Craft NI

Beginner's Pottery
2026-09-23 19:00 - 2026-10-28 21:00 (Europe/London) | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
A course designed for those new to pottery. Simple hand building skills and throwing on the potter’s wheel will be explored alongside an introduction to glazing.

Choice of dates:
Block One dates: 23 September – 28 October or
Block Two dates: 4 November – 9 December

Beginners Pottery Course
2026-09-23 19:00 - 2026-10-28 21:00 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
A course designed for those new to pottery. Simple hand building skills and throwing on the potter’s wheel will be explored alongside an introduction to glazing.

From the Far Wide to the Near Shore Exhibition
2026-09-24 10:00 - 2026-10-17 21:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
A series of strange objects and works on paper conjure imagined places and lives. Combining found, made, and fabricated elements from shoreline wanderings and imaginative meanders; Stuart’s work reflects a deep relationship with landscape and material culture.
Stuart Cairns is an Irish artist exploring liminal environments—hinterlands, tidelines, and fringe spaces—through walking, photography, drawing, and collecting.
This exhibition presents sculptural objects that merge fabricated metal with found and natural materials, suggesting tools and implements both familiar and ambiguous. Alongside these, drawings and paintings evoke the half-imagined landscapes from which they emerge.
Stuart’s work is held in major public collections, including the Ulster Museum and National Museum of Ireland.
The open evening of the exhibition is on 24 September, 7pm-9pm. The exhibition will remain open until 17 October. Please check the web site for opening hours.

The Body Remembers Exhibition
2026-09-24 10:00 - 2026-10-17 21:30 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
The Body Remembers is a solo exhibition exploring memory, trauma, and embodiment through porcelain clay and thread.
Drawing on personal experiences of brain surgery and mental health, it examines how the body retains experience. Combining fragile porcelain with thread, the work creates sculptural and immersive installations that invite reflection, empathy, and connection. Interconnected pieces explore resilience and healing, with thread linking forms as a living presence.
Transforming the gallery into an experiential space, the exhibition communicates what words cannot, embodying fragility and endurance while connecting body, memory, and art. It offers audiences insight into process, deepening understanding and human experience.
The opening evening will be on 24 September, 7pm-9pm. The exhibition will be open until 17 October. Please check the web site for opening hours.

Silversmithing techniques
2026-09-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
Learn the skills of Silversmithing and make your own silver jewellery with Diane Lyness over 10 weeks of classes.

You will learn a variety of jewellery techniques including soldering, piercing, shaping, texturing metal and polishing. During the term, participants will work through the design and creation of a piece or pieces of jewellery.
If you have attended previous workshops this is a great opportunity to build on the skills you already have.
Suitable for all levels including beginners with no previous jewellery experience.

Wool felt sea swimmers workshop
2026-09-26 10:00 - 13:00 | Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, 24 Main Street, Limavady, BT49 0FJ, United Kingdom
Join tutor Carolyn Faith at Roe Valley Arts Centre for a wool felting workshop that celebrates the joy of wild swimming. Participants will make needle-felted figure inspired by life at the water’s edge – a creative workshop full of colour, character and texture.

Mug and coaster hand-building workshop
2026-09-26 10:30 - 12:30 | Flowerfield Arts Centre, 185 Coleraine Road, Portstewart, BT55 7HU, United Kingdom
Join Fiona Shannon at Flowerfield Arts Centre for a hand-building workshop: participants will make a coordinating pair of comfort mugs and coasters, featuring tactile botanical impressions inspired by cosy seasonal rituals and slow sipping. Works will be fired and ready for collection at a later date.

