Maria Hernandez
SUNDAY 2 AUGUST 10am
Art Studio, 23 Main Street, Kenmare. Co. Kerry
Botanical Cyanotype Workshop
Fee €35
Maximum 10 people
Duration 3 hours
Participant level - all levels
Everyone is welcome, and it can be adapted to suit skill level
Materials: All supplied
Create beautiful blue-and-white botanical prints using sunlight and natural materials. In this relaxed, hands-on session, you’ll learn how to mix and apply the cyanotype solution, prepare your own light-sensitive paper, and then arrange leaves and flowers to develop your designs into striking prints. No experience needed—just come, experiment, and enjoy a calm, creative escape.
Maria Hernández is the owner and lead art teacher at The Art Studio and Creative Kubs in Kenmare, a new and energetic initiative bringing art and craft activities to children, young adults, and adults in the community. Originally from Valencia, she earned her degree in Fine Art before beginning her teaching career at Taller Artesano, where she spent eight years teaching art to children.
Since moving to Ireland in 2014, Maria has continued to develop her artistic practice while furthering her studies and strengthening her English. At her studio on 23 Main Street, Kenmare, she teaches using high‑quality materials, adapting lessons to different ages and abilities, nurturing creativity, and guiding students as they build confidence in a wide range of artistic techniques.
Kenmare Lace Beginners welcome
The Kenmare Lace and Design Centre, The Square, Kenmare, Co. Kerry V93H68P (It is upstairs, over the Tourist Information Centre)
TUESDAY 4 August 2-5pm
2 to 5pm
Workshop duration 3 hours
€40
Maximum 8 participants
All materials supplied
Nora is a graduate of the Crawford School of Art and a qualified art teacher. She became interested in Kenmare Lace in the early 1990s and has run the Kenmare Lace and Design Centre ever since. She has designed, made, taught and lectured on Kenmare Lace and its amazing history both in Kenmare, all over Ireland and abroad.
Nora taught and has spoken on Kenmare Lace at the IOLI (International Organization of Lace Inc.) congress in Phoenix, Arizona USA, in 2021 and at the Mansion House, Dublin, representing the GOLI (Guild of Irish Lacemakers) at the invitation of the Brazilian embassy in 2023. Nora's work and that of her students are in many collections all over the world, including Áras an Uachtaráin, presented to Mary Robinson on her first visit to Kenmare in 1994.
Maria Hernandez
Still Life Oil Painting Class
Fee €35
Maximum 10 people
Duration 3 hours
Participant level - all levels
Everyone is welcome, and it can be adapted to suit skill level
All materials are provided—just bring your curiosity and enjoy the process.
Explore the timeless art of still life painting in a relaxed, supportive studio setting. This class is suitable for both beginners and more experienced painters, with guidance tailored to your level. Beginners will learn the essentials—how to set up a composition, mix colours, and build form through light and shadow. More advanced participants can refine their technique, develop their personal style, and work with more complex arrangements. Through close observation and step-by-step support, you’ll build confidence working with oil paints while creating your own still life piece.
Explore the timeless art of still life painting in a relaxed, supportive studio setting. This class is suitable for both beginners and more experienced painters, with guidance tailored to your level.
Beginners will learn the essentials—how to set up a composition, mix colours, and build form through light and shadow. More advanced participants can refine their technique, develop their personal style, and work with more complex arrangements.
Through close observation and step-by-step support, you’ll build confidence working with oil paints while creating your own still life piece.
Maria Hernández is the owner and lead art teacher at The Art Studio and Creative Kubs in Kenmare, a new and energetic initiative bringing art and craft activities to children, young adults, and adults in the community. Originally from Valencia, she earned her degree in Fine Art before beginning her teaching career at Taller Artesano, where she spent eight years teaching art to children.
Since moving to Ireland in 2014, Maria has continued to develop her artistic practice while furthering her studies and strengthening her English. At her studio on 23 Main Street, Kenmare, she teaches using high‑quality materials, adapting lessons to different ages and abilities, nurturing creativity, and guiding students as they build confidence in a wide range of artistic techniques.
Eamon O'Leary
Turning Childhood into Chapters
Fee: €25
2-5pm
Workshop duration 3 hours
Maximum 10 participants
Level: Beginners
Bring writing materials
A beginner-friendly workshop designed to build your writing skills through practical, hands-on tips and exercises.
