Celebrating its second year, artists, artisans, and other creative folk will host immersive masterclasses as part of the Camp, with courses ranging from two to six days. One of the 16 masterclasses on offer is go-kart building, where families and friends will work together with Aaron Barton, a fourth generation maker of go-karts, to build a dream machine using found, scavenged, and recycled material. A grand race will then be held at The Planting Festival to see whose go-kart can go the fastest.
The classes offer participants the opportunity to learn and hone skills such as silver smith arts, woodcarving, songwriting, sustainable gardening, oil painting, natural skincare, cheese making, traditional Maori basket weaving, and even improvised comedy.
A series of bamboo intensives, hosted by international organisations, Cave Urban and Humanitarian Bamboo, will teach participants how to work, build, and sculpt with one of the most sustainable and versatile materials on the planet.
Exploring Gospel and Groove, hosted by Yani ChoirMistress, is open to families and groups, and explores the joys of group harmony singing. Songwriting with Andrea Kirwin, an Australian-Fijian singer/songwriter who has released three albums under her own independent record label Peace Run Records.
The Art of Improvised Comedy will be hosted by Jenny Wynter, a comedian and cabaret artist who has performed and trained with Second City, Loose Moose Theatre, and in 2016 was awarded Best Variety Show at United Solo Festival, New York City.
Handcrafted Boots with Pendragon, the designer shoe making duo Jackie Orme Ward and Adrian Lockwood, whose shoes have been featured in Milan Fashion week and photographed for Italian Vogue.
Thin Tile Vault with James Bellamy, a sustainable designer and builder based in New Zealand, will give festival goers an introduction to a unique construction technique, while the Humanitarian Shelter Building with Fabian Prideaux, a project advisor for Humanitarian Bamboo, will explore the complexities of working in the international context.
Each class culminates in the development of a creative product, artwork, and performance on the last night of the camp. Participants and facilitators are invited to stay at Woodfordia for the duration of the masterclass series.
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