Mad about making and doing

Photo: Tim Bradley

HANDS-ON approach . . . Ellie Carpenter tries out pottery with Susan Couch.

SADDLEWORTH proved to be MAD about the South Pennines “Making and Doing” Festival over the weekend.

Sunshine encouraged a big turnout as artists and craftspeople showed off their talents at an event to put the spotlight on Saddleworth’s creative talents. The first MAD festival had everything from light painting and collage workshops to extreme knitting.

Dozens more interactive workshops, taster sessions and “meet the maker” events were spread around Saddleworth to boost interest in local trade and creative talent.

During Meet the Maker at Saddleworth Museum, visitors could take part in an environmentally-themed art workshop, a watercolour class for children and tasty cupcake decorating.

Wood-turners, potters and textile artists also opened their doors to the public to show how they make their creative pieces at the specialist event.

One of the artists displaying her paintings was 69-year-old Vivien Whiteley-Toyn: “Quite a lot of people have visited over the weekend. Festivals like this really show off local artists and craftspeople in the area.”