A weekend dedicated to making, music and merriment will be held at Harewood House this July with Aardman Animations the first announcement for the festival-style event that will feature demonstrations, workshops, street food, pop-up bars and live DJ sets.

Make It Harewood launches on 6 & 7 July 2019 in collaboration with Hole & Corner as part of the Harewood Biennial and its current first exhibition, Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters and takes place in and around the Harewood Courtyard featuring a full programme of workshops and demonstrations, DJs and live music, a craft market, plus local food and drinks.

With over forty events across the weekend, visitors can pick from a selection of free drop-in sessions, alongside paid for experiences. They can observe, dabble and delve into an engaging programme of events and activities encompassing the many different sides of craft and presented by some of the world’s leading designer-makers and artisans. Whether throwing pottery, carving spoons or sculpting with paper, there will be something for all interests from intimate workshops to family sessions.

Comments Jane Marriott, Director, Harewood House Trust; “We’re extremely excited to be launching a new festival here at Harewood, which continues our exploration around the subject of Craft and its role in society today. As part of our focus to attract the best quality talent to Harewood for our visitors to enjoy, we couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Hole & Corner, who have been successfully creating amazing experiences at events such as Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall since 2015.

“Make It Harewood will offer a new perspective to all our visitors, with after-hours bars and live DJ sets, in addition to a wealth of talented artists and performers. As a charity, we are dependent on our Members and visitors; this vibrant new approach offers a great new platform to engage with Harewood and celebrate our unique craft heritage and why it matters to society today.”

Sam Walton, Creative Director, Hole & Corner; “We’re very excited to be heading to Harewood this July. This year marks the sixth year of Hole & Corner and over that time we’ve written about and collaborated with some brilliantly talented people. For Make It Harewood we’ve invited some of our favourite makers to join us in delivering what we feel will be a really special weekend of activity.

As well as opportunities to get involved with making, we promise a relaxed and enjoyable weekend with great food and drink, good music and a fun atmosphere.”

On Saturday 6 July, the House and gardens will remain open until 9pm, with live DJs and evening entertainment and pop-up bar in The Courtyard. A craft market also runs across the whole weekend.

Confirmed makers for workshops include:

– Aardman Studio (Model-making)
– Andy Singleton (Paper art)
– Claire Wellesley Smith (Stitching)
– Lola Lely (Natural dying)
– Leszek Sikon (Blacksmithing)
– Pottery West (Ceramics)
– Reiko Kaneko (Kintsugi)
– Smith Automata (Do Nothing Machines)
– Sunken Studio (Ceramics)
– Anna Casserly (Spoon Carving)

Make It will take place annually for the next three years, creating a weekend experience which focuses on creativity, craftsmanship, heritage and authenticity and which is fresh and different to anything else on offer in Yorkshire.

For further information follow @HarewoodHouse on social media and see biennial.harewood.org

Ever wanted to try your hand at weaving, or get the opportunity to have a go at blacksmithing for yourself…?

Over the past few years, Harewood has been gradually establishing its workshop programme, working with exceptional individuals who are leaders in their fields, to create some really interesting and one-off workshops here at Harewood.

From yoga on the Terrace last year, to a full programme of events this spring and summer that complement Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters, the general theme in the House and across the whole site.

Our workshops are tailored to small groups, are not readily available anywhere else in the vicinity and are enhanced by access to behind the scenes in the House and the new exhibition. And there are refreshments, often lunch. This season the workshops are led by artists and makers from Useful/Beautiful.

PAPER SCULPTING WITH ANDY SINGLETON – 11 May
Wakefield-based paper artist Andy Singleton is acclaimed for his paper sculptures, two of which can be seen hanging in the Library. Participants will explore the potential of paper cutting and get to create their own unique sculptural forms.

FRAME WEAVING WORKSHOP FROM WASTE WITH MARIA SIGMA – 18 May
Driven by a ‘zero waste’ approach to textile design, Maria Sigma has become a rising star in the world of weaving. Take your discarded but still loved textiles, including t-shirts and pillow cases, and make them into something new…

WORKING WITH FINE BONE CHINA: A WORKSHOP WITH REIKO KANEKO – 1 June
Reiko Kaneko was born and raised in Japan, and the cultural heritage of her upbringing plays a formative part in her ceramics. Join Reiko for an introduction to the whole process of making, decorating and glazing fine bone china.

INTRODUCTION TO BLACKSMITHING WITH LESZEK SIKON – 8 June, 2 workshops
The perfect Father’s Day gift – an exclusive opportunity to work with artisan blacksmith Leszek Sikon for an introduction to blacksmithing, learning basic blacksmithing techniques, making a bottle opener, key leaf chain or Viking style utility knife.

