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The Irish Craft Village at Tall Ships Race 2011

To celebrate Year of Craft 2011, the Crafts Council of Ireland brings an exciting range of craft experiences to Waterford for the Tall Ships Race including free, nautical-themed craft workshops and demonstrations as well as makers selling Irish crafts.

Be part of the celebrations – join in the fun and bring home a piece of craft, either something beautiful that takes your fancy from one of the many craft stands or something you make yourself in one of the craft workshops.

For the very latest updates, schedules and list of participants, visit www.craftinireland.com.

Craft Stands:

Dozens of Irish craftspeople will showcase the best of craft that is Imagined, Designed and Made in Ireland from Thursday June 30th to Saturday July 2nd.The craft stands will include everything from beautiful ceramics and unique homewares to contemporary jewellery and colourful accessories from Irish companies such as Bunbury Boards, Belinda Northcote Designs, Jenny Kelly Pottery, Workhouse Studios and Rebeka Kahn Artwear.

Craft Demonstrations:

Visitors to the Tall Ships Race will be able to meet with craftspeople and learn more about how their work is made through live demonstrations in disciplines such as ceramics, textiles, paper art, basket making and woodturning. A detailed schedule of workshops and demonstrations is available online at www.craftinireland.com.

Craft Workshops:

Just some of the many hands-on activities for all the family:

  • Try your hand at craft: Visitors will have a unique opportunity to join in a wide variety of free craft workshops which will include ceramics, basketmaking, paper art, mosaics, jewellery and printing. Aspiring young pirates can get creative and make their own pirate hats, coins and treasure with paper artist Caroline Ryan and jeweller Elena Brennan.
  • Get interactive at the Giant Willow Loom: The Irish Craft Village will feature a giant loom, facilitated by Lian Callaghan. Visitors are invited to participate in the weaving of a giant length of fabric using wool and willow, making this a fun and easy way for all the family to learn how to weave.
  • Design a Sea Creature: Be inspired by the demonstrations in pottery and basketmaking and then make a sea creature in the clay hand-building workshops or a willow fish in the basketmaking sessions.
  • Interactive Glass Demonstrations: Located right beside the Irish Craft Village in Kite Design Studio, Irish Handmade Glass and Sean Egan Art Glass will be hosting interactive glass blowing, glass cutting and glass engraving demonstrations at their studio.

  • Be part of a mosaic work of art: A key highlight of the Irish Craft Village will be the involvement of the public in a mosaic artwork that will have a permanent home in Waterford City following The Tall Ships Race. Ceramic artist Orla Kaminska has designed a template for a 4 metre x 2 metre nautical themed mosaic work of art. Visitors aged 8 and over are encouraged to take part and assist Orla in creating this stunning mosaic and leave their mark on the cultural heritage of Waterford.
  • And much, much more!

For the very latest updates, schedules and list of participants, visit www.craftinireland.com.

 
 
After two years of preparations involving an estimated 13,760 hours of voluntary effort, Waterford successfully hosted The Tall Ships Races 2011 from June 30-July 3.
It’s estimated that 500,000 people enjoyed the spectacle in the city and along the Suir Estuary. To all those individuals and organisations that made this huge international event possible and to the people of Waterford who embraced the occasion brilliantly – thank you. To those who visited Waterford, we look forward to welcoming you back soon and invite you to visit www.discoverwaterfordcity.ie to keep up-to-date on what’s happening in Ireland’s oldest city. To the sail training family at the heart of The Tall Ships Races, we look forward to your return!

Here we showcase a small selection of Dylan Vaughan’s photography from four magical days.