Hay Castle Events

This is for artists wishing to pay their entry for the Open Show. The show runs in the Gallery from Sat 12 September and Sunday 1 Nov 2026.

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL THE END OF JULY - CLOSING DATE IS 30 JULY

Entries cost £20 each and there is a maximum of one entry per artist. (The entry fee goes to help cover the cost associated with running the gallery.)

Once you have paid the entry fee using the button below - please make sure you fill in the form.

Payment is required to get the order number for the form. You will be provided with a link to submit your artwork, along with dimensions and photographs. The photographs are important as this is what the panel will use to choose submissions.

Terms & Conditions

• Fees are £20 and are non refundable. (only 1 piece of work can be submitted per person as we have less room this year)
• Max size for 2D is 150cm x 150cm
• Max size for sculpture is 100cm x 100cm and no more than 150kg (we have to get it upstairs via the lift)
• If successful, you will be notified by email.
• The exhibition runs from 12/09/26 to 01/11/26 and selected work must be delivered to the castle.
• Work must be clearly labelled on the reverse with name, title and price.
• The decision of the Selection Panel is final.
• Work will be insured whilst on exhibition at the castle.
• Submissions are welcomed for fine art and sculpture only.
• Hay Castle takes 40% commission on any work sold.

LINK TO ENTRY FORM ONCE PAYMENT IS MADE

The Friendship Quilt is a community sewing project for asylum seekers, refugees, their friends and supporters. Following on from a quilt that was started during Lockdown the project now involves smaller children's quilts which are added to every Saturday in the Great Hall.

Why not come along and join in by adding some stitches to the quilt?

Here is a little information about the project:

Hay Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees, organise and host Welcome Days in their locality for people seeking asylum or refuge in South Wales. and invite groups to village and school halls, where they can take part in various activities and share a meal cooked by members of the local community.

At one such event in Hay-on-Wye, in January 2020, Emily Hedges and two of her friends, Jenny Chippendale and Julia Joplin, ran a sewing group where people from Swansea sat round a table with a local volunteers and made hand-sewn brooches. Emily remembers:

‘It was wonderful,:everyone really enjoyed themselves and absorbed in this simple activity, opened up and began to talk about their previous sewing experiences. One lady had been a tailor in Basra and another chap had been taught to sew by his mother- we really had a giggle’

As COVID took hold and lockdown led to long periods of isolation for many, Emily began to think of a plan to help people connect once again, through stitching. The idea of a Friendship Quilt grew and she devised a series of packs to be sent out individually to people seeking asylum as well as their friends and supporters in Swansea and in Breconshire where she lives. Each pack contained a square of linen , some embroidery thread and needles as well as simple instructions ‘to embroider a design on the theme of Friendship.’

Link to their website

Graeme Hobbs and Francesca Kay will be setting type, printing posters and talking about the beautiful Columbian Printing Press here in Hay Castle. They are celebrating the final month of their Printmaker in Focus exhibition. Come and browse their letterpress work, and see the Columbian press in action.

13-14 June.

11am to 3pm.

Free event.

Graeme Hobbs and Francesca Kay will be setting type, printing posters and talking about the beautiful Columbian Printing Press here in Hay Castle. They are celebrating the final month of their Printmaker in Focus exhibition. Come and browse their letterpress work, and see the Columbian press in action.

27 - 28 June.

11am to 3pm.

Free event.

On 4th July there will be even more books and bibliophiles in Hay than usual as the Hay PBFA Book Fair 2026 takes place in Hay Castle from 10am - 4.30pm.

There will be specialist book dealers from around the UK exhibiting and there will be books for all tastes and budgets on offer. The dealers will fill the Great Hall of the castle and the mezzanine level above and it is sure to be a truly beautiful sight seeing the castle overflowing with books and ephemera once again.

Entry to the fair is free as is entry to the castle for the whole day of the Fair so it is a perfect day to visit.


See the PBFA website

Meadow Arts invites you to join Sarah Price Hiking for a series of guided walks through Hay-on-Wye and Kington, presented as part of the BorderLands programme.

