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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

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

COURSE LEADER

Mark Vyvyan-Penney

TIME
CONTACT:

2 hours

COST

£30

Tin-casting Workshops

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

Workshop Tent Workshops

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    â€‹

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     Afternoon Session – ​Chris Maunder and friends (£5)     


2pm–3pm – Participatory Democracy

An 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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therealrevolutionary@gmail.com

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    
 

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