Waunifor is an atmospheric five acre site set in an idyllic rural location, dedicated to creativity, education, sustainability, health and well being and other activities related to 'the arts of purposeful living'.
There are six stone cottages (your accommodation for Crafty Breaks), an old mansion house and some new eco-friendly buildings, as well as a variety of gardens and natural wildlife areas.
We run various residential workshops and seminars and provide facilities and activities for local groups and people. The village school brings children here regularly for crafts, gardening and sustainability lessons. We also let the cottages for holidays, host events for other people and organisations, and cater for parties and celebrations. To find out more about Waunifor, and see lots of pictures and details of other events go to our main site www.waunifor.com .
Lisette Chesshire (BA, cert ed.) is the main tutor for Crafty Breaks. She has her own ceramics studio at Waunifor where she produces pottery that is exhibited and sold at local shops and galleries. She also hand paints beautiful, individual ceramic house names, which can be seen on her website www.ceramichousesigns.co.uk
A graduate of Oxford University (who briefly worked as an actress in rep and theatre-in-education) she spent some years teaching in schools before settling in Birmingham and raising a family. Whilst there she spent ten years at Stone Hall Adult Education Centre teaching pottery and crafts to adults, including groups with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. She also ran classes for families, teachers and in local schools. Most of her students came purely to enjoy themselves, but a good number also studied for and achieved a City and Guilds in Pottery. Whilst there she discovered that many of her students found learning pottery very relaxing, and being creative contributed enormously to their well-being.
Lisette moved to West Wales in 2000, and set up her own pottery at Waunifor, where she runs classes for local people as well as the residential Crafty Break holidays. Setting up courses was a natural addition to producing her own work and, with Waunifor already having accommodation and catering facilities, Crafty Breaks was born. Other local artists (some of whom regularly exhibit here) also teach workshops from time to time.
At Waunifor we are enthusiastic about creativity and the well being that it brings. We believe that the environment and everything that surrounds the teaching/learning part of the break is equally important.
Waunifor and Crafty Breaks are both members of the Teifi Valley Tourism Association, www.teifivalleyholidays.co.uk