After retiring, Eamon realised he needed something more than hacking up the golf course to keep him busy, so he turned to writing short stories. Sharper with a pen than a putter, his work quickly caught the attention of editors on both sides of the Atlantic and has been widely published. Though he writes across genres, all his stories share a streak of humour. He won the Southport International Short Story Competition in 2019 and is a regular on RTÉ Radio 1, where he reads his vignettes on the Word in Edgeways slot. In 2024, aged 72, his collection of childhood reminiscences — I’m a Big Boy Now (laughs guaranteed) — was published to resounding success.
John W. Sexton
Short Stories Told Quickly
A Flash Fiction and Prose Poetry Workshop
Fee: €30
2-5pm
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: Maximum 10
Level: Suitable for writers at all levels of experience
Bring writing materials
This three-hour interactive workshop will look at creating flash fiction and prose poems and will include writing exercises and feedback so that some first drafts and initial editing can be done in the session. Flash Fiction, prose poems and compressed stories currently have a ready market not only in magazines and literary journals, but also on radio. Expect to have pieces of new writing well underway in this workshop hosted by a writer with long experience working and publishing in these forms.
John W. Sexton is a poet, children's novelist, radio scriptwriter and short story writer. His work spans vision poetry, contemporary fabulism, science fiction and surrealism. He is the author of eight poetry collections, including Futures Pass, Visions at Templeglantine, and The Nothingness Kit. His surrealist chapbook, Inverted Night, was published by SurVision in 2019, and his most recent chapbook, Doctor Eel's Thinking Machine, came out from Bone Machine (USA) in late 2025. A recipient of a Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship, he has won the Listowel Poetry Prize and been nominated for the Hennessy Literary Award.
Writing Non Fiction: From Idea to Finished Book
SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 10am
10 participants
10am-1pm
Suitable for beginners to intermediate writers
Provided: Handouts, examples of published non‑fiction structures, book-design samples
Participants bring: Notebook, pens; laptop optional.
A practical, engaging workshop guiding participants through the complete process of writing non‑fiction: developing themes, structuring research, shaping chapters, and understanding voice and clarity. Luke also covers navigating publishing options and preparing a manuscript professionally.
Luke Eastwood is an established writer, poet, historian, and graphic artist with twelve published books and international recognition across Ireland, the UK, and the USA. His work has been featured in the Irish Times, Irish Daily Mail, RTÉ, Today FM, Radio Kerry, and History Ireland. His bestselling book Scotia: Lost Sister of Tutankhamun is published in multiple languages, and his first novel launches this summer. His forthcoming non‑fiction book with The History Press explores death, the Celtic otherworld, and associated traditions.
Eileen Sheehan
Saturday 8 August 2pm – 5pm
Poetry: From Getting Stuck to Getting Stuck in!
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Duration: 3 hours
Level: Writers at all levels of experience
Bring Writing Materials
Through active reading of examples from established poets we can learn to better evaluate our own writing practice. In this workshop we will aim to forge pathways through creative blocks and hesitations, in order to stimulate us towards the production of new work. Be prepared to do lots of writing!
Eileen Sheehan is the author of three collections. One of the poems from her most recent collection, The Narrow Way of Souls (Salmon Poetry), featured on the Leaving Certificate English Syllabus. Anthology publications include Blackjack, with translations into Romanian by Oana Lungu (editors Dorina Șișu and Viorel Ploeșteanu / Singur Publishing); Best Loved Poems: Favourite Poems from the South of Ireland (editor Gabriel Fitzmaurice with photographs by John Reidy/ Curragh Press) and The Deep Heart’s Core: Irish Poets Revisit a Touchstone Poem (editors Eugene O’Connell & Pat Boran/ Dedalus Press). A selection of her work appears on Poetry International Web. She has read at festival in Ireland and abroad and was Bealtaine Writer in Residence at The Seanchaí Kerry Writers’ Museum, Listowel.
Adrian Duyn
Introduction to Marquetry
Fee €40
Maximum 10 people
Duration 3 hours
Participant level - all levels
Everyone is welcome, and it can be adapted to suit skill level
Materials: All supplied: cutting board, scalpel, tape, multiple veneers and templates provided.
Learn the basics of geometric marquetry, using scalpels, cutting various species and colours of thin wood veneers to create a small piece to take home. Adrian will discuss the history of veneers and their use throughout furniture design, and how they are applied in his own work.
Adrian is an inspired furniture designer and maker renowned for his refined craftsmanship. He has an extensive knowledge of antique furniture conservation and restoration while seamlessly blending contemporary design pieces with organic forms found in the natural world.
Nick Cavanagh
Cyanotype Outdoor Demonstrations
Drop-In Cyanotype Printing with Nick Cavanagh
Fee: €5 walk-up to create a print.
