Do you want to learn about old skills and crafts from times past? Are you interested in  basket making, boat building, net making and blacksmith skills? If so come to  Westport in October for our first REKINDLE festival.

REKINDLE was created by Common Knowledge, a non-profit social enterprise, as an intergenerational micro-festival of Lost Skills, focusing on rekindling and celebrating traditional arts, skills and practices of the past often held by older people. The REKINDLE day festival that took place last year in Ennistymon was a huge success with the community. The activities and atmosphere of the day brought together 18 stall holders, who showcased Lost Skills.

Common Knowledge have now created a toolkit that will allow them to trial a Westport version of Rekindle as part of the Westival festival. The festival will incorporate performance arts including live traditional music and spoken word, visual arts and film as well as skill-sharing demonstrations by the older members of the  community. This cooperation is  a very suitable fit and aligns with the festival’s strategy to be a place-making festival that highlights the skills and talents of local artists. This event will  nurture and develop  Westival’s relationship with a Mayo’s network of older craftspeople and focus on forging connections and collaborations between this older generation and a younger audience.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.