Meet the makers

Nick Morley (aka Linocutboy) is a linocut artist based in Margate. As well as making his own prints, he illustrates book covers and has written two books on linocut. Nick runs linocut workshops at Hello Print Studio in Margate and has taught all over the UK and in Ireland, France and Italy.

Join Nick for his linocut workshops throughout the festival weekend.

Marianne van Niekerken has been a basketmaker since 2006 and has developed a style that is instinctive and organic, using techniques that have been passed on by professional basketmakers through the generations. She takes specific commissions, sells baskets at markets and fairs and does repairs on heir looms.

Marianne will be conducting basketry workshops throughout the festival weekend.

Age 8+

Lu Flux is a sustainable clothing designer based in the Kent countryside, specialising in traditional smocks. Each Lu Flux garment is hand-cut from vintage, organic or naturally dyed cloth and embellished with traditional techniques. Inspired by age-old British craft practises, Lu uses patchwork, quilting, smocking and hand embroidery to produce unique and wearable garments. Lu also runs a local mending club once a month, teaching darning and patching techniques to help people increase the lifetime of garments and reduce waste.

Lu will be running a drop-in workshop throughout the weekend. Participants are invited to bring their own well-loved clothes for tips on how to visibly mend and care for them to give them a new lease of life.  Lu will be on hand with materials and equipment to teach darning and patching for all types of materials, restoring well-loved items and extending the life of your garment for years to come.

Jill Swan will be demonstrating the making of beautiful and useful carved spoons made from local sustainable wood using axe and knife.

Isla is passionate about all things natural and nourishing for the skin and makes beautiful face creams and scented oils to support sensitive skin types. All her creams and perfume blends are homemade by her in small batches using superior quality oils, butters resins and absolutes that she carefully sources from around the world. She finds rare and precious floral essences to create her unique perfume blends that work in harmony with our bodies whilst supporting emotional and spiritual well-being.

Fotini Fused Glass Art are fused glass artists with a passion for the natural world, from which they take much of their inspiration.

Working as a small-batch potter, maker and designer, Kate creates decorative and functional pieces for the home. Drawing on nature, folk art and a love of pattern, her work is instantly recognisable. It has featured in publications and appears in interiors as far afield as Sydney, Australia.

Polly Bennett is an environmental artist, pigment maker and alchemist exploring themes of identity and our relationship with the natural world through tactile, immersive sculptures, installations, and works on paper. Rooted in sustainability, her practice embraces traditional craftsmanship, using locally sourced materials, such as clay, sand and handmade pigments, that guide her process and shape her narrative.

Her journey into art began with a fascination with nature’s colours and materials, which shaped her journey into pigment-making.

As a colour maker, she founded POLBEN’s Pigment in 2020, producing earth, bone, lake, metal oxide and synthesised pigments and inks. These colours carry the histories and geographies of their origins, reinforcing the connection between materiality and meaning in her work.

At Wealden Festival, you can find Polly in the barn selling her pigments and inks. She will also be holding drop-in watercolour paint-making and painting sessions throughout the weekend, which you can book on the day with Polly at her stall.

Founded in 1972, the Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity and a leading voice in bringing the UK’s trees and woodlands to the attention of government, landowners and the public.

With a supporter base of half a million, they were the first and remain the most significant contributor to woodland protections, restoration and creation in the UK.

Forest is a botanical potter working from her small studio in Wye. Guided by each season’s wild plants, she gathers plants from the local hedgerows, meadows and woodland and presses them into clay, capturing their fleeting forms in each piece. Every mug, bowl, or plate holds a moment in time, a quiet reminder of the land and the changing seasons. Forest hopes her work brings a bit of beauty into your hands and home, and even maybe a deeper kinship with the plants we live alongside.

Raffman & Huckster is an independent concept store located on Tenterden High Street in Kent, and this summer, they are showcasing their carefully selected items at Wealden Festival.

They sell sustainable, simple, timeless and functional goods that are beautifully handcrafted in the UK, Europe and Africa.

Raffman & Huckster selects traditional products. Most of their items come from family-owned manufacturers who use natural materials and often have a story to tell.

Handcrafted silver jewellery, inspired by the ocean and Sussex woodlands.

Nothing But Truffle produces luxury handmade chocolate truffles in a range of flavours, all using couverture chocolate. The creator, Kaye, makes everything from scratch, including the fillings. Nothing is pre-purchased, and therefore they do not contain any artificial colours or preservatives, something Kaye is passionate about. She even grows some of the ingredients used, such as raspberries, chillies and mint.

The chocolate ranges from a 34% up to a dark 70%, with a selection of white fillings and coatings as well.

All the packaging they use is fully compostable, made from recycled wood pulp.

Step into the world of traditional craftsmanship and discover the magic of wood with Phil Caira, a master green woodworker and pole lathe specialist. With a passion for preserving age-old techniques, Phil crafts exquisite wood products, including bowls, spoons, wands, rings, stools, and talismans, all meticulously crafted using traditional tools and methods.

Throughout the day, Phil will be demonstrating how the pole lathe works and allowing people, under strict supervision, to have a go.

Participants will have to be able-bodied and of suitable height and strength.

Mousie Murray creates unique jewellery, hand-crafted from spoons and other various flatware, including rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and keyrings.

Hawkhurst Lavender is a local grower and distiller of lavender and producer of lavender skincare products.

At Hawkhurst Lavender, they embrace a nature-driven approach to skincare, ensuring theirproducts are as pure and natural as the environment they come from.

Dering Studio are small-batch furniture makers.

Working from converted stables in Godinton House, Ben and Myles design and make all their own furniture, with a focus on handmade craft and sustainability.

Everything is designed and made from scratch, from small tables up to fully working tambour door kitchens.

Cherry Garden Nursery is a small family-run nursery, supplying perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees to the public in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Inspired by the world’s most captivating destinations, Candle Wise is a multi-award-winningbrand creating immersive sensory experiences. Their scents evoke emotions, spark memoriesand transport you to places near and far.

Guided by sustainability, craftsmanship, and innovation, each creation is thoughtfully designed, embodying artistry and refinement.

Each creation is an invitation to indulge in a moment of escape, bringing warmth, comfort and sophistication into any space.

Bindfulness Handmade Books are crafted by bookbinder and artist Hope Fitzgerald. Hope makes notebooks, journals, and artist sketchbooks. She also works with creators and artists to make bespoke books. When Hope isn’t making books, she runs a regular programme of Bookbinding workshops at the Alexander Centre in the heart of Faversham, Kent.

Be in the Light will be offering ethically sourced crystals and flower essences at Wealden Festival.

Allura Craft creates hand-sculpted polymer clay earrings bursting with bold colour, abstract flair and expressive detail.

Each piece is crafted from reworked remnants, giving life to sustainable one-off or few-of-a-kind designs.

Alongside them, playful laser-cut acrylic earrings bring a modern, literal twist, while

handwoven cotton rope necklaces—made from 100% recycled fibres—offer elegant balance.

Every piece is feather-light and hypoallergenic, made to let even the most sensitive

ears flourish in original, wearable art.

Taste multi-award-winning wine made from grapes grown less than a mile from the festival site. Visit their stall and be served wine by the glass or purchase wine to take home.

Chin Chin’s rustic caravan bar offers a full range of beverages, from craft ales and ciders, to local fine wines and tasty cocktails.