A group of local artists are heading over to the UK to represent the island and to take part in a national arts festival.

Members of the Guild of Silk Painters Isle of Man are to travel to England this weekend for the ’Freedom Festival of Silk’, a two-day series of exhibition and workshops based around the art-form of painting silk.

Seven local artists, including Anne Cannell, Jean Buck, Hilary Bruce, Betty Hopson Chris Cowell, Sarah Goulden and Jan Avron-Cotton will be travelling across to Newport in Shropshire to learn and study a variety of new techniques, whilst improving their already-considerable skills.

The festival is a chance to bring together all the regional and national silk painting guilds in the UK to celebrate the end of lockdown and to take part in and enjoy workshops together with new ideas about painting onto silk.

The Guild of Silk Painters hold a bi-annual festival of exhibitions and workshops, which are hosted by each regional guild in turn.

The festival was dubbed the ’Freedom festival’ after it was reorganised from last year’s event, which was cancelled do to the Covid situation.

’It does mean, unfortunately, that this year’s festival will be a slightly quieter affair than usual, with less people there,’ said Jean Buck.

’However, there will still be many workshops taking place and plenty of friends and new crafters to meet up with.

’We will be doing all sorts of courses on the Japanese art of "Shibori", as well as techniques like needle felting with silk and watercolour techniques for seascapes with wax.

’The "eco-dying" course involves using leaves to paint and dye onto silk to make lots of interesting patterns, and we will also be doing a course on painting silk onto fused glass, with the guild leader Anethia Sellars.

’It will be a hectic few days, that’s for sure.’

The festival will help the guild members bring back new techniques and plenty of know-how to share with their fellow members of the Isle of Man guild.

’When we come back we will be able to hold our own workshops to show these techniques to the members of the Isle of Man guild,’ said Jean.

’We have more than 80 people who are involved with the silk painters guild here and it seems to be something that is growing in popularity.

’We hold workshops each month at the Manx museum and at Thie Ellyn, the home of the Isle of Man Arts Society.

’We have so many people involved now that we are considering starting beginners classes.’

The local branch of the Guild of Silk Painters held one of the bi-annual festivals on the Isle of Man in 2013.

Dubbed the ’The Celtic Kingdom of Silk’, the exhibition welcomed crafters from as far afield as America.

More information on the festival and the local guild is available from silkguildiom.com