Category: Felt

Event: Fibreshed Ireland Syposium & Textile Market – This Friday & Saturday

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

On Friday, the 21st of November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, for their annual Symposium to hear from growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.

Speakers

● Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard of @appleoakfibreworks
● Katarina Hruskova of @woolstoreireland (Katarina is a member of Feltmakers Ireland!)
● @kathykirwan_theartofnature of the Flax 405 project
● Mary Ann Williams, editor of the book @textilesofireland
● Michelle McCabe, researcher exploring the connections between textile craft and wellbeing with ATU Sligo
● @ryankoenigstudio — 16th-century experimental textile archaeology about the knitted Ballybunion wool cap
● Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World

Textile Market

Saturday will be an Open Day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop requires a ticket.

Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate felting with Irish-raised wool!

Local fibres and textiles from a selection of Fibreshed Ireland members will be available: Included are two Feltmakers Ireland members –

  • Juliane Gorman of FeltHappiness will vend her Cyanotype-printed, Irish wool hats
  • Katarina Hruskova of WoolStore Ireland will vend locally raised wool that she has processed.

Workshops

● Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
● Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
● Weaving Circle with Lucy Hyland (@ourselfcarerevolution), from 1 to 3 PM
● Movement session for crafters with @aideen.macken, from 3:30 – 4:10 (FREE, with optional donations to support Fibreshed Ireland’s work)

Where: Dublin (different venues each day)

Optional social dinner in @fidelitydublin on Friday, the 22nd of November (book at checkout)

Discounts for students and Fibreshed Ireland members!

For more information and to reserve tickets, visit their website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/symposium-2025/

This event is part of Irish Design Week, & partly funded by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week-2025/

Education: IFA’s Quintet of Online Felting Courses – Now Open

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The International Feltmakers Association (IFA) online courses for wet feltmaking are currently open for enrollment. There are five different courses, and each covers a specific area of interest to felters:

The October-November Coursework access begins on the 1st of October and ends on the 30th of November, 2025. The courses run three times a year with a period of access to the online material. The other two slots are scheduled in January/February and May/June.

The workshops are delivered step-by-step, on screen and as a downloadable or printable PDF through the Ruzuku platform. Students work at their own pace and can use the online group forum to ask the course mentor any questions they may have. Students can also share their work through peer feedback and discussions.

Fibre packs can be ordered if needed.

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Hélène Dooley is one of the mentors with the IFA Discovering Feltmaking Courses. She masterfully guided us through the ‘Cracked Earth’ and ‘Geode’ techniques during our April 2023 Sunday Session!

For more information and to register, visit the IFA’s website – https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

The IFA has a branch for all of Ireland – Region 14. To join, visit here – https://www.feltmakers.com/join-the-international-feltmakers-association/

The online courses are open to IFA members and non-members.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Exhibition: ‘Common Threads’ – Feltmakers Ireland & The Quilters Guild of Ireland – National Design & Craft Gallery

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Poster for Common Threads

The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland presents ‘Common Threads’, an exhibition curated by Sarah Ross, showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters’ Guild of Ireland.

The exhibition opens at the National Design and Craft Gallery (NDCG) on Thursday, the 7th of August and runs until the 1st of November.

Where: National Design & Craft Gallery, The Castle Yard, The Parade, Gardens, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny, R95 CAA6

When: The opening is at 3 PM, Thursday, the 7th of August 2025. Please RSVP by Friday, the 1st of August- rsvp@dcci.ie

For more information, visit the gallery’s website – https://www.dcci.ie/events/common-threads/

Instagram: @dccireland @ndcgallery

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Of Interest: August Craft Month – Felting Related Events

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmakers Ireland will have TWO events where we will teach wet felting as part of this year’s August Craft Month –

  • CIE Sports Hall, Inchicore, Dublin, on Sunday, the 17th of August
  • St James Hall, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, on Sunday, the 24th of August

Our events run from 11 AM to 3 PM, offering both morning and afternoon sessions for students. While our Dublin event is already fully booked, there are still spots available for our Kilbeggan event. Please note: These remaining places are reserved for non-members—we want to share the joy of felting with new faces!

