Join us as we open up the whole site for Christmas at Rye Creative Centre!
The weekend will include:
15 makers as part of our maker's market
Artists' open studios
Mulled Wine and Hot Chocolate
Free performance of music, poems and stories by author Ed Boxall from his new picture book Carried Away with the Carnival. (Saturday 11am and Sunday 2.30pm)
Children’s choir Christmas performance
Crafts demonstrations from woodturning, to blacksmithing (make your own poker!), to print-making.
A Maker’s Market will fill the refurbished Old Gym of the former school with 15 locally based artists presenting items from jewellery and woodturning, through to botanical dye textiles, ceramics, and screen-printing.
Alongside this, many artists who work at Rye Creative Centre will be opening their studios, providing an opportunity to view their space, ask about their craft and make all important Christmas purchases direct from the makers. Other artists will be demonstrating their crafts with the opportunity for visitors to try their hand. Woodturner Dan Howey will be demonstrating the delicate nature of woodturning; follow the flames to find Jake Bowers from Hasting’s based ‘Thirsty Bear Forge’, who will be showing the art of metalworking. The more daring visitors will have the opportunity to forge their own poker!
To ensure that even the youngest members of the family enjoy their visit, Hastings-based author Ed Boxall will be on hand for free performances of music, stories and poems based on his new picture book Carried Away with the Carnival including the original illustrations. There will even be an opportunity to get creative and make your own miniature carnival characters for a mini table-top carnival! (Each performance will last one hour and take place Saturday 27 November at 11am and Sunday 28 November at 2.30pm.)
Hot food and mulled wine, as well as hot chocolate and sweet treats will be available for purchase to fuel the fun!
Advance Day Tickets: £3
Under 16s go free.
Meet our makers:
* Rachel Pearson
Rachel designs and makes beautiful jewellery inspired by the coast - featuring textured and hammered silver mixed with found objects - tiny pebbles, old chain, beautiful sea glass or pieces of ceramic pipe.
Find Rachel on Instagram: @rachelpearsonjewellery
* Joanna Terry
Joanna is a ceramicist working predominantly in porcelain from her studio in Beckley, East Sussex. Her work is a visceral reaction to nature’s continuous renewal. She prefers to cast clay direct in the land, helping to minimise her impact on the environment and creating pure impressions of the land.
Find Joanna on Instagram: @joannaterryceramics
*Paula Ash
Lovingly handmade in Rye, Paula also known as Love and Lollipops, specialises in the art of upcycling and repurposing to create unique and distinctive make-up bags, tote bags, purses.
Find Love and Lollipops on Instagram: @lovenlollipopsrye
*Mashona Designs - Saturday 27th only -
Based in Eastbourne, Chantel Hargreaves, designer and maker behind Mashona Designs, will offer beautiful handmade African inspired accessories, from head bands, to lined snoods and bags.
Find Mashona Designs on Instagram: @mashona_designs
*Angelika Howard
Angelika’s art is process-led and made with recycled and natural materials. She uses stitching, dyeing, knitting and sewing to transform materials in a painterly way. Her nature prints and other unique works will be available at the fair.
Find Angelika on Instagram: @angelikahoward
*Dan Howey
Whilst studying Design and Craft in Brighton, Dan fell into wood as a material. Our relationship with objects became both a fascination and creative tool, studying how and why we engage and why we choose some objects over others. His work endeavours to bring colour and texture to our surroundings, enriching our daily motions.
Find Dan on Instagram: @howey_dan
*Tara Macdonald
With a focus on botanically dyed products, natural fibres and all manner of knotting, including macrame, Tara makes beautiful sustainable pieces for your home and garden. Sourcing seasonally from her local environment, her materials are natural, recycled and biodegradable, where possible.
Find Tara on Instagram: @tara_macdonald_
*Susan Prince
Susan is a textile artist, working mainly in her own handmade felt. She is inspired by the natural world and colour and makes both decorative and useful items. Apart from felt making, she uses appliqué, embroidery, bead work and free form machine stitching in her work.
Find Susan on Instagram: @lilypearl60
*Georgie Watson
Georgie is a landscape artist living in Camber Sands. The themes in her work reflect a passion for watersports, and a close connection with nature. With the East Sussex coast as her primary source of inspiration, she often paints and sketches out on the sand dunes at Camber and the Romney Marshes where the vast ever changing skies dictate the direction of new piece.
Find Georgie on Instagram: @georgiewatsonart
*Chloe Adams - Saturday 27th only -
Chloe is a designer maker from Winchelsea, specialising in narrative themes ceramics, working in sculptural vessel making and textured surfaces. Her works are based on free-hand originally drawn illustration.
Find Chloe in Instagram: @eliza.bethclay
*Harriet Oliver - Heart.Smart.Arts
Heart.Smart.Arts provide art packs for children to do at home with their adults, providing emotional support for the whole family. Inspired by art therapy, the packs support mental wellbeing, boost self-esteem and encourage happiness and resilience.
Further Info:
-You will need a ticket to access the whole site incl. cafe and food stalls. This ticket will permit access to all areas open for the event.
-Craft demonstrations will be free of charge, there may be workshops which require additional payment.
-There will be free parking on-site for event attendees, this will be allocated on a first come - first served basis.