CREATIVE Elan gets under way this weekend with a Celebration of the Creative Arts in the Elan Valley, as the first of four new event festivals taking place this year in and around Rhayader.

Involving a variety of 10 events, organised by the Elan Links scheme and Rhayader and District Community Arts (CARAD), this first festival takes place from this Saturday, April 13, through to April 20.

Night drawing, creative writing, drovers’ storytelling walk, drop in bush craft and animation with natural materials are among the events lined up.

Saturday, April 13: Pottery workshop from 10am-1pm in Rhayader Museum & Gallery. Create and decorate a piece of pottery inspired by nature. Get it fired (optional) for £5, picked up from CARAD. Children must be supervised –minimum age five, wear clothes that can get messy. Aprons will be provided.

Sunday, April 14: Creative writing workshop from 1-5pm in the Elan Valley Visitor Centre. Explore creative writing using haiku and renga (group poetry). No experience necessary. Bring paper and pens. Open to all ages – minimum age 12.

Monday, April 15: Drop in session of bush-craft at the old Hospital Site from 10am-4pm. Activities might include fire starting, shelter building, making a necklace/keepsake out of natural materials (cord from plant fibres). Children must be supervised.

Tuesday, April 16: 10am-2pm (approx.) is a story telling walk near Dol-y-Mynach. Able to meet at the visitor centre at 9.30am if needed. Walk from Gro Wood car park along Dol-y-Mynach dam, following the forestry track as it rises (not too steep), around 100/150m increase in altitude. There will be frequent stops to hear about the stories of the drovers in this area.

Bring/wear: suitable sturdy footwear (ideally walking boots), waterproof clothing, spare jumper, food and drink. Although the route is all on a track there is a ford crossing and it can be rough underfoot. Minimum age seven, children must be supervised.

Also Tuesday: 1-5pm drop in session at the Visitor Centre. Make your own mythical creatures by using templates or drawing your own. Decorate fairies, goblins, dragons etc. using leaves, moss, feathers, other natural materials. Children must be supervised, minimum age five. Bring/wear clothes that can get messy.

Wednesday, April 17: 10am-4pm – drop in session at the Visitor Centre of animation using plasticine and natural materials to create a short story. Bring a memory stick to save your film and/or it can be uploaded to YouTube. Children must be supervised, minimum age five.

Thursday, April 18: 10am-1pm at the Visitor Centre – painting without brushes (not finger painting!) – workshop using masking tape and pieces of card to mark sections or to drag paint along the paper. Bring/wear clothes that can get messy. Aprons will be provided. Minimum age seven.

Friday, April 19: 10am-4.30pm Screen printing in Rhayader Museum and Gallery. Create a design and then use screen printers and ink to transfer the design onto a bag (£1 per bag). There are three slots available (10-12, 12.45-14.30, 15.00-16.30. Bring/wear clothes that can get messy. Aprons will be provided. Minimum age five.

County Times:

Also Friday: Drawing by moonlight, beginning at 7.30pm until around midnight. Meeting at Penbont Tea Rooms for a brief introduction and history of drawing at night (dates back to the Victorian times), and then walking along the footpath towards Tynllidiart, stopping when appropriate to look around, absorb the landscape and draw. On return to Penbont, people can show around their pictures (optional), before finishing. The walk is fairly flat but in the dark sturdy footwear is recommended. Bring/wear: waterproof clothing, walking boots, lots of warm layers, warm drinks, snacks, torches, mobile phone, whistle, drawing materials (optional, materials will be provided). Children must be supervised.

Saturday, April 20: 10am-4pm in Rhayader Museum & Gallery – drop in session of painting using paints and brushes made the way that cavemen would have (using hairs, natural dyes etc.). People can paint on rocks or a large slab that will be brought in. Children must be supervised, minimum age seven.

All the events are free, although some have an optional charge. Unless stated as drop in, booking is necessary as the rooms/activities have maximum capacities.

Visit https://www.elanvalley.org.uk/events/2019-04 and look for events beginning Creative Elan, email beth.rees@elanvalley.org.uk or call 01597 811527.

More festivals are to follow with Natural Elan in July, Discover Elan in September, and Elan Eye, photographic festival in November.