Ae Fond Thankyou

So, after four weeks at the Royal Botanic Garden the 'Secret Grove' has now slipped away into the undergrowth and come to an end. All involved would like to give a huge thanks and appreciation to everyone who came down and were a part of the event in whatever way. It was made what it was by your involvement and couldn't have evolved so without that.

We would love any feedback, comments, photos or ideas that you have in response to the whole event and experience and also for any developments and future ventures and activities that could grow out of this. If you do have any feedback or would like to suggest another event or project then please email will@invisiblestructures.org

If there is any particular performer, artist, workshop leader or anyone else that you would like to get in contact with to further things that you were introduced to during the event then do also email the above address and we can put you in touch with the appropriate person.

This blog will remain up for people to keep adding to if you wish.

At this stage we have no idea where we will be after the winter months, but keep eyes, ears, mouth and nose all open for signs of other sprouting groves or dens across the city...

The final weekend.... !!(28th and 29th August)

This is it. Your last chance to come down and hunt out the Secret Grove and explore this hidden den. Plenty of diverse and interesting things to do, plus a big old greenspace to hang out at. Come down to help celebrate the summation of this whole event.

Saturday 28th :

11.30 : Baba Yaga Bony-legs: Storytelling and drawing with illustrator Emily Learmont
1.30: Exploring Nature Through Drama - Jonathon White(tbc)

2.30 : 'Tracing the imagination' - Storytelling and art, an interactive session - Daru McAleece
3.30: 'By Living we Learn' Geddes Thinking Machine - Will Golding

3.30 : Contact Improvisation - Iraya Noble
3.30: Drama Games - Jonathon White
All day: Green wood-working - Richard Wells

Sunday 29th : (the last day!)

12.30 - 4.30: Art and Sustainability: -
Artachat, the Guerrilla Cinema project and Transition Edinburgh, present a unique afternoon of film, discussion and interactive workshops exploring Art and Sustainability.
12.30pm: A selection of short films by local and international artists. Powered by the Guerrilla Cinemas’ incredible Pedal Powered Cinema.
2pm Artachat and Edinburgh based artist, Natalie Taylor, host an informal discussion- “How sustainable is the sustainable artist?” - “Why do artists sometimes shy away from admitting their work is political or environmentally engaged?”.
3.15pm Transition Edinburgh

12.30: Interactive Performance (for children)

2.30 : A sensory exploration of plants and the world of funghi - Alison Murfitt
Come and use all your senses to explore the world of plants and fungi. Learn how to recognise and identify Scotlands native plants by more then sight alone. Drink different plant teas and learn their medicinal uses, use plants and fungi to create artwork and much more.

3.30: Interactive Performance (for children)

All day: Green Wood-working - Richard Wells

Friday 27th Workshops

Lots of interactive and participatory sessions tomorrow, and an evolving Bodger's Camp that is taking over a den of the grove.

11.30 : Map making - Heather Tuffery and Simon Clarke

12.30: Interactive Performance

2.30 : 'Tracing the imagination' - Storytelling and art, an interactive session - Daru McAleece

3.30: Interactive Performance

3.30 : Food farce discussion - John, Clement and others

Final Call-out...

A final shout out to anyone who might like the opportunity to share some of their knowledge and skills with all this weekend as one of our sessions or activities.

If you might like to please get in contact - will@invisiblestructures.org

Workshops tomorrow: Thursday 26th

11.30: Group storybuilding using drama techniques - Kirsty Nicolson and Beth Keenan

12.30: Drama Games - Jonathon White

2.30: AcroBalance - Emily Nicholl

2.30 : Homeopathy; Function, activities and culture cultivation – Helen Campbell
A discussion of function, activities and culture cultivation for the development of character, personality and self-help in evolution of city culture and the organisms that live within that. Homeopathic medicine can encourage self-help and development through the crises of life.

3.30: Singer's corner: Come along and share your favourite songs with others. Based on the oral tradition of folk stories and group singing.

