A new family art club has opened in the heart of Wareham Forest in Dorset, bringing together creativity, nature and wellbeing at a retreat founded by bestselling children’s author Rachel Bright.
The first Art Tribe session was launched at Happy River Retreat on Tuesday 4th August 2026, where families are being invited to explore a different creative theme each week throughout the summer holidays before afterschool clubs begin in September.
Rachel in the plant powered cafe at Happy River, her wellbeing retreat near Wareham
Evolution of Happy River
Further plans for the autumn include the opening of a communal printmaking studio, children’s book writing classes, a young gardeners’ club, foraging sessions, a lantern making session, basketry workshops and eventually a full art studio.
It’s the next stage in the evolution of Happy River, the health and wellbeing retreat Rachel runs with her partner Robbie from a secluded woodland site near Wareham, where they have spent almost two decades transforming an old farm into a creative and restorative community.
The first floor of the retreat’s Makers Barn is being transformed into a fully equipped printmaking studio, complete with traditional plate printing equipment, screen printing facilities and dedicated workspace for artists.
Alongside professional artists, Rachel hopes the space will encourage people who may not have picked up a pencil for years to rediscover the enjoyment of making things by hand.
Rachel, whose books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 40 languages, said the inspiration for the new studio came from her own experiences working alongside other artists.
Happy River makes the most of its amazing setting in a clearing in Wareham Forest
Making inks from leaves and mushrooms
Rachel Bright said:
“There is something quite magical about creating art with a community. Our vision is that we will have a community of key holders who will come in and use this space to create their work professionally, while also running workshops for complete beginners of all ages.
“We want to create a space where people can come even if they haven’t picked up a pencil for 20 years, but can still have a go at sketching and reawaken the joy of creating, whether that’s pictures or stories.
“We had a full house for Art Tribe, our first ever family art offering, with a lot of people already interested in coming back next week, when we will look at our connection with nature.
“We’ll be making inks from leaves and mushrooms, and doing solar printing, using natural elements to create work that leaves no footprint and is simple, easy and inexpensive.
“Art brings everyone together. It doesn’t matter what age you are, whether seven or 17 you can create an animated flipbook, which is what we did at our first session.”
A new fully equipped printmaking studio is soon to open in Makers Barn
“It’s very exciting!”
Rachel added:
“Encouraging children to be creative and make things with their hands is increasingly important in a digital age.
“Lots of children have more screen time now, which isn’t a bad thing in itself, but it’s important to create things with your mind and with pen and paper and see where that takes you, then use screens as tools.
“As a kid I was inspired by so many art teachers and people who were doing art for no other reason than they just loved it. I want to pass that on as much as possible, alongside creating books and doing all the other things we are doing here.
“Up until now we have had a lot of other practitioners coming into the space and hiring it to run things, now we are starting to run our own events – it’s very exciting!”
Happy River’s wood fired sauna has become increasingly popular
Grown into wellbeing retreat
Rachel is being helped with the project by Dorset artist and long time friend Emma Moxey, and the pair also plan to introduce afterschool clubs from September, alongside workshops for adults and professional artists.
The art studio forms part of the continuing development of Happy River, which Rachel and Robbie have gradually built over the past 17 years.
Originally established as a peaceful woodland escape with off grid cabins, the site has expanded into a wellbeing retreat centred on creativity, nature, nutrition and mindful living.
The Makers Barn, converted with the help of a rural development grant, now hosts retreats, yoga sessions, nutrition workshops, foraging walks and community gatherings, while a wood fired forest sauna and plant powered cafe form part of the wider experience.
Snail In Space – chosen by astronauts and read out on a White House podcast
Chosen by astronauts from Artemis II
It is also home to the studio where Rachel creates her own magic – she has written and illustrated dozens of books, including the hugely popular Love Monster series, which was adapted for BBC television.
After becoming a mother to two daughters, Rachel scaled back on the hours she worked and collaborated with illustrator Jim Field on a series of books, starting with The Lion Inside which has since been turned into a stage play and optioned for television by Europe’s largest animation studio.
Her seventh Dinofeelings book with artist Chris Chatterton, The Messysaurus, was published in July 2026.
Another collaboration, Snail in Space, illustrated by Nadia Shireen, has just been chosen by astronauts from the Artemis II mission to be read as story of the month on a White House podcast in the USA.
The Artemis II astronauts read Snail In Space on a White House podcast
“Nothing wrong with books about poop”
Rachel Bright said:
“That was a glowing moment – a little idea in your head ending up in the hands of an Artemis II astronaut is something you couldn’t script. As an honour, it was right up there with the Cookie Monster reading one of my books on CBeebies!
“My tenth book with Jim Field is coming out in November, The Most Magnificent Moose, and neither of us would have predicted that – but it’s a symphony, there are so many people involved, designers and editors and people with the vision to see where that book can go next.
“The Most Magnificent Moose is about comparison being the thief of joy – I always start with what the big idea is and write from that point.
“For me, I need a bigger reason. I always ask myself why this book needs to exist, because there are a lot of books in the world.
“There’s nothing wrong with funny, light books about poop, but for me, I need to wrestle an idea to the ground and find something that connects us all across borders and boundaries and languages. We all know that comparing ourselves to other people is a road to nowhere, but we all do it anyway.”
Rachel’s partner Robbie, a talented carpenter, made the yurt Happy River uses for some of its retreats
Rachel with a copy of What Does Daddy Do?, the book which started her literary career
Further information
- More about the Happy River Retreat
