CAST

The Cornubian Arts & Science Trust (CAST) is an educational charity that promotes participation, appreciation and learning in the visual arts and sciences.
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CAST exists for public benefit and aims to promote participation, appreciation and learning in the visual arts and to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration across the arts and sciences. It is committed to the pursuit of excellence. CAST works with artists, curators, writers and specialists from other fields, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, to develop professio

nal expertise and exchange, to present examples of outstanding creative practice, and to create opportunities for audiences of all ages to experience groundbreaking cultural activity. CAST has developed out of a series of contemporary art events organised in Cornwall over the last four years — The Falmouth Convention (May 2010) and The Penzance Convention (May 2012) — and two residential workshops held at Kestle Barton on the Lizard peninsula — The Cornwall Workshop 2011 and The Cornwall Workshop 2013. CAST is based in Helston, in the former School of Science and Art given to the town by the philanthropist John Passmore Edwards in 1897. The building was extended in 1905 and 1913 when it became a secondary school, but it became redundant with the introduction of comprehensive education in the 1970s and was later used as a community centre. It was boarded up in 2010 and finally sold by Helston Town Council in 2012. The Trustees of CAST have raised funds for a limited schedule of urgent repairs, pending a more substantial scheme of renovations. CAST has no endowment and its activities depend on funds raised and income generated. Artists have occupied studios in the building since the summer of 2013 and a number of additional workspaces have recently been completed. The creation of studios in the CAST building is supported by West Cornwall Local Action Group and the Rural Business Investment Scheme, both of which are administered by Cornwall Development Company. The investment comes from the European Union and Defra through the Rural Development Programme for England. The building has also received funding from the Helston Downsland Trust, and help-in-kind from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and Cornwall College.

14/06/2026

SATURDAY ART CLUB
CAST’s Saturday Art Club offers free weekly art sessions for 11 to 16 year-olds, structured around engagement with a wide range of artists, many of whom have studios at or close links with CAST.

Led by artist and learning specialist Kate Turner, members meet each week in a studio at CAST to work with artists, learn new skills, develop projects, and explore their creativity alongside others.

Saturday Art Club now has two groups: a morning session from 10.30am–1pm and an afternoon session from 2pm–4.30pm, running during term time.

Recently, members took part in a series of sessions led by local puppeteer and animator Mae Voogd, who introduced the group to stop motion animation techniques inspired by artist William Kentridge whose animated films were shown at CAST last summer.

All sessions are free and materials are provided.

To join Saturday Art Club or find out more, contact [email protected]

Images courtesy Kate Turner, Saturday Art Club sessions in Nicola Bealing's studio, with Mae Voogd, with Fin Leaman-Cameron and Lisette Jiménez Díaz.

13/06/2026

Between 22 June and 3 July, over 250 local primary school pupils will take part in CAST-Off for Schools at National Trust Penrose. These sessions provide opportunities to spend time out of doors, exploring the local landscape through drawing, making and observation.

"𝑨 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔. 𝑬𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 — 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒄 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔, 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒃𝒐𝒙 𝒂𝒓𝒕 — 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚. "

Teacher feedback from 2025

12/06/2026

𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗔𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝟭𝟴- 𝗧𝗢 𝟯𝟱-𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥-𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗦
Join The Pearl Exchange for a free creative workshop at CAST.

This will be a relaxed making session open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 35, and is part of a series of five workshops they are running across Devon and Cornwall.

The Pearl Exchange team will bring with them a range of tools and materials and invite you to join them to make zines ( mini DIY magazines/books/pamphlets) and badges, or simply to take time to explore ideas through collage, drawing or writing in a welcoming social environment. Free tea, coffee and snacks will be provided.

If you have any questions, or would like to know more about what to expect on the day, get in touch with Meg: [email protected].

The Pearl Exchange is an award-winning charity based in Bude, dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of 18- to 35-year-olds across Cornwall and Devon. They offer free workshops, events and counselling.

Tuesday 21 July 2026
6pm - 8pm
Free, booking essential - https://thepearlexchange.org.uk/events/helston-the-pearl-exchange-on-tour/

11/06/2026

TEN IMPORTANT BOOKS

From Thursday 18 June CAST studio holders Christopher P. Green and Mel Francis will be sharing some of the lists submitted by artists, designers and curators to their project Ten Important Books. The lists will be displayed in the first floor corridor ‘test-space’ at CAST.

The project began in 2011 when ten people were invited to submit lists of their ten most important books. Since then, the project has expanded through exhibitions at Mirror, Plymouth (2012), The NewBridge Project, Newcastle (2013), Hannah Barry Gallery, London (2013), Detroit, Bristol (2013), the V&A, London (2013), and Ofr, Paris (2015).

This 2026 iteration brings together lists from CAST studio holders alongside 34 previous contributions, including those by Ed Ruscha, Katrina Brown, Jem Southam, Olivia Plender and Fraser Muggeridge.

There will be a small opening event from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday 18 June, and visitors to the building are welcome to view the lists during CAST's normal opening hours, Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.

Christopher P. Green and Mel Francis run 41/42, a small press and exhibition space on the outskirts of Penzance.

Image: Viewing Room, Mirror Plymouth, 2012. Courtesy L.I.E archive & 41/42.