Design with Nature; Wednesday 25th

Wednesday 25th :

11.30 : Ecology of a BackGreen - Nim Kibbler

12.30: Drama Games - Jonathon White

2.30 : Make Poetry Now - Harry Giles

2.30 : An Alloted Space - Gordon Peters

Gordon Peters rents an allotment plot in Inverleith – across the road from the Botanics West Gate – from Edinburgh Council, beside a hundred and thirty or so other plots. He has worked in health and social development in countries far away from Scotland, but now spends more time observing closely the nomadism of local plants and animals, rather than his previously nomadic life.

Gordon will demonstrate the space of his allotment and describe what he grows and his approach to urban gardening – companion planting, observing what grows well, co-existing with the animal life, going with the seasons, keeping a wild aesthetic alive but still talking to the neighbours. He is also an occasional poet [will be at Courtyard Readings beside the Scottish Poetry Library some days during the 16-27 August fortnight] and will bring a poem or two inspired by being in his plot, to this session beside the yurt.

He has been influenced by Patrick Geddes, Henry Thoreau, and Kenneth White, amongst others, and hopes to interest people in how you can use an empty space, or a grown over space, in a town like Edinburgh, and realise where the natural world, the urban world and the personal world can come together rather than split apart.

3.30: (TBC) - The Botanical Plinth - Bring your writings - read them out...!

More workshops than we know what to do with....Tuesday 24th September

If you are not back to work or school yet then tomorrow would be a perfect day to come down as we have a huge amount on for you to come and engage with and learn from. Check the workshops page for more information on each of them.

Tuesday 24th :

11.30 : Riddle Me This - Alette Willis

12.30: Interactive Performance

2.30 : Our nature in nature: collective art-making in the garden - Simon Jackson, and Alette Willis from Transition Edinburgh's Heart and Soul Group.

2.30 : Starting to Write (for Adults) - Jane Alexander

3.30: Interactive Performance

4.30 : From the unseen perspective: a presentation by a blind photographer on her artwork and photographic techniques - Rosita Mc Kenzie

Drop in: Full moon awareness, movement and flow - Bree and John

Drop in: Green Wood-working - Richard Wells

The penultimate weekend...and so much still to come

This weekend is packed full of gems but there is still room for more. If you would like to run a session over the last week please come down and speak to us this weekend.

Saturday 21st

11.30 : Origami Animals - Amelia Calvert

12.30 : Exploring Nature through Drama - Jonathon White

2.30 : 'Tracing the imagination' - Storytelling and art, an interactive session - Daru McAleece

2.30: ''Climate Camp 2010: Break the Banks'' - Tess Riley

3.30 : Contact Improvisation - Iraya Noble

Drop-in: An introduction to bodging and green wood-working with Richard Wells

Sunday 22nd :

11.30 : Nature relaxations and storytelling - Poonam and Danny Ladwa

11.30 : Have a go at green wood-working - Richard Wells

12.30: Interactive Performance

2.30 : How to make a pole lathe - Richard Wells

2.30 : Musical Plants - Nora Nooran

3.30: Interactive Performance

Last minute addition for today...!

Charles McKean's intriquing talk on 'the real significance of Edinburgh's Old Town' will now be today at 2.30. Sorry for any previous confusion.

2.30 : The Strange tale of European Edinburgh (Hyde) and British Edinburgh (Jekyll)': The real significance of Edinburgh's old town - Charles Mckean
How the evolution of Edinburgh has been misunderstood, and rather than being a juxtaposition of two towns of different age (old and new towns) it is in reality the juxtaposition of towns of two fundamentally different cultures (European and British).'

The old and the new towns of Edinburgh are a misnomer. The majority of buildings in the'Old Town' are more recent than the majority of buildings in the 'new'.

Yet the two towns are utterly distinct. Up on the rock is a typical European town (with one major exception) - of the kind you can seen in France, Spain, Germany, Denmark or Poland: the form, the spaces are the same. But NOT in England.

