BERGH APTON ARTS
HERE BE DRAGONS!
A WORKSHOP WITH KATE MUNRO:
SATURDAY 26 AUGUST
BERGH APTON VILLAGE HALL
With Kate's experienced and professional eye to guide us we shall be making a dragon lantern. He will be a player in UNLOCK UNEARTH and will fly high over the gateway to the churchyard drawing all eyes to his commanding presence. His skeleton is to be made from willow and covered with special tissue paper. He will be about 6-7 feet in length.
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Forfar will play her part in UNLOCK UNEARTH. She will fly far above the threshold from car park to churchyard, a magical being that will draw every eye as she rivals the night’s stars.
Here are comments from those jolly good eggs who gave interest and time to spend a day making her:
Sasha: I enjoyed today so much. It was wonderful and magical experience. Kate is a lovely creator and your wisdom creative made this beautiful dragon alive! I happy to been part of this team.
Sophie: An inspiring creative workshop. The dragon was the result of a roomful of imagination. Of course, the delicious lunch gave us the energy to bring it to life.
Pippa: Lovely eats, great production. AMAZING!
Heather: Conjuring up the dragon was an amazing magical experience. From Kate’s encouragement to our collective efforts with will and paper Forfar slowly emerged, full of latent energy.
ChatGPT: This poem written by ChatGPT for Rebecca was crafted based on an initial brief and subsequence tweaks to the request to perfect it. Rebecca initially provided the concept of a female dragon named Forfar, constructed from willow and tissue paper for a community arts event in Bergh Apton. The creative process involved incorporating these details while shifting the poem’s tone from comical to a more serious majestic portrayal of Forfar resulting in this final piece:
In Bergh Apton’s village where dreams take flight
They crafted Forfar from willow so light.
With tissue paper wings, a sight to behold
For the community arts event, stories were told.
Led by and guided by Kate’s skilled hand
They sculptured a dragon both fierce and grand
A willow and paper creation, wondrous and bright
Forfar would soar at the event that night.
With wings that fluttered like whispers of air
Forfar the dragon stood strong and fair
A symbol of unity and creative might
In Bergh Apton’s celebration shining so bright.
At the village arts event she would take her place
This willow and paper dragon a work of grace
In Bergh Apton’s history a star to be
A testament to art and community harmony.
Sheridan: Over the course of 6 hours a pile of willow was transformed into a fierce dragon. The whole day had a magical feel to it with a wonderful feeling of the group working together. It was the best workshop I’ve done so far. Thank you Bergh Apton Arts.
Peter and Avis: We arrived at the village hall full of energy and ideas and we joined teams of people eager to get stared on dragon making. Kate introduced us to the willow making concept and we all talked through the ideas for the shape and size and how the dragon might look. We got started very quickly and everyone was engaged in working very hard on the project. After lunch things started to take shape, the body and tail were brought together and the head was joined on to the structure. The legs were the last pieces to join to the structure. Then we all got stuck in (literally) in covering the beast in tissue paper and PVA glue. We ended up with a very impressive dragon, Forfar the dragon! A very satisfying and enjoyable day working with a group of hard working crafters.
Peter: It was wonderful to be part of a group that created a dragon out of just willow and paper. Ten of us, ably guided by Kate, busied ourselves by making seemingly random hoops and triangles of varying sizes which, when put all together magically transformed themselves into Forfar the dragon. Her skin was of glue soaked tissue paper created for her by two teams: those who soaked and those who carefully wrapped the paper over her willow bones. Forfar was not quite finished that day. She is still to have green scales, sharp white fangs, batting eyelashes, red ribbons of fire and her insides lit up by strings of light. Then she will be ready to perform in the darkness of the January night.
Making Grass Dollies
Saturday 16 September
Here we are sitting in the sun making grass dollies for use in UNLOCK UEARTH.
When people book their ticket they will be sent instructions, one being that when they arrive they cast off our everyday world and become villagers in AD 900 in the early settlement of Beorh. They are about to celebrate last year’s good harvest which kept every mouth filled during the days of the dying of the sun but now that the time of the singing of birds is coming and the planting of crops they will have a lantern lit procession and songs and stories to celebrate. On reaching Reception they are presented, not just given, but presented with a grass dolly for a magic keepsake.
As the villagers of those centuries ago would not have known our modern cereals we have used seeded grasses but, with a nod to our own times, a head of bearded barley.