New Workhouse Website

We have built our new site in a blog style format, so sign up for news feeds and comments.. its easy to stay in touch with Mid Wales’ most exciting and unique new venue.

See the News page for latest updates or the What’s On page for upcoming events.

We are a unique new venue for courses and events celebrating local creativity and sustainability.
Travel info and local accommodation.

: Aerial view of Y Dolydd, during the Workhouse festival 2008. Pic by Ron Kyte

Llanfyllin Workhouse is a historic building of major importance, set in glorious Welsh countryside. It is home to a unique project: a community enterprise for arts, education, environment and heritage.

[/caption] The Workhouse is owned by the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust (Charity No. 1091097), which bought it in 2004 with the help of the Architectural Heritage Fund, and later the Ecology Building Society. In 2008 the Trust joined forces with the award winning Workhouse Festival to create a vibrant and forward-looking project rooted in the community. Llanfyllin Workhouse offers (or will offer): an indoor venue with facilities for music, drama, film and dance a gallery, exhibition space and shop indoor and outdoor events showcasing local creativity and enterprise workshops and business space for rent educational courses in permaculture and sustainability courses and activities for all ages and abilities in arts, crafts and performance-related skills a bunkhouse and two family units, accommodating course and event participants as well as other groups residential and live-and-work units Workhouse events ad a community garden a Workhouse History Centre the annual Workhouse Festival Anyone can join Llanfyllin Workhouse for £12 a year. The members elect the Trustees. We believe strongly in sustainable living and building; in the power of the arts to enhance and transform people’s lives, and in the lasting value of our built and social heritage. Most of our activities are run by volunteers: the more helpers we have, the more we can do. Llanfyllin Workhouse – 2010. 2009 has been both a very successful and a hugely challenging year at the Workhouse and we are proud to still be here, planning for the next! The vision for the Workhouse project is one of a genuinely community-owned facility, developed with the aim of becoming a focal point for events, courses and participation in creativity, arts, local economy and sustainability. The community around the old Workhouse has a strong tradition of DIY culture, in what is a stunning and very rural farming area. The Workhouse Project is all about creating new possibilities of work, employment and expression for ourselves and our community whilst exploring sustainable and innovative ways of doing it. To date we have…… Green Crafts and Folk music events at the Workhouse Run a series of ground breaking Permaculture Design courses Opened an educational art gallery for local, established and new talent of all ages Provided workshop space for several innovative local businesses and artisans: Vagabondi Puppets, Sector39, Masquerade Integrated Drama, Inner-Kalm and more Hosted numerous film, drama and music events, for both local and touring performers Run three courses in yurt construction and design Held our first ever Green Fayre of green crafts and local trades and produce Played host to the acclaimed ‘Changing Lives – Going Green‘ BBC Wales TV series. Catalogued rare archive material on the lives of poor people in collaboration with The National Archives, and held exhibitions. Hosted all sorts of community activities with organisations like Education Otherwise, MENCAP, Home Carers and more. Held regular volunteer days and weekends We have even launched our own LETS currency the Dolydd and are planning for a conference on alternative economics in 2010 International Group of Students from the Welsh School of Architecture volunteering at the Workhouse Refurbishment of the buildings has progressed significantly thanks to a small but relentless team of volunteers who have achieved remarkable results with limited funds and recycled materials. The project has faced financial challenges over the year, and we are currently rewriting our business plan. Meanwhile we are working hard to put together a programme of events and happenings for 2010, building on the successes so far. We are launching a the Workhouse courses programme… with short courses in a range of subjects from organic gardening to stone-carving. We are also looking forward to the Workhouse Festival’s Birthday Party of 2010, building on past successes and learning some lessons as well. .. and there is room for new people to get involved in all areas of the project…. The Workhouse project will only continue to progress and be successful if we can keep drawing in new support and involvement, so come on down!! See Latest News page see our press archive This site is developed and hosted by 39internet, personalised webhosting for ethical businesses