Capacity: Open/rolling participation
Duration: Drop-in format
Level: All ages, beginners welcome
Materials: All materials supplied. Participants may bring small natural objects (leaves, flowers, feathers) if desired, but not required.
Nick Cavanagh is a professional photographer based in Kenmare for over 20 years, specializing in commercial, portrait, and wildlife photography. He runs photography workshops and creative excursions exploring both contemporary and historic photographic processes.
Nick Cavanagh
SuperValu Shopping Centre, Railway Road, Kenmare, Kerry. V93 Y02R
Studio Session
Parent & Child Cyanotype Workshop
Fee: €35 per parent/child pair
Capacity: 4 pairs (8 participants)
Duration: 3 hours
Level: Beginners — suitable for ages 8+
Materials: All materials supplied. Participants may bring small found objects, leaves, or flowers for printing, but not required.
Nick Cavanagh is a professional photographer based in Kenmare for over 20 years, specialising in commercial, portrait, and wildlife photography. He runs photography workshops and creative excursions exploring both contemporary and historic photographic processes.
Discover the magic of gelli printing — a wonderfully playful and accessible form of monoprinting that uses soft, flexible plates to create richly textured, one‑of‑a‑kind prints. No press, no fuss… just colour, creativity, and endless experimentation.
Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike, this hands‑on workshop with John Brennan will guide you through building layers, textures, and surprising visual effects using this exciting technique.
John is a graduate of the Crawford College of Art in Cork and co‑founder of Mill Cove Gallery. Inspired by the landscapes of Southwest Ireland, his work has been exhibited widely and is held in private collections across Ireland, the UK, America, France and Australia.
Bold Florals & Still Life with Collage
€40 per person
10 participants
3.5 hours
Level: Beginners & Intermediate
All Materials Supplied
Explore a playful and intuitive approach to painting through collage, colour and layered mark-making. Beginning with a vibrant ground, participants will create a textured collage base, then develop a simple line drawing to form their composition. By painting around these shapes, the image is gradually revealed, resulting in bold, graphic works inspired by stylised flowers and still life.
Each participant will work on a 30 × 30 cm canvas, with all materials provided.
All materials are supplied, including canvas, acrylic paint, brushes, medium and collage papers. Participants are welcome to bring personal collage materials (e.g. wrapping paper, magazine pages or printed images).
Please bring an apron and an old jam jar for water
Please arrive 1.45 for a 2pm start
Sandra Van Beurden is a mixed-media artist working with paint and collage to create bold, colourful compositions. Her work explores layering, pattern and intuitive mark-making. She enjoys sharing her techniques through workshops, encouraging participants of all levels to experiment and develop their own creative voice.
Kim Crowley
CREATIVE PUBLISHING
This workshop will take the form of a 45-minute talk on creative publishing, touching on the history of artists' books and independent publishing in Ireland, followed by a hands-on session exploring the relationship between text and image. This workshop is for artists, makers, writers or anyone interested in creative publishing, zine culture or storytelling.
No prior experience needed.
Creative Publishing: Text and Image
€15
Maximum participant capacity 10
1.5 hrs
Participant level - No prior experience needed.
Scissors, glue and collage material will be provided.
Kim Crowley is an artist and curator based between Cork City and Co. Kerry. She works primarily with language, the score, participatory events and expanded publishing. Her practice approaches publishing as a practice that can expand beyond the traditional bound object.
Maggie Mac
Pom Pom and Tassel Wall Hanging Workshop
Tuesday 11th August at 28 Main Street Art Studio
2 -5pm
Duration 3 Hours
Fee €25
Maximum 10 participants
All Materials Supplied
Join Maggie Mac textiles workshop to create a "Pom Pom and Tassel Wall Hanging". The combination of fluffy colourful pom poms and tassels creates an appealing mix of textures. The finished garlands exude a festive vibe, making them perfect for decorating homes, parties, and special events. Their cheerful appearance can brighten up any room or serve as a delightful backdrop for celebrations.
Suitable for anyone who loves colour !!
Marjorie Cunningham
WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST 10am-1pm
Needle Felting a picture
€35
10 participants
3 hrs. Beginners
Materials supplied
12 August 10am to 1pm
Needle felting a picture:
Participants will be introduced to dry felting with specialized needles to create colourful 2D designs. Each person will complete A6 and A5 size pieces which will be completed and suitable for framing.
