24/08/2011

Issued by Wild about Wood

There's definitely an artistic atmosphere surrounding the upcoming third annual Wild About Wood Festival, held at The Arboretum Trust, Castle Howard on the 10th and 11th of September. Paper-making and watercolour painting are just two of the brand new additions to the programme of this fabulous fundraising celebration of "all things wood".

Young (and not so young!) visitors can have a go at making their own paper using leaves, bark and other materials collected from the arboretum, or can just stand back in awe and watch the professionals at work creating exquisite paper objects from nature's leftovers. Niki Hampson of Pulpitations in Dalby Forest will be running the demonstration and workshops and said "I can't wait to introduce festival visitors to the beauty and fun of paper-making. No two pieces are ever the same - and it can get messy! To be able to work in an environment as stunning as the arboretum is a real privilege and we couldn't get any closer to our raw materials"

For the first time this year there'll also be an artist-in-residence at the festival. Susan Neale of the Hayloft Studio will be painting throughout the event weekend and chatting to visitors about her work and techniques. In addition, she's running hands-on workshops each day for adults and children keen to pick up some tips on capturing the natural environment in their own artworks. Susan said "I work in locations as varied as the Greek Islands and Andalucía - but few places are as beautiful as the arboretum here at Castle Howard. Inspiration certainly won't be in short supply! I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun sharing my experience and techniques, and coaching painters of all ages"
There'll also be an opportunity for visitors to paddle a coracle on the arboretum's lake, unleash their inner Robin Hood on the archery range, or gain a bird's eye view of things and have a go at tree-climbing. Demonstrations of traditional woodcrafts including heavy horse logging, willow weaving, chainsaw sculpting, furniture making, wood carving and charcoal burning will run throughout the weekend and visitors can meet a hawk or falcon - or even hold one - before they then take to the skies in a stunning daily display.

The Discovery Zone is again offering a fascinating and fun programme of free workshops and activities for the whole family including pond-dipping, exploring the world of the tree beasts, learning bushcraft skills and "explorienteering".

Traditional English musicians will entertain the crowds throughout the weekend, and there'll be a delicious variety of locally sourced food and drink to enjoy. September's a little early for Christmas shopping, but visitors are sure to find something to tempt them to make a purchase amongst the dozens of arts and crafts stalls!

The Wild About Wood Festival runs from 10am-5pm on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September 2011. Admission prices, which include all craft demonstrations, Discovery Zone activities and arboretum tours, are:
Online Advance On the Door
Adult: £7.50 £8
Child (3-16) £4.50 £5
Infants (under 3) Free Free
Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) £20 £21
Concessions (Senior citizens/NUS) £5.50 £6

For more information about the Wild About Wood Festival please explore: www.wildaboutwood.org  or contact info@wildaboutwood.org

Ends