The Capital of Craft

The Capital of Craft Podcast with Linda Unsworth

Craft Festival Wales 2026 Season

Craft Festival Wales director, Sarah James MBE met up with potter Linda Unsworth in the foothills of the Preseli Mountains. They talked about her early life in Communist Czechoslovakia and her post revolution travels. They also talked about her Qigong and Kung Fu practise and how it influences her ceramic work.

You can meet Linda at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 11-13, 2026.

The Capital of Craft Podcast

Craft Festival Wales Season 2026

Craft Festival Director, Sarah James MBE, met jeweller, Ami Pepper in her workshop / atelier in Newport to talk about her work, her family background and her approach to developing her jewellery collections. We also talked about what she is looking forward to at Craft Festival Wales 2026.

Ami Pepper Jewellery

Meet Ami at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 11-13th 2026.

Craft Festival Wales Special

I met Cathryn Gwynn at her home studio in Cilgerran, a village near Cardigan in West Wales.

Her early life in Cardiff led her to a career in writing, editing and finally teaching at Preseli School. She later began an access course in art, leading to a degree in Textiles from Carmarthen School of Art in 2020.

Text, texture and textile: three words which reflect sher practice as a mixed-media artist. She is drawn to thread, pen, ink and paper and work somewhere on the cusp of these materials.

Cathryn Wynn will be giving an illustrated talk about her work at The Capital of Craft at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle.

Her work is part of an exhibition of 8 important Welsh makers at Canfas Gallery in Cardigan. Woven, curated by Suzi Park from Cambrian Wool, runs from September 5-October 5th.

Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025

www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Craft Festival Wales

Craft Festival Wales Special

Earlier in August I met with Cardigan based potter, Ella Bua-In. ⁠ ⁠ We talked about her background in illustration and how she started working with clay. ⁠ ⁠ Ella was one of the artists in last year's Craft Festival Town Trail, curated by Oriel Myrddin and this year, she will be joining us at the Castle as a demonstrator. ⁠ ⁠ Listen now and meet Ella at Craft Festival Wales. ⁠ ⁠ 📍 Craft Festival Wales, Cardigan Castle ⁠ 📅 September 5-7th⁠

Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025

www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Craft Festival Wales Special

Weaver, Llio James joins me in her studio in Cardiff to talk about her life and work and what led her to work on the loom. Deeply embedded in Welsh culture, Llio's rich colour ways and confident, minimalist patterns reflect her interest in architecture.

Llio is exhibiting at Craft Festival Wales. She will also be part of The Capital of Craft Live at the Festival. She will be in conversation with Ann Whittall, Head of the National Wool Museum and Mary Eluned Lewis, Head of Craft Sustainability at Heritage Crafts. They will be discussing the future of double cloth weaving as it has been recently placed on the Heritage Crafts' Red List.

Llio James is also one of 8 important makers exhibiting in "Woven" at Canfas Gallery in Cardigan from September 5-October 5 curated by Suzi Park from Cambrian Wool.

Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025

www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Season 6 of The Capital of Craft, Welsh Special.

To celebrate the return of Craft Festival Wales, I chat with Head of the National Wool Museum, Ann Whittall.

We spoke about the historic importance of wool to West Wales and new projects at the Musuem. Ann is spearheading training new apprentices who are learning to work with the looms at the impressive Weave Shed in Drefach Felindre. We also discussed Musuem's work in the decolonisation of the Collection and working with visual artist, Lucille Junkere.

The National Museum is supporting Craft Festival Wales and will be running free workshops for children throughout the weekend.

You can meet Ann at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 5-7, 2025

www.craftfestival.co.uk

Season 5 of The Capital of Craft, Wales Special.

To celebrate Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I had a great conversation with Jem Roberts AKA On the Wing.

Writer, poet and artist, we chat about the creative juggling act needed to persue a passion for words.

Jem is our poet in residence at Craft Festival of Wales and she will be working along side Nick Hand of The Letterpress Collective to produce daily posters responding to the Festival at Cardigan Castle.

You can meet Jem at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th, 2024.

www.craftfestival.co.uk

On The Wing

Season 5 of The Capital of Craft, Wales Special.

To celebrate Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I was delighted to meet and chat with Belinda Knott of Pothies. We had a lovely conversation about her practise and how her love of sea swimming prompted the invention of the Cosymajig.

You can meet Belinda at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th.

www.craftfestival.co.uk

Belinda Knott

The Capital of Craft Season 5, Wales Special

To celebrate the first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I had a lovely conversation with textile artist and surface pattern designer, Sophie Snow. Born and bred near Cardigan, West Wales, Sophie lives in St Dogmaels and makes contemporary quilts.

I loved hearing about her creative family and how she is passing down her passion for making to her own children.

You can meet Sophie at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th 2024.

Sophie will also be speaking at The Capital of Craft LIVE at Craft Festival about her practise.

Join us in Cardigan.

www.craftfestival.co.uk

Sophie Snow

Welcome to Season 5 of The Capital of Craft: Wales Special.

To celebrate the first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, it was a real pleasure to interview Rosa Harradine for The Capital of Craft podcast.

Rosa is based in Carmarthen and makes brooms and brushes. We talk about her creative life and how she began making brooms. It's a lovely story and I hope you enjoy listening.

You can meet Rosa and 80 more makers at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8, 2024 at Cardigan Castle. Rosa is also one of our demonstrators and you can also find her work in the Craft Festival Town Trail, which runds from August 30 to September 20th.

Craft Festival Wales is funded by Arts Council of Wales, Ceredigion County Council and QEST.

www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Rosa Harradine