The Festival of Arts and Crafts
The Base’s Festival of Arts and Crafts returns to Greenham Business Park this summer!
This June, The Base invites visitors to immerse themselves in a vibrant celebration of local creativity with the Festival of Arts and Crafts 2026.
Over two weeks, from Saturday 6 to Sunday 21 June, the festival showcases the very best of arts and crafts from talented local makers and creators.
The Festival opens with a vibrant Craft Fair over the weekend of 6 and 7 June, 10am – 5pm.
Surrounding The Base building, visitors will find a bustling market filled with handmade arts and crafts with toe-tapping live music from line-up of talented local musicians to complete the festival atmosphere, facilitated by the live music sponsor, Honesty Group.
Complementing the creative experiences is an array of delicious artisan food and drink, with local producers showcasing their finest offerings alongside the popular onsite café run by Honesty Group.
As The Base Greenham is a charity, there is a suggested donation of just £2 per person on the door, with all proceeds going towards the work The Base does at its venue, with local schools and within the community.
With free car parking available a short walk and Blue Badge parking on site for visitors nearby, plus nearby bus stops, it’s easy for everyone to join in the fun of the festival.
Throughout the Festival (Saturday 6 – Sunday 21 June), an art exhibition is open daily from 10am to 5pm, offering visitors the chance to enjoy over 150 original works by a range of local artists, with all artwork available to purchase.
Entry to the exhibition is free, though pre-booking is recommended.
Adding a playful and interactive element to the event, The Runway Gallery is transformed into a massive chalkboard doodle wall, inviting visitors of all ages to leave their mark and watch the artwork evolve as the festival progresses.
During the festival’s Arts and Crafts Fair, visitors will also be able to get a ‘PAWtrait’ created of their beloved dogs by canine artist Dogs by Jeff.
Taking place at The Base building, these sessions are the perfect way to capture a unique snapshot of your four-legged friend.
Pre-booking is essential for these sessions, with participants being able to either bring their dog in for a live PAWtrait or supply a photo for the artist to use as reference.
For those eager to try their hand at something new, The Base’s popular taster workshop offerings return for this year’s Festival.
From printmaking and beginners oil painting to pottery throwing, willow coaster making and Experimental Landscapes sessions – there’s something to spark everyone’s creativity.
These popular workshops provide a relaxed, fun environment to explore new skills and get inspired.
Ensure you book your space early to avoid disappointment, as these sessions fill up fast!
Families and young people can enjoy an array of free activities over the opening weekend fair, which will be expertly led by local organisation, Berkshire Youth.
For those with younger children, explore the Gallery space in a whole new way and enjoy the popular Songs and Stories in the Gallery (Thursday 11 & Saturday 13 June), ensuring the exhibition is welcoming and enjoyable for all ages.
The Base’s Festival of Arts and Crafts is the perfect way to celebrate community, creativity, and craftsmanship in all its forms this June.
Whether you’re browsing the craft market, trying your hand at a taster workshop, or simply soaking up the atmosphere, the Festival promises something special for everyone.
For more information, to book onto a Taster Workshop or to visit the Festival of Arts and Crafts Exhibition, visit thebasegreenham.co.uk/basefest.
ARTS & CRAFT FAIR
Sat 6 & Sun 7 Jun, 10am – 4pm
Suggested donation: £2 per adult, £1 per child (under-5s free)
Kick-starting the two-week festival, a craft fair featuring 50+ stalls will surround The Base building, creating a bustling high street of high-quality crafters and artists for visitors to browse. As well as…
Live music
Delicious food and drink
Well behaved dogs on leads welcome (not in the Gallery though, sorry!) You can even get a Dog PAWtrait done!
Plenty of free children’s activities – it’s the perfect day out for all ages!
Spray painting on Sunday
Take a look below at the live music acts performing across the Festival of Arts and Crafts Fair weekend.
Saturday 6 June
10am – Sion Whiley
11am – Lizzie Cullen
12pm – The Errant Hearts
1pm – David Rubery
2pm – Molly Brown
3pm – Barry Newman
Sunday 7 June
10am – Dream Without Waking
11am – Lizzie Cullen
12pm – Harvey Kent
1pm – Sam Green
2pm – Sion Whiley
TASTER WORKSHOPS
Take part in one of The Base’s Taster Workshops during the Festival of Arts & Crafts to have a go at a new art form and have fun learning a new skill.
Click on one of the workshops below to book online:
Sat 6 Jun – Wire Leaf Taster – 9.45am
Sat 6 Jun – Mini Butterfly Wreath Taster – 11.15am
Sat 6 Jun – Pots of Hope Throwing Taster – 1.30pm, 2.15pm, 3pm & 3.45pm
Sat 6 Jun – Children’s Printmaking Taster – 2pm
Sat 6 Jun – Lino Printing Taster – 3.30pm
Sun 7 Jun – Experimental Landscape Painting Taster – 9.45am & 11am
Sun 7 Jun – Portraits Taster – 1pm & 2.30pm
Fri 12 Jun – Drawn Mindfulness Taster – 5pm & 6.30pm
Sat 13 Jun – Beginners Oil Painting Taster -10am & 12pm
Sat 13 Jun – Make a Willow Coaster Taster – 2pm
Sun 14 Jun – Exploring Abstraction Through Addition: Texture, Collage & Layering Taster – 10am
Sun 14 Jun – Exploring Abstraction Through Subtraction: Scratch, Distress & Reveal Taster – 11.30am
The base
The Base opened on Friday 8 February 2019 in partnership with Greenham Trust and the Corn Exchange.
It became a registered charity in 2022 (charity no. 1199188) and is dedicated to improving access to the arts whilst bringing quality visual art to the local area.
Situated in a purpose-built arts and craft building, The Base’s £1.7M venue was designed by Sutton Griffin Architects of Newbury.
The space comprises of a 110sqm gallery, artists’ studios and a workshop for participatory classes.
There is also a café facility managed by Honesty Café group.
Striving to be a flagship visual arts venue in West Berkshire, The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 54 exhibition launched the inaugural gallery programme.
Displaying some of the best wildlife photography from across the globe, the exhibition comprised of 100 photograph across 7 categories and is renowned for attracting millions of visitors around the world every year.
The Base is also home to 8 visual artists and craft makers as well as Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire, who present their annual INSIGHT exhibition at The Base every May.
GALLERY OPENING TIMES
The gallery opening times and days vary depending on which exhibition is being presented.
Please check the exhibition pages before you travel to ensure the gallery will be open.
Purchase a Base Pass and gain unlimited access to their Gallery for 12 months – find out more here
Honesty Cafe is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm and 9.30am – 4pm on Sundays.
From a fully accessible building to relaxed visit days, they are dedicated to making their venue and exhibitions accessible for everyone.
Please visit the Accessibility page for information about the facilities at The Base.
Tickets for all exhibitions and workshops at The Base can be booked via the Corn Exchange Box Office: 01635 522733
Their phone lines are open daily: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm (or until 7pm if there is a performance on), Sunday, 10.30am to 4pm
The Base Greenham, Greenham Business Park, Communications Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 6HN
Please contact admin@thebasegreenham.co.u
Throughout the year, The Base attracts high quality touring exhibitions from the likes of the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and more.
They know that sometimes one visit just isn’t enough to take in all the talent on show.
So they bring you the Base Pass, enabling you to come and go as often as you like to each exhibition for a whole year!
Unlimited entry to The Base Gallery for 12 months*
10% off at Honesty owned cafes
PLEASE NOTE: Your new Base Pass card will be ready to collect on your next visit to The Base!
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