10/06/2026

The Clay Trap team are now offering one-to-one sessions every Monday and Friday between 10am and 12pm. These sessions are £90 and include materials and firing of three pieces.

Their next taster session will take place on Saturday 20 June between 10am and 12.30pm. This is £50 per person and includes the firing of three pieces.

Find out more, and book your place at: claytrap.castcornwall.art

Image Siriwan Champorn, courtesy Clay Trap.

09/06/2026

With summer approaching, warmer ground and calmer seas are bringing a greater variety of ingredients into the CAST Café kitchen. Sugar snap peas, English strawberries and local fish including brill, conger eel and megrim sole have all recently featured on the menu. Fish soup has also made a welcome return and is now available in jars to take home, either from the counter or via the Café’s provisions website.

As the evenings grow longer, the Café will soon resume Saturday dinner service alongside its usual opening hours. The first evening service of the year will take place on Saturday 13 June, with bookings now open online for tables between 6pm and 8pm.

Make a reservation: https://www.cast-cafe.co.uk/reservations

Image courtesy CAST Café.

08/06/2026

You might also like these events and opportunities this month.

Talk and Weave | Museum of Cornish Life | 9 and 29 June
Maker Anna Pope will talk about the impact that working with museums and archives has had on her practice, alongside leading a weaving activity.

Faunal Succession | KARST | Opening event 11 June, 6pm-8pm
An exhibition by Lucía Pizzani, a Venezuelan artist based in London, featuring installations created with community groups and schools.

In Conversation | Harbour House | 13 June
Artist Tom Kaniok will be in conversation with curators Beth Richards and Elaine Sinclair, discussing his exhibition Mud Makes the Revivalists.

Stage Writing for Commission | Deadline 15 June
A fully funded training programme for emerging playwrights, delivered by The Writers' Block in partnership with The Minack Theatre

The After Sessions | Penryn | 19 June, 10am or 12.15pm start
Art Centre Penryn and The Convivial (and a number of other venues in Cornwall) are hosting curator Hettie Judah and locally based artists for open conversations related to her book How to Enter the Art World.

Chapel House | Crelly near Helston | 21 June, 11am-4pm
An exhibition of works by Anna Gardiner, Jesse Leroy-Smith, Mark Surridge and Lisa Wright.

Artist's Talk | Kestle Barton | 20 June, 2-5pm
As part of the opening event for her exhibition Birded and Eyed, Sarah Gillespie will be in conversation with Lara Goodband, curator at RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum)

DOT.N.CROSS Workshops at CAST
Join DOT.N.CROSS for pattern making and sewing workshops at CAST this month.

07/06/2026

We're preparing a lovely programme of creative activities for families, both in the CAST building and in the walled garden at Penrose, throughout August.
On Wednesdays from 5 to 26 August, artist Lucy Grant will lead free drop-in activities in our ground floor learning studio. There will be different materials and techniques to try each week, including painting, printing and making.

CAST-Off, our free, artist-led summer programme, will take place on Saturdays from 1 to 29 August in the walled garden at National Trust Penrose, featuring a wide range of creative activities, with materials including clay, wood, stone, water and paint.

Full details of all the activities will be announced on our website and socials in July.

CAST-Off 2026 is part-funded by the Geoffrey and Carol Holland Trust, with FEAST supporting the development of new water activities. Fundraising for this much-loved annual programme is an ongoing process and donations of all sizes are gratefully received.

06/06/2026

POLLINATOR PATHMAKER CONSTANTINE NETWORK
Thursday 25 June, 6 - 9pm

Organised by artist Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, the University of Exeter and the University of Edinburgh, this is an evening of talks and discussion by the artist and researchers who are studying gardens in Constantine that have been planted as part of Dr Ginsberg’s Pollinator Pathmaker artwork.

Originally commissioned in 2020 by the Eden Project, Dr Ginsberg’s Pollinator Pathmaker is an algorithmic planting tool that prioritises the tastes of bees, butterflies and other pollinators. A network of Pollinator Pathmaker artworks has been planted throughout the village of Constantine, monitored and cared for by local residents. Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Edinburgh are studying the network, investigating what happens when an artwork becomes part of everyday life, for both humans and pollinators.

Image of Constantine Network members and a Pollinator Pathmaker garden, courtesy Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg.

Tickets £20 including CAST Café supper
Booking essential- https://store.exeter.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/event/pollinator-pathmaker-what-is-a-living-artwork

Pollinator Pathmaker University of Essex CAST Café

05/06/2026

We are delighted to be able to 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 screenings of 'Siticulosa' (2025) until 20 June.

The film traverses a landscape full of caves and tombs, weaving together a series of interviews with individuals including a biodynamic farmer, an art historian and a forensic archaeologist. Each speaker has a distinct relationship to the land and to the objects buried within it.

"Beautifully paced meditation on how relations with the past can be traced in the land. Poised film making and very subtle use of music really underscores the gentle atmosphere of wonder. I enjoyed watching it here, where we are so aware of the under ground."
Comment from in CAST visitors book

Exhibition extended until Saturday 20 June
Wednesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Free admission, all welcome

Address

3 Penrose Road
Helston
TR138TP

Website

http://c-a-s-t.org.uk/

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