Workshops

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

Does your little one collect something? Join author/illustrator Bethan Woollvin for a craft workshop based on These Are My Rocks, a story about collecting. Children will enjoy a hilarious reading of this interactive book, explore fun collections and oddities from around the world and then craft their own unique collection.

Does your little one collect something? Join author/illustrator Bethan Woollvin for a craft workshop based on These Are My Rocks, a story about collecting. Children will enjoy a hilarious reading of this interactive book, explore fun collections and oddities from around the world and then craft their own unique collection.

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

Come and join Rooted Forest School for some outdoor family sessions offering natural creativity for everyone. We’ll use willow and natural materials to create a collaborative piece of nature art in the Family Garden. Dress for the weather and expect to get messy! These sessions will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

Come and join Rooted Forest School for some outdoor family sessions offering natural creativity for everyone. We’ll use willow and natural materials to create a collaborative piece of nature art in the Family Garden. Dress for the weather and expect to get messy! These sessions will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

Come and join Rooted Forest School for some outdoor family sessions offering natural creativity for everyone. We’ll use willow and natural materials to create a collaborative piece of nature art in the Family Garden. Dress for the weather and expect to get messy! These sessions will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

Come and join Rooted Forest School for some outdoor family sessions offering natural creativity for everyone. We’ll use willow and natural materials to create a collaborative piece of nature art in the Family Garden. Dress for the weather and expect to get messy! These sessions will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

Have you ever wondered where animals live in nature? Author and illustrator Emma Carlisle will lead a gentle storytelling session based on her beautiful book A Home is a Nest, exploring homes and family in nature, from the cosiness of winter dens to the arrival of spring and bird’s first flight. She’ll show you how to draw your favourite woodland creatures, and there’ll be a chance for you to ask Emma questions and get your book signed.

Emma Carlisle is a highly acclaimed illustrator, artist and lecturer in Children’s Illustration at the University of Plymouth. Her book What Do You See When You Look at a Tree? was shortlisted for the 2022 Waterstones Children’s Prize.

Have you ever wondered where animals live in nature? Author and illustrator Emma Carlisle will lead a gentle storytelling session based on her beautiful book A Home is a Nest, exploring homes and family in nature, from the cosiness of winter dens to the arrival of spring and bird’s first flight. She’ll show you how to draw your favourite woodland creatures, and there’ll be a chance for you to ask Emma questions and get your book signed.

Emma Carlisle is a highly acclaimed illustrator, artist and lecturer in Children’s Illustration at the University of Plymouth. Her book What Do You See When You Look at a Tree? was shortlisted for the 2022 Waterstones Children’s Prize.

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

Draw your sabre and take on friends and family for the Hay Festival fencing crown in this have-a-go session with Fencing Cymru/Welsh Fencing. Learn the skills of this fast-paced Olympic sport in a safe and friendly environment before stepping onto the piste – en garde!

Reena from Bollywood Dreams Dance Company will teach you some dynamic moves in this fun Bollywood dance workshop. You’ll learn hand gestures, some technique work and choreography. By the end of the session you’ll have formed a fun Bollywood routine to take away and show your friends!

A brilliant interactive workshop with Neill, Phoenix comic supremo and creator of the graphic novel series Mega Robo Bros. In this fun-filled hour, Neill will introduce you to his latest epic robot book Mega Robo Bros: Final Form and show you how to generate awesome ideas for your own comics, how to turn those ideas into a fully-fledged story and how to make your stories come alive with incredible artwork.

Reena from Bollywood Dreams Dance Company will teach you some dynamic moves in this fun Bollywood dance workshop. You’ll learn hand gestures, some technique work and choreography. By the end of the session you’ll have formed a fun Bollywood routine to take away and show your friends!

Draw your sabre and take on friends and family for the Hay Festival fencing crown in this have-a-go session with Fencing Cymru/Welsh Fencing. Learn the skills of this fast-paced Olympic sport in a safe and friendly environment before stepping onto the piste – en garde!

Learn to draw some of Chris Haughton’s favourite illustrations from his new book, The History of Information, a graphic handbook to the biggest influence on human history.

In this informative and interesting drawing workshop, Chris will lead you on a journey through time, taking a deep dive into the story of information and how to illustrate it in his distinct signature style.

Chris is author and illustrator of many popular picture books including A Bit Lost, Oh No George!, Shh! We Have a Plan and Well Done, Mummy Penguin.

Reena from Bollywood Dreams Dance Company will teach you some dynamic moves in this fun Bollywood dance workshop. You’ll learn hand gestures, some technique work and choreography. By the end of the session you’ll have formed a fun Bollywood routine to take away and show your friends!

Reena from Bollywood Dreams Dance Company will teach you some dynamic moves in this fun Bollywood dance workshop. You’ll learn hand gestures, some technique work and choreography. By the end of the session you’ll have formed a fun Bollywood routine to take away and show your friends!

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

In this sustainable food session you’ll work with a rainbow of food and use all of your five senses to experience how it pops, snaps, smells and tastes. You’ll learn how a worm’s wiggle and a bee’s waggle help to create the ingredients we all love to eat. And you’ll travel through the stages of food’s fascinating journey, from its start as a seed in the soil, to the table via the dinner plate and everything – and everywhere! – in between.

Dr Michelle Darmody is a sustainable food education expert whose book Seed to Supper offers fun-packed ways for children to become better engaged with where food comes from.

In this sustainable food session you’ll work with a rainbow of food and use all of your five senses to experience how it pops, snaps, smells and tastes. You’ll learn how a worm’s wiggle and a bee’s waggle help to create the ingredients we all love to eat. And you’ll travel through the stages of food’s fascinating journey, from its start as a seed in the soil, to the table via the dinner plate and everything – and everywhere! – in between.

Dr Michelle Darmody is a sustainable food education expert whose book Seed to Supper offers fun-packed ways for children to become better engaged with where food comes from.

Have you ever wanted to create your own picture book? Join award-winning picture book maker Leo Timmers to get going on your first book! Using examples of his own work, Leo will walk participants through his creative process, demonstrating how to craft stories that play on character creation and narrative development through illustration. Then have a go yourself, with Leo on hand to help guide and advise.

Leo Timmers is author/illustrator of Gus’s Garage (2017 Children’s & Youth Jury Award), A Home for Harry (Netherlands Picture Book of the Year 2019), Monkey on the Run and Elephant Island.

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians and their grown-ups will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and so much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our range of instruments and listen to the beautiful sound of the cello.

Captivating young imaginations and creating lasting memories, these sessions offer a unique musical adventure. The perfect way to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, spark creativity and introduce children to the joy of music.

In this pen-to-portrait workshop with author and illustrator Siôn Tomos Owen, you’ll explore creating a character by developing their personal history. Learn how to create the story of their life through exploring the events, hobbies and people in their lives. Finally, see how you can use these stories to describe how they look as an illustration.

The Queen of Historical Fiction, Emma Carroll (The Houdini Inheritance, Letters From the Lighthouse and many more) shares tips on how to fire your imagination in this fun, interactive workshop masterclass, searching out potential ideas and inspirations to encourage you to keep writing.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.