• C R E F F T •
A creative retreat in West Wales with Zoe Murphy
“Come and spend time with me to open up your creativity and make some winning memories and new friends in the process!
Our carefully curated three day event in West Wales (plus evening & morning either side) features workshops and tuition in drawing, mark-making, fabric dyeing, and textile printing, all in one of my favourite places - pretty Pembrokeshire! We’ll have you marching home with a pile of fabrics and pages of your own inspired designs, along with a strong dose of my confidence and enthusiasm to inform your way of looking at the things that you go on make in the future. All food, refreshments, transport & thoughtfully selected group accommodation for you to choose from are part of the experience - a trip with every moment looked after, just for you. “
Is this creative holiday right for you?
’Crefft’ (the Welsh word for craft) is a chance to spend time away from the distractions of everyday life, learning to draw, dye, and screen print with a practicing furniture and textile designer. The focus is entirely placed on gentle and uninhibited learning in a small group, fostering an environment where attendees feel welcome, supported, and confident to experiment. The days on your retreat offer a mix of travel and tourism exploring the local Welsh region with Zoe, creative making in a furnished design/print studio, and socialising with your hosts and other new friends. You don’t have to consider yourself good at ANY creative practice to join our trip, you don’t have to feel like a confident or chatty person, you don’t even have to know much yet about Zoe and the work that she does. The trip is all about your enjoyment, learning at your own pace, and being met right where you’re ‘at’.
Cozy Comforts
Thanks to a lot of lovely local connections in Pembrokeshire, our retreat is furnished with the products of some superb regional suppliers and businesses.
Your night time at Crefft will be spent staying in a beautifully restored listed town house in the central market town of Haverfordwest. This pretty accommodation features double bedrooms (one with a grand 2-poster bed and balcony!) and is the perfect backdrop for local breakfasts, evening meals that we take at home, and for resting and chatting after a day together.
A delicious breakfast, seasonal lunch, dinner & refreshments of soft drinks and cakes are all included in the stay. We provide a vegetarian menu in order to cater for the widest number of tastes, but can accomodate all dietary requirements.
The Studio Space
In a newly refurbished (and very big) industrial boat shed in the neighbouring town of Pembroke, Zoe has established a second studio for her working holidays and retreats. It’s in this ground floor space that you will find ample room for group drawing and mark-making classes, and your own print space for learning how to screen print and decorate cloth objects during Crefft. There is a little outside garden space, big old wooden doors, and a stone pier at the end of the road.
Crefft exploring
An important part of our retreat is the sight-seeing and creative exploring we undertake on day one. Along with Zoe and your new crowd of friends, you’ll take a trip to coastal and rural locations to take photographs, draw, and learn about the Welsh industrial heritage. Our creative packs furnish you with everything you might need to fill a sketchbook while you learn from Zoe, and of course there will be time to ask questions about the area or buy souvenirs at any woollen mills we visit along the way.
What you’ll go home with
Memories of a packed creative trip with a great bunch of people
Friendships that endure - our group chat from the last retreat is still going and meeting up
A more personal connection with an international furniture & textile designer
Insight into Zoe’s way of thinking, drawing & making, with advice on your own work too
Skills in drawing, mark-making, dyeing, colour-mixing & screen printing
A sketchbook with your own patterns and motifs, as well as a pile of your own printed fabric
A greater knowledge of West Wales textile history, coastal & rural locations, foods & people
A goodie bag from Zoe gifted to you during your stay, including special access to retreat-only items in our West wales studio store.