Author: Cathbad

Tales at the Tap

Ancient meets modern

Thursday the 20th of July

Turn up at 6 for some chat and we get going by 6.30.

You will be able to sit back in the comfy sofa and simply listen, or get involved in some chat about the tales. Thanks to Kate we have music at the evening. There are excellent ales from around the world on tap too.

The Stories we use are the ancient legends and myths that share names with hills and geography of the landscape we live in. Some of the stories are local, and some have travelled from the other side of the globe.

Do you have a favourite story? Get in touch.

Have a look behind the scenes here.

www.YouTube/TheFloatingMonastery

Invite your friends!

https://www.youtube.com/TheFloatingMonastery

Nithraid 2023

What is your relationship with the River Nith?

Cluaran will be taking part in Nithraid 2023. Rather than racing though, they will be rowing around the town and time.

How can you row around town?

Most people think about the river Nith as a scenic backdrop. For much of time however it has been used actively.

Dumfries is built round a river and beside a river crossing. The Burgh of Dumfries is blended with the Burgh of Maxwelltown now, but for centuries they shared the river crossing and boundary which brought merchants and pilgrims to both of them when they needed to cross the river.

The river has always been an asset and a challenge! Its location means that you can paddle on from your doorstep, but also that some houses are at risk from flooding. When there was a cattle market by the river that flooding would perhaps have been a welcome clean up.

Dock park is a harbour where trading ships used to dock. In a time before railways, water travel was a very attractive way to move goods around Scotland – and the rest of the world. Having a harbour in your town centre was definitely an advantage.

Time and technology changes though, some of it is very welcome. Plumbing and washing machines have changed the way the sands have been used for the better. We will therefore be rowing around the upper reaches of the Nith and interacting with the public, telling stories from the past, present, and future. Thinking about how we can relate to the river.

Planning starts this evening at 7ish in the Wordsmith Crafts Workshop

Events Nithraid 2023 Workshops

Cluaran Boat Session

Thursday the 29th of June

7-9 pm (ish)

This is the ‘launch’ of our boat project leading up to participation in Nithraid 2023. Due to the skippers ambiguous relationship with time, we will be based around mill green interacting with the public rather than racing.

Please gather at:

Wordsmith Crafts Workshop

3 James Avenue, Dumfries DG2 9AU.

Please park in the yard rather than the street.

7-9 pm

We will have a boat maintenance session, in preparation for going for a row at the next boat gathering. If there are enough able bodied people we will turn the boat and replace the metal strip that runs along her keel. There will also be plenty of opportunity to discuss traditional boats, try the crafts needed to operate them, and generally get ready for going on the water.

As usual, you could also bring your own project, or find inspiration from the many ideas help in the workshop. You could also use the time to read. We have been collecting books (many are about boats), and guides on a wide variety of heritage crafts, or again bring along one you have wanted to get around to reading.

Cluaran craft club runs most Thursdays outside of Dumfries and Galloway School Holidays. Chip in £5 a time for workshop overheads, or become a Cluaran member. Materials are available on a pay by project basis. If you are short of cash, but have time, we can work something out. If you’d like to become a Cluaran member and help this project develop – get in touch too!

Events

Tales at the Tap

Thursday the 15th of June

Following the success of our evening in May, there will be another Tales at the Tap session. In May Simon was accompanied by Kate on guitar – but no promises she will play for everyone every week!

Turn up at 6 for some chat and we get going by 6.30.

You will be able to sit back in the comfy sofa and simply listen, or get involved in some chat about the tales. There are excellent ales from around the world on tap too.

We have had a request for some stories featuring Bobd Derg. He is in the background of a few. Have you heard of the children of Lir? Or perhaps the dream of Aengus. They are not exactly love stories, but feature some powerful passions.

Do you have a favourite story?

Invite your friends!

https://www.youtube.com/TheFloatingMonastery

Workshops

Cluaran Craft Session

1st of June 2023

This Thursday evening is a general drop in crafts session.

3 James Avenue, Dumfries DG2 9AU.

Please park in the yard rather than the street.

7-9 pm

Bring your own project, or find inspiration from the many ideas help in the workshop.

