A Creative Retreat Inspired by Strangford, Poetry & Print

Join us for a very special three-day calligraphy retreat in the beautiful village of Strangford, Northern Ireland – a peaceful creative escape designed to slow you down, spark new ideas and immerse you in expressive lettering, thoughtful composition and the inspiring landscape that surrounds us.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Strangford Lough and the rural beauty of County Down, this retreat invites you to spend a restorative weekend surrounded by creativity, good food and like-minded people.

Guided by Kirsten Burke and Rosie Parkes, we'll spend the weekend discovering how calligraphy can be found in the landscape around us. Inspired by the poetry of Seamus Heaney, we'll begin by wandering through the gardens, gathering grasses, leaves, seed heads and natural textures before returning to the studio to explore how these discoveries can influence both our mark-making and our lettering.

Rather than beginning with a finished artwork in mind, you'll build a personal collection of expressive marks, botanical textures and calligraphy studies inspired by what you observe. A blade of grass might suggest tall, elegant letterforms, while tangled stems, weathered bark or delicate seed heads may influence the rhythm, movement and character of your writing.

Working from a carefully chosen selection of Seamus Heaney's poetry, you'll experiment with different interpretations of the same words, discovering how composition, spacing and letterforms can evoke the atmosphere of both the poem and the surrounding landscape.

Throughout the weekend you'll continue to build layers of colour and texture, experimenting with printmaking and natural materials to create richly atmospheric papers and surfaces. As your collection grows, you'll begin arranging your favourite pieces together, using an aperture viewfinder to discover unexpected compositions where words, texture and colour come together.

Your final artwork won't be something you plan from the very beginning – it will be something you discover. By carefully selecting and combining your favourite fragments, you'll create a series of beautifully framed miniature artworks that capture your own creative response to Strangford and the poetry that inspired it.

This retreat is less about producing one perfect piece and more about learning to notice, experiment and trust your creative instincts. You'll leave with a fresh approach to calligraphy and composition, a collection of original work and, we hope, a new way of seeing both words and the landscape around you.

A Gentle Journey Through the Weekend

Friday Evening – Arrive & Gather

Settle into Strangford, meet your fellow creatives and enjoy a relaxed welcome evening with bubbles and grazing boards.

Saturday Morning – Finding Marks

Explore the gardens, gather inspiration from the landscape and begin experimenting with expressive mark-making and natural textures.

Saturday Afternoon – Finding Letterforms

Using poetry by Seamus Heaney as our inspiration, discover lettering styles influenced by the rhythm, movement and character of the natural world.

Sunday Morning – Finding Texture

Experiment with printmaking, layering colour, botanical forms and atmospheric textures to create unique papers inspired by the landscape.

Sunday Afternoon – Finding Composition

Bring everything together as you discover and compose your favourite miniature artworks, framing your final pieces as lasting reminders of the weekend.

Your Retreat Includes

• Two nights' accommodation with breakfast

• Friday evening welcome gathering with bubbles and grazing boards

• Saturday workshop including a hot lunch

• Sunday workshop including a hot buffet lunch

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout

• A thoughtfully curated Retreat Goodie Box

• All specialist equipment, tools and creative materials are provided throughout the weekend, so you can arrive, relax and immerse yourself in the creative process.

  
  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Travel & Accommodation

You’ll have your own room at our beautiful accommodation in Strangford, just a short drive from the workshop venue. Once you arrive with us, we’ll make sure you’re comfortably transported between the accommodation and workshops throughout the retreat weekend.

Guests will need to arrange their own travel to Northern Ireland, including the transfers to and from the airports. We recommend flying into Belfast City Airport or Belfast International Airport, both of which are within easy reach of Strangford. Ferries are also a lovely option, particularly from Scotland or Liverpool, if you’d prefer to travel by car.

Once you’re here, you’re very welcome to relax and let us take care of transport from your accommodation to and from the workshops, or you may choose to hire a car if you’d like to explore more of the beautiful coastline and surrounding areas during your stay.

Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough on the Lecale Peninsula in County Down, a place of quiet beauty, coastal views, and inspiring landscapes that feel perfectly suited to a creative escape.

All retreat tickets include your own private room within the accommodation, each with a double bed for single occupancy, giving you a peaceful space to relax and unwind after each creative day.