A Celebration of Cranes 22 November

A Celebration of Cranes - Saturday 22 November 2014

Illuminated lantern procession at 4.30pm with spectacular crane puppets, costumes, dance and live music with the Big Noise Street Band,   

featuring students from Stoke St Gregory, North Curry and Heathfield schools.

The celebration procession is part of the annual Christmas Craft & Food Fayre 2 - 5.30pm at the Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre.  Free entry and attractions for all ages throughout the afternoon. 

A Somerset Artworks (SAW) and Great Crane Project collaboration - working with artists, musicians, local schools, businesses and communities to celebrate five years of The Great Crane Project.   

Willows & Wetlands Visitor Centre, Stoke St Gregory, TA3 6HY – 4.30pm prompt start for the procession.  www.englishwillowbaskets.co.uk

Willow, Paper and Glue - Workshops in full flow for the Celebration of Cranes Event

Work in progress - test flight!

Affixing the wings for the test flight

An enthusiastic group spent two days working with artist Sarah Butterworth to create amazing giant cranes for the Celebration of Cranes event on Saturday 22 November at the Willows and Wetlands Centre in Stoke St Gregory.

Somerset Artworks (SAW) and The Great Crane Project have collaborated on this celebratory project, working with artists, musicians, local schools and communities.

The procession starts at 4.30pm prompt at the Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre and is part of the annual Christmas Craft & Food Fayre running from 2 -5.30pm.  Free entry and lots of attractions for all the family throughout the afternoon.
Willows & Wetlands Visitor Centre, Stoke St Gregory, TA3 6HY 

Photos: Damon Bridge

Somerset Art Weeks Willow Workshops

Sunday 28th September and Sunday 05 October - Drop in Willow Workshops at the Somerset Craft Centre, Venue 173. Make a bird from local willow, from £2, and see artist Sarah Butterworth making giant crane structures from willow and paper as part of SAW's Celebration of Cranes project with The Great Crane Project. ‪#‎artweeks14‬
11am - 4.30 pm

Avalon Marshes Centre, 

Shapwick Road, Westhay, Somerset

BA6 9TT

http://www.somersetartworks.org.uk/openstudios/somerset-craft-centre-0

A Celebration of Cranes - a new project for Autumn 2014

Somerset Art Works (SAW) and The Great Crane Project are delighted to announce the appointment of artist Sarah Butterworth to lead an exciting celebratory project working with school and community groups through the Autumn of 2014.

A Celebration of Cranes marks 5 years of the Great Crane Project and SAW’s creative partnership through this period.  

Culminating in the late afternoon of Saturday 22 November at the Willows and Wetlands Centre Stoke St Gregory, there will be a procession of illuminated lanterns made by primary school children ( Stoke St Gregory and North Curry Schools), two large illuminated crane puppets made through community workshops, live music with Tim Hill and the Big Noise Street Band, children’s music (Stoke St Gregory School), plus a secondary school dance element to interact with the crane lantern procession and a short performance (Heathfield Community School).

More details will follow soon but be sure to save the date and join us to celebrate the cranes in the heart of crane country!

The Company of Cranes: Schools Crane Twinning Project!

Read all about artist Melanie Tomlinson's Twinning work with German and Somerset Schools. Follow the link for lots of fabulous pictures of the art work created by students.

The Company of Cranes: Schools Crane Twinning Project!: Freies Joachimsthaler Gymnasium in Brandenburg and Huish Episcopi School in  Somerset . Left: Pupils from Freies Joachimsthaler Gymnasiu...

The Company of Cranes Online Resources

‘The Company of Cranes’ is the work of artist Melanie Tomlinson who was commissioned by Somerset Art Works and The Great Crane Project in a project funded by Arts Council England to help raise awareness and support for the reintroduction of the Eurasian Crane to the Somerset Levels.

Melanie took the project on an artistic journey designing and making beautiful hand printed pre-cinema objects, including zoetropes, praxinoscopes and finely detailed illustrations to narrate the cranes’ journey from Brandenburg in Germany to Somerset.  

Somerset school children make crane masks

Funded by InspirED Somerset, Melanie has spent the last month delivering crane-inspired workshops in 13 Somerset schools and from this she has developed a free online Company of Cranes resource pack designed for schools, groups and families. 

The resources aim to nurture independent study and creative skills, build self-confidence and understanding of conservation and the environment. The website www.thecompanyofcranes.net includes an Interactive Map where you can upload and share your work.

“The online resources offer an exciting opportunity to learn about the Somerset cranes and surrounding wildlife, creating fun art at the same time!  Choose from a selection of carefully designed activities that are accessible to all ages and offer creative and interesting engagement for schools, community groups and families.  In fact anyone anywhere, interested in the beauty and diversity of the Somerset landscape and its flora and fauna is welcome to join in.” Melanie Tomlinson.

www.thecompanyofcranes.net

'The Company of Cranes' - Part 2 - Exhibition in Langport

Melanie Tomlinson welcomes you to the 'Company of Cranes' exhibition in Langport from 21st September to 5th October as part of the Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2013, exhibiting Crane inspired zoetropes, praxinoscopes and other artworks!  Click on link below for further details.
Somerset Art Weeks 2013 - The Company of Cranes








Keep up to date on Melanie Tomlinson's work via her project blog: http://thecompanyofcranes.blogspot.co.uk/