Confirmed pre-fest course tutors for 2025 are: Amy Leake (Woodmungler), Barn the Spoon, JoJo Wood, Karel Hekrle & Sean Hellman – scroll down to see details of the courses and stay tuned for more pre-fest tutor announcements.
Tickets for pre-fest go on sale 1st March 2025
Pre-fest tickets do not include attendance to the festival itself, however we do always save some fest tickets for folk who attend pre-fest. So if you miss out on festival tickets but have a pre-fest space, we will make sure you can attend for the whole event. Main fest itself costs £115 – just put yourself on the festival waiting list, and get in touch!
About Pre-fest
Spoonfest is a fantastic sharing of skills and great fun but the workshops are just short taster sessions. If you really want to learn then you need longer.
Since we have some of the best spooncarvers in the world coming we thought we should get them here three days earlier and offer the chance of a longer course. Not only will you have the enjoyment of learning with a small group from a master carver you will also be sharing the Spoonfest site with 4 other courses so we all get to see what the other tutors are up to as well.
Courses cost £275 including all materials, unless otherwise stated. All courses run 2pm-5.30pm on Tues 29th July and 9.30-4.30 on Weds 30th July and Thurs 31st July. Free camping on site is included, as is a good lunch each day and lots of tea and coffee. The fires will be going in the evenings for folk to cook over or often there’s a large group goes to eat at a local pub.
We have big shared lunchtime meals and can see progress in all the classes, almost 5 classes for the price of one. For the folk who come on these special courses the atmosphere is great.
Pre fest courses are aimed at folk who can already use the basic tools rather than absolute beginners. You will need to bring your own tools for your class.
Amy Leake
I’ve been hooked on green woodworking since 2011 when I first became enthralled by the possibilities of working with raw wood to create humble functional objects. I’ve gained a huge amount from attending every Spoonfest since it’s inception, and am excited to be able to share my knowledge with others. I’ve taught at many green wood festivals in the UK and Europe .
At the heart of my work I aim to make elegant shapes, sometimes with a bit of simple folky ornamentation added.
In this pre-fest course we’ll focus on all the skills needed to take your carving to the next level : improving on axe and knife skills, following a logical progression for making spoons, design development, and we’ll have some time to explore decorative techniques such as the use of paint and simple chip carving.
Barn the Spoon
Barn has been a woodwork obsessive for over 30 years and there doesn’t seem to be any letting up! Recognised for his unique depth of knowledge, and artisanal approach to production carving, he adapts simple, traditional designs to sell to a modern market.
Barn’s class will start by exploring the use of spoon mules which speed up production whilst making the work more physically sustainable, and gentle on your hands.
Working with some of Barn’s iconic designs, you’ll be guided through a structured approach to making a spoon blank with “crank”. You’ll learn techniques to efficiently home in on a design removing the confusion that can arise not knowing which surface to work next. And plenty of time to perfect smooth bowls and neck transitions. This class is great for beginners and those with more experience looking to improve finish, design and productivity.
JoJo Wood
JoJo Wood first taught at the second spoonfest in 2012 and we are delighted to have her back teaching this year.
JoJo has taught eating spoon masterclasses globally, from in the USA to the folk crafts school in Sweden and the Bauhaus. Having grown up in Edale surrounded by spoons and spoon carvers they have been inspired by the best in the world then taken it on to the next level.
JoJo is keen to inspire more people to take up woodworking, teaching that technique wins over physical strength every time. She is passionate about how beneficial craft can be for our mental wellbeing and has spoken regularly over the years about their own experiences within craft, and how he has seen craft help other people. JoJo is founder of Pathcarvers, a social enterprise based in Birmingham, UK, where they try to help bring the positive aspects of creativity to a wider audience.
This course will help people that can carve a basic spoon to take it to the next level, refining the form, thinking about design and function, learning how better tool control leads to better forms with less effort. This course is for anyone that wants to improve their spoons in a gentle learning environment, focussed on self-development.
Karel Hekrle
Spoon Deep – spoon measuring our thirst
Carving into the depths of the log sized for a measuring/ drinking spoon blank is a meditative work nevertheless to give it an overall shape and to put a handle on it takes an action with our axes, a lot of well controled action in fact!
Simple edged tools call for some degree of mastery to be able to use them various ways. Lets explore how to axe out our spooncup easy way with a good technique. Seeds of wisdom waiting there possibly can bloom under your hands beautifuly.
Carving an object using several techniques can be demanding before we learn the way to do it. Bringing your tools sharp helps. We will go at a relaxed pace often step by step to let the techniques sink in and keep everybody safe until we have the peace achieved.
About carver’s point:
My spoon carving journey began with the first Spoonfest years ago. Each festival I learned from many experienced people in the community bits and pieces of greenwoodcraft know-how. What a great opportunity and honor for me to share my experiences now teaching at the Spoonfest 2025! Greenwoodcarving is, learned well through the practise, something that gives us the freedom to create beautiful and very useful things for our everyday life from just a piece of branch or some other often reclaimed part of a tree. Following the natural patterns, seeing grain, using a particular tool call for, in short, conscious design in hand. I like to add a decorative or functional details, some natural colours or cooperate with little friends that make a way in the woods just like me. Greenwoodcrafts being nearly a zero-trace and/or human energy powered way to make things represent our need for closer relationship with natural environment around where we live and for manifestation of true thing of beauty – my inspiration for carving, greenwoodworking and sharing the benefits this growing culture offers for free.
Sean Hellman
Learn sharpening by grinding and honing two knife-blade blanks. You can also bring tools to renovate and resharpen. These do not have to be knives.
You will have access to professional grinders and a range of equipment to try out and sharpen with.
Participants will be able to buy Sharp for a discounted price of 40% off.
The two heat-treated blades that you will be provided with: one is Sean’s small, signature, whittling knife blade, and the other is a Wharncliffe chip-carving blade. You will grind, hone and polish these blades using electrical equipment, and various bench stones. You can either make your own handle for these blades, or use the blank provided.
The grinding and polishing equipment available, will provide a wide range of water, oil, diamond, and natural bench stones and abrasives films. We will cover the pros and cons of all these abrasives, and find the right fit for your tools’ requirements.
Many sharpening techniques will be taught, as well the most important aspects of sharpening: observation, alongside an understanding of Edge Geometry in general, and concerning specific tools. We will use a microscope to highlight both good and bad techniques.
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