On the plain, they started to build British Edinburgh in 1767, rejecting their european origins, and preferring 'houses after the English manner,' with private squares, socially segregated streets and no place to riot in. So Edinburgh built the most English of English towns. Very modern. They then regarded the old town as the repository of primitiveness and savagery.

It is the origin of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde...

Thursday 19th Workshops

11.30 : Harp music and Storytelling - Mio Shapley

12.30: How to make shadow puppets - Gill Chantler

2.30 : Forum theatre Drama workshop - Rona Topaz

Have you ever wanted to be someone/something else? Join experienced theatre facilitator Rona Topaz as we try to create a human garden! Please feel free to bring props/appropriate clothing...

2.30 : Food for Thought! With Laura Blake

A brief look at how the foods choices we make have the potential to shape and impact our environment; both in our local communities and those further afield.

3.30: Drama Games

A very full exciting day on Wednesday!

Tomorrow we have a whole lotta really great and varying workshops and activities happening, from bike generators to pattern making, and ecology to edinburgh old town storytelling, with some music in between. The space is really coming together now and is looking beautiful ! Come down and enjoy it !

Wednesday 18th :

11.30, 2.30 and 4.30 : The Powerpod: A mobile educational tool exhibiting renewable energies!

11.30 : 'Gifts and Occupations' - Frances Priest

A workshop exploring the activity of pattern making and the meaning we can create through decorative motifs. Participants will create a large scale collaborative drawing inspired by patterns found in the Botanic Gardens and the artists own collection of decorative ceramic objects.

12.30 : Ecology of a BackGreen - Nim Kibbler

1.30: Kora and Violin Performance

2.30 : The Strange tale of European Edinburgh (Hyde) and British Edinburgh (Jekyll)': The real significance of Edinburgh's old town - Charles Mckean
How the evolution of Edinburgh has been misunderstood, and rather than being a juxtaposition of two towns of different age (old and new towns) it is in reality the juxtaposition of towns of two fundamentally different cultures (European and British).'

The old and the new towns of Edinburgh are a misnomer. The majority of buildings in the'Old Town' are more recent than the majority of buildings in the 'new'.

Yet the two towns are utterly distinct. Up on the rock is a typical European town (with one major exception) - of the kind you can seen in France, Spain, Germany, Denmark or Poland: the form, the spaces are the same. But NOT in England.

On the plain, they started to build British Edinburgh in 1767, rejecting their european origins, and preferring 'houses after the English manner,' with private squares, socially segregated streets and no place to riot in. So Edinburgh built the most English of English towns. Very modern. They then regarded the old town as the repository of primitiveness and savagery.

It is the origin of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde...

4.30 : Larry Bulter - Bodhi eco project

Looking Back to move Forward: Tuesday 17th

Tomorrow's (Tuesday 17th) workshops explore the different ways natural resources can be utilised for a variety of different amazing and ingenious purposes. Including Flax skills brought up all the way from the Borders for one day only!:

11.30, 2.30 and 4.30 : The Powerpod: A mobile educational tool exhibiting renewable energies! (workshops also on 17^th, 18^th and 19^th, times vary)
Delivered by young people for young people, the Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk Powerpod provides an interactive and fun introduction to renewable energies and the climate change challenge and how this links us to the wider world. We have tours of the Powerpod, workshops on designing wind turbines, power for smoothies and solar popcorn, solar energy workshops and role play exploring different environmental issues.

11.30 : Flax woven Bags – Amy Neville

Weaving flat strips of flax plant into a bag sounds easy? It isn't---- until someone shows you how. You will learn how to prepare the plant and then the simple process to create a bag of your very own design and making.

2.30 : Making natural yarns – Amy Neville

Ever wondered how to make a yarn from plant material like grasses, reeds, seeds and long leaves? Come and learn how to, and then the unique yarn you create can be used to make coiled baskets, sculpture or bag handles amongst other things.