At both events, we’ll need volunteers to welcome and guide students throughout the day. Members will also have the chance to exhibit (and sell) their felted creations!

New this year: We’re inviting members to use the Open Day as an opportunity to actively work on their own felting projects. It’s an excellent way for the public to see the creative process behind the finished pieces.

If you are a member and want to be part of our Open Days, please email us at feltmakersIE@gmail.com

Members’ ACM Felting Activities

Several of our members have their own August Craft Month events!

On the 1st of August, Sharon Wells is teaching a workshop on how to use wool for crafts or gardens in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/how-to-use-local-wool-for-crafts-or-gardens-cahersiveen-music-and-arts-festival-event/

On the 2nd, Sharon is teaching a felted painting workshop in Co Kerry – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/feltmaking-the-kerry-countryside/

On the 3rd of August, Karen Bowden of Fabulous Fibres is teaching a wet felted handbag workshop in Creggs, Co Galway – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/felted-handbag-workshop/

Needlefelter Emily Thompson has a month-long exhibition of her wool landscape paintings at the Carrigaline Library, Kilnaglery, Carrigaline, Co Cork, P43 HA25.

Emily is also teaching several workshops in various locations in Co Cork. Here is a link to her course for children on the 9th of August – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/needle-felting-workshop-with-emily-thompson-create-a-wool-painting/. She also has classes on the 16th, 24th and 29th – https://augustcraftmonth.org/events/?search_loc=cork&event_type=workshop&discipline=felt&start_date=20250725&end_date=20250930#results

On the 9th of August, Zivile Zeniauskaite will be part of the Makers of Blackwater Valley in Fermoy, Co Cork. She will demonstrate how she creates felted slippers – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/meet-the-makers/

Barbara O’Rahilly is holding a series of two craft retreats in Kilternan, Co Dublin. Each event runs for four days. The first one is from the 11th to the 14th, and the second one is from the 18th to the 21st – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/4-day-craft-retreat-with-barbara-orahilly-2/

Caoimhe Tuthill of Boann Irish Felt will teach a wet felting flower workshop on the 16th of August as part of the MeathMade Celebration in Swift, Co Meath – https://swiftculturalcentre.ie/event/meath-made-wet-felt-flower-bouquet-workshop

Tamzen Lundy is teaching a wet felting workshop on the 31st of August, in Co Kildare – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/feltmaking-a-sea-urchin-wet-felting-taster/

FoFi Events

Friend of Feltmakers Ireland (FoFI), Shelley Steele, who organised the Flax Flower Project at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, has a Meet the Maker on the 28th and a felted blue flax flower workshop on the 9th in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland – https://augustcraftmonth.org/events/?search_loc=antrim&event_type=&discipline=felt&start_date=20250701&end_date=20250930#results

Another FoFI, Fibreshed Ireland, has a flax and linen related event in Balleydehob, Co Cork on the 24th of August – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/flax-linen-inne-agus-inniu-and-heritage-games/

If you are a guild member and we overlooked your event, please accept our apologies. A lot is going on during August Craft Month!

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Exhibition: Flax Flower Project Unveils Felt Installation at Titanic Museum – Belfast

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

Twelve talented artisans from three felting organisations—Feltmakers Ireland, Feltmakers North, and the International Feltmakers Association (IFA)—have collaborated on the Flax Flower Project, a unique wet-felted installation set to debut at the Titanic Museum on Tuesday, the 1st of July, 2025. The exhibit, which celebrates Belfast’s rich heritage in flax and linen production, will run through August 2025 and return each summer thereafter.

The Flax Flower Project showcases intricate floral designs crafted from sustainable materials, including Merino wool, bamboo fibres, Margilan silk, silk fibres, and flax strands for hanging. This vibrant display blends traditional craftsmanship with innovative textile art, highlighting the cultural and industrial significance of flax in Belfast’s history.

