Free Winter Workshops to Boost Creativity and Wellbeing
Have you ever tried making your own paper or weaving a basket? How about creating your own wool slippers or printing your own cards? All of these activities, and more, will be on offer in the EcoCraftland Crediton programme of free workshops aimed at encouraging creativity, socialising and mental wellbeing during the winter months.
The programme, produced by Significant Seams on behalf of a social enterprise driven collaboration with The Bookery and the Turning Tides Project, features historically-rich and environmentally-sensitive craft workshops inspired by Dr James Fox’s new book Craftland and the hugely successful EcoCrafternoon, which Significant Seams ran with Sustainable Crediton in early December. It is funded by Mid Devon District Council’s Creative Communities Scheme.
EcoCraftland Crediton will feature 11 events by a range of Devon practitioners to share know-how and reveal connections to our local ecosystem - and make new connections between people.
The Bookery will host most of the events in their community extension known locally as the Hub. The Turning Tides Project and Significant Seams are developing equal access and mental health-friendly coaching support for artist facilitators as part of the project.
All three social enterprises advocate and model values and ways of being that address contemporary social challenges - and contend that business done this way helps create stronger communities and, as a result, economies. All three partners believe that in rural market towns like ours, the high street has a substantial role in breaking down isolation, promoting equal access, and signposting, and that creativity and stories are the common ground of community. The events in the programme will build on the idea of the High Street as a public place of community as well as commerce.
The events of the EcoCraftland Crediton programme are below. Most are free but to help us plan it is helpful if you can book your place in advance here
Monday 22nd December, 1-3pm Crediton Station Tea Rooms – Wrapping Party
Stencil community wrapping paper on reclaimed papers during the party.
Monday 5th January, 1-3pm, The Bookery - Poetry inspired by Folklore and the Black Dog ‘Oss
Learn about the mid Devon version of the southwest tradition of the ‘Oss and play with words with the ‘And Other Stories’ Community Project.
Saturday 10th January 1-3pm, Creativity Acre, Knowle, EX17 5BX - Willow and Hazel Coppicing
25 years ago Creativity Acre was a pasture, but tree planting and largely leaving it to its own devices has transformed it into a special woodland in natural recovery - an ideal space for mindful practices - for nature support and harvesting mental wellbeing. Dr. Carolyn Petersen, Research Fellow at the Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter and Sam Bridgewater of Clinton Estates, will help us lead an introduction to coppicing event and help us sort the wood for our various purposes (building dry shelter, willow weaving, firewood, greenwood carving activities, making drawing charcoal).
Saturday 17th January, 10am-12.30pm The Bookery - The Community Basket Project continues with Jane Welsh
During the EcoCrafternoon, Jane Welsh and a variety of community members began ‘the Community basket.’ This willow weaving project aims to share know-how about this traditional craft skill, using a distinctively local and sustainable resource.
Thursday 22nd January, 1-3pm The Bookery - Textile Art about the Black Dog "Oss" Making Meaning Volunteering 'Sewcial'
We will experiment with a range of textile-art techniques on reclaimed fabrics in making patches for a richly meaningful jacket for a performance by the Turning Tides Project.
Monday 26th January, 1- 3.30pm Crediton Arts Centre - A Slipper-Making Dance Party!
Not all craft traditions are long established. Wool has long been an important commodity to our region, with many long established uses and ways of being processed - but few are as fun as this! Dartmoor based artist Yuli Somme has been advocating for the many attributes of wool for many years, and has invented a way to make custom wool slippers (or at least ‘casts’ of one’s feet). In this event, we will pair up, dress each other’s feet, and use heat and friction to transform the wool fibres. Dancing around the arts centre, or weather permitting, taking a mindful walk around the grounds of Holy Cross, we will use the technology of our body to make custom coverings for our tootsies! £6 for the materials.
Monday 2nd February 1-3pm The Bookery - Paper-making with Jonathan Ellworthy
Jonathan is a local artist with deep respect for the natural world. His current artworks are collaged landscapes made from papers that he makes. These are often coloured by mixing in earth pigments from the sites being portrayed. In this workshop, he will guide us through the process of paper-making and offer us the opportunity to collage with some of his handmade papers. The handmade papers will need drying time, so Jonathan will look after them. They can be collected at a future workshop in the series.
Thursday 5th February 1-3pm The Bookery - ‘And Other Stories’ ‘Hos Meaningful Costume Making
We will develop on the January poetry and textile art sessions to decorate a richly meaningful jacket - connected to the South West tradition of the ‘Hos. All are welcome, previous attendance not required.
Monday 9th February 1-3pm The Bookery - Valentine’s Printing with Simon Ripley
Print making involves numerous craft practices that have evolved over the centuries: Linocut, engraving, letterpress and woodcuts, collagraphs, monographs, relief printing, intaglio, and lithography. Join us for this pre-Valentine’s printmaking session with founder of Double Elephant Print Studios Simon Ripley and learn a bit more about the possibilities of adding a printing press to art making and contemplate its role in redefining craft whilst making your own design to put through a press.
Monday 16th February 1-3pm The Bookery - Proddy Rugs with Rebecca Holley
Local artist Rebecca Holley practices all forms of art but has become widely known for her hand-hooked textiles. She was commissioned by book publisher Penguin Random House to create a piece inspired by colour-coded stripes that track Climate Change - for the launch of Greta Thunberg’s ‘Climate’ book. In this workshop, she will introduce participants to ‘proddy rugs.’ This craft was practiced in many households using fabric scraps until relatively recently. We look forward to any reminiscences people may have to share! Rebecca will be leading participants in creating pieces inspired by ‘Sustainable Crediton’s upcoming annual Seed Share: participants will be guided to make a textile garden from scraps using this traditional technique. All fabric used is reclaimed/upcycled.
Thursday 26th February 1-3pm The Bookery - Needle Felted Flowers for the Sustainable Crediton Seed Share
This session will build on the learning from the slipper dance party and the proddy rugs, and help create items to fund raise for further events like the EcoCraftland series. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you have been able to participate in other ‘EcoCraftland’ events. This is about having fun together and keeping the making spirit vibrant.
More from
Arts
