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In the run up to Christmas 2024 Wordsmith Crafts is moving into the town centre to spend some Saturdays making things. Are you feeling pressured? This is an opportunity to escape. Immerse yourself in an atmosphere of a peace of the past and leave your worries at the door. You can choose to pick them up again when you leave – if you still want them. Perhaps they will have transformed.
We will be open on Saturdays 10 – 4
- (30th of November)
- “St Andrews Day” …Launch day is St Andrews day, who was he and what has he got to do with Scotland?
- (7th of December)
- “I saw free ships” …with added Nith Skiff activities, make model boats.
- (14th of December)
- “Dress Sense” …Time travellers fashion day. The meaning of clothes making, past present and future? Viking, Mediæval, LARP?
- (21st of December)
- “Ghost of Christmas Past” …With Summerhill community centre activities
- No cash needed – others have covered the costs to make this happen.
- Sit down, de-stress, do something with your fingers.
- All age (but not free childcare!) craft activities
- Tap into the skills and techniques that made Christmas before consumerism
- Time travel and discover Christmas past.
Like a floating monastery we have collected relics from the history of these islands. Come and sit in the storytelling tent and hear stories that are older than Scotland. Escape the present for a moment and let your imagination take you on an adventure.
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Are you able to help? Everyone can drop in for family activities, but if you have the time to join as a volunteer you could help everything run more smoothly. USe the form below to volunteer and let us know when you are available. We will teach you a craft, so you can help others have a go – hands on.
Sign up to help out! (this will take you to a doodle poll)
If it doesn’t work or any questions, please contact us
What’s On
The posts below will help you follow the story of our escape artists as they help build a space where you can encounter ancient and post modern imaginary worlds. This might sound complicated, but simply making and playing a traditional board game re-enacts entertainment in a time before electricity. You’d be amazed how much fun can be found using a couple of glass pebbles and a few lines on a piece of paper.
We will use all the tricks we have learned to re-create the atmosphere of the past in woods, museums, and schools to turn our loreburn unit into something that draws inspiration from german markets, mediaeval workshops, and halls where lost tales echo and you can taste the past.
Of course some people like members of Galloway Longfhada Vikings, The Medieval Bruce Trust , Cosplayers, and actors already have a head start when it comes to using clothing to escape the mundane. Perhaps we will be able to focus on this on Saturday the 14th of December.
On the final weekend we will be joined in the mall with an amazing array of Summerhill Community Centre Activity. I’ve heard rumours of a visit from Santa Clause, Disney Characters and many other free activities. It is amazing what can be accomplished when we all work together.
These posts track our progress!
- Christmas GhostsBut what! I hear you exclaim as you read. Ghosts are Halloween, and not Christmas… Perhaps it is easier to think about the spirit of Christmas. It might be an accident whether you think of Santa Clause, Sinterklaas, Santeclaus. Much has been written about connections with Father Christmas, Yule, Saturnalia. But is there something deeper… Read more: Christmas Ghosts
- Making Managed
Five volunteers, Wordsmith Crafts props and tools. Add henerous handfulls of members of the public wandering around the town on a saturday. Mix in a Stove Network space for one Saturday then cook. Be careful not to overheat, and only use the finest volunteer ingredients and you can be sure of an excellent outcome (“Best… Read more: Making Managed - I Saw Free Ships
Dumfries is a port. Dock park has mooring bollards – so where are the boats? This week at “Making Christmas” There will be a focus on boat building. We will be joined by reps from “Nith Skiff” The Dumfries Coastal Rowing and Boat Building Group. There will be the core activities of making things from… Read more: I Saw Free Ships - Making Christmas Day 1
Making St Andrews Day Mission Accomplished! Well at least stage one is. We have set up the space, made room for stories, and people dropped in to make stuff. We have conversations about mindfulness, crafting over wine and Historical Hat Selfies were taken. More to follow this week – with added boat building as the… Read more: Making Christmas Day 1 - Making Christmas
St Andrews Day (Nov. the 30th) Final preparations are underway! We will be setting up in the Loreburn Centre on Saturday. Come and drop in to say hi and make something! More info here https://www.cluaranhaven.org.uk/making-christmas-2024/