PLEASE NOTE - THERE IS STILL ONE PLACE AVAILABLE ON OUR FESTIVALS IN BRIGHTON PRESS TRIP 2014. 3rd to 6th May with unique access to all four festivals and interviews with Guest Festival Directors and Festival Directors of Fringe, Festival, Artists Open Houses and HOUSE.

Every May the cultural city of Brighton & Hove is abuzz with four dazzling and distinct festivals: Brighton Festival, Brighton Fringe, Artists' Open Houses and HOUSE. There are events and celebrations in music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, style and design as well as a host of family-friendly activities, taking place in venues both familiar and unusual, across Brighton & Hove.

For those who enjoy engaging through participation, there are also a variety of workshops, providing the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and take away a new skill.

NHR Organic Oils, based on Chatham Place and exhibiting in Artists' Open Houses is holding various workshops including screen printing, making organic creams and distilling essential oils.  Alternatively, the Ceramic House in Stanmer Villas invites participants to learn to make tiles every weekend in May - no previous experience is necessary and it is suitable for all ages, booking online secures a place. At her home on Clifton Street, Pauline Gluckman will demonstrate stone carving in her garden or wood letter carving inside, depending on the weather. Family-friendly arty café, Mr Magnolia in Ditchling is holding pirate and fairy workshops with live music, food and cocktails each Saturday in May.

Brighton Fringe offers the chance to get your laughing gear serviced at a stand-up comedy two-day course with Laughing Horse, run by professional comedians and comic writers, it shares the skills of joke writing and provides unique industry insight.  Fringe Director, Julian Caddy is offering tuition in Acting and Creating a Character, using the Stanislavski technique to explore theory and improvisation. Kids are catered for at The Big Tissue, where guest fine artist Craig Morris and his sidekick, 7 year old Ben, will demonstrate how to draw on kitchen towel.  Alternatively, try your hand at neon sign making or making your own 3D Hologram.

Brighton Festival's workshops in 2014 show people of all ages how to put their ideas into words to sweep readers off their feet and set spines tingling.  Creative Writing with Catherine Johnson focuses on writing prose that leaps off the page and Matt Whyman's Get Set to Write a Story workshop demonstrates how to turn thoughts into stories full of heart and soul.  Or if Hagrid and Hedwig rate highly in your home, visit The Professional McGonagall Tea Party quiz for a magical afternoon of books, tea and general Hogwart-ery.

More information on workshops at Festivals in Brighton is available at visitbrighton.com/culture/festivals

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For further press information and images, please contact Oliver Relations:  phoebe@oliverrelations.co.uk or phone 01273 818112

Notes to editors:

About Festivals in Brighton – Brighton Festival, Brighton Fringe, Artists' Open Houses and HOUSE are the four festivals that take place in the city of Brighton