Ruthin Craft Centre lines up talks, demonstrations and festive workshops this winter

Ruthin Craft Centre describes itself simply: the Centre for the Applied Arts, showing the best in contemporary applied art. This winter it is also offering plenty of reasons to visit beyond the galleries, with talks, demonstrations and workshops running into December.

Current shows include From Other Lands, featuring Claudia Lis, Stories We Tell and An Unquiet Conversation, with work by artists including Dela Anderson and Jasmine Violet, Lottie Venn and Hannah Gibson. The centre has three galleries showing national and international contemporary applied art, plus on-site makers' studios.

On Saturday 7 November the centre hosts an In Conversation event with Mike Tooby and Lisa Carter Grist, followed on Sunday 8 November by a demonstration and illustrated talk from Sue Hiley Harris. On Saturday 21 November visitors can make festive decorations with Donna Jones, and on Sunday 22 November there is a Caffi Celf session for Welsh learners. A Winter Storyteller House with Becky Adams follows on Saturday 28 November.

The retail gallery is a destination in its own right for anyone looking for something special, with jewellery, ceramics, textiles and more made by contemporary makers. In Studio 1, visitors can buy textiles by Cefyn Burgess, and the centre is also offering selected limited edition prints by the sculptor David Nash.

For visitors arriving by car there are four electric vehicle charging points, and there are benches and seats around the site and galleries. Café R completes the visit, with coffee and lunch served on site. Admission is free, parking is free, the whole site is on one level, and dogs are welcome in the galleries and café.

The centre runs its programme bilingually, in Welsh and English, and its publications and online shop allow visitors to take the work home even when they cannot get to Ruthin.

With Christmas approaching, a craft centre full of handmade work is an obvious place to look for presents that cannot be found on the high street, and the festive workshops offer the chance to make something of your own.

Event details and bookings are at ruthincraftcentre.org.uk.