Make a John Surlis Leitrim Chair
2026-10-03 10:00 - 2026-10-11 18:00 | Green Woodwork Ireland Workshop, Minnowburn, Ballynahatty Rd, Belfast, Minnowburn, BT8 8LG
The Leitrim Chair is a traditional Irish Hedge Chair last produced by John Surlis in the 1980s. John was a skilled carpenter who mastered a craft that had been in his family for 400 years, distinctly traceable for 6 generations.
In this 4 day workshop, Stephen Ryan from Green Woodwork Ireland will teach participants the skills needed to produce their own Leitrim Chair using the same traditional techniques as John used during his life.
Participants will use traditional tools and equipment to cleave and shape wood that will then be assembled using round mortise and tenons secured with Oak wedges, typical of old Irish furniture, completed with a finish of linseed oil and beeswax.
This course is suited to all levels including complete beginners.

Lampshade Making with Linda O'Kane
2026-10-03 12:30 - 14:00 | Crescent Art Centre, 2-4 University Rd, Belfast, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
Learn how to make a 20cm drum lampshade for a small lamp or as a pendant light.
Once the technique is learned you will be armed with the knowledge to tackle larger or more complex shades.
This workshop includes a kit and a piece of fabric or paper to complete your shade, in a choice of colours/ patterns.
Please bring some sharp fabric scissors.

Hand Stitched Amulet
2026-10-03 14:30 - 16:30 | Crescent Art Centre, 2-4 University Rd, Belfast, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
Join us to make a hand stitched amulet inspired by Antonia Rossi (Antomoon).
Enjoy a couple of hours hand-stitching a beautiful pouch to wear around your neck from fabric and beads.
All materials will be provided but please bring your own scissors.

Wellbeing and Clay Workshop
2026-10-10 10:00 - 13:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
Reflecting the themes of Sandra Gordon’s exhibition The Body Remembers, participants will be guided through a mindful, hands-on experience using air-drying clay, inspired by ideas of resilience, healing, memory, and connection. Working with clay offers a calming and creative space to slow down so that participants can reflect and express themselves through making.
Participants will create their own small piece to take home, with the emphasis on enjoying the creative process and experiencing the wellbeing benefits of working with clay, rather than producing a perfect finished piece.
This workshop will be relaxed, welcoming, and suitable for adults of all abilities, and no previous experience is required.

Experimental Sculpture Workshop
2026-10-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Crescent Art Centre, 2-4 University Rd, Belfast, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
This workshop will introduce individuals of all abilities to different elements of three-dimensional production, specialising in various craft-based techniques.
With materials ranging from plaster to wax, clay to wire, students will be offered a unique opportunity to explore, develop and combine a diverse range of hand-making skills, helping them build creative knowledge in aspects of scale, form, texture and finish.

Silver Stacking Rings Workshop with Diane Lyness
2026-10-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
Create beautiful sterling silver stacking rings with goldsmith Diane Lyness.

Each participant will be taught traditional jewellery making techniques, such as piercing, soldering, rolling, annealing and polishing.
Diane will guide you as you design and make your own unique piece of silver jewellery to take home.
Lunch break 12.30pm – 1pm
Please bring a packed lunch, a drink, and an apron

Beginner's Embroidery with Nancy Moreland
2026-11-04 19:00 - 2026-12-09 21:00 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
A gentle introduction to embroidery. Learn to prepare and hoop your fabric; thread and manage embroidery thread; core stitches and basic techniques.

Silver Jewellery Making: Earrings Workshop
2026-11-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Crescent Art Centre, 2-4 University Rd, Belfast, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
Learn basic metalsmithing techniques and create silver jewellery.
In this one day workshop you will make a unique pair of silver earrings. You will be encouraged to incorporate your own design ideas within the guided process and available materials.
You will learn how to saw and shape silver, try simple soldering techniques, and receive some tips and tricks on how to finish the piece to a high standard.
The workshop is intended for complete beginners, but if you already have experience in jewellery making, you will be able to advance or refresh your skills as well.
All tools and materials are provided.

Hand Stitched Christmas Decorations with Linda O'Kane
2026-12-05 10:00 - 14:00 | Crescent Art Centre, 2-4 University Rd, Belfast, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
Using wool felt and embroidery thread learn how to make charming little animals (by tinimals) to hang on the tree or attach to presents.
The aim is to make 4 decorations in all. All materials will be provided but please bring small scissors.