2.30: Contact Improv - Iraya Noble

4.30 : Natural Yarn Coiled Baskets - Amy Neville

Coiled baskets can be made using all sorts of plant fibres and yarns and in this workshop, you can learn a few simple 'stitches' which allow you to make fantastic structures of all shapes and sizes.

PHOTOS.....?

If anyone out there who has been attending the Secret Grove has some photos of their experiences they would like to share please send them on and we can include them in our gallery on this blog

THIS WEEKEND!!!!

11.30 : Weevils, Beetles, Caterpillars and Millipedes - An Investigation of the Creepy Crawlies with Kjersti Sletteland

12.30: Exploring Nature through Drama - Jonathon White

2.30: Didgeridoo and Storytelling - Ken Shapley (Ages 7+)

2.30 : Contact Improvisation - Iraya Noble

3.30: Storytelling Games - Peter Simmons

4.30 : Goethean Observation of a Plant - Roland Playle

Sunday 15th :

11.30 : Rangoli Indian Art and Nature Henna Painting - Poonam and Danny Ladwa

12.30: Interactive Performance

2.30: Didgeridoo and Storytelling - Ken Shapley (Ages 7+)

2.30 : Make Poetry Now - Harry Giles

3.30: Interactive Performance

4.30 : Theatre Workshop - Danny Mullins

Friday 13th - A plethora of workshops and performances on offer

11.30 : Origami Animals - Amelia Calvert

11.30: Group storybuilding using drama techniques - Kirsty Nicolson and Beth Keenan (Workshops also at 2.30 and on the 26th at 11.30 and 2.30)

12.30: Interactive Performance

2.30: Movement in the Inner Space - Reem Bahdez

2.30 : Starting to Write (for Adults)– Jane Alexander

2.30: Group storybuilding using drama techniques - Kirsty Nicolson and Beth Keenan

3.30: Interactive Performance

4.30: Theatre Workshop - Danny Mullins

A wee Boat Group

Come rain or shine, wind or snow, we will have a diverse set of session running tomorrow for you all; all alongside a huge Currach brought down by the Adult Learning Project for one day only. Don't miss out - it's an incredible community build project out of old oak and church pews!

11.30: Stamp-making and Art Class - Gill Chantler

2.30 : Curragh Demonstration - Stan Reeves and the Adult Learning Project

A boat from scrap - "The Tolcross Currach"

Examine the 19ft boat and displays on its making and use. Discuss recycling materials to make socially useful products which create and celebrate community.

2.30 : A Capella Singing Workshop - Rona Topaz

Join experienced singer/songwriter Rona Topaz as we form an a capella scratch choir! Even if you have never sung in a group before, come along and join the fun! We will be singing a song with an environment theme.


3.30: 'The search for BurghEdin' with Jonathon White


4.30: Theatre Workshop - Danny Mullins

Leaves as flyers and Workshops for Wednesday 11th

Spread the word, spread the word, how to spread the word?? we have leaves as flyers and will be handing them out on thursday if anyone wants to join in the leaf flyering fun..In this festival of crazy flyering, how much would people love receiving a stamped leave instead of a piece of paper !!

...and here's the workshops for tomorrow...

11.30: Ecology of a BackGreen - Nim Kibbler (workshops also on the 18th and 25th, 11.30)
A whirlwind tour of the many creatures that share our garden spaces. This interactive event for ages 6 and upwards will explore the nearby gardens, the creatures within and the habitats we share with them.We will present some of the weird and wonderful facts about the creatures that live at the back of our houses.

