The Marches Makers Festival 2021 will be held in Kington over the August Bank Holiday.

As with so many events, the festival had to be cancelled last year but is now going ahead with increased energy and commitment.

The main exhibition, featuring miniature art works by 70 local artists, is in the Baptist church and will be both live and online over 28-30 August.

Further exhibitions include sculpture at Hergest Croft Gardens; ECHO in the Oxford Arms showing original and individual art and craft work created by people living with disabilities in Herefordshire;  ‘Into the Midsummer Meadows’ hosting the Apple Store Gallery and Birches Farm Nature Reserve ‘Meadows’ project and Herefordshire MIND’s Artspace ‘Miniature Marvels’ all at Made in the Marches Gallery; Kington Art Society’s annual exhibition of members’ work at Kingswood village hall and a small display of art and some of David Mullin’s slipware pottery at Lockdown Books.

Live demonstrations of woodturning, hand forged steel and printmaking will be at the Market Hall and there’s a chance to have a go by contributing to a giant woven artwork.

New this year is the live About Face Theatre performance of ‘Creation’ at the Burton Hotel, weaving ancient stories of greed, fear and redemption with music, narrative and magic.

The Christine Forrester Award is held in honour of the festival’s founder and patron who sadly died in 2019.

Chris was passionate about supporting the artistic community and this year the award of £200 is sponsored by MidBorder News, the local news magazine.

Several local artists are holding open studios as part of the festival, including traditional clog making, ceramics, painting, weaving and sculpture.

An exciting hands-on programme of workshops offers Ceramics, Rush Baskets, Making a Fishbone Artist’s Book, Stitch Doodling and Willow Animal Sculpture. These and the theatre performances can be booked online in advance via the Festival website, where Covid-19 updates will be posted as necessary.

Find out more at www.marchesmakers.co.uk