It’s that time of year again where we dive in to the very exciting Craft Month – Ireland’s unique celebration of the craft sector, providing opportunities for all to learn about, make, see and buy craft.
benchspace is hosting a variety of classes, talks & workshops including;
01 JEWELLERY TALK: SUSTAINABILITY + REINVENTING FAMILY HEIRLOOMS
22 Aug: Sustainability within Jewellery Design: Reinventing Family Heirlooms, Jewellery Talk with Alex Thiel – 7 to 8pm
Price: Free
Join us to discover more about the work of Goldsmith Alex Thiel and the way in which she transforms family heirlooms into beautifully redesigned pieces. Alex produces limited edition jewellery collections, handcrafted in gold and Sterling silver with precious gemstones and pearls. She is inspired by a love of mixing old styles with modern approaches, leading to the redesign and creation of one-of-a-kind commissions inspired by family history. In this process, Alex connects generational legacies by giving new life to cherished heirloom jewellery, including re-using vintage gems and precious metals in her personalised new designs.
02 SPOON CARVING
12 Aug: Spoon Carving Workshop – 11am to 5pm
Price:100 euros
Join us for our 1-day beginner-level spoon carving workshop where you will:
· Make a beautiful spoon of your own to take home.
· Learn the steps and techniques used to carve a fresh piece of wood into a spoon
using hand tools – no previous experience needed
You’ll not only learn a new skill to take away, but also your very own hand carved spoon to take home and use for your coffee grounds, take on your next hike or just to say ‘I made this!’.
Tutor Tom Sheehan will guide you through the steps and techniques used to carve a block of wood into a wooden spoon using a type of carving called whittling.
All skill levels (18+) are welcome, however, please note that this course requires hand-eye coordination and the ability to follow precise instructions with regards to safety.
03 FORGE A HAMMERED RING
18 Aug: Make a Hammered Silver Ring : 6.30 to 9.30pm
Price: 80 euros
Looking for a unique and authentic experience? Forge your own ring as a cherished memento under the guidance of Jewellery Tutor Nadine Lawton.
You will find your ring size, pick your design and get hammering!
Beginner level class, no previous experience needed.
Materials are included in the cost of the workshop.
04 MAKE A SILVER PENDANT: CREATION + DESIGN
24 Aug: Make a Silver Pendant: 6.30 to 9.30pm
Price: 85 euros
Learn how to develop a meaningful design through the creation of a personalized silver pendant under the guidance of Jewellery Tutor Fabio Oliveira.
Gain an understanding of how design development and making processes are linked in a wheel of creativity and fabrication evolution.
Beginner level class, no previous experience needed.
Materials are included in the cost of the workshop.
05 FORGE A HAMMERED RING
26 Aug: Make a Hammered Silver Ring: 1.30 to 4.30pm
Price: 80 euros
Looking for a unique and authentic experience? Forge your own ring as a cherished memento under the guidance of Jewellery Tutor Nadine Lawton.
You will find your ring size, pick your design and get hammering!
Beginner level class, no previous experience needed.
Materials are included in the cost of the workshop.
06 CHOPPING BOARD
19 Aug: Benchspace Bites Chopping Board – 10am to 2pm
Price: 60 euros
Want to get started in woodworking but don’t know where to begin? Or maybe you’d like a nice handmade chopping board for yourself or as a gift?
Then, join our tutor David Scannell for a guided making session where we’ll guide you through making a Chopping/Serving board made from our locally sourced Irish hardwood.
You’ll have a choice of specially picked hardwoods and can make a traditional square board, serving platter style or whatever style you desire yourself.
07 LASER
19th & 20 Aug: Intro to Laser Cutting : 10am to 4pm
Do you want to explore inventing and creating with lasers? Then this Introduction to Laser Cutting Course is for you and will cover everything you need to get started.
Learn how to use the software, materials, and laser wood cutting and engraving equipment to create new designs and products under the guidance of the tutor Aidan Killeen.
On completion of the course, each Participant will get one free supervised laser pass where you will review all safety procedures, gain hands-on experience and demonstrate your safe handling of the machine through an induction (3 hours – valued at €70)*
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How does a laser cutter work and what are the safety precautions that must be taken?
- What materials can you cut and what kind of results can you expect?
- File preparation. How do you create or obtain vector graphics to cut and how do you convert between different file formats?
- And what project you’d like to tackle from start to finish using the laser cutter as a tool.
- This course is a prerequisite for using the laser cutter independently in benchspace if you have no prior experience with Lasers.
- Basic computer literacy skills essential for a meaningful experience.
Students must bring their own laptop with a vector graphic package installed. We recommend InkScape which is free and open source but Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw will work as well.
08 SPINNER RING
25 Aug: Spinner Ring: 6.30 to 9.30pm
Price: 90 euros
You spin me right round baby!
Create your own unique spinner ring using our rolling mill to press your designs into the silver under the guidance of the tutor Nadine Lawton.
Layer 1 or 2 bands of silver or copper over your chosen pattern to create your spinning ring.
Materials are included in the cost of the workshop and no experience is necessary.
All skill levels are welcome
To see the full schedule of classes, talks & workshops available at benchspace, visit here;
Further afield, there is a packed programme lined up with over 350 eclectic events in all corners of the island, from workshops, exhibitions, fun festivals, insightful talks, and tutorials. People can immerse themselves in craft celebrations right on their own doorstep, as well as hit the road on a craft inspired adventure or staycation in any county they wish!
For the full across the country visit August Craft Month website
#MakeSeeBuy #AugustCraftMonth #AugustCraftMonth2023
