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