Behind the Scenes

Shelley Steele and Jane Fox co-coordinated the Flax Flower Project. Shelley expressed her enthusiasm: “It’s been a great pleasure to organise The Flax Flower Project alongside Jane Fox. Bringing together such talented artists to honour Belfast’s legacy has been truly rewarding.”

Loli Cox, a member of Feltmakers Ireland and IFA, added: “I was thrilled to join this project, which celebrates Belfast’s flax and linen heritage while showcasing the sustainable art of feltmaking. This exhibit not only honours our past but also inspires sustainable creativity for the future, aligning perfectly with Feltmakers Ireland’s mission to promote natural fibres like sheep’s wool for wearable and artistic applications.”

The project reflects the felting organisations’ commitment to sustainable textile practices and the revival of traditional crafts. It highlights feltmaking as a sustainable art form, while also celebrating the heritage of linen-making—a craft that was once a cornerstone of Belfast’s economy. Through the tactile and creative process of wet felting, these artisans will educate the public about the historical and cultural significance of flax and wool, promoting eco-conscious artistry.

The contributing artists are Sharon Bell, Loli Cox, Jane Fox, Siobhán Healy Ryan, Marie Hopkins, Viktor Hurtovyi, Elaine McCombe, Laura Moffett, Jacki Sleator, Shelley Steele, and Fiona Whyte.

The Artists

For more information about the Flax Flower Project or to schedule a visit to the Titanic Museum exhibit, please visit the website. – https://www.titanicbelfast.com/

Feltmakers Ireland is dedicated to promoting sustainable textile practices and raising awareness of natural fibres through innovative and traditional feltmaking techniques – https://feltmakersireland.com/

The IFA fosters a global community of feltmakers, encouraging creativity and collaboration in the art of feltmaking – https://www.feltmakers.com/

Feltmakers North supports artisans in Northern Ireland, preserving and advancing the craft of feltmaking through education and exhibitions. https://feltmakersnorth.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Events: Feltmakers Ireland AGM 2025 – 11th of May

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AGM

All members of the Feltmakers Ireland Guild are invited to our AGM on Sunday, the 11th of May.

By starting promptly at 10:30 AM, we aim to complete the meeting’s formalities in a timely manner, allowing us to listen to our Guest Speaker, Leiko Uchiyama, an artist, educator, and master dyer, who lives in Co Carlow.

Additionally, this year we will feature a Sellers’ Area and a Display Area. See below for more information.

Agenda

1.     Address by the Chair, opening the AGM (Suzanne Phelan will act on behalf of chairperson Deirdre Carroll, who is away)

2.     Address by Secretary (Lorna Cady)

3.    Treasurer’s Report (Annika Berglund)

4.    Wool Project Wool Report  (Annika Berglund)

5.    Motions for AGM

6.    Election of Chair and Committee 2025/26. Election of other Officers will be held at the June Committee Meeting. We always welcome new faces on the Committee—if you’re interested in helping to keep our Guild active and thriving, your support would be greatly appreciated!

7.    Guest Speaker is Leiko Uchiyama, a feltmaking artist originally from Japan and now living in Borris, Co Carlow. Her journey has taken her from Japan to New Zealand, Indonesia, and France, where she developed her feltmaking techniques. Leiko creates wearable pieces made of wool and silks, which she dyes using her own colour recipes. She also makes functional pieces for the home. She teaches Felting workshops throughout Europe, America, Australia, and Japan, and has exhibited her work in many countries.

Leiko will also have her dyed wool roving for sale at the AGM. She will bring Merino, Corriedale and a Silk/Merino mix of roving, which is ideal for the craft of felting.

8.    A Bursary Draw for €250 is open to all paid-up members and will take place at the AGM. The winner can participate in a Felting course and then provide a short recap article with photographs. (In 2024, guild member Adrienne Dempsey won the award. You can read about her experience in this blog post.)

