Category: Events

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Arts Installations Events Rowing

Nithraid 2024

We will be rowing as part of the Nithraid River Festival in 2024, but not as part of the race. We will be travelling in time and mind …

Cluaran has always used the phrase “The sea connects” and has enjoyed an eclectic selection of events. We challenge peoples assumption that water is a barrier by building boats. We build boats from scrap and gathered natural materials to demonstrate how simple it can be to get on the water. We use imagination and performance to immerse people in experiences of other times, and tell stories where mythological truths can be contemplated.

At the 2023 Nithraid we collected a crew of time travellers. They brought stories from the past, present, and future to help people think about their relationship to the river. Follow the link to read about Ola who travelled back in time to warn about a possible future

What will 2024 look like ???

In 2024 we are transporting visiting artist Graham Bell Tornado. We are looking forward to finding out what this will involve. If you are curious, why not take a look at their list of Queer Ecology projects?

http://www.grahambelltornado.com/queer-ecology/the-natural-hysteria-project

We are getting cluaran ready and practicing rowing on Thursday evenings leading up to the event. If you are interested in joining, please sign up here:

As well as our regulars, our crew will have an international flavour as we are joined by Cille Anglevik an artist from Norway. (I can assure you she is not a cat)

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Events

The Sea Connects Events

Ever wanted to find out what happened after the book finished? Or do you get so immersed in reading that you ‘see’ the events you have read about ‘written’ in the landscape?

You are not alone!

Throughout the summer groups around the world bring history to life through reenactment of events and recreation of clothing and equipment based on archaeological finds. They are also people who create environments where you can immerse yourself in fantasy worlds, play games,  and walk around inside a story.

Wordsmithcrafts projects anchor themselves in research, and steer away from the excesses of wild fantasy. This is out of respect for the power of imagination, rather than suspicion or fear of it though!

Would you like to get involved? Here are some of the activities this summer that by next summer you could be participating in…

Whithorn- Viking Weekend

Watch Galloway Longfhada doing their thing in Whithorn

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020z05/sunday-morning-live-series-15-episode-6

Avaldsnes Viking Festival

https://historiskeavaldsnes.no/vikingfestivalen/

Medieval Bruce in Dumfries

https://www.thegallovidianway.com/experiences/storytelling-re-enactment-day
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Events

Summer 2024/924

The show season has well and truly started. School visiting overlaps with weekend events, so it is a busy time of year!

The essential Viking era Cathbad?

Cathbad and Wulfgar have just returned from a market in Norway. These markets are international melting pots of ideas, interpretations, and places to learn skills. This market is held annually near Avaldsnes, on the island of Bukkøy.

Three swords set in stone to remember the acheivement of Harald Fairhair.

Soon they will be travelling to the south  and a ‘Thing’ gathering on the Isle of Man.

They also took the opportunity to visit a bronze age gathering place for ships.

A small glimpse
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Events

Whithorn

Not strictly Cluaran! But very related.

The cluaran boat was in Whithorn last weekend for some nautical heritage. It wasn’t on the water, but there was the launching of a brand new færing. This has been a Whithorn ReBuild project with Gail McGarva and it is great to see it completed.

Working away in the camp

Galloway Longfhada Vikings set up a camp where sails were being woven, food preserved for provisions – and some acting too.

In a crossover with Quartz type activities, some filming was taking place for a BBC programme exploring the connections between Faith and Re-enactment. It will be interesting to see what the final programme looks like!

Stories food and fish
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Events

Museum photoshoot

Craft club is teaming up with the museum service, Annan photo club, and local reenactors to bring characters from the past to life.

Try out things to wear at craft club on the 8th of feb

Tales at the tap on the 15th

Photoshoot on the 22nd!

*** Extra information about the photoshoot

Muster at the workshop by 6pm to share lifts, Or turn up at Kate’s Kitchen on Annan High street at 6.30 for a 7pm start. Tom Hughes from the museums is the organiser.

