Weaving songs and stories of West Cork flax and linen.
Join us in the second offering of this experience. We come together to listen to women’s songs and sounds, to sing and to create, all the while learning something of the history of West Cork flax and linen.
Women sang songs together while they carried out the work of processing materials to make fabrics such as tweed and linen. Inspired by this communal singing and waulking*, we will gather in the walled garden of Myross Wood House – close to the site of an 19th century mill, part of the West Cork linen industry, where fields were planted with flax and mills abounded. We will share and embody stories of place and work, look at linen and flax fibres and playfully create a new working song.
We invite you to join us for a 2 hour+ workshop at CECAS, Myross Wood, Leap on Saturday, July 29th. This workshop has been specially curated for Resonate 2023 and is a continuation of a way of working, experimenting and exploring communal singing, embodying the song, the place and story of the rich flax heritage of West Cork.
*Waulking is a finishing process that is applied to woven wool tweed. Waulking songs (Scottish Gaelic: Òrain Luaidh) are Scottish folk songs, traditionally sung in the Gaelic language by women while waulking cloth. This practice involved a group of women rhythmically beating newly woven tweed or tartan cloth against a table or similar surface to lightly felt it and shrink it to better repel water. Simple, beat-driven songs were used to accompany the work."
This will be a partly mobile, all-weather workshop so please wear sturdy footwear and dress for the day’s conditions. Rain gear/ sun cream/ headwear etc. as appropriate. Please be prepared to be on the move, sing, laugh and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Myross Wood.
Kathy Kirwan, Eco-artist, singer, and lover of textiles is delighted to be involved with Resonate. This exciting workshop connects with Kathy's current research, a Deep Maps West Cork Flax project – From Farm to Fabric. The project looks at our local Flax growing and Linen Production heritage to present-day practices and linen as a sustainable 21st century fabric.
Karen Minihan is a theatre-maker who lives and works in West Cork. She has been responsible for numerous community projects and theatre productions, especially as the Artistic Director of PlayActing Theatre. Karen likes nothing better than being involved in co-creation, sharing her interest in various practices with others. This project is very exciting to her for the combination of working songs and stories and bringing the experience into the body during the workshop.
Michelle Collins is completing a PhD exploring contemporary interpretations and experiences of the vocal practice of keening. Through her work as Resonate festival coordinator, Michelle is interested in traditional arts and heritage - creating experiences for participants to slow down, engage with a practice and connect with place, the self and the community present in a shared experience. She is passionate about exploring what happens in these kinds of interactions and the power of collective creativity.
Resonate partnering with 49 North Street to promote creativity and wellbeing in our community.