Printmaker Amelia Bowman is curating Wymondham’s first ever Print Festival. Here, Amelia explains how excited she is that the festival is taking place in Historic Norfolk’s beautifully restored and award-winning Becket’s Chapel
Can you remind people who you are and what you do?
I am a Collagraph printmaker and repeat pattern designer based on the rural outskirts of Wymondham. My work is very much inspired by the landscape, flora and fauna of the coast and countryside of Norfolk and Suffolk. Most of my pieces represent locations close to people’s hearts and all my printmaking incorporates my trademark pattern designs. I always strive to make my pieces bright and beautiful, and people often say that my work makes them smile which is just perfect!
What has been happening since we featured you in March 2024?
I have continued to pursue and develop my printmaking practise and had a big exhibition called ‘Earth and Sky’ in October 2024 alongside Kerry Buck who is another local printmaker and Toby Winterbourn who is an artist blacksmith. The exhibition was only three weeks after we moved house, so it was quite an upheaval! 2025 was a little more sedate with lots of settling into our new home and finding our feet. 2026 has already been a hive of activity to make up for it and I have quite a few new pieces in progress which I am excited to show everyone very soon at the opening of Wymondham Print Festival!
What has led to the launch of the first ever Wymondham Print Festival this year?
I am a trustee of Wymondham Arts Forum and we run a programme of exhibitions each year at Becket’s Chapel in Wymondham. Each year we look for something or someone extra special to launch the exhibition season. This year I was thrilled to be asked to not only curate the opening show for the 2026 season but to make it a print show – the first Wymondham has hosted! As a printmaker, I am always trying to educate people about the intricacy, complexity and pure alchemy of printmaking. It is why I grabbed this opportunity to showcase the diversity of this creative discipline with both hands!
When and where is it all happening and what can people expect?
Wymondham Print Festival will run from Tuesday 5th until Sunday 17th of May from 11am until 4pm daily (closed Monday 11th). The Chapel will play host to 12 of the country’s leading printmakers, many of whom are from Norfolk, exhibiting a vibrant array of original designs demonstrating the multifaceted nature of printmaking.
Get ready to feast your eyes on a showstopping array of printmaking processes and diverse subject matter, with an exceptional line up including Kerry Buck’s wildlife inspired Collagraphs, Gabriella Dalmay’s botanically themed Screen Prints and Rory McShane’s rustic landscape Wood Cuts and Carborundum prints. Wymondham Print Festival will also feature witty Letterpress work by Mandy Doubt and delicate, embossed pieces by Oceana Masterman-Smith, as well as some brand-new artworks of my own! Besides the original artworks filling the walls, there will also be a tempting range of associated gifts and homewares available too.
Why is the venue such a special place?
Becket’s Chapel is a Grade 1 listed building, parts of which date back to the12thcentury. Many people will remember it as the town library, but it has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. In 2018 it was added to the Heritage at Risk Register due to its very poor condition. Historic Norfolk acquired the chapel in late 2022 having secured £700k in conservation grants from a variety of funders including Historic England. The chapel received a national Civic Trust Award for the outstanding quality of the conservation work in April 2025. It is a beautiful space with wonderful light and has become highly sought after by both local and national artists as a venue to showcase their work. The chapel is also available for private hire.
There are plans in place to build a modern extension, significantly improving the facilities including a café/catering. Historic Norfolk is currently fundraising for this project.
There is something special about exhibiting handmade and crafted artworks in an ancient, hand-carved and crafted building. A building where we hope not only to entertain people with the vibrancy, intricacy and diversity of our craft, but also educate them on the artisan nature of printmaking, ensuring festival goers leave with both goodies for their walls and homes, and also a deeper appreciation of the skill, passion and time that is poured into every piece.
How can people find out more?
Wymondham Print Festival has its own Instagram page at @wymondhamprintfestival and an event page on Facebook. People can follow these pages to see updates on the artists exhibition and find out more about what is going on. Becket’s Chapel also has its own page for those interested in learning more about the building at www.becketschapel.org.uk
Will it be the first of many do you think? What other events from Wymondham Arts can we look forward to?
We very much hope that the print festival will be a roaring success and that this will propel us forward for further print festival events over the years to come. Wymondham Arts at Becket’s Chapel has a programme of art exhibitions and events running until October. More information can be found at www.wymondhamarts.uk
THIS EVENT HAS PASSED Wymondham Print Festival
Featured image of Amelia Bowman – by Gavin Robbie
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