***

More info and sign up for updates here:

Annan Museum Photoshoot
/https://www.cluaranhaven.org.uk/annan-museum-photoshoot/
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Events storytelling

Tales at the Tap

The third Thursday in February is the 15th.

We will be starting a bit later from now on, moving the gathering time to 7pm

Last month there were some hilarious moments when we played an improvised storytelling game.

This month features a mix of music and story led by Simon and Kate. What would you like to hear?

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Events

Merry Christmas

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Events Nithraid 2023 storytelling

Mini Nith Stories

Here are some of the stories we collected at this years Nithraid as people responded to the online form and our time travelling crew.

We asked the questions:

  • What is your characters name
  • When do they come from
  • Where do they come from
  • What is their relation to the River Nith
  • What is important to you/them about the river or what it represents
  • How can someone find out more or get involved with that
  • What connection does Caerlaverock Castle (or Wardlaw Iron Age/ Roman forts) have with you or the river
  • Would you like to say any more about the River?

Early Medieval

Oswy Shinnelson is from Tynron Doon, British Hill Fort. The river links me to the wider world. The Shinnel is a tributary of the River Nith which connects as a sea road to the Solway and  the Irish Sea. He Navigates the River Nith to the sea and beyond  Teh connection he feels to Caerlaverock is that the Wardlaw is a British Hill Fort allied to Tynron Doon in the Rheged Celtic Kingdom. The River is one of the roads to the world and beyond to God.

Renaissance

Otter came from Mull and lives near the river. Clean water is important and they love the Caeverlock Castle Magic.

Alexander Alison is a Renaissance man who lives in Carsethorne. He loves the way the Nith links him to the wider world, A gateway to the new world and the republic.
It represents Freedom from tyranny and The men they couldn’t hang. He believes we need to be free from the past and that the river could do with dredging as it is a mediocre port.

Information Age

Davey is from Dumfries. He lives near the river. It is important to him as it reminds him, daily, of the insignificance of our time amidst the natural world around us. He enourages you to take a walk up and down the rivers course, and reflect on how Caerlaverock Castle and Wardlaw allowed powerful people to monitor and control movement in and out of the river. It is an important and overlooked natural resource that requires our attention and imaginations.

Timeless

Trulnanvar is part of all that is beyond and before, the great nothingness. I use it, it flows in me, around me, through me … it is sound, unending force, reflected light, still darkness … dip a toe in the river, they have been and shall be again

River drip, River ice, River stream, vast expanse, trickle damp mist …

What would your stories look like?

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Events storytelling

More Tales

General Tales at the Tap poster
Ancient meets modern

… and a trip

As well as telling stories in the pub, floating a boat on the time-streams and making things with wind, fire, water and earth Cluaran also is the vessel we use to give school pupils hands on experiences of history.

Equipment for a large school visit
With more interpreters we can bring larger pieces of equipment and give larger groups of pupils a small group experience.

This Thursday (the 16th of November) we will load up the boat to head to “Tales from the Tap” – hopefully avoiding any flooding. Once the tales are told Cathbad and Toma the Vikings will be driving north and east to Dunedin. Friday will be spent in the 10th century with Cargilfield School in Edinburgh.

All these activities mesh together and with Quartz. Making heritage accessible hands on – even the aspects of heritage you need to practice #SensingSpirituality to become aware of.

If you are interested in working in schools bringing history to life please get in touch. Sometimes we use costumes and characters, sometimes science and crafts. There is training, formal volunteering opportunities, and even the chance to develop it into a paying job.

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Events

Clyde to Forth

Obviously, we have to start on the Clyde…

One of the long term ambitions of Cluaran has been to row from Glasgow to Edinburgh, perhaps carrying some cargo, like a keg of Ale.

To whet your appetite here is a wee video of the crew of “Black Agnes” achieving that aim (without the keg).

This would obviously take some training and equipping, so we have other ideas lined up to get more used to messing around in boats.