August Craft Month 2024
2024-08-01 10:00 - 2024-08-31 17:00 (Europe/London) | Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
The highly anticipated month-long celebration of Irish craft has officially launched! This year’s August Craft Month brings together an array of talented makers hosting nearly 300 events with representation in almost every county on the island of Ireland.
August Craft Month celebrates a rich craft heritage with artisans keeping ancient traditions alive and new talented makers bringing real vibrancy to the scene.
With events taking place across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, August Craft Month provides unique opportunities for people to get involved as well as supporting makers by buying products and learning more about their work.
Supported by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI, the annual celebration is once again part of an island-wide summer programme.
There is a packed itinerary of nearly 300 eclectic events, with craft disciplines including ceramists, textile makers, glassblowers, designer-makers and more all available across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

For events taking place in Northern Ireland, please click here. For events taking place in the Republic of Ireland, please click here.
All August Craft Month events are run independently by the event organisers. For questions regarding any events please contact the event organiser directly.

August Craft Month Exhibition Maker Talk with Juliana Cavaliero and Samantha Rhodes
2024-08-01 15:00 - 16:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
You are warmly invited to join us for a talk from the two guest judges of our August Craft Month exhibition, at 3pm on Thursday 1st of August at Craft NI Gallery, Belfast.

We’re delighted that Juliana Cavaliero from renowned contemporary gallery Cavaliero Finn will speak about her career in contemporary craft, as well as more generally how craft makers and artists can successfully engage with galleries – a must-do for any maker seeking to explore stockists or gallery representation for their work. Established in 2004, Cavaliero Finn aims to curate works from emerging, mid-career and established contemporary artists, focusing on heirloom pieces, led by originality and craftsmanship. Julianna, along with partner Debra Finn, also works with museum curators, industry, interior designers and art directors, supplying work for homes, businesses, museums, film sets and shoots.

Also meet Samantha Rhodes who leads Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool, a regional craft hub and beacon for contemporary British craft. Established in 1959, Bluecoat exhibits and sells work by over 250 studio-based artists working across the disciplines and offers workshops and classes on site. Samantha also drives an impressive outreach programme, bringing the benefits of making to vulnerable groups through partnerships with charities and healthcare providers. Bluecoat has had a long relationship with Liverpool Irish Festival and this partnership has enabled a number of makers from this island to connect with audiences in the north west of England over several years.
We’re fascinated to learn more about this successful hub and delighted to have Samantha and Juliana as guest judges to select the five prize winners in our August Craft Month exhibition this year.

Please feel welcome to take a break and join us at 6pm for the opening of Craft NI Gallery’s August Craft Month exhibition ‘Reaction’. Find out who this year’s prizes winners are, meet some of the participating makers and see how they responded to the exhibition brief.
Find out more about the Reaction Exhibition Opening, here.

Materials, Messages, Meaning #13
2024-09-28 14:00 - 2024-10-25 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
The annual group exhibition Materials, Messages, Meaning – MMM#13, now in its 13th year, will open at R-Space Gallery on September 28th and run until October 25th. This year’s exhibition is themed SUSPENSION—an exploration of how artists and makers engage with a diverse range of materials to reflect on the concept of suspension in its many forms.

MMM#13 brings together a diverse range of artists, from emerging to established, working across multiple mediums throughout Northern Ireland. This year’s exhibition will showcase the works of Sandra Kerr, Louise French, Maya Todd, Lisa Johnston, and Lauren Martin.

Join in for the opening event at R-Space Gallery on September 28th, where you’ll have the chance to hear from the artists themselves during the Artist Talks at 2:30 PM. This is an opportunity to not only see the work but also hear about the thought processes, methods, and stories behind each piece.
Refreshments will be provided; free entry, all welcome

Talk & Tour with Peter Meanley
2025-03-27 11:00 - 12:30 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
Come along and meet potter Peter Meanley: see his work, hear about his inspiration and influences, and learn a little about the creative and technical expertise behind his works of art.
Peter Meanley – A Journey runs from 22 March to 17 April and is a retrospective exhibition celebrating an over sixty-year career as a potter. Known for his salt glaze stoneware, Peter’s inspiration comes from museum collections and drawing the world around him. His work is held in worldwide collections including Victoria and Albert Museum, and the State Collection of Australia.
Talks are free, but must be booked in advance. Two more talks with Peter are available on March 29th and April 5th, see organiser’s website for more details.

August Craft Month
2025-08-01 08:00 - 2025-08-31 17:00 | Island of Ireland, Island of Ireland
Established in 2021 and organised by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI – the two national bodies for craft in Ireland – August Craft Month is an all island celebration of Ireland’s unique craft sector!
This year’s fantastic August Craft Month programme brings together an array of talented makers hosting over 300 events across the island of Ireland. With the kids off for summer, friends coming to visit or planning staycations for the whole family, there has never been a better time to do something different. From creating your own suncatcher, to sculpting a clay puffin, August is the month to put craft and the joy of making on your radar! That pottery class you’ve always wanted to take? Now’s the time! Whether it’s the excitement of trying your hand at the throwing wheel, catching inspiring exhibitions with friends, seeing makers in action in their studios or finding free activities to occupy the kids during the holidays.

