Castles, palaces and horribly spooky houses

Castles, palaces and horribly spooky houses

Sandiway Library

This week, I did a workshop in a Northwich Library as part of National Libraries Week.....lovely people and exciting buildings, now we wait for the stories of the adventures that happened inside them, outside them, around them, under them.....

The creations were so lovely they don't need any commentary....many thanks to all our young artists, supportive grown-ups and welcoming library team!

inspired by ancient piled stone buildings

edible?

A Blade of Grass

A blade of grass

art workshops in Rudheath and Witton

Victoria Road Primary School

Jo, poised and reaady for making!

As part of the Do It Together Project, for Rudheath and Witton Togather, two of our artists, Jo Thilwind and Sarah Males, are working with the families of Victoria Road Primary School. Over this term they will see each class for half a day of creativity with natural materials, with parents and carers invited to join in

The following is a personal comment from Jo. I’m not going to add anything - I think this stands as a wonderful description of a session…

One of the tools of my trade. A blade of grass.
Having wept all morning over the Manchester bomb, going to hell and back wondering if my Son was ok, (he is), and feeling tearful and sick to my belly, I had to do an environmental art workshop at a school this afternoon.
I considered even writing this post given the circumstances today, but life must go on and it's turned out to be a beautiful and inspiring day.

I had the usual comments 5 minutes in about "am I a Witch?" , (what do they see?) And an incredible fascination with my jewellery. A conversation about my silver Pentacle.... 'Did I know it was a spiritual symbol?' , and the look on her face when I showed her the tattooed one on my wrist.
We made natural frames, with 3d pictures of nature, created with what they had collected outside. There was some initial huffing and puffing from these 10/11 yr olds, but actually they embraced it with passionate gusto and made some wonderful work. One lad got so into it he exclaimed, " I was wrong when I said I hate nature, it's brilliant!!".... The whole class laughed, and my heart quietly smiled. Another girl called me over to say I was a brilliant teacher because I'd given them something so exciting to do. They absolutely loved it.

I wandered around the class with a piece of lemon balm and got each and every one of them to smell it, and watched their faces light up in pleasure and amazement.
The whole session was once again sprinkled with magick. But my absolute favourite bit, was when I pulled a handful of grass out of my basket. The type with a big fluffy seed head on it, a couple of blades of grass attached. A bouquet if you will, grasped this morning from the field. "would anyone like a piece of lovely grass for their artwork?" says I, offering it like the the most glorious blossoms ever beheld, and suddenly I was surrounded by kids, carefully choosing their particular piece of treasure, a single blade of grass, gently removing it from my hand with such care, and taking it back to their desk to weave it with love and thought into their frame. I was blown away. Such reverence, such respect, such a new and unexpected view of the natural world for youngsters who previously hadn't given it the slightest thought. What a wonderful day. Humbled.
I love my work.
Bright Blessings x

a year of excitements in Northwich

Do It Together 

with Rudheath and Witton

A year of drawing and stories, of painting, lanterns, puppets, making and doing

we don't know where Rudheath creativity will take us - leaf roses?

will there be tiny bottle lanterns?

Over 2017, Creeping Toad will be organising creative events in Rudheath and Witton in Northwich, Cheshire. As part of the much bigger Rudheath and Witton Together  (RWT) programme (a Big Local project for the Lottery), my colleague and fellow-adventurer Sarah Males and I will coordinate a programme of creative public events. At the moment, we are busy meeting local groups and venues for activities and starting to plan some exciting activities. There will be events for families to join in, activities for adults, sessions for younger children and specific workshops designed to suit the interests of different groups. With a background in storytelling and puppets, lanterns, celebrations and relaxed sessions in Parks, the Toad team are offering Rudheath a year of creativity and company. We are keen to hear from local people – either groups or individuals – about activities people would like to try or from groups who would like to have a creative session but are not sure just what would suit their members

or story towers?

Plans at the moment include instant painting sessions in the Grozone Gardens, a day of tiny puppets in various Parks, storytelling and making with young children. Running through other events we hope to gather impressions, images and words to create a residents’ map of Rudheath capturing stories and the personal side of life in the area

For a project like this, we look at a place like Rudheath and start brewing plans inspired by buildings, people, places and wildlife. But our job here isn’t really to do what we want but to help people explore the streets where they live creatively in their own ways and we will try to build events that offer the challenges people are looking for by delivering sessions ourselves or by finding the right people for the occasion

So if you are interested and know someone who might be in coming to an event or hosting an event or introducing us to eventful people,  or you are an artist or other creative person we might be able to bring in for a session, get in touch!

we might sew the streets of RWT onto a fabric map

To get in touch, email:

creepingtoad@btinternet.com

we might collect seasonal recipes....