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Working with Wood festival, Knysna, South Africa

Knysna, is a traditional timber and woodworking town situated on the coast in Western Cape at the foot of South Africa.  Knysna was originally developed as a timber town to support the growing colony in Cape Town, and the ‘Working with Wood Festival’ was organised in support of the Knysna Timber Initiative (KTI), a non-profit association of stakeholders in the timber industry, including local government. The festival is held at Timber Village, an extraordinary woodyard and craft centre and a real melting pot of information and ideas for woodworkers. 

In addition to the main site, festival visitors were also able to visit local timber factories in Knysna and surrounding areas to see how local wood products are made, and to buy locally manufactured items.  All aspects of timber production was on show - from young tree seedlings, timber harvesting and milling technology, to fine furniture and craft products - all made by local individuals or businesses.  The Working with Wood Festival hopes to inspire and grow interest in the town’s heritage, and to spread the word that specialist knowledge and skills both in forestry and fine timber production are still flourishing today.