2.30: Make Poetry Now - Harry Giles (workshops also on the 15th and 25th, 2.30)
Want to write a poem, but don't know where to start? Want to speak in your own voice, want to perform from your heart, want to say what matters to you? This workshop will focus on unlocking the poetry you've always wanted to write, for both people who haven't yet begun and experienced writers who've hit their block, with all ages welcome. We'll work together to write and perform short poems around the theme of the week, making it easy to put words in a beautiful order. Bring a pen and your imagination.
http://harrygiles.wordpress.com

16.30pm: Movement in the Inner Space - Reem Bahdez

more coming up over the next couple of weeks are...the adult learning project boat made out of recycled materials, green wood working workshops, plant observation, power pod are coming for 3 days with their renewable energy educational tools, history of edinburgh experts, botanical experts, the bodha project and much much more !!!
Thursday's also a really interesting day

Shan-shui Poems

Check out our new 'Poems and Creative Writing' page if you get a chance. It includes some collaboratively written poems from Sundays "Writing in a Circle" workshop in the Shan-Shui form introduced. If you would like to add to this page with your own writings about the project, or that have been developed at the project then let us know.

A re-freshing start to the week - Tuesday 10th Workshops

Tomorrow's workshops have some real gems in there, so do make it down if you can. Including local storytellers and Botanical experts. Don't miss out!

11.30 : The Harp music and Storytelling - Mio Shapley

2.30: Storymaking with Found Objects - Alette Willis

2.30 : Homeopathy; Environment, land and the physical surroundings – Helen Campbell

4.30 : Contact Improvisation - Iraya Noble

4.30 : Plants and pollinators: evolution and interaction - Humphrey Wood

Visual Artists of the World: We call upon your wonderous forces...

Of there are any budding visual artists who like working woth words and images who would like to help develop a variety of unique and exciting posters, signs and images for the project then please get in touch

Come and Be Inspired - Sunday 8th's workshops

Tomorrow we have a nice quiet morning, and then lots of amazing things to choose from later on. Do come down and hang out at the Botanics anyway as tomorrow is the 'Naturally Inspired' event as well, so there will be other things for the morning too.

11.30: Pebble Painting - Invisible Structures Team

12.30: 'The Search for the Imagination'

2.30 : Musical Plants - Nora Nooran

2.30 and 4.30 : Writing in a Circle - Renga and Chinese Wilderness Styles - Colin Will

16.30 : Interactive Storytelling with Leslie O'Brien

16.30: "Discovering your Inner Landscape" Drama workshop - Sabina Sharma

Saturday 8th: Workshops a plenty!

If you have working slavishly all week and have the chance tomorrow to come down for the first time to the Secret Grove you have a host of exciting events to choose from. Please come along, hang out, and learn, or make, a thing or two. Have a look at what is on below, and check the workshops page above for more information on any of them:

11.30 : Stamp Making - Invisible Structures Team

11.30 : Weevils, Beetles, Caterpillars and Millipedes - An Investigation of the Creepy Crawlies with Kjersti Sletteland

11.30 : Exploring nature through drama - Jonathon White

2.30: "Expressing your Inner Landscape" - Sabina Sharma

2.30 : Contact Improvisation - Iraya Noble

4.30 : Goethean Observation of a Plant - Roland Playle (workshops also on 14th, 4.30)

4.30 : Rhythm in Colour (for ages 16 +) - Jane Cormack

Friday 6th Workshops - Tommorow!

Friday 6th Workshops - Tommorow!

11.30 : Qi Gong - Rob Alsop

2.30 : Homoepathy; The Self and Nature the interrelationship of everything – Helen Campbell
(similar workshops also on 10th and 26th, 2.30)

Animal, vegetable, mineral and elemental sources. A discussion around energies in homeopathic remedies and treatment of like with like.

2.30 : Starting to Write (for Adults) – Jane Alexander (workshops also on 13th, 24th, 2.30)

Put pen to paper in these writing workshops, each with a different theme: place, work and people. You'll learn techniques that can help you find your starting place and enrich your creative writing. With Jane Alexander.

For this session you participants will use sound and rhythm, walking and observation to create a collaborative piece of writing about our surroundings.

4.30 : Invisible Structures discussion - Claudia Moseley and Ed Shustr

A presentation and discussion about the past, present and future of Invisible Structures - the organisation who have put on this event. Including ideas and thoughts on treehouse design, building and living, and on the creation of outdoor spaces for learning and artistic creation.

