Home Education: The magic of natural dyes

A free workshop for home-educated children aged 6+, exploring natural plant dyes with artists Lo-Fi Alchemists.

Home-educated children and their families become 'dye detectives' in this workshop led by artists Lo-Fi Alchemists, experimenting with plant-based colourants whose single-coloured dyes can yield surprising palettes of shades. Weather permitting, participants explore the castle herb garden and grounds to identify plants and forage materials for natural dyes, then colour twig-spools of cotton thread and paint bookmarks with natural earth-pigment paints. The finished bookmarks will feature in an exhibition at Wakefield Artwalk in January 2027 as part of the Finding My Roots project.