CAST GLASS JEWELLERY WITH EFFIE BURNS – 14 July
Effie creates miniature landscapes of glass objects cast from vegetables. Join Whitby-based artist Effie for an intimate workshop to learn the craft of cast glass jewellery making. This workshop gives a rare chance to work in miniature and create your own cast glass jewellery.

CREATIVE PLAY: UNLIMITED SOURCE OF NEW IDEAS WITH JULI BOLANOS-DURMAN – 21 July
Join vibrant artist Juli Bolaños-Durman for an innovative and creative day, exploring play and its links to creativity. Costa Rican-born, Edinburgh-based Juli works with found glass and other objects, playfully creating fascinating characters and pieces.

USEFUL/BEAUTIFUL TWILIGHT TOURS
18 April / 9 May / 13 June / 18 July
6.30-8.30pm
Join us for an exclusive out of hours tour of Harewood’s acclaimed new exhibition, Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters.

Full details of the programme of events and workshops can be found on biennial.harewood.org

The next big hit might just be inspired from Harewood, as the energetic and popular Leeds-based rock band Hope & Social move in for a four-week writing and recording residency whilst the House and gardens get ready to open to the public at the end of March.

The Volunteer Bookshop at Terrace Cottage in the grounds of Harewood House is their base, since they posted a call-out on Twitter for a venue in which to write their sixth album. Harewood House Director Jane Marriott quickly responded with an invitation to visit.

The six-piece band, who define themselves as ‘Trying to change the world by making noise, being late and dancing like we mean it’ are well-known for their animated approach to music making and performance.

Jane said, “I’ve seen Hope & Social play several times and wanted to find a great way to work together, having been captivated by their energy and spirit. They are always in such demand, that I’m delighted we’ve finally found a way to make it work.
“Harewood has a strong association with music and also a commitment to working with great artists and whilst we had the space, we just thought having them on site would be great fun. For us and for them.”

“What an opportunity.” said James Hamilton from Hope & Social. “Harewood is such an amazing location and we now have plenty of room to be totally creative and make lots of noise. And we don’t even have to worry about the neighbours.”

As a thank-you to the charity, the band will perform live and take part in music workshops across several dates during the open season, with their first performance for visitors in The Courtyard on Mother’s Day on Sunday 31 March, to coincide with the launch weekend for Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters.

For further information follow us @HarewoodHouse on social media.

It’s the next major family celebration on the calendar and there are some lovely treats to discover and share at Harewood this year.

Across the weekend there’s a Makers’ Market in The Courtyard and live music from Leeds-based band Hope & Social, who will have just finished their month-long writing and recording residency in the Volunteer Bookshop at Terrace Cottage, in the grounds of Harewood House.

Wander around the house and discover the 26 exhibitors featured in Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters, take a springtime walk around the grounds and see our gardens in bloom, and for a real treat, book a Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea in our Billiard Room, a location that many enjoyed over Christmas.

What’s On:
– See the brand new Useful/Beautiful exhibition in the State Floor and Below Stairs of the House
– Visit the Courtyard for our Spring Makers’ Market and for a range of artisan food, craft, gifts and contemporary wares
– Make your own sketchbooks with our Family Bookbinding Workshop in the Steward’s Room
– Visit the Maker’s Cabin and explore our range of family activities and trails to guide you around the House and grounds
– Take park in a magical springtime adventure with our Theatrical Outdoor Trail which will take you on a journey around the Harewood’s gardens (Saturday only)
– See the wonderful Hope & Social perform at Harewood – join in with some musical workshops and watch a live performance in the Courtyard (Sunday only)

Relax and enjoy a blissful afternoon together over a glass of fizz and an assortment of delicate finger sandwiches, homemade cakes and a freshly baked scone with Strawberries, Homemade Jam and Clotted Cream, plus, of course your choice of Tea or Coffee.

Book Afternoon Tea

Adult £55
Child £25

Includes Harewood Entry and a floral gift for Mums to take home.

Follow us on social media @HarewoodHouse to keep up to date with the latest news and stories…

David Lascelles, Earl of Harewood, wears his Leeds colours with pride, as he is announced Honorary President of Leeds United, in this the club’s centenary year.

“It really is an honour to be asked to be President of Leeds United. My father held the post for nearly fifty years and my step-mother too for a few months before she died.

My father started taking me to Elland Road as a boy and I’ve been a season ticket holder since we won the last First Division Championship in 1992.

Now I go with my own sons and in the last couple of years with my young grandsons too. It’s the club’s centenary year and it feels like we are at the start of something very exciting, with the best manager in the league and a group of committed and passionate players. I’m proud to be a small part of it. Marching On Together!”