With thanks to our Patron, His Excellency The Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell, CB, CBE
Past Events on Sark
September 2023 - Creative Sark Market
On 30th September 2023, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell, who is the patron of Creative Sark, came to visit Creative Sark’s Saturday market. His Excellency joined in with the spirit of the market; carefully appreciating each and every stall; having a go at tapestry weaving and being served Jasmine tea in a Chinese tea ceremony. Creative Sark members and artisans baked and brought dishes for a delicious picnic buffet lunch; also enjoyed by His Excellency. It was a truly fun day; enjoyed by all.
June 2023
Creative Sark Summer Festive Celebrates our 10th anniversary
Sark got creative again this Summer, from Wednesday 14th to Sunday 18th June, with a long weekend of workshops in craft, art, floristry, writing and more, plus a people's exhibition for residents or visitors who like to showcase anything they've made. It's such a creative place to work - there were intriguing things to see!
November 2023 - Creative Sark Christmas Fare
A festive selection of textiles, ceramics, jewellery and produce made on Sark.
Exhibition of paintings by Louise Hill
Fox Arts 2023 winner Louise Hill presented her new show inspired by Sark and further afield, from 30th March - 9th April at Hathaway's Restaurant at La Seigneurie Gardens It was an exciting chance to admire or buy work from this award-winning Sark-based artist, and to sample some of Hathaway's outstanding fare - luscious art and delicious Sark-grown food. What's not to love?
Sark's Natural Beauty Gets Words Flowing at Winter Workshop
Novelist, poet, art therapist and first-time Sark visitor Siya Turabi led a contemplative and engaging writing workshop in the chilly dark days of February, and our table strewn with camellia flowers and lichen-fringed branches in front of the Cider Barn's stove was the perfect spot to let the ink out. Siya's thoughtful responses and inspiring prompts, and Sark's inherent creative flow, coaxed great work from local and visiting writers from Guernsey, new and experienced, and even some who'd found words hard to come by in recent years.
In the evening, readings from workshop participants and some wonderful recitation opened the space to listeners too.
Huge thanks are due to Susan Synnott for superb lunch and treats to sustain us all throughout the day, to our sponsors below, and to everyone who added to the bring and share supper.
Siya hopes to be back, so stay tuned for more writing inspiration!
This Creative Writing Sark event was sponsored by Guernsey Arts Commission, Isle of Sark Shipping Company, and Rock Trustees.
Betty Guille’s Post Box Toppers
Betty Guille is famous on Sark for her exquisitely knitted and crafted Post Box Toppers. It’s always a wonderful surprise to pass Sark’s famous gold post box and find that Betty has crowned the PO Box with one of her seasonal toppers. This year she celebrated the coronation of King Charles with a special coronation topper, which was noticed by the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell, who requested that Betty lend her coronation topper to Government House in Guernsey, where it resided, and was much admired and photographed, for a few weeks.
Sunny Sark Saturdays at the Craft and Produce Markets 2022 showcased local artisans and their many skills, from Easter through to late September.
Homemade goods, artworks, pottery and treats star alongside the now-traditional raffle, with lots of good things as prizes and an exclusive handwoven cushion from Sark Threads. The markets will be back next year, so do keep an eye out for the first in the Spring.
There's always lots to choose from at the markets which run throughout the tourist season, either as a gift for someone special, or a souvenir of your visit to Sark. The Green on the Avenue makes the perfect venue for a sunny day, next to Avenue Cycles, and right beside local eateries Hatters and Nova's Bistro.
Fingers crossed for sunshine!
Creative Sark Festival 2022 June 9th - 18th
Sark was the place to get creative in June 2022. Local knitter Betty Guille, potter Lorraine Nicolle, artists Annie Dachinger and Louise Hill, and florists Ann Long and Ellie Clayton gave demonstrations and workshops in knitting technique, wheel-throwing and hand-building pottery, drawing, watercolours, and floral arrangements. Attendees learned about textiles old and new from Jersey's Pat Clarke, upcycling fabric to make patchwork clothes or exploring the ancient craft of inkle weaving. Renowned UK fabric artist Hilary Charlesworth opened the festival, teaching wet and dry-felting, elegant Japanese braid-making, Australian locker-hooking for cosy rugs and wall-hangings.
