Out and about
Creeping Toad public events and training courses
Most Toad workshops are in schools and for groups which are not really open to general public participation, but I do a lot of public events and some training courses which eager visitors are (often) welcome to join
Public events: a wide range of activities here – listed below with themes, times and any restrictions as to what is going on. In general, if you need more information contact me or the organisers, for bookings where needed, contact the organiser. Where I can, I’ll put links to the relevant organisation
NEXT EVENTS!
Thursday February 21st 2019: Mermaids and Seamonsters: join us to make quick watery people and some friendly fish. You might make a mermaid or a fish or a lobster or some dreadful creature no-one has ever seen before: the choice is up to you. This is a quick and cheerful activity making beautiful shimmery puppets
Where: Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Rd, Buxton, Sk17 6DA
When: 10.30 – 12.30
Booking: no booking is needed, the event is free and materials are provided. Just drop by and join in – allow 30 – 45 minutes for the activity
Children under 7 need to bring a grown-up with them and these events are often busy so older children might well appreciate having their own adult nearby, too
Saturday 23rd February 2019: Wilder mermaids: and then we’d like to invite you to join us for an activity with a bit of fiddling, a bit of care, thinking and planning and building as we go to make fiercer, stranger, maybe more beautiful water-people….12.30 – 3.30pm
Where: Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Rd, Buxton, Sk17 6DA
When: 10.30 – 12.30
Booking: no booking is needed, the event is free and materials are provided. Just drop by and join in – allow 30 – 45 minutes for the activity
Children under 7 need to bring a grown-up with them and these events are often busy so older children might well appreciate having their own adult nearby, too
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery is 125 this year and to mark that anniversary, the BM125 project will bring together experienced with new and emerging artists with 12 months of artistic initiatives
Other BM125 events are coming for March and April, so watch ut for more announcements – there should be minerals, sabre-tooth cats and some golden treasures. We are hoping that a mermaid tide will come in again in May!
Training courses: these are cheerful skills-based days aimed at teachers, environmental educators, playworkers and anyone working with groups. Again, for more information contact me or the organisers, for bookings or payment contact the organisers
This list will change month by month and I’ll try to keep it updated as information and plans reach me
April
Wednesday 8th
First Signs of Spring: pop-up card-making workshop
10am-12pm
Buxton Museum, Terrace Rd, Buxton, SK17 6DA
Tel: 01629 533540
Join me for a seasonal morning. Celebrating new growth, wriggling tadpoles, flowers, nests, and the first ducklings down in the ponds, we’ll take our favourite moments of spring and turn them into pop-up cards
- Free, materials provided
- No booking needed, just come along and join in – allow at least 30 minutes for your making
- If you are 7 years old or less please bring a grown up with you, please
May
Derbyshire Literature Festival
2 days with the Festival
Sunday 10th
A wander along the canalbank, telling stories and watching for wildlife
Morning and afternoon sessions
Canal walk details
Saturday 16th
Wild times and brave adventures
I’ll be telling some Derbyshire stories and as a group we’ll be inventing some new ones!
Alfreton (morning) and South Normanton (afternoon) libraries
Weekend of 22 – 25th
Green Man Gallery, Buxton
The display from our Leek: once, now and next project will be on display in this arts-collective gallery in Buxton, with a day of public activities on Sunday 24th (details to be confirmed)
Green Man Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Hardwick Square South, Buxton SK17 6PY (behind the museum)
Monday 25th
All sorts of small creatures
an art and storywalk telling tales of beetles, beasts and birds, inventing new ones like “why do slugs have slime” and “who paints the butterflies”. As our stories grow, we’ll make new animals out of leaves, twigs and other materials that we find”.
Ness Gardens, Wirral, morning and afternoon sessions
Bookings needed: details will be released in April
Wednesday 27th
The Lost Castles of Buxton
invent the house (castle, palace, hovel, cottage or dungeon) you might have lived in 1000 years ago in medieval Buxton! Pop-up houses, castles and whatever! Another day with our Leek: once, now and next project, display on show as well
10 -12 and 1 -3
Buxton Museum, Terrace Rd, Buxton, SK17 6DA
- Free, materials provided
- No booking needed, just come along and join in – allow at least 45 minutes for your making
- If you are 7 years old or less please bring a grown up with you, please
June
Saturday 6th
The Great Plant, Bug and Butterfly hunt
a Biodiversity Day in The Staffordshire Moorlands
Times and details still to be confirmed but I’ll be there along with other members of the Leek: once, now and next team, telling stories, putting up a display and doing some hands-on art activities to celebrate the richness of the Staffordshire Moorlands
This event has been going for some years now and is always a lovely start to summer – come and join us!
Toad training courses are designed to offer you hands-on experience and mess, a chance to try things out, make mistakes, try again, meet people, share ideas, explore underlying principles and give yourself time to do some of the step-back-and reflect things that we so rarely manage to do during our day-to-day work
Time for glue, imaginations, inspirations and wild and rewarding days! Flex those elbows, wiggle those fingers and give your inspiration a boost!
Next training courses will be in October and November 2015: details to follow
