Blog

As part of National Volunteer Week, we’re celebrating the many interesting and valuable characters who contribute to making Harewood the place that it is….

Why do I volunteer?

I have always had a wish to give back, feeling that I am an extraordinarily fortunate person.

What brought me to it?

Living on the estate gave me the introduction.

What did I do?

Chief Executive of a small group of companies. Also chaired the committee of a newly formed charity called “Life for A Life “which reinforced my love of trees. My family and I own a wood in the Lake District where we planted trees for bereaved people.

What three things do I enjoy?

The people. Doing a bit of good one hopes. The view from the walled garden across the lake, which changes everyday of the year.

What do I love most about Harewood?

The staff and other volunteers. Otherwise it’s just pottering about as it’s a lovely place.

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

Is craft a product or a process? Is it always something handmade?

A cohort of contemporary makers challenge preconceptions about what the word means today and the role craft can play in shaping culture, identity and society at a new craft biennial in Yorkshire, called ‘Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters’. Works by bookbinder Kate Holland, embroiderer Jenny King, and furniture designers Max Lamb and Yinka Ilori sit alongside historic works by Thomas Chippendale and Robert Adam inside Harewood House, a Georgian manor near Leeds.

In this film – co-produced by Crafts magazine, the Crafts Council and Harewood House – we meet some of the makers and curators, who together aim to spark debate.

‘Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters’ runs until 1 September 2019 biennial.harewood.org

We’re counting down to the Great British Food Festival, here’s a quick chat with Daniel Maycock from the Festival.

When was the Food Festival set up?
We started in 2011 and have now done over 50 food and drink festivals around the UK. This will be our 5th year at Harewood.

What are the highlights for you?
I love the Men V Food Challenges and am looking forward to seeing the BBQ demo stage this year…I also love a good brownie!

Is there a ‘hot trend’ in food and drink at the moment?
Gin is still massive as are the craft beers. Hot food – people are going for more veggie and vegan options, and last year in the heat it was lighter options like salads and wraps rather than burgers or pies.

If you could invite three people to share a meal with, who would they be and why?
– Great Question! I think I’d have to say Gordon Ramsay, and get him to cook – to see if his cooking backed up how good he thinks he is!
– Pep Guardiola? I’m a big Man City fan so it would be great to talk to him about his time at City and elsewhere.
– Struggling for a 3rd….maybe James Cordon, as he could bring some humour to the night and seems like a nice fella!

What’s your go-to comfort food?
I love a good French stick and some nice cheese…!

Find out more about what’s taking place across the weekend and entry tickets. Free for Members.

As National Gardening Week enters full flow, here are Five Facts about the gardens at Harewood House:

1. There are over 100 acres of gardens at Harewood, set within the landscape created by Capability Brown.
2. 5,000 hours are spent cutting the grass in Harewood’s gardens and park between April and October.
3. The Himalayan Garden is home to more than 50 kinds of rhododendron, which are at the best between May and July.
4. The Walled Garden is the oldest garden at Harewood. It was already under construction in 1759 when building began on Harewood House
5. More than 20,000 plants and bulbs are planted every year in the Parterre, on the lower level of the Terrace Garden.

There’s always something new to discover in the gardens at Harewood, as they change from one season to the next, and new growth gets underway. For further information about volunteering or getting involved, email volunteer@harewood.org