9. Sellers’ Area: Members will have the opportunity to sell their work, fibres or supplies at the AGM. Methods of receiving payment, whether by cash, credit card, Revolut, or PayPal transactions, are the seller’s responsibility. The guild will provide tables, but NOT coverings or other displays. Please RSVP if you wish to participate in the Sellers’ Area, as space is limited. feltmakersIE@gmail.com

10.  Display Area: Members can also take the opportunity to display and discuss a small selection of their work with other members. Members will need to bring props to display their items. Make sure that your name is on your piece. The guild will provide two table coverings.

11.  Refreshments and chat. Refreshments will follow. If you could bring a little something, home-baked or not, we’d be delighted. We always appreciate goodies with our cuppa. If you have a travel cup, please bring it so we can reduce the waste of single-use paper cups.

Zoom Access

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed beforehand on Friday. This session will not be recorded.

Leiko’s Instagram: @leikofelt

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Of Interest: New FeltMatters Podcast – Season 3 Episode 2 – Felting, Bees, and Collaboration

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
FeltMatters the Podcast hosted by Vivienne Mortpeth and Heather Potten. The Bees - Lydia Needle's Fifty Bees CIC Project.

In Season 3, Episode 2 of the International Feltmakers Association‘s podcast, Felt Matters, hosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten delve into the theme of artistic collaboration, featuring an interview with needle felting artist Lydia Needle, whose surname fittingly mirrors her medium. Lydia shares her transition from teaching to working with wool and explores the ecological and artistic motivations behind her ambitious 50 Bees project, which highlights the importance of bee conservation.

The episode underscores the impactful role artists can play in confronting global issues, highlighting how informal, creative education and collaborative expression can drive meaningful change.

To listen to this specific episode, visit their YouTube page – https://youtu.be/neCFqU87gzA?si=unAXZE-CPy9hklwy

This page on YouTube links to all of the podcasts- https://www.youtube.com/@internationalfeltmakers

Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Lydia Needle’s Instagram – @lydianeedle Her 50 Bees Project on Instagram – @fiftybeescic

FeltMatters Instagram – @feltmatters.thepodcast

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Education: Members with Upcoming Workshops

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Several members of Feltmakers Ireland teach their skills.

Here are some of the upcoming workshops they offer. We’re sorry we missed many of the March events—we were busy with our exhibition!

Gelli Plate Workshop with Mel Bradley – Co Louth

Mel Bradley is running a Gelli Plate printing workshop in her studio, Gallery 13, Millmount Craft Quarter, on Saturday, the 12th of April.

For more info & to contact- https://melbradleysilks.ie/contact/

IFA’s Discovering Feltmaking – Online Courses

Guild member Hélène Dooley is among the tutors for the International Feltmakers Association’s five online felting courses, which start on May 1st and end on June 30th.

For more info – https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

Needle Felting Workshop with Lucia Errity – Co Meath

Guild member Lucia Errity is teaching a needle felting workshop on the 11th of May.

Contact her via Instagram @luciaerrityart

2nd Annual Soul Dolls Retreat – Co Sligo

Guild member Caoimhe Tuthill is again pairing up with Shelly Ann Szigli for Sould Dolls Retreat in November 2025.

For more info – https://www.souldolls.ca/ireland-2025-soul-dolls-gathering

If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and offer workshops, please get in touch with us at feltmakersIE@gmail.com

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Exhibition: Stephanie Robison Sculptures – Marrow Gallery – San Francisco USA

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Poster for art exhibition - Stephanie Robison - featuring a pale orange and white sculpture.

Artist Stephanie Robison combines stone carving with needle felting to create playful sculptures in which wool appears hard and stone appears soft. She is currently having a solo exhibition at the Marrow Gallery in San Francisco, USA. Titled “Incantations for the Average Person”, her work has been described as “What Happens When Stone and Wool Have a Party?” by We and the Color online magazine.

The exhibition runs until the 29th of March.