Marjorie studied Fine Art, Sculpture at the Crawford Municipal School of Art. Using a combination of Ceramic and wood, she received the Guinness Peat Aviation Award shortly after graduating. She recently retired from teaching Art with the Kerry Education and Training Board but continues to run pottery workshops in her studio and community settings.
She has her studio in Co. Kerry. Marjorie’s work is held in many private collections worldwide and she has produced public works in the county.
Marjorie Cunningham
Pottery hand-building
€45
8 participants
10am to 1pm
3hrs. Beginners
Materials supplied
Pottery hand-building:
This is an introduction workshop to making pottery. Pinching and coiling techniques will be used to make a dip bowl and a soup bowl. The pieces will be glazed and fired within 2 weeks, to be collected from the Mill Cove Gallery or posted at an extra charge.
Marjorie studied Fine Art at the Crawford School of Art in Cork. She grew up in Waterford City and has lived in the Kerry countryside for forty years. During these years, she has taught art with the Kerry Education and Training Board, produced studio pottery and completed commissions and exhibitions in Sculpture and Drawing.
She works with many different materials but ultimately enjoys complementing wood and clay in her sculpture.
Rosina Law-Braney
Introduction to Bookbinding and Zine-Making
€30
Maximum participants 10
10am to 1pm (3 hours)
Level - Beginners
Materials Supplied, but participants are welcome to bring supplies and materials that they want to turn into a book or pamphlet
Rosina is an Illustrator based in Kerry, Ireland, recently completing her Master’s in Illustration from Kingston School of Art in London. Her practice centres on storytelling through print, with a focus on zines and bookbinding. She has experience delivering creative workshops for a range of participants, guiding creatives through accessible, hands-on processes in zine-making and bookbinding. Her work is particularly interested in independent publishing workshops to share ideas and build creative confidence, creating welcoming spaces where participants can explore and produce their own work. Her workshops are relaxed, welcoming spaces where creatives can experiment and make something real. No experience is needed! Just willing to learn and explore new creative outlets
Karolina Di Duca
Layers & Landscape: Exploring Place Through Mixed Media
€45
Maximum participant capacity 10
Duration 3.5h
Participant level - all levels
Materials Provided
Participants will be guided through all materials and techniques during the workshop.
Participants are encouraged to bring:
An apron or old shirt (if they prefer their own)
Comfortable clothes suitable for art making
Karolina is a mixed media artist and workshop facilitator whose work explores landscape, texture, and memory through collage, print, and layered materials. She runs inclusive, process-based workshops focused on experimentation, texture, and creative responses to place, working with community groups, festivals, and adult learners. Inspired by the textures, colours, and rhythms of the Kenmare landscape, this mixed media workshop invites participants to explore ideas of place, memory, and observation through creative experimentation. Using natural forms, found textures, and intuitive mark-making, participants will respond to their environment while developing a personal visual language. Through guided, hands-on exercises, participants will experiment with paper, fabric, paint, stencils, and mark-making techniques to create a layered, large-scale mixed media collage. The workshop encourages reflection, creativity, and connection to place, aligning with the festival’s focus on community and inclusive creative engagement.
1.5 hr workshop
Art Studio, 23 Main Street, Kenmare
Process Art Workshop
€30
Maximum Capacity 10
1.5 hours. Session Times (August 14): 2:00 – 3:30pm
Participant Level Beginners – no art experience necessary (Open to anyone curious about creativity, including those who feel hesitant or out of practice)
Materials All materials supplied
This gentle, process-led workshop invites you to reconnect with your creativity in a relaxed and supportive environment. Through guided prompts using paint and mixed media, participants will explore colour, mark-making and layering — with no pressure to produce a finished piece. The focus is on play, curiosity and self-expression rather than skill or outcome. This workshop is especially suited to those who feel they are “not good at art” or who may feel intimidated by traditional classes. Come as you are, permit yourself to slow down, and experience the joy of making for its own.
Cora Cummins is a ceramic artist based in Co. Waterford with over 20 years’ experience as both a maker and educator. A graduate of Crawford College of Art and Design, she has worked as a production potter and ceramics tutor before establishing her own business, Cora Cummins Ceramics. Alongside her ceramics practice, Cora is a trained arts facilitator, creating inclusive and supportive environments where participants can explore creativity with confidence.