You could also use the time to read. We have been collecting books, and guides on a wide variety of heritage crafts, or again bring along one you have wanted to get around to reading.

Chip in £5 for workshop overheads. Materials are available on a pay by project basis. If you are short of cash, but have time, we can work something out. If you’d like to become a Cluaran member and help this project develop – get in touch too!

On Thursday the 8th of June we will have a boat maintenance session, in preparation for going for a row.

Events

Tales at the Tap

The Ancient Art of Storytelling

Considering the venue, a telling of the mead of poetry is probably a good start.

There is another good tale about Thor fetching a cauldron from Hymr for a feast in Aegirs hall.

What went on in that hall is a tale for another time though…

Do you have a favourite story?

Invite your friends!

https://www.youtube.com/TheFloatingMonastery

Workshops

Trichinopoly Workshop

Crystal ball and solid silver cost extra!

Learn the art of “Viking Knitting”

Thu 27Apr 2023 7:30 to 9:30 PM

Wordsmithcrafts Studio, Dumfries, DG2 9AU

Click here to buy tickets
Sell tickets online with Ticket Tailor

This is a booked Cluaran Craft club workshop with limited spaces, so that participants are sure to go away having made something.

It’s not knitting and it’s not specifically Viking era either, but that is what it gets called and you can use it to turn scraps of wire into bling!

You could use the time to make a bracelet from silver plated and copper wire to take away with you. You could also use the time to deepen your knowledge and skill in the art.

All basic materials and tools to make a bracelet are provided. Solid Silver will be available at an extra cost if you’d like a longer project to take away with you. (You could finish it off at a cluaran craft club evening)

If you have any questions please get in touch – or book a ticket using the link!

Want to level up – and work in silver? (extra material cost for the silver)

Click here to buy tickets
Sell tickets online with Ticket Tailor

Events Workshops

Cluaran Craft Club

From hot metal working (with Simon Lidwell S.A.U. artist)

Many years ago Wordsmithcrafts ran a “Medieval Craft Club”

Over time interest in it grew, and all sorts of plans were cooked up. Some of these plans involved actual cooking and one day we might publish some of the photos of feasting. We made lantern shields for parades, tried bowl turning, and blacksmithing – among other things! All the crafts had a heritage connection, but the aim is to not just make replicas but also to be inspired to create new things.

The time has come to revisit the craft club idea, so after Easter we will be running specific workshops.

We will also have general craft club sessions. We will ask for a £5 contribution to cover workshop overheads. Participants will be able to discuss and start “pay as you go” craft projects using Wordsmith Crafts tools and materials.

Participants are also invited to bring their own projects and use the time to “get around too it”, as well as share knowledge and skills.

If you are short of cash, but have time, we can work something out. If you’d like to become a Cluaran member and help this project develop – get in touch too!

Events

Tales From the Longhouse

Back in Lockdown “The Viking Storyteller” and “Cathbad” got together to run evenings of stories. Three storytellers told a story each in a virtual longhouse.

People dressed up for the occasion, or even built forts from boxes. Whilst people were staying at home to stay safe the walls of their houses were dissolved and people were able to gather in one place.

They decided not to record any of the stories, in order to emphasise the live and unrepeatable nature of the event. Some examples of their storytelling, from rehearsals or other live events can be found here:

The Viking Storyteller (often going by the name “Olaf”) can be seen telling stories here:

https://m.facebook.com/TheVikingSkald/live/

If you are interested in a story about stories – here is a sweet one for you.

More info here:

Tales From the Longhouse

Events Workshops

Jewellery Workshop

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cluaran/781774

This summer we took part in the Kirkcudbright Arts and Crafts trail. This is a great open studio event, and for those who don’t have studios in Kirkcudbright (like us) there is a temporary artists camp set up in the town centre.

During the event we were approached by a member of the public whose wife had recently died. She was a silver smith and he wondered if we had a use for some of her tools. All he wanted in return for this gift was a donation to the MND Scotland charity.

Therefore, as artists, we decided that rather than just giving what we could afford we would donate a workshop sharing our skills in order to raise awareness and cash for MND.

You can take part in the workshop if you buy a ticket here:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cluaran/781774

You can find out more about MND Scotland on their webpage (and donate directly).