GRASSINGTON Festival has taken the mystique out of many skills and crafts over the years through its innovative programme of workshops and masterclasses – and this year looks set to be the best yet, with nearly 20 workshops on offer throughout the Festival fortnight.

“It’s hard to let go of your treasures – things you’ve collected over years and years… things which are beautiful and interesting,” said Helen Peyton, 2015 Turner Prize nominee. Skipton born Helen isn’t talking about gold and diamonds, but rather the bits and pieces which many of us collect, keep, and in some cases – hoard. She knows what she’s talking about too, since many of Helen’s award winning projects have been based on collections, such as her Turner Prize nominated Smart Gallery which showcased at the Festival last year and is now on tour.

Within this year’s Festival Helen is turning her attention to helping people manage their collections of ‘treasure’ or ‘clutter’ in a series of fifteen workshops, covering everything from advising on how to; finish an unfinished project, mend a broken item, upcycle a tired item, and create a new work of art or sculpture from unwanted items. She is even hosting a ‘swap shop’ where people can exchange items. There will also be ‘drop in’ sessions to offer practical advice about sewing, darning, quilting, knitting, and embroidery, as well as joinery and carpentry and electrical and soldering – all of which will be hosted by qualified professionals.

This myriad of workshops and sessions is, as Helen explains, “aimed at helping people to unravel the modern day chaos.” Aptly entitled The Rainy Day Project, the sessions will run every day of the Festival in the Ladies Room at Grassington’s Festival Hall. If you are unsure about where to start or what session might be best for you, call in and chat with Helen on the weekend of June 18 and 19, or visit the Festival website for further information.

Helen will also be running a Block Printing Workshop on Monday, June 20 which offers the opportunity to learn how to carve simple blocks and then transfer the bespoke design to fabric, which can then be used for a variety of projects, including perhaps the Make a Drum Lampshade workshop which takes place on Tuesday, June 21.

With dry stone walls being one of the Dales’ oldest and most distinctive manmade features, the series of Dry Stone Walling Workshops run by local farmer and master craftsman Ian Daggett at his farm in Burnsall makes a welcome and popular return. In his workshops Ian covers all the basics from how to dig out and put the footings in, to how to set up lines so both ends of the wall join, to how to pick out the right stones for the right places, to how to bridge the courses of the wall together. “These are always popular workshops as people feel a huge sense of pride in seeing something stood there in a field that they’ve made with their own hands,” says Ian.

Another workshop which proved popular last year was Stephen Garnett’s Photography Masterclass. This three hour workshop enables beginner and intermediate photographers to fast track their knowledge – learning skills and techniques from an award winning local photographer, best known for his work as staff photographer with the Craven Herald. The inspirational location of Bolton Abbey Priory Church will enable countless opportunities to photograph beautiful architecture as well as stunning landscape.

The final workshop in the Festival fortnight is Amanuensis with Jane Peyton, which is a free drop in session offering creative writing advice from an award winning publisher.

Grassington Festival runs from June 17 to July 2. For further information about the full festival programme, including all the featured workshops visit www.grassington-festival.org.uk or call the Box Office on 01756 752691.