Category: Events

Tales at the Tap

With added mead…

Autumn is here and plans are germinating. Here is a selection of current activities planned.

Tales at the Tap

The 19th of October will see the return of Simon and Kate to the Riverside Tap. Turn up from 6pm for a blether, and stories with music will start at 6.30.

The Tap doesn’t serve food, but doesn’t object if you bring a pizza in either. They are also experimenting with stocking some mead.

Northern Tales

How often do you get the opportunty to listen to Sami stories and music? instead of craft club, and as it’s the school holidays, we are going to “Northern Tales” at the Stove instead.

Northern Tales & Tunes

Date: Thu, Oct 26 • 19:30 BST

Location: 100 High Street, Dumfries, DG1 2BJ

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northern-tales-tunes-tickets-679979917237?aff=ebdsshother

Cluaran Craft Club

Craft Club will be back on Thursday the 2nd of November. Finish your S-Hook or start another project.

And if you are interested in mead, this is Simons favourite supplier at the moment.

https://www.dreadedmead.co.uk/pages/our-story

Nithraid 2023 storytelling

At Nithraid in 2023 Cluaran had a crew gathered from a variety of times and places. They are all connected by the river Nith, but may have very different opinions about it. Over the coming months we will introduce you to them.

First up from the future we have Ola…

Meet Ola

She is from 3033 and time travels back in time when the tide comes in up the river Nith.

In her future there is no land, and everyone lives under water. Due to micro plastics in our current timeline Ola’s people have developed scales on their legs (which are multi coloured) and a neoprene type skin that covers their feet. This helps them swim in their underwater world.

A chemical created (in her timeline) to dissolve micro plastics in the sea mutated and humans started to develop ability to breath underwater. This is how their skin and scales developed.

In Ola’s world the currency they use are pelican foot shells. These shells are prised highly with her people and can only be collected from some beaches along the coast of Dumfries and Galloway up to the end of the 21^st century. None exist in her time, and this is usually why she comes back to our time. There she can collect them and walk along beaches that no longer exist in 3033.

Her cloak has a bright purple lining and gold and blue panels with floral designs. These have been inspired by the banks of the river Nith.

Ola has not yet spoken about how her world came to be under the sea, but she likes to talk to people about looking after our world in 2023.
— Ola, time traveller

More stories to follow! After craft club though. We will probably be casting playing pieces for early medieval games this evening.

Events storytelling

Tales at the Tap

Thursday from 6pm 21.10.2023

What stories would you like to hear?

Cluaran Craft Club

Thursday the 28th of October, 7pm

This will be a general craft club, try something new or get round to finishing a project with friends!

Events Nithraid 2023

Cattle Reiving

The internet is awash with photos from this years Nithraid. Our crew didn’t race, but we had many discussions with people about the river.

In our time travelling ship we had Brigid the Selgovae, a Border reiver, a pirate and even a visitor from a future waterworld. Their stories will be told in another post, but while you are waiting here is a short video of images from our cattle rustling…

Events Nithraid 2023

Nithraid 2023

Ready to launch

We are mustering in the morning to get the boat ready to launch. We plan to pitch a pavilion on Millgreen and row round in circles. Maybe we will make a pirate raid on the island …

You can join in by creating a character for our fantasy crew

If you like this sort of thing, what do you think about building a boat?

Nithraid 2023

Cluaran Boat Session

The River Wanderer

The nights are drawing in!

We will gather again to launch the boat this Thursday (31st of August) at 18.00

We are starting early to make the best of the daylight. Please gather at the workshop as usual.

If you are early (from 16.30) you can help pick apples! (bring a bag to take them away)

Since Nithraid is the 2nd of September we will also work on costumes after rowing. We will need a shore crew as well as rowers, so even if you are not keen of getting on the water have a look at this form and think about how you can help people encounter the river Nith in a new way.

If you are curious, the featured video clip is from our contribution to the treaty of Perth celebrations.

Arts Installations Events

The Treaty of Perth

Here is a blast from the past!

This short video is made of photos from our display remembering the signing of “the treaty of Perth“

You can read a bit more about the day and the other organisations involved here.

The boat will be on the water in Dumfries on Thursday the 24th of August getting ready for Nithraid!

Events Nithraid 2023

Cluaran Boat Session

Launch!

Thank you to everyone who came along to get the boat on the water on the 13th of July. This goes for the shore crew as well as those who braved the watery depths… well shallows… of the Nith.

We were successful in launching and rowing the boat. The shore crew caught some of it on camera – and we even have a film of it made by David Slater (DRS Video Clips)

The next boat evening we have scheduled is for Thursday the 24th of August. 1900 to 2100 again, rendezvous at the Wordsmith Crafts Workshop (3 James Avenue, Dumfries).

If you want to think about the sorts of characters who might, could have or perhaps will inhabit the Nith, then have a go at filling in this form:

You can also become a member of Cluaran by signing up to the newsletter lists of your choice.

Arts Installations Events Nithraid 2023

Boat Evening

Thursday the 24th of August

What would it have been like to be a Roman on the River Nith?

Meet at the Wordsmith Crafts Workshop by 7pm. If you want to go on the water you will need to become a member of “Cluaran” so that we can keep track of the paperwork.

If the tide is right we will be rowing, if there is no water then there are plenty of other tasks!

These include boat related crafts, maintenance – and character development for Nithraid on the 2nd of September.

For more Wordsmith Crafts events – check out the calendar page

Events Workshops

Cluaran Craft Club

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 time travelling feasting. We made lantern shields for parades, tried bowl turning, and blacksmithing. 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. There was a strong Viking theme which led to the setting up of Galloway Longfhada the local “Vikings” re-enactment group. Who knows what will happen this time round?

Enough history … the time has come to revisit the craft club idea, working towards Nithraid 2023

General craft club sessions are drop in events. All ages are welcome, but under 16’s will need to bring an adult with them. We will ask for a £5 contribution to cover workshop overheads. There are some free to use materials available which have been donated. 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 – please let us know!

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories