Join textile artist Siân Lester for an introduction to the magical and alchemic process of botanical dyeing.

Welsh textile artist Siân Lester will share her knowledge and skills in a one-day introductory botanical dyeing workshop at Hay Castle.

We will identify and forage for plants within the castle grounds, while being mindful and sensitive to the environment and surrounding ecologies. Further plant dyes will be added to extend the colour range that have close links to the heritage and history of Wales. You will learn how to successfully make up dye baths to dye wool cloth and achieve a spectrum of colourful, long-lasting hues.

Siân will assist you with making a record of all the dyeing, so that you leave with a small logbook for future reference, plus some extra for any projects you may have.

Key Information

Date: Saturday 1st July 2023

Time: 10am – 4pm

Location: The Clore Space, Hay Castle

All materials and recipes provided. You will need to bring an apron/old clothes and notebook/sketch book for taking notes and for cloth samples. If you can, then please collect a small bag of tree lichen from fallen branches to add to a collective dye bath.

Please bring a water bottle and a packed lunch for a picnic, or Hay has a variety of places to buy lunch. Tea & Coffee available to buy from the Hay Castle Café.

This course is suitable for children over the age of 10 (anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult)

What will I do and learn?

• How to forage and identify local plants
• Understand how to prepare and modify dye baths
• Gain knowledge of historical and cultural contexts of botanical dyeing
• Gain knowledge of contemporary, ethical and sustainable application to craft and art practices
• Methods and knowledge to continue experimenting after the workshop

Who will I learn from?

Sian Lester

Siân is an artist with a long-established career in textiles, specialising in sustainable approaches associated with her season-based dyeing, art and research. She integrates and shares these processes within her visual and socially engaged arts practice. Siân has attended many international natural dye conferences where she has learnt from master dyers. Her practice and teaching moves away from commercial polluting textile processes to a slower, kinder and more ethical approach, rooted within the rhythms and cycles of the environment. Siân’s methods support eco-philosophical, biophilic and conscious connections to place, land and local ecologies.

How much does it cost?

We would like our short courses to be as accessible as possible cost-wise, whilst ensuring we are still able to cover material and teaching costs. We, therefore, ask you to pay what you can towards this event based on our tiered system. For this course, we have 10 spaces. We have tickets available at £50 (reduced rate), £75 (actual cost), and £100 (pay it forward).

Consider contributing more on the scale if you:

• have the ability to comfortably meet all of your basic needs
• have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
• travel recreationally
• own the home you live in
• have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.)

Consider contributing less on the scale if you:

• have difficulty covering basic expenses
• are supporting children or have other dependents
• are an elder with limited financial support
• have unstable housing and/or limited access to reliable transportation

If you select an amount at the higher end of the scale, you will make possible future offerings and support our volunteers who are generously contributing time. Thank you!

We have one fully-funded spot on this course available to a successful bursary applicant. If you are unable to pay for the course and would like to be considered for a free place, then please complete this form. You will be contacted by a member of our team 2-4 weeks prior to the course starting.

Tickets are non-refundable. Depending on the uptake of the course we hold the right to cancel it, in which case you will be refunded.

Please note that spaces on this course are limited. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Accessibility

This course is rated as 1 (fully accessible) on our scale of accessibility. Read more about our accessibility policy here.

Please see our booking terms & conditions upon checkout for more information.

We will follow the most recent COVID measures and protocols in order to keep everyone safe and healthy for the duration of the course.