Head over to www.augustcraftmonth.org to browse and book events, and follow @augustcraftmonth25 on social media for all the latest news and updates.

'Cakes to Clay' - talk by James Watson
2025-11-27 19:00 - 20:30 | F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio, Banbridge, BT32 3NB, United Kingdom
F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio invite you to a talk by James Stanley Watson, ceramic artist and winner of The Great Pottery Throw Down 2025 on Thursday 27 November 2025.
James Stanley Watson is a Northern Ireland-based ceramic artist known for his expressive, story-rich creations that blend imagination and craftsmanship. After discovering pottery just four years ago, James’ creative journey led him to the nation’s screens as the winner of The Great Pottery Throw Down 2025.
A former cake maker and performer, James brings a deep sense of play, narrative, and human connection to his work. His ceramics often explore themes of memory, transformation, and the joy of making – with his signature ghosts becoming beloved symbols of warmth and whimsy.
Event cost: Members £5, Guests £10, Students £5
Please call the gallery on 028 4062 3322 to book your place. 7pm for tea/coffee, talk starts at 7.30pm

'Silver Generations' webinar
2026-05-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Online, United Kingdom
Craft NI is delighted to host a special webinar of Silver Generations In Conversation with Kim Mawhinney, Senior Curator of Art at National Museums NI!

Silver Generations is a unique exhibition currently on at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn. It showcases the work of Michael McCrory, Deirdre McCrory, Cara Murphy and Caitlin Murphy – three generations of applied artists whose combined experience spans over 170 years.

Join us for this insightful webinar between Kim Mawhinney and this unique family of makers. Together, they will discuss how they’re immersed in the world of silversmithing and jewellery and how each generation has forged its own creative path.

Please use the link below to book your tickets:

https://bit.ly/4eBRmEK

Material Matters: Textile Knowledge, Sustainability and Fashion Futures in Ireland
2026-05-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Ulster Museum, BT9 5AB, United Kingdom
This lecture by Dr Lyndsey McDougall explores how textile knowledge, both historical and contemporary, can offer vital insights for more sustainable approaches to fashion.
Drawing on examples from Irish textile history alongside contemporary practice, the talk considers how makers, designers and communities have worked with local materials, natural dyes and traditional techniques to create garments and textiles that carry cultural memory as well as material value.
From the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement to present-day initiatives focused on local fibre and sustainable production, textiles reveal a long history of material awareness and environmental responsibility. The lecture reflects on how textile practices, including repair, mending and reuse, can challenge cycles of fast consumption and encourage deeper relationships with the materials that shape our everyday lives.

Arts Council and Baring Foundation Mental Health and Arts Showcase
2026-06-24 09:00 - 16:00 | The MAC, 10 Exchange St, West, Belfast, BT1 2NJ, United Kingdom
24th June 2026 at the MAC, Belfast, 9.45am – 3.15pm

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, together with the Baring Foundation, has the pleasure of inviting you to join us as they showcase some of the excellent work taking place in Northern Ireland as part of our Mental Health and Arts Programme.
They will be showcasing some of the projects currently funded through the Mental Health and Arts Programme and hearing about the difference they are making in communities across Northern Ireland.
Artists and facilitators will share their thoughts on having participated in the Self-care for Individual Artists Sessions.
Over lunch there will be an opportunity to network and to talk to The Recovery College and Minding Creative Minds before looking at what the future holds for the Mental Health and Arts Programme.
Registration and breakfast pastries from 9:45am. Event starts 10.15am.

Register here.

Marlene McKibbin - Meet the Maker Talk at Craft NI Gallery
2026-08-06 15:00 - 16:30 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to welcome contemporary jewellery designer and Co. Down native Marlene McKibbin to Craft NI Gallery for a talk about her jewellery practice and career.

Marlene has been making jewellery for over four decade and her main body of work has been in acrylic and, over the last fifteen years, stainless steel and gold. The acrylic is hand machined and dyed, with particular attention paid to the finish to allow the angle of refractive light to bounce through; simple structures reflect the unique and tactile qualities of the material. She has spent the majority of her career in London where she is an Associate Lecturer at Central St Martin’s and her work is held in public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, National Museums Scotland, the British Council and the Koch Ring Collection.

Marlene will talk about her career, processes and design inspirations as well as her experiences working and showing in GB and internationally, and selling through London-based stockists with tips about how to make the most of those important relationships. Marlene is a Trustee of Contemporary Applied Arts. For 75 years this charity has championed the work of contemporary craft makers in London and its beautiful Marylebone gallery will be well known to collectors and makers alike.
