Crafting with the Living World: A Weekend of Wood, Clay and Colour




Crafting with the Living World: A Weekend of Wood, Clay and Colour
Join us for a hands-on weekend of craft, connection, and creativity inspired by the natural world. Over a long weekend, you’re invited to step into a process of making and discovering – working with materials sourced directly from the land through green woodwork, plant dyeing and weaving, or wild clay.
Each workshop offers a chance not only to learn the foundational skills of a traditional craft, but to experience how materials – whether freshly harvested wood, dye plants or clay dug from the earth – can invite us into a deeper relationship with place and self. Guided by skilled tutors, you’ll explore the transformation of raw materials into objects that carry story, purpose and beauty through long-established practices, each attuned to the time of year and revealing the interplay between craft activity, season and the living landscape.
In green woodwork, start by felling a tree on site and then using a traditional two-person saw and transform the freshly felled timber into a three-legged stool with legs turned on a pole lathe.
In plant dyeing, printing and weaving[LT1] , use plants gathered on site to make beautiful botanical prints on paper and fabric and learn how we can create sustainable plant dyes for both animal and plant fibres. You will also have the opportunity to try weaving on a small tapestry style loom.
In a clay workshop – gather and prepare wild clay by hand, shape and burnish simple vessels, and take part in a traditional pit firing.
This is more than a conventional skills course: it’s an invitation to engage attentively with the natural materials in a shared, purposeful environment. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced make, the weekend offers space and guidance to focus your attention and take part in a process that honours both material, maker and moment. It is an opportunity to meet the world through careful observation and embodied making.
Expect a welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, and thoughtful conversation alongside the practical activities. This is an invitation to craft not just with your hand, but with attention, presence and care.
Cost for the event is £185 and includes all session materials and evening meals on Friday and Saturday and lunches on Saturday and Sunday.