Coiled Basketry - Aug 8th

We will be learning how to weave a simple basket from grass. Basketry is one of the most ancient crafts, predating ceramics and likely as old as working flint into tools. Basket-making techniques would have been essential to prehistoric communities and passed down over generations.  This workshop is suitable for beginners. You will be guided step by step through the process from raw material to finished basket. 

 

Molly's approach to teaching ancestral crafts encourages slowing down and reconnecting with nature and intuition.  At the beginning of the day we will work with some simple mindfulness based techniques to ground us in our surroundings. Weather permitting we will be working outdoors in the ancient woodland at New Coghurst. Our ancestors would largely have worked outdoors in settings like this, and would have been deeply connected to the land and the natural material associated with their craft. In order to truly immerse ourselves in the experience of this ancient practice, connecting into this awareness and respect for nature and its gifts is just as (if not more important) than learning a new practical skill.