.....this time a bit of Austria, amongst other things

Bobby Image BOBBY BRITNELL

Textile Artist and Tutor

Newsletter 30 ~ July 2011

....A BIT OF AUSTRIA

......and just when you were least expecting it. Being half Austrian with a huge family of Austrian relatives, it was only a question of time before our Morris dance teams ventured over to Klagenfurt. This we did last summer and had an absolutely fabulous time. I am telling you all this so that you can get a few August dates into your diaries, because the Austrian dancers, 'Lindwurm Volktanzgruppe' are visiting us here in the UK this August. They really are well worth watching and who knows could inspire some creative work from some of you.

Austrian Dance Group Austrians 2

Austrians 3

So here are the all important dates for your diaries when you can come and see the Lindwurm dancers as well as The Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhodens Tuppenny Dish.

Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Shrewsbury Sat 27th August daytime

Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Shrewsbury Sun 28th August daytime

The Three Tuns, Bishop's Castle Tues 30th August 8.00pm

Blists Hill, Ironbridge Wed 31st August lunchtime

Please check with websites and venues for exact times where not shown. Only the Austrians will be dancing at Ironbridge.

link to the shrewbury festival website

link to Ironbridge website

link to Shropshire Bedlams

John Kirkpartick

We have had several fundraising events to enable us to cater for the Austrians when over here. As a team we shall be accommodating and feeding them as well as transporting them around. We have various activities planned for them to give them a taste of our lives and culture. Hopefully we can give them as much fun as they gave us when over there in Klagenfurt.

Recent fundraising events have included two solo performances from members of the Shropshire Bedlams, John Kirkpatrick (left) and Benji Kirkpatrick. Both events were huge successes.

We are also grateful for funding from the Anglo-Austrian Society and from Shrewsbury Folk Festival.

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Now just when you thought you had tuned in to the wrong newsletter following now is some news of art, textiles and other courses.

'WORKING TOGETHER' OPEN EVENING AND OPEN DAY

Saturday 16th July 7.00 ~ 9.00pm

Sunday 17th July 12.00 ~ 5.00pm

Please come and join Ruth and I and share in how we work together on courses and other projects. Future 'Working Together' Courses are listed below, with many bookings already coming in. Details of these courses will be available at these open sessions with opportunities to ask questions and to book your place. Work completed in 2011 from Ruth and I, will also be on display, along with our sketchbooks.

Garden at Moor Hall

Studio Space

Please note: The exhibition can only be viewed at other times by prior arrangement. See contact details at end of newsletter.

Working Together Courses 2012

30th April/1st and 2nd May Working with a Broken Line

11th/12th/13th May Grids and Meshes

18th/19th/20th June Colour on Paper

All 3-day courses cost £170 to include most of the materials and a light lunch.

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Dorothy Tucker ~ Kantha: 'A special way of sewing with Dorothy Tucker'

8th and 9th July 2011 (Fri/Sat)

£100 for the two day course ~ A COUPLE OF SPACES STILL AVAILABLE

Dot 1 Dot 2

Kantha is a Bangladeshi word for cloth. It is also the name given to a form of stitching used to make quilts and covers from the good parts of old worn saris.By folding and stitching together layers of washed and worn fabrics we will make a cloth which is lovely to handle. As we work with the simplest of stitches to outline shapes and to fill spaces we will become intrigued by the subtle changes which begin to take place in the soft surfaces of the cloth, and then we will be drawn into stitching a personal design in which the meaning and textile qualities evolve as we work. A jug or mug and one or two small objects which have a connection will provide the starting points for personal designs. Information and inspiration for hand sewing will come from seeing and handling some old traditional and contemporary examples of Kantha. Kantha can be addictive and soothing. Once started you may choose to stitch on and on and on ......!

Dot 4

Dorothy has travelled to India. She exhibits her work regularly with the Textile Study Group and PRISM . She was a tutor for the Opus School of Textile Arts until 2008 and the Education Officer at the Embroiderers' Guild. She is now working freelance and devises creative textile projects for community groups with Shared Heritage.

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Ray Hatley ~ Working in Leather

Mon and Tues 8/9 August 2011  ~ £100

This two day course will involve the students in making one of these spetacular bags. Again an additional cost of £15 maximum will be added to the course fees to include all materials, with students going home at the end with their very own top quality handbag. This has to be a winner.



link to Ray's website

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Bernard Edwards ~ Corn Dollies for Beginners

13th August ~ £40 for 1 day to include all materials.



On this course Bernard will be showing you how to make a 'favour' or two, a favour being a braided loop. You will then be skilfully shown how these 'favours' can be combined into making bigger corn dollies as well as also making a Staffordshire knot and a love heart for you to give away.


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Paul Priestley Summer School ~ 15/16/17 August.

£150 for 3 days
Weather permitting students will be outside painting life as we see it, exploring the wonderful Shropshire scenery around Moor Hall Studio. Paul will demonstrate both traditional and more Impressionistic ways of recording the landscape in paint. There will be lots of drawing and painting demonstrations and lots of opportunities to explore your own ideas with Paul on hand to give advice and help. I would highly recommend this course. I hope that these pictures of Moor Hall garden and surrounds will wet your appetite.



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Jean Littlejohn

1st September

Lecture in Bishops Castle for the Marches Branch of the Embroiderers Guild

Community College, Bishops Castle, Shropshire.

Jean Littlejohn ~ Stitchscapes ~ TWO PLACES ONLY

2nd and 3rd September

£100 for 2 day course

Land, sea and sky will be the inspiration for making stitched mixed media cloths. Hand stitching will form the basis, along with machine stitching and embellishing. Other techniques will include foiling and the use of soluble fabrics.

Early booking recommended.


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Clare Fildes

MOOR ART 1 and 2

Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre

The work in this exhibition comes from the two individual art groups that I tutor and I must say that I am thrilled with the work that they have produced

Please do come a long and see for yourself.

In fact why not join us for some refreshments on Wednesday 22^nd June 2011

6.30 ~ 8.30pm

The exhibition will run from Wednesday 22^nd

June until Monday 18^th July 2011

Open: 10.00 to 5.30pm daily

Wednesday 10.00 to 9.00pm

Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, School Road, Craven Arms,

NEWS FROM UGANDA

Two Pearl of Africa Choirs are currently busy practising in preparations for their 10 week tour to the UK in the Autumn.

One choir will be touring the South of England and the second in the North and Midlands. Fundraising will be taking place before the choirs come, during their stay and hopefully after they return. The funds raised from these visits are of major importance to the children, their teachers, schools and homes in providing food and teh basics.

I will be posting the tour dates when these have been finalised and maybe you will be able to visit one of the choirs when they are in your area. You can hear the choir by visiting their website.

choir

The choir practising in Kamuzinda ~ April 2011

link to Pearl of Africa

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I always appreciate hearing from readers, as it makes me realise that the newsletters are being read. So do continue to give me your feedback and please encourage others to subscribe.

Moor Hall Farmhouse, Bettws-y-crwyn, Newcastle on Clun, Shropshire, SY7 8PH

bobby@bobbybritnell.co.uk

01547 510664

link to my website

Best Wishes Bobby