Cork Craft Month returns this August with its biggest programme yet, 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 in Greywood Arts, the programme highlights the extraordinary breadth of creative talent across Cork. A third of the programming is free, including a ‘Make Your Own Puppet’ workshop locally in Fermoy’s Blackwater Valley Makers.
Organised by Cork Craft & Design, a social enterprise representing more than 110 professional makers and artists, Cork Craft Month celebrates both traditional craftsmanship and contemporary-making through a diverse programme of hands-on experiences, exhibitions and demonstrations. Running throughout August in association with August Craft Month, the festival shines a spotlight on the creativity, skill and innovation of the county’s thriving craft community.
From ceramics and textiles to woodwork, jewellery, printmaking and contemporary design, this year’s programme offers opportunities for people of all ages to discover craft, learn directly from makers and gain a deeper appreciation for the creativity and expertise behind handmade work.
NEW ADDITIONS TO PROGRAMME
A major new highlight this year is an Open-Air Makers Market at Douglas Court Shopping Centre on 7th August (10am to 4pm), bringing together a curated selection of Cork makers and artists in a vibrant public showcase of locally made craft. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet makers, browse and purchase handcrafted work, and learn more about the stories and processes behind each piece.
Further expanding the festival’s reach this year is a planned Pop-Up shop at The Glucksman Gallery at UCC from 1st-31st August. The programme will also feature the annual showcase, ‘Celebrating 21 Years of Cork Craft & Design: “Crafting Legacy” Members Showcase Exhibition’, which runs at St Peter’s from 13th-31st August, with a launch evening on 20th August. The annual Emerge graduate exhibition will be at The Gallery at No 46, Grand Parade, from 30th July to 17th August.
WORKSHOPS & FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS
Two-thirds of the programme will consist of hands-on workshops, allowing visitors to experience the making process first-hand. These include free Crafting Connections workshops, a Cork County Library Project supported by the Cork County Council Creative Communities Grant, which includes Beginner Embroidery with Sarah Buckley (Mallow Library, 22nd August) and Willow Weaving with Cois Laoi Willow (Macroom Library, 22nd August).
Over a third of events are family-friendly, such as a Make Your Own Puppet Workshop at Blackwater Valley Makers, Fermoy (14th August); Lino Print Workshop with John Bastow in Fota House (15th August); a Felting Camp with Woolly Crafts at Greywood Arts (19th-21st August), etc.
The principal funder for Cork Craft Month is the Local Enterprise Office, with support also from Event Funders, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, August Craft Month, Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Pure Cork, Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East, Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Creative Ireland, Cork Education and Training Board, and Munster Technological University.
The full programme is available at corkcraftanddesign.ie and at Cork Craft & Design’s stores at Douglas Woollen Mills and Douglas Court Shopping Centre.
