We’ve had a great time in the Community Making Space this Spring and Summer. From exploring clay, glass and plant materials to print, paper and soil. There’s been lots of making techniques to get stuck into, with plenty of opportunities for our local community to try something new and spend time together.
As with each season, we started by talking with our Community Advisers about what people wanted to see in the programme and what we wanted to explore together. As the warm days arrived, the Materials Garden exploded into colour, and it’s been lovely to see everything flourish. The longer days have meant we’ve been able to take more sessions outdoors, while continuing to make and experiment inside also. We’ve welcomed new community members to the programme and enjoyed seeing folk return to the programme throughout the season.
Mid-Week Makes
We’ve had a brilliant mix of making at Mid Week Makes this season – together exploring natural fibres, woodblock printing, clay and glass.
Helen Jackson led a fascinating session exploring cordage/ string and the different plants that grow around us every day. We experimented with a range of plants, including dandelions, flax, plantain and rush.
Anupa Gardner introduced us to woodblock printing, sharing her work and showing us the possibilities of this process. It was a gentle, absorbing process, and it was amazing to see what community members could make in such a short time.
We also revisited clay and glass this season, giving folk who hadn’t had the chance to work with these materials in the previous programme an opportunity to have a go. Jo, our Communities Producer, led sessions exploring throwing on the wheel and hand-building. There was plenty of initial laughter as we got used to the mess and movement, before settling into the rhythm of the process and becoming more grounded and present. We were also delighted to have Hazel MacLennan back for another glass fusing session. Participants approached the material in all sorts of ways, from experimenting with abstract shapes and colour to working towards a particular image or idea.
Thursday Club and Materials Garden
This season, we’ve moved from planning and planting to seeing the Materials Garden really begin to grow around us. It was great to have artist Jess Crisp back with us. Jess continues to help us deepen our knowledge of the Materials Garden and the relationships we’re developing with the plants that grow here, opening up new ways of understanding and working with what the garden creates.
Building on earlier conversations, and research undertaken by our SGSAH researcher in residence Ellie Ballentine about the soil and what wants to be here, Jess led a session on setting up our worm farm and composting system using food waste from SSW to feed the soil. We also explored dyeing with materials we’ve grown and harvested. Using marigolds collected last year, we tried bundle dyeing and saw flashes of rich yellow alongside the more subtle natural tones. We also harvested our first crop of woad, fermenting the leaves and creating a vat ready for dyeing next season.
Helen Jackson joined us again on Thursday for more exploration of cordage and the plants growing around us.
We also enjoyed sessions with Miki Z exploring earth and fibre. We learned about cob and rammed earth, experimented with different formulations and thought about how we can build with materials from our environment without introducing harsh or harmful processes.
And, of course, Thursday Club wouldn’t be Thursday Club without lunch. We’ve enjoyed many of our shared lunches outside in the sunshine this season, which has been a lovely way to spend time together and enjoy the garden.
Clay Social
Clay Socials have been a lot of fun this season, with new folk joining us and plenty of laughter and conversation along the way.
We went big with press moulds and made our own stamps to explore ways of decorating clay and bringing texture into our forms. One of our Community Advisers arrived with a brilliant collection of egg boxes, giving us the chance to experiment with them as moulds. As spring turned to summer, we also thought about what we could make for our own gardens. We made pots and berry bowls designed to be taken home and used outdoors.
As ever, Clay Socials have been about getting together, having a go and seeing where the clay takes us.
After School Arts Club
We’ve continued our work with Lumsden Primary school running the after school art club. Meeting every other week, the sessions have given the school pupils regular time to come together after school and explore their relationship with loads of different materials.
We also enjoyed connecting with the school on an exciting special project celebrating the arrival of their new outdoor learning classroom and filling it with their portraits and prints.
Summer Holiday Kids Club
Our Summer Holiday Kids Club was fun, messy and BIG. Led by brilliant Glasgow based artist Josie KO we spent five days exploring papier-mâché, colour and building creatures from simple metal armetures
The young people learned how to use metal, willow and card to build and expand armatures, creating their own smaller pieces alongside working together on two huge structures. Josie created space for the young people to work together, respond to the materials and let the sculptures emerge through the process. There was plenty of glue, paint and exciting thoughts and ideas. As the structures grew, so did the possibilities. It was brilliant to see everyone bringing their own colours, shapes and ideas together and figuring out how they could create something shared.
We finished the week by taking our creations out into Lumsden for a photo shoot in the village park. It was a great way to show off what had been made and celebrate a week of getting messy, making together and seeing what could emerge.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the next season, we’re looking forward to harvesting some of what we’ve grown in the Materials Garden and finding new ways to work with it. With flax ready to harvest, woad ready for dyeing and plenty more materials to discover, we’re excited to see where the garden and our making take us next.
Thanks to everyone who has joined us, shared their knowledge, tried something new and helped make the Community Making Space what it is. We’re looking forward to seeing you soon.
