Vikings! Weaving based adventures

Weaving

One of Prism Arts big projects this year is a project exploring our Viking heritage in West Cumbria. Funded by the Heritage Lottery and working with Studio Theatre West the project has involved researching dialect, landscape, warfare, textiles and many other aspects of Viking life. There have also been lots of research visits, including a trip to the Isle of Man.

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

I have been involved in the project in a small way looking at textiles and taking part in the Isle of Man trip. I've really enjoyed working on this project, it's given me different avenues to research that I wouldn't have necessarily come across otherwise.

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

Inspiration from the Isle of Man

During my first session on this project a Viking reenactor visited to demonstrate some natural dyeing techniques the Vikings would have used. Natural dyeing is something I've been interested in for a long time and it was really interesting to hear about different processes and dye stuffs. I think that this is an area of my personal practice I would really like to develop more so I enjoyed the session and it gave me some new avenues to explore. Since then I've been playing about more with plant dyes and am currently making a list of dye plants to grow at home.

Viking reenactor: Natural Dyeing

Viking reenactor: Natural Dyeing

Natural Dye-stuffs

My main contribution to this project has been to run weaving sessions. Almost every Viking homestead would probably have had a loom set up and cloth would have been made for clothing, the home and for trade. I've really enjoyed these sessions, seeing how each individual child and participant has approached the weaving in a different way has really inspired me and encouraged me to 'play' more in my own work.

Drop spinning!

Drop spinning

Hand-spun yarn and felted cords

For my first hands on session I did some felt making and a bit of drop spinning with the children and participants. Whilst we may not have produced a huge amount of usable thread it was hilarious and everyone enjoyed trying to keep the spindle going and draw out the fleece at the same time. I got the children to work in pairs and it was lovely seeing how absorbed they were in the task and how proud they were when they got it working!

Weaving on cardboard looms

Weaving on cardboard looms

Weaving on cardboard looms

I then continued my sessions looking at weaving. Because time was relatively limited I made simple cardboard looms so that everyone could have a go and learn the basics. I also took along some larger simple frame looms and peg looms so that if people really got into it they could take it further. I only had a half day session with each of four groups of four children (16 all together!) but the Studio Theatre West Coast participants were with me for all those session so got two full days of weaving.

Weaving on cardboard looms

Weaving on cardboard looms

Weaving on cardboard looms

As I mentioned before it was fascinating seeing the different approaches everyone took and it was also fascinating seeing which ways of weaving worked best for the participants. The children created a range of imaginative and beautiful weaves, with varying degrees of technical skill, and enjoyed experimenting with incorporating different materials, such as ribbons, twigs and feathers.

Woven on a cardboard loom

Working on a frame loom

Sculptural Weaving on a frame loom

I was really pleased with how well the Studio Theatre participants took to it, I didn't expect them to get so involved but one of the participants (who no one expected to go for textiles) produced the most beautiful and unique pieces by manipulating the warp threads and working tightly in small sections back and forth. I love the structural quality and careful colour choices of the work he's made. Interestingly the other participants struggled with weaving on the frames but worked really well with peg looms. I find it endlessly fascinating how different minds work and it just goes to show that it's always worth putting the effort into finding a different way that works for you.

Working on a peg loom

Working on a peg loom

Summer School: Carlisle Puppet Pageant 2014

Lady Margaret Balfour Puppet ready to parade 

Those of you who have been following me for a while will know that the beginning of August can mean only one thing; the insanity of a summer project. This year was a little bit different (don't worry, there was plenty of insanity) as rather than a full on everyone we can think of doing everything we can think of two weeks of madness leading to an extravaganza event kind of affair Prism Arts ran a two week summer school. The summer school focused specifically on the making of several puppets, including two giants, and a small musical and theatrical performance that formed part of Carlisle's Pageant Parade. Last year our summer project focused on a large puppet parade to celebrate the start of Carlisle's pageant week. As the parade was a success the council wanted it to happen again this year and were one of the funders for the summer school.

Making appliqué fish for umbrellas (props for dancers)

Making appliqué fish for umbrellas (props for dancers)

Making appliqué panels for fire serpents

It was a full on and very busy two weeks but was also a lot of fun with everyone working hard and producing some fantastic work. We made giant puppets complete with costume, costumes for quadrille dancers and fire serpents, fire serpents, fish umbrellas and hats and a greyhound puppet called Elvis (complete with blue suede shoes.) We sewed, printed, constructed, decorated, rehearsed and generally worked very hard to produce our puppets and performance and then we took to the streets. Despite it being a bit chilly and somewhat breezy (something of a challenge when in control of a ten foot giant) the parade went really well and everyone had a great time.

I ran some free machine embroidery sessions

Free machine embroidery on one of the hat fish

Detail of embroidery

The theme of the parade was the Tudors so we started with the Salkeld Screen in Carlisle Cathedral as our inspiration point. Part of the council commission and funding was to make two giant puppets so we chose to make Lady Margaret Balfour (Henry VIII's grandmother and local mover and shaker) and Septimus Severus. Now, a couple of things about Septic, as we affectionately named him, that you should know; he's the only known black Roman Emperor and he was the original instigator of Hadrian's Wall, up until the 1800's the wall was known locally as Severus's wall. The more astute amongst you will have picked up that being a Roman Emperor he can't, really, have been a Tudor. However, the council specifically requested him and he does feature on the Salkeld Screen, which was good enough for us.

I also ran some printing sessions, preparing fabric for the giant puppets costumes

Printing using stencils

Block printing

Detail of block print

Block printed fabric for Lady M's skirt

We also put together a small musical and dance piece featuring the 'pramelan' (which is essentially the Gamelan, a beautiful Javanese percussive orchestra, mounted on prams) and a quadrille dance. All the dancers and musicians were costumed and were accompanied by fire serpents, inspired by the carvings on the Salkeld Screen.

Lady Margaret and Elvis Puppets

Elvis detail

Lady Margaret's Costume

My main involvement was working on the costumes for both the performers and for the giant Lady Margaret puppet. Both had their own challenges but I think that making a dress for a ten foot woman is probably one of the more difficult pieces of costuming that I've undertaken. However, I'm really pleased with how it's all worked out. I actually took over Lady Margaret's costume after the end of the first week as the artist who had started it and drafted most the pattern pieces could only be with us for one week. I had to alter her designs quite a bit but I think that between us we made a pretty good job.

Another of our crazy puppet creations

Severus's Head

Attached to his body