Saturday Rural Craft Courses
and Workshops
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Thorney Lakes
(Courses we ran in 2022)
The rural craft courses and workshops will be held at the Green Scythe Fair Site on Saturday 10th June 2023.
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Advance booking essential for all courses.
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In addition to these, at the same venue, there is an Introductory Scythe Course on Saturday, and a two day Improvers' Masterclass on Friday and Saturday. See Scythe Info for more details
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Please see here for Sunday workshops
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RURAL CRAFT COURSES
Recycled Copper Jewellery Workshop
Learn to make copper jewellery by hand using your fingers, pliers, hammers and anvil, working with the alchemy of metal to create a durable piece. Bring a cushion or rug to sit on.
COURSE LEADER
Anya - Pixy Smith
TIME
CONTACT
1hr courses 10am - 5pm
Phone or email Anya to confirm time of course
COST
£10.00
07852 619000
Spatula and Cooking Spoon Making
FULL DAY
COURSE LEADER
Geoff Hannis and Celi McCutcheon
TIME
CONTACT
9.30am–4.30pm
COST
£95
Spatula and Cooking Spoon Making
HALF DAY course
COURSE LEADER
Geoff Hannis and Celi McCutcheon
TIME
CONTACT
am or pm
COST
£42.50
Spoon Carving
FULL DAY
How to carve a blank from a log, with an axe. How to carve a spoon from a blank, with a straight and curved knife
COURSE LEADER
Jane Gray-Wallis
TIME
CONTACT:
10–1pm and 2–5pm
COST
£60
Spoon Carving
HALF DAY
How to carve a blank from a log, with an axe. How to carve a spoon from a blank, with a straight and curved knife
COURSE LEADER
Jane Gray-Wallis
TIME
CONTACT:
10–1pm or 2–5pm
COST
£35
Pottery Workshops
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COURSE LEADER
Mark Vyvyan-Penney
TIME
CONTACT:
2 hours
COST
£30
Tin-casting Workshops
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COURSE LEADER
Mark Vyvyan-Penney
TIME
CONTACT:
2 hours
COST
£30
Sharpening Workshop
Learn how to sharpen your own tools, billhooks, axes, chisels and knives
COURSE LEADER
Sean Hellman
TIME
CONTACT:
10.30am–3pm
COST
£40
Drop Spindle Spinning
With blade shorn wool from the HoneyWoods Flock, Exmoor. Introduction to spinning wool into yarn with a simple drop spindle.
COURSE LEADER
Bec Briar
TIME
CONTACT:
90 minutes
COST
£10
Make your own Earth Pigment Paints
Make your own Earth Pigment Paints. Learn the slow and satisfying process of making your own watercolour paints from rocks and earth, ground and bound with natural binders. Creative play and practice with deep connection with the landscape.
COURSE LEADER
Kathryn John
TIME
CONTACT:
10am–1.30pm and 1–2.30pm
COST
£20
Rope Making
Drop in workshop no booking required. Make your own laid and twisted rope from natural yarn. Learn about braided rope.
COURSE LEADER
Ben Wood
TIME
CONTACT:
10–4pm
COST
£5
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WORKSHOPS
(Workshop Tent)
Self Organisation Around the Climate Crisis
Are you worried about the climate and what the changes might mean for you?
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Do you know how to ensure your survival when our eco and social systems collapse?
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Are you concerned about the inadequacy of our Governments in addressing the crisis?
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Do you wonder what we are able to do to mitigate their failings and empower ourselves?
Learning from Extinction Rebellion and other social and ecological movements, we are providing a day of workshops on Self Organisation Around the Climate Crisis. Available as an all day or morning and afternoon sessions, the idea of the talks and trainings is to give participants an overview of the situation and the skills and knowledge to enable them to face the future with a little more confidence in our abilities as a species to evolve beyond the changes to our environment that we are undoubtedly beginning to experience.
Morning Session – ​Chris Maunder and friends (£5)
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9.30am–11am – Heading for Extinction
A look at the science in the IPCC reports and what the implications may be on our ecosystems, biodiversity and us, both as predicted in the report and as modelled elsewhere.
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11am–1pm – The DNA of Self Organising Systems
Understanding the purposes and practical uses of Self Organising Systems and how they can be used to replace the current top down bureaucracy of Government.
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Booking ​
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Afternoon Session – ​Chris Maunder and friends (£5)
2pm–3pm – Participatory DemocracyAn overview of the history and uses of participatory democracy and its potential for empowering the commoner over and above powerful landowners and traders or resources.
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3pm-5pm – Facilitation at its Core
A training in the basic principles and practises of the art of facilitation and how to share these techniques through the introduction of community decision making processes.
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Booking
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WORKSHOP
(Community Tent)
Collaborative workshop on Appropriate Technology
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10am - 4pm in the Community Tent
Cost - free (but booking essential - see ticketing site)
This is a call out to designers, inventors, makers and creators of human and animal powered technology to come together to share, test, develop, research, showcase and co-create.
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I see this area of technology as having huge significance globally in supporting the likelihood of existing and potential small-scale makers and growers - to develop or maintain independence and resilience. There are amazing people and teams out there doing great work towards this, let's harness the creative potential of collaboration, and bring together cross disciplinary skills.
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If you have experience, ideas, designs, prototypes, training, skills or are just intrigued to learn and connect - then join us for the day to get our heads in to it all and explore the potential of working together.
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We are so often isolated and tucked away in our heads and workshops, that I hope this space will serve to enliven, inspire and support. As the first year of holding this event, I want to also co-create how this could grow and develop in the future to meet both the developer and the user needs. It could include:
- brainstorming and co-lab making sessions
- workshops, specialist tutorials and upskilling
- competition, testing and performance trials
- showcasing and public outreach
- access to funding, grants, awards (scythe fair has offered some funds)
- sharing of resources
- general showing off and receipt of appreciation
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Saturday is without the public and gives us space to be creative, whilst Sunday sees about 5000 people pass through and is a great opportunity for outreach and showcasing. We have use of covered and plenty of outside space.
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Diversity and inclusivity are incredibly important, so if you feel at all unsure or concerned about feeling comfortable or welcome in this context, please do get in touch.
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Convenor: Richard Toogood - 07594 506084 - toogood127@hotmail.com.
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If you wish to attend, booking is essential in order to have access to the Green Scythe Fair site on Saturday - please go to our ticketing site to book.
Booking