**Programme now available!
Experience and enjoy some of the best art and craft Northern Ireland has to offer at the Creative Peninsula, a superb fun, friendly and creative series of events taking place in Ards and North Down from Friday 4 until Sunday 14 August.
Now in its 15th year, the Creative Peninsula, organised by Ards and North Down Borough Council, offers a range of free and bookable opportunities for people of all ages and levels of experience to see, learn about and even ‘try their hand’ at some of the many art and craft forms that are practiced in the local area.
Highlights of the 2016 programme include:
- Creative coach tours visiting the many art and craft studios that are often not open to the public. Meet the Artists and Makers, watch then at work and of course treat yourself to a unique piece of artwork.
- Creative workshops for adults and young people, which offer the opportunity to learn and develop painting, drawing and craft work skills with teaching from a range of local experts. Including the immensely popular creative café series where you and a friend can combine a coffee, cake and catch up with the fun challenge of making some jewellery or ceramic items for the home.
- Outdoor experiences such as wood carving in the Bangor Castle Walled Garden, where you can see artists at work and learn how they take inspiration from the beautiful surroundings of the local area.
- Creative development workshops, aimed at professional and semi-professional Visual Artists and Makers will explore how to achieve the very best opportunities for your creative business. From building a selling platform to having the best images for your work.
The 10 days of creativity starts with ‘Craft in the Square’ at Conway Square in Newtownards on Friday 5 August. For one day only the space will be transformed into a creative hub with more than 35 artists and makers displaying and selling their work and talking about what inspires them. Free demonstrations including silver jewellery design, watercolour painting, linocutting and woodturning will run throughout the day.
Welcoming the return of the popular annual event, Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Deborah Girvan, said:
““With one of the largest concentrations of Artists and Craftspeople living and working in Northern Ireland, Ards and North Down is home to a thriving creative industry. The Creative Peninsula gives visitors the unique opportunity to see some of the very best of local arts and crafts, and to meet and engage with the makers behind the pieces.”
“Whether you just want to observe and soak up the atmosphere, or you prefer to try your hand at making, this year’s programme offers something for everyone. I hope to welcome many visitors to our Craft in the Square event, on our coach tours and at our creative workshops.”
The 2016 Creative Peninsula brochure is available to download at visitardsandnorthdown.com//creative-peninsula. Tickets for bookable events are also available from this website.
You can pick up a programme or find out more information on all the events on offer from Ards Arts Centre, Ards Crafts and North Down Museum, at any of the local visitor information centres (Ards, Bangor, Groomsport and Portaferry) or by contacting the Council directly on 0300 013 3333.