Each walk has been carefully mapped by Sarah Price and will be led by a different artist, offering unique perspectives in response to the theme of Borders. Together, these walks explore the landscapes, histories and lived experiences that shape this border region.

Dates:
Sundays 5 July (Hay-on-Wye)
Thursday 20 August (Hay-on-Wye)
Sunday 30 August (Hay-on-Wye)
Sunday 13 September (Kington)

Time: Depart 10am and return 12pm

Meeting points:
Hay Castle main entrance, Oxford Road, Hay-on-Wye HR3 5DG

Ridgebourne Road, Kington, HR5 3EG
(13 September walk)

Ticket price: £7.50
Free for under 18’s
All welcome, booking essential

Suitable footwear advised

The BorderLands Walking Series is funded by Arts Council Wales as part of the BorderLands programme (15 May – 31 August 2026). BorderLands is presented in partnership with Hay Castle. Made possible thanks to funding from The de Laszlo Foundation, The Colwinston Charitable Trust 30th Anniversary Fund and Arts Council England.

Participants are also warmly invited to explore the exhibition at the Castle at the end of the walks in Hay-on-Wye, extending the experience and offering further insight into the themes encountered along the way.

Some of the inhabitants of The Small Breeds Farm Park in Kington are coming to Hay Castle for a visit.

Our lawn will be welcoming some of the smaller animals including pygmy goats, sheep and guinea pigs who will be handled by Small Breeds staff who can introduce you to them and help with safe and careful petting.

These animals are used to the public as they are part of the farm park in Kington and meet people every day.

They will be taking up residence on the lawn from 11am until 2pm on Sunday July 12th.

This is a Free Event.

Learn the centuries-old art of traditional Japanese Orizomegami paper dyeing.

In this workshop you will learn to decorate paper by folding it and dipping it in pigment. This method is simple to learn but offers endless possibilities for combining colours and patterns, in a process that is mesmerizing and endlessly satisfying. Papers can be used for gift wrapping, card making, envelope lining, book binding or other creative applications.

This workshop will be led by Aoife Higgins, a visual artist and bookbinder based in Ludlow who enjoys experimenting with methods of paper decoration.

No experience is needed and all materials will be provided.

£15 per person

Get creative at our fun-filled craft buffet workshop, perfect for kids aged 6 and upwards. Children can explore a variety of hands-on craft stations, choosing from painting, collage, beads, junk modelling and more. With plenty of colourful materials and friendly guidance, kids are free to mix, match and design their own unique creations at their own pace.
A relaxed, imaginative space where creativity takes the lead and every child leaves with something special, they’ve made themselves.

All resources provided

Parental supervision required throughout the session.

Discover art and architecture in our Tetrapak Printing Workshop inspired by the unique features of Hay Castle, designed for ages 11 and up. Participants will learn how to transform recycled Tetrapak cartons into printing plates, etchig and inking designs based on the castle’s towers, arches, and textures.
Combining creativity with a touch of history, this hands-on session encourages young artists to experiment with printmaking techniques while exploring the character of historic architecture. Each participant will create their own striking prints to take home.

All resources provided

Why not come along and dance to Wuthering Heights on Sunday 26th on the Castle lawn?

All you need to do is turn up on the day - and if you wear red - all the better!

This is part of an international event - The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever.

We (along with thousand of other Kate Bush mad dancers all round the world) will be performing to Wuthering Heights.

Wear red.

The steps are simple, NO dance experience required. Just a love of Kate. If you want to try it at home:


Learn Wuthering Heights Dance

Join us for a vibrant, hands-on art workshop inspired by the feathered residents of Hay Castle’s gardens and surrounding countryside. Using recycled cardboard as your canvas, you’ll sketch and cut out bird shapes based on local species—think cheeky robins, elegant swallows, and bright goldfinches—before bringing them to life with bold, joyful colours and patterns. Perfect for all ages and abilities, this session blends creativity with a touch of nature study, leaving you with a unique, hand-painted bird to take home or display.

All resources provided Parental supervision required throughout the session.

