St Mary's is the place for the Féile visual arts, the festival opening on August 3. But August is also the month for crafts and creatives, so we look at a selection of interesting exhibitions, workshops and events across both.
August Craft Month is an initiative bringing together summer craft events across the island of Ireland through a partnership of Design and Crafts Council Ireland, Craft NI and Cork Craft and Design. The result is a database covering these three. It includes craft talks, open studios, craft trails, exhibitions, workshops and meet the maker demonstrations. So if you're at home or around the island of Ireland it's worth taking a look at what's on where you are.
There's bodhrán making in Galway, a summer pottery camp in Kerry and closer to home Gintlíocht at the Ulster Folk Museum in Cultra, an exhibition of contemporary artwork on the theme of heritage skills and crafts, in partnership with PSsquared Gallery Belfast. The exhibition brings together eight artists/artist groups who will be showing work across the site for the month of August. These include some artists who are very familiar to people who regularly read this column: Susan Hughes, Dorothy Hunter, Tara McGinn, Emma Brennan, artist collaborators Sinéad Bhreathnach Cashell, Jayne Cherry and Alice Clarke, Grace McMurray, Gerard Carson and Soft Fiction Projects. With all those names involved it should lean heavily towards the fine art side of crafts, but it should make a visit extra special.
The word Gintlíocht in Irish, incidentally, is hard to translate, but it refers to an inexplicable manipulation of materials, a metamorphosis which could be described as sorcery.
Pottery markets are to be found in Kilkenny and Galway and there's one closer to home on August 5 in CS Lewis Square, East Belfast. There has been a Nordic exchange between craft makers in Finland and the North of Ireland and a number of events highlight this exciting link. On August 4 there's a twilight market in Newtownards Square. I once went to a twilight market in Conway Mill, so perhaps it's time to bring that one back.
Lots of quilting exhibitions across the island show that it's alive and well as a craft and there's much else besides, from spinning workshops and felting and weaving for those with fibre fever. How about a summer fashion camp for teenagers? Or do you fancy making your own buttons? Craft has many levels and niches of expertise, so the month really has something for everyone.
Linen has permeated our past but how might it be woven into our future? The Linen Biennale 2023 is a great initiative to come out of RSpace Gallery in Lisburn, focusing on all things linen and this year's theme is Renew and Revive. Its official launch is Friday July 28 at 3pm in the Island Arts Centre followed by a procession through Castle Gardens to the Rspace Gallery at 5pm for the Connected Emotions exhibition by Jill Philips.
How about arts and business leaders on arts boards programme? Full training is given and placements are arranged on a variety of arts boards. The deadline is July 31 and details are on their website www.artsandbusinessni.org.uk
Finally, the National Church Trust has been given another three years funding for their new Treasure Ireland project, which provides a new Community Grants Programme which offers your church or chapel funding of between £500 and £10,000 for maintenance or repair work. The church can be of any Christian denomination and applications will open soon. For more information or to see who has previously been successful with their applications, check their website for more information.