The Secret Grove GRAND OPENING TODAY: Come One and All

Ay 13.30 today the secret grove of the garden will become a site for open and continuous visitation and creation for the next month. Please come along to share in our opening and sample the kind of things that will be inhabitiating this dingly dell.

Today you can come and join our quest for the Imagination in a 45 minute interactive performance, followed by these 3 workshops:

2.30: Rhythm in Colour – Jane Cormack

Learn to paint sound and music in colour, interpret movement into pattern, colour, or image and explore colour, word and the music of words. We cross-fertilise these different creative expressions to explore new ways of approaching creativity incorporating breath and relaxation as well as journaling.

2.30: The Breadth and Depth of Homeopathy at home, at work and at play – Helen Campbell

2.30: Soundscape Tour - Katie Boothby

the Golden Bee !

The Golden Bee and other puppet will soon be joining us in the gardens....Kindly lent to us and made by Emma Brierley

(thanks Emma ! )

Artistry and Installations...

making
creating
imagining
sculptures and other art installations at the yurt and gardens behind the glasshouses in the Botanics, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and all week if anyone would like to join us !?!

Any help welcome! Come create a beautiful inquisitive space with us!

WE NEED HELP! and carpets, materials, wood, boards, or anything you are able to donate/lend to us is very much appreciated! thank you !

Ever wondered how to put a yurt together?

Tomorrow morning from 10am we will be erecting the other yurt on site. If anyone is interested in finding out how to do this and helping with it then please come down. We will be between the Fletcher Building by the East Gate of the Botanics and the Wet Tropics Glasshouse.

A myriad of workshops, and many to come

There are only 4 days now until the Secret Grove opens up to public exploration. There are already many workshops and sessions for you to come along to which you can see the details of on the workshops page of the Blog (click here), or you can check the timetable at www.invisiblestructures.org.

There are still lots of spaces so please get in contact if you would like to do something, especially in the very near future.

Come and Explore the Secret Grove of the Garden...

Welcome to the Blog for The Secret Grove of the Garden Project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh this summer.

On this site you should find all the information on the project; what it is, what events are going on and when, what sort of characters you might expect to meet here, clues to the secrets that lie within, and how to come and get involved yourself.

The Secret Grove of the Garden is a temporary hidden outdoor learning environment that has sprung up amongst the exotic shrubery behind the glasshouses by the Fletcher Building in Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens and is inhabiting the two yurts and surronding space there with a diversity and free interactive and exciting activity sessions. There will be day-time workshops and performances exploring Edinburgh’s local environment through craft, storytelling, music and presentations on the secrets of nature. We are hoping to offer different workshops that engage the participants with new experiences and arouse curiosity and creative response to the local natural environment of Edinburgh.

The project will run from Friday 6 to Sunday 29 August (not Mondays) with the interactive performances at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm and the workshops and activity sessions at 11.30, 2.30 and 4.30, with a variety of intriquing and evolving art installations throughout.

Follow this blog for information on all the different workshops and performances that will be on, and also check the programme schedule at www.invisiblestructures.org.


From its inception the Secret Grove of the Garden project has been developed by local people meeting to discuss ideas, visions and thoughts on how they see they perceive and relate to the city, and how we could create an experience here that would be relevant and of interest to the people of Edinburgh.

It is run completely by volunteers without any funding, and is all totally free to come to or to get involved with. Free tickets will be available on the door and from the Fringe box office, with donations very welcome.

So, please come down to perform, share a skill, try out a workshop, demonstrate your craft, meet with others, discover the wonders of the natural world, learn something new, make some art, tell a story or just hang out.

Finally, if you would like to add an entry on your experience at the Secret Grove, or help in developing the characters, stories and images that will make up the spirit of the place please email them to us and we will include them on this blog.

Whisper the word and do keep coming - it will evolve and change throughout August through the partipants and their responses that bring it alive.