Barbara launches her brand new book ‘The Valley of Ravens’

In the depths of the valley, two women, centuries apart, are bound by fate…
Present
Eve, desperate for a fresh start, arrives in the Valley of Ravens to restore a long-abandoned cottage.
Everyone knows the place is cursed. Why else would it be called The Witch’s House?
As Eve begins her renovations it becomes clear the place has a secret waiting to be uncovered, if only she can make the connection with the past.

Wales, 1260
Alys, a healer living in the depths of the valley, discovers Llewelyn – last true Prince of Wales – lying wounded on the battlefield. She tends him and her fate is forever bound to his.

Barbara will be signing copies of 'The Valley of Ravens' after the talk.
Buy a raffle ticket on the night to win a specially signed copy.
Bar open from 6:30pm

Join us for a fun, hands-on art and science adventure! In this creative workshop for ages 6+, young artists will use watercolours and rubbing alcohol to create magical, swirling planet designs that look like they’ve come straight from outer space.

As we paint, we’ll explore fascinating STEM facts about our solar system — from the stormy stripes of Jupiter to the icy blues of Neptune — and discover how colour, texture, and chemistry can bring these worlds to life on paper. Children will leave with their own unique “planet” artwork and a head full of cosmic curiosity.

All resources provided

Parental supervision required throughout the session.

Step into the creative heart of Hay Castle and explore the magic of words and images in this hands-on workshop designed for ages 11 and up. Inspired by the Borderlands exhibition, participants will discover how to transform fragments of text from old books, newspapers, and letters into striking found poetry. Guided by an artist-facilitator, you’ll learn techniques to layer your poems with visual elements—collage, ink, and mixed media—creating unique artworks that reflect the shifting identities, histories, and landscapes of the borderlands. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with a one-of-a-kind piece that blends literature and art, and a deeper connection to the stories that shape the spaces between worlds.

All resources provided

The Three Inch Fools present an epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhem.

In a land of daring quests, dashing knights, and endless jousting, there lived a would-be hero - waiting in the

wings - who went by the name of Arthur. But when Camelot is rocked to its core by a tragic - and frankly improbable - incident involving a large table of an undisclosed shape, Arthur is thrust into the quest of a lifetime. Will he bravely battle through blistering cold and scorching fire to save his beloved realm, or will he crumble as fate refuses to cooperate? Destiny awaits, chivalry calls, and the quest to end all quests begins.

Saddle up - things are about to get legendary

Bring your own cushions and camping chairs and join us for this most epic of quests. Come prepared for the weather - the performance will continue come rain or shine.

★★★★★ “So entertaining… laugh-out-loud funny”

★★★★★ “The ultimate British theatrical experience” – Hastings Independent Press

★★★★★ “Riotously fun. Hugely enjoyable”

Additional notes

This performance is an outdoor performance. We recommend that you bring blankets/chairs/cushions etc. to sit on. Come prepared for the weather with warm coats and waterproofs etc, as the performance will continue come rain come shine!

7pm start time, gates open from 5:30pm. The performance will last approximately 100 minutes (+ a 20 minute interval).

Bar and food available from the Castle from 5.30pm. Picnics also welcome.

We kindly ask that you do not bring umbrellas, as these can obscure the view for other audience members.

An Introduction to the Art of Calligraphy.

Try your hand at this heritage craft.

This half day practical workshop will introduce you to basic foundation hand. The different strokes will be practised and combined to create all letters of the miniscule alphabet. At the end of the session, you should have an understanding of letter construction as a launch pad to begin your Calligraphy journey.

This workshop will be delivered by Peter Lloyd who has forty plus years of experience as a professional calligrapher and tutor.
No previous experience is needed and all equipment will be provided.

£20 per person
12 tickets available

You're invited to join Helen Jane Campbell at Hay Castle on this inspiring two-day retreat for writers. Immerse yourself in the famous book town of Hay-on-Wye. Meet authors and booksellers, write, browse the magical bookshops, and make progress with your own book or other writing project.

You’ll meet expert guests for informal, cosy, Q & As and there’ll be optional wellness activities to help you feel inspired and motivated. Team this with stunning countryside, a dreamy riverside location, vibrant local markets and delicious food: it’s the magical summer trip you’ll want to be part of.

Helen is a coach for creative people and will support you throughout the two days.