcelain workshop with artist Sara Roberts in Nohoval, to a willow-weaving workshop with Cois Laoi Willow at Greywood Arts, and lino-printing with artist John Bastow at Fota House, we’re talking fun, fresh, original and relevant. 

A third of the events are free

A third of the events are free — and not a trace of a fusty “please do not touch” sign.

Michael Whyte.

Craft plays a key role in Cork’s cultural identity, according to Michael Whyte, chair of Cork Craft & Design. “It connects us to our heritage while continuing to inspire innovation and creativity today,” he says. Cork is also unique in its wealth of crafting talent, adds Michael, who owns Ro Óg Wooden Toys. “Across the county, makers are preserving traditional skills, developing new approaches and contributing to a vibrant creative sector,” he says. 

“Cork Craft Month shines a spotlight on that contribution, helping people understand the value of locally made craft while supporting the talented makers whose work enriches our communities, economy and cultural life.”

Cork Craft & Design makers (clockwise from left), Fernanda Schneider, Diana Skalkos, Sabina Lucas and John Bastow, at St Peter's Cork on North Main Street. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan/OSM

From ceramics and textiles to woodwork, jewellery, printmaking and design, this year’s lineup offers all age groups opportunities to learn directly from makers and gain a deeper appreciation for the expertise behind handmade work.

HIGHLIGHTS

Market

An open-air makers market at Douglas Court Shopping Centre on August 7 is a highlight of this year’s event. It takes place from 10am to 4pm, bringing together a curated selection of makers and artists in a vibrant public showcase. “Visitors will have the opportunity to meet makers, browse and purchase handcrafted work, and learn more about the stories and processes behind each piece,” says Ava.

Pop-up shop 

Further expanding the festival’s reach this year is a planned pop-up shop at The Glucksman Gallery at UCC from August 1-31.

Exhibitions 

The programme will also feature the annual showcase exhibition, Celebrating 21 Years of Cork Craft & Design: Crafting Legacy Members Showcase Exhibition, which runs at St Peter’s from August 13-31, with a launch evening on August 20. 

The annual Emerge graduate exhibition will be at The Gallery at No 46, Grand Parade, from July 30 to August 17.

John Bastow of Solas Agus Scáth.

Family-friendly

Over a third of events are family-friendly, such as a lino-print workshop with John Bastow at Fota House (August 15); make-your-own puppet workshop at Blackwater Valley Makers, Fermoy (August 14); a felting camp with Woolly Crafts at Greywood Arts (August 19-21); and Heritage Week Fun Family Rope Day — skipping, tug-of-war and making rope with Irish flax in Kilcoe Studios, Ballydehob (August 16).

For the full programme, see Corkcraftanddesign.ie.