Process Art Workshop
Art Studio, 23 Main Street, Kenmare
€30
Maximum Capacity 10
1.5 hours. Session Times (August 14): 2:00 – 3:30pm 4:00 – 5:30pm
Participant Level Beginners – no art experience necessary (Open to anyone curious about creativity, including those who feel hesitant or out of practice)
Materials All materials supplied
This gentle, process-led workshop invites you to reconnect with your creativity in a relaxed and supportive environment. Through guided prompts using paint and mixed media, participants will explore colour, mark-making and layering — with no pressure to produce a finished piece. The focus is on play, curiosity and self-expression rather than skill or outcome. This workshop is especially suited to those who feel they are “not good at art” or who may feel intimidated by traditional classes. Come as you are, permit yourself to slow down, and experience the joy of making for its own.
Cora Cummins is a ceramic artist based in Co. Waterford with over 20 years’ experience as both a maker and educator. A graduate of Crawford College of Art and Design, she has worked as a production potter and ceramics tutor before establishing her own business, Cora Cummins Ceramics. Alongside her ceramics practice, Cora is a trained arts facilitator, creating inclusive and supportive environments where participants can explore creativity with confidence.
Ardea Gardens, Tuosist, V93 X2N7
Chat and nature walk through Ardea Gardens
3 hours
€50
Come listen to some of Daniel’s favorite tracks as we stroll through the stunning 11 acres of Ardea Gardens temperate rainforest. Tea and cakes provided. Rain or shine.
I’ve spent 25 years on the road directing opera and theatre in the UK, Germany, Russia, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, NY, Sweden and Belgium. Come have an afternoon of discussing how and why we listen to music, find some new music, share some old - all walking through the majesty of our temperate and unparalleled views of the mountains and sea. Daniel
Daniel Kramer is the former Artistic Director at English National Opera, Creative Associate at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Associate Artist at the Young Vic and the Gate Theatre, London. Opera directing credits include Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (upcoming Grand Theatre Geneva); Prima la Mamma!, Die tote Stadt (Oper am Rhein); Satyagraha, Nixon in China (Hannover State Opera, Wanderpreis 2025 for Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production); Turandot (Grand Theatre Geneva & Nikikai Opera, Tokyo, designed by TeamLab); Bluebeard’s Castle, Mask of Orpheus (ENO); Punch & Judy (Grand Theatre Geneva & Young Vic/ENO – South Bank Award Outstanding Opera); War Requiem (ENO, Taiwan, Gran Teatre Liceu Barcelona, designed by Wolfgang Tillmans); La traviata and La Boheme (Theatre Basel); Sadko (Vlaamse & Bratislava); Romeo and Juliet(Shakespeare’s Globe); Tristan and Isolde (ENO designed by Anish Kapoor); Pelleas et Melisande and Bluebeard’s Castle (Mariinsky & Bolshoi, Russia, Golden Mask Awards, conducted by Valery Gergiev); Carmen (Vlaamse Opera & Opera North); Tosca (Wermland, Sweden). Theatre credits include Angles in America (Headlong National Tour, TMA Awards); Woyzeck (St. Ann’s Warehouse, NY and Gate, London); Pictures from an Exhibition (Sadlers Wells & Young Vic); Bent starring Alan Cumming (West End); Hair (Gate London); Through the Leaves (Southwark Playhouse & West End). Kaspar, Angels in America and Pelleas et Melisande, Burg Theatre, Vienna. Daniel is also an ongoing guest Professor and Lecturer at Harvard University (Outstanding Professor of the Year 2016), Brown, NYU, Northwestern, The Lir at Trinity Dublin, LAMDA and the Guildhall School of Drama, London.
Tetiana Milshyna
Landscape in Watercolour
Fee: €40
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: Maximum 10
Level: Beginners and intermediate artists
All materials provided
Learn about the beauty of watercolour through a guided exploration of Kerry’s stunning landscapes. During this workshop you will learn essential techniques and create your own landscape painting to take home.
Tetiana Milshyna is an award-winning visual artist based in Cork, specialising in landscape watercolour. Her practice has been supported by the Arts Council and Cork City Council. Tetiana actively engages audiences through workshops, residencies, commissioned projects, and numerous exhibitions across Ireland and internationally. Her work is represented by Market Gallery, Cork. She is a member of Visual Artists of Ireland, Sample-Studios, Cnoc Buí, West Cork Collective.
Screen Writing workshop
Kate O’Riordan is a multi-award-winning writer of six novels. She has also written for theatre and screen. Her many television credits include Mr Selfridge and she created Smother and Blackshore for BBC Studios/RTE. A native of Bantry, Co. Cork, Kate’s writing career took off when she won the Hennessy/Tribune prize for a short story. Since then, she has remained a keen advocate for new writing and for giving new writers their own starting chance. She currently divides her time between London and Kenmare.
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