For more information on seeing the show, visit the gallery’s website – https://www.marrowgallery.com/

There is an interview with the artist on the ‘Art is Awesome’ podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stephanie-robison-sculptor/id1688820758?i=1000698729397

To see more of Robison’s works, visit her website – https://www.stephanierobison.com/

Instagram – @squishystone


Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

Exhibition Recap: First Lady Sabina Higgins Opens ‘Symbols of Ireland’ Art Exhibition – Phoenix Park Visitor Centre

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment
First Lady Sabina Higgins looking at Claire Merry’s ‘Hares in the Meadow’

Dublin, Ireland: Over 400 attendees gathered at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for the opening of ‘Symbols of Ireland’, a stunning exhibition from Feltmakers Ireland.

First Lady Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D Higgins, officially opened the event with an inspiring address, marking a celebration of Irish craftsmanship and sustainability.

The exhibition featured the work of 47 guild members, showcasing many pieces crafted from Irish-raised wool fibre.

Mrs Higgins expressed her awe in her speech, saying, “I’m overwhelmed. I really haven’t seen a felt exhibition before… I have seen individual pieces in craft shops, but I haven’t ever seen anything like THIS! The innovation of the felt, how it is made from the start, is incredible.”

She went on to recommend transferring the exhibition to the National Gallery of Ireland, underscoring its cultural importance.

As Patron of the Wool in Schools Program, Mrs Higgins highlighted wool’s role as a sustainable
material, noting its durability and self-cleaning properties. She also connected the exhibition’s
themes to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, calling them “the 10
Commandments of our times.” To learn more about the Goals, visit here – https://sdgs.un.org/goals

‘Symbols of Ireland’ was open to the public at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre until the 30th of March, 2025. Visiting hours were 10 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday through Sunday, with free admission.

The Exhibition

  • Entering the Exhibition
  • Sabina Higgins and Loli Cox viewing Amanda Robinson Kelly’s artwork
  • Loli and our chairperson, Deirdre Carroll
  • The Committee. Left to right, Juliane Gorman, Deirdre Carroll, First Lady Sabina Higgins, Suzanne, Phelan, Lorna Cady (in front row), Annika Berglund in back row, Loli Cox, Adrienne Dempsey, and Elizabeth Redding. (Sam Fagan missing from photo)
  • Mrs Higgins talking with Lorna McCormack, head of Wool in Schools. Arwork by Heather Byrne
  • Mrs Higgins and Loli viewing Annika Berglund and Sandra Chase’s artwork
  • Astrid Tomprop-Hofmann and Suzanne Phelan
  • Mrs Higgins chatting with Helene Dooley
  • Mrs Higgins signing the guestbook
  • The room from above
  • A big crowd attended the opening

Photos taken by Robert Cox

To see all the fantastic photos (150!) of the launch, taken by Robert Cox, spouse of guild member and exhibition coordinator Loli Cox, please visit this website – https://www.icloud.com/photos/#/icloudlinks/00dU16AKlBy8bGRZ11kv0mi7Q

(You can download individual photos or all of them. Please credit Robert and include Feltmakers Ireland when sharing).

The video of First Lady Sabina Higgins’s speech can be watched on our YouTube Channel- https://youtu.be/j0u6qiopTUg

There is a ‘B Roll’ of 16 additional videos, which includes artwork and the visitors at our opening, on Robert Cox’s iCloud – https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f4mtmSfXq2iNbuX6Enf6x1ig

Digital Catalogue

If you are unable to come to Dublin, we have an online version of the exhibition via our catalogue – Catalogue- Symbols of Ireland

The Poster

The exhibition ran from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Please note: the Centre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

The gallery is conveniently accessible by Dublin Bus number 99 and is located within the historic Phoenix Park. For further details, including maps and directions to the park, visit https://www.phoenixpark.ie/directions.

The artwork featured on the exhibition poster is ‘Brigid’s Legacy’ by Jane Fox.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.