Feàrna (Alder in Gaelic) is the name given to ongoing work in Mull aimed at improving understanding and finding connections between people of Gaelic heritage and people of other heritages living on the isle of Mull.
This website is a space to share some of the things we’ve been exploring thus far through Feàrna. It’s also a warm invitation to anyone else considering these questions – in Mull or further afield – to explore them with us.
(Text taken from their introduction to their website)
One way to creatively inherit the past is to make things. These can be replicas. The process could be as close to historical accuracy as possible. At other times modern tools and materials can be used to inherit the ‘feel’ of a process. Or perhaps immersion in the past will inspire something beyond the wildest dreams if our ancestors.
As well as providing experiences WSC is a home for making things. We provide opportunities for folk to have a go. These range from drop in evenings hammering scrap into experiential treasure, to workshops by experienced artists.
With more interpreters we can bring larger pieces of equipment and give larger groups of pupils a small group experience.
Requests for school visits are starting to come in! If you would like to be involved and haven’t seen the e-mails please get in touch.
We are continuing the Winter break from drop in “Making Space” evenings to take advantage of the opportunity raised by The Stove with “Phanto Spectra”. If you haven’t booked already check it out.
Of course, activated members have been active throughout the holidays! Making has continued and we have gauges for sizing oars. A ply rudder blade is roughly shaped and it will be ready for testing when the ice on the water melts. Just the fittings to forge!
Activated members also help keep a roof over the Cluaran club head! In 2026 Wordsmith Crafts CIC will need to focus on the “company” side of CIC a bit more. The community tends to run on goodwill and trade, but The Workshop roof is going to need replaced and due partly to complexities in the building materials this will cost cash. We now have three years of activity reports and this will hopefully provide a basis to develop the board of directors. The aim is to hold this in the first week in February!
Drop in Making space will return on the evening of Thursday the 22nd of January. Plan is to keep Thursday evenings clear for Cluaran until the 26th of March. Check the calendar to see if it will be a club drop in at the workshop, a night at the pub, or another adventure!
Free if it is your first time, £5 towards club overheads after that. These are not taught craft workshops – but get in touch if you are interested in one of those!
Last Thursday, and the week before, have been productive for Making Space.
Last week we were blacksmithing. Newbies were working on chain, and some of the links were even fire welded.
Last Thursday we did an overview of the oars. We researched some books and asked someone on the other side of the world if they had a plan. There always also a hands on exploration of historical ring making.
While we worked Gavin told a story providing a new perspective on the troubled life of wolves. Apparantly red cloaked agents of malice disturb their habitat.
This week there will be another opportunity to take time out to make things, come and help get the oars ready for next season, or just say hi and chat.
Free if it is your first time, £5 towards club overheads after that. These are not taught craft workshops – but get in touch if you are interested in one of those!
This Thursday, BASH at the riverside tap with Storytelling by Simon.
BASH are a collective who make improvised music which defies definition. They have been playing together for a while now, and occasionally have guests.
This Thursday (the 6th of November) they will be playing at the Riverside Tap in Dumfries. Simon Lidwell will be improvising some stories with them!
So this is the Cluaran event for the week. Ancient tales of the otherworld combining with music made in the moment. Autumnal poetry where semantics settle like leaves on the sound waves and decomposition warms the room, with the smell of rest surrounding the gathered company.
BASH with Simon storytelling 1900 onwards, the Riverside Tap, the Vennel, Dumfries – free gig!
Whilst Wordsmith Crafts CIC doesn’t have the insurance to take people out on the water, we do help individuals find ways to explore their nautical heritage. (with their own appropriate insurance)
This is one of our favourite memories from Nithraid. As well as taking the dog for a walk it was also a handy way to get the end of a hose in position so that we could fill a pool for the toy steamboats to sail in.
Isn’t this epic – in a hobbit (from Buckland) sort of way.
Future plans!
Maybe we could build something like an Ayes Skiff for Dumfries?
But until then Simon and Aidan have been helped by Dumfries Museum to do some research into logboats. More on that to follow!
Drop in with your own project. Share skills to try something new.
(Pay what you can/£5 contribution to the Cluaran club if you have the cash. Contributions in kind welcomed as well. Ask about Wordsmith Crafts Cluaran and Quartz memberships too!)
Keep the evening free for hands on access to heritage. In the run up to Christmas we will be gathering for a range of activities. More details of each evening will be posted here.
Making Space: Drop in with your own project. Share skills to try something new.
Storytelling:
In the workshop or a local pub
Boat maintenance: Many tasks needing done before the summer!
Or a community volunteering task.
We will post details of each evening here. We will start with a Making Space evening on the 30th of October. The last evening of this batch will be the 11th of December.
(Pay what you can/£5 contribution to the Cluaran club if you have the cash. Contributions in kind welcomed as well. Ask about Wordsmith Crafts Cluaran and Quartz memberships too!)
The Summer touring season is over and we are getting ready to visit schools. We have had several enquiries already, as well as a request from a museum.
