Workshops & Demonstrations
Come and get involved during workshops and demonstrations to discover at Ferrous Festival of Artist Blacksmithing.
Have-A-Go-Forging
Date: 15th March – 17th March | Main Festival Opening Weekend
Location: High Town, Hereford
(Venue 1 on programme map)
Ever wanted to have a go at forging? Here’s a chance to book a slot and hammer some hot metal yourself! The festival brings forges to High Town, each run by an experienced artist blacksmith who will guide you through the process.
Come and make your very own handmade fire poker.
If you haven’t booked your forging slot in advance, there may still be slots available on the day, so come along to the forge area in High Town to see if there’s a space.
Full details and terms on the booking page. 18+ due to health and safety guidelines.
Tickets sold out.
Nowhere Forge
Date: 15th March – 17th March | Main Festival Opening Weekend
Location: Old Market, Hereford, HR4 9HR
(Venue 4 on programme map)
Simon Bushell is a travelling artist blacksmith and owner of The Nowhere Forge, a self-sufficient, sustainably powered mobile blacksmithing workshop.
Over the course of the festival, The Nowhere Forge will pop up at Old Market Shopping Centre to demonstrate the art and craft of blacksmithing.
Douglas Pryor - Demonstration
Date: 15th March – 17th March | Main Festival Opening Weekend
Location: Bloom Space, 37 Eign Gate, HR40AB
(Venue 2 on programme map)
Internationally renowned repoussé artist Douglas Pryor will be flying in from Sacramento, California to demonstrate his approach to chasing. Repoussé is a technique where metal is shaped by hammering the reverse side to create a raised design on its front side. Chasing or embossing is a similar technique, but the hammering is done on the front side, sinking the metal inwards.
Pryor will take us through some of his most challenging pieces to illustrate how the perception of limitations changed through each piece. This is a unique opportunity to see this artist in the UK.
Bloombury Smelt Demonstration
Date: 15th March – 17th March | Main Festival Opening Weekend
Location: Trinity Square, outside Maylord Orchards, HR1 2DT
(Venue 7 on programme map)
A first for this year is an exciting live smelt revealing how natural materials become useable metal, ‘from earth to iron’.
Internationally renowned blade-smith, Owen Bush will build a clay furnace on-site, to create a ‘bloom’ of iron, using iron-ore and charcoal, transforming iron ore into metal.