Click on the images to view the festival's programme
There was plenty of entertainment too, with Sark Theatre Company's Comedy Shakespeare on Sark, an approachable vocal workshop with shanties old and new from Jersey's Sonneux, and for the festival's finale, a veille in the Cider Barn led by Sonneux in a relaxed, welcoming setting, with songs, music, readings and poetry. A festival with something for everyone! Photos to follow.
Christmas Shopping, Fireworks and Music 2021 -
rocket aboard for a great Sark weekend!
Sark came together to start the Autumn and Christmas season with fiery sparkle, Christmas gifts and little luxuries at the Creative Sark Christmas Market, and entertainment at the spectacular Sark Bonfire Night.
Once again, the Cider Barn was the place to be for Christmas shopping and mulled drinks, with handmade artworks, woollens, wares, sweets and cakes from Sark's many talented artisans. Warming mulled wine and juice around the lit stove brought some festive cheer in the Autumn weather.
As the evening drew in, crowds decamped to Rue du Fort for the epic Sark Bonfire Night, with live music, games for children, local food and more mulled cheer. Others headed on down to Stocks for the Sark Murder Mystery dinner, Death in Practice - delicious, but deadly!
More music warmed up the fun-seeking early-birds, with pre-show live music at the Mermaid Tavern on 5th November. And Isle of Sark Shipping got everyone here from off-island on additional ferry services.
There's simply no better Autumn weekend to visit Sark.
Creative Writing Sark starts a fresh page
From September 24th-26th, Creative Writing Sark filled the Cider Barn with warmth and words for our first ever mini literature festival, a weekend of free events celebrating island-inspired words past and present. Multi-award-winning novelist, short story writer, poet and playwright A.L. Kennedy opened the evening events with a reading on Saturday 25th, while informal afternoon workshops with Guernsey's Kiya Ashton and Sark resident Shakira Christodoulou coaxed creativity from budding songwriters and wordsmiths. The stove lit up the Cider Barn, Sark's most atmospheric public Heritage venue, for a dose of Autumn literary inspiration.
30/09/21, Shakira Christodoulou. Creative Writing Sark was sponsored by Guernsey Arts Commission, Isle of Sark Shipping Company, and Rock Trustees.
Sark Reopens for Visitors After Winter Lockdown 2021
By March, Sark was ready and waiting to welcome back our friends in Guernsey after a tough early spring. What's nicer than special hand-crafted gifts for Easter, with the comfort of a lit stove and the promise of relaxed lunch afterwards at Sark's restaurants - AJ's, Beau Sejour and Hathaway's were all open, and Guernsey people were ready to pop over to Sark Shipping for tickets. We were here for a breath of fresh air after lockdown, for anyone who came on over.
Sark's Island Christmas Starts With A Bang
Creative Sark joined in the Bonfire Night fun with a Christmas Craft Market on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th November 2020. Beautiful items handmade on Sark, from cards and knits to pottery and tasty treats were available to browse and buy in the Cider Barn, Sark's cosiest heritage venue. A cheerful lit stove, mulled wine, hot chocolate and other seasonal goodies drove away the Autumn chill.
You have to think ahead for Christmas gifts on a small island, in case you're posting presents away to friends and family in the UK and abroad. And it was great to get the community together in the Cider Barn as the nights got longer and the weather turned; kindly loaned by La Société Sercquaise, the ancient Sark building is a lovely backdrop for skilled artisans and their wares.
The craft fair finished in time for a huge bonfire and fireworks on the Saturday evening at La Collinette Field, with live bands, a hog and lamb roast and oodles of toffee apples. It really was the best Autumn weekend to come and stay on Sark.
July 11th 2020 Summer Craft and Produce Market
Creative Sark held the first public crafty event after lockdown in the Bailiwick with a relaxed outdoor craft and produce market in the sunshine. Not a bad start to the summer!
2019 - The Inaugural Creative Sark Festival
From the 1st to 15th June 2019, Creative Sark brought artists, craftspeople and performers together for a vibrant fortnight of workshops, tastings, music, tours and markets. People learned, crafted, laughed, cooked, danced and ate together - and even set to in theatrical combat! We aimed to highlight everything that is inspiring about creative life and work on the Island of Sark. Have at look at the gallery to soak up the atmosphere. For a full listing of the programme, click on the felt flowers.
