Leitrim Design House presents a free workshop for Cruinniú na nÓg titled Celtic Knots — hidden timeless messages.
The importance of working with natural local materials has never been greater, preserving and protecting our resources. Sharing our rich cultural heritage with the next generation is also a way of preserving it for the future. Through the combination of these two important aims, we hope to ignite a creative spark in a group of young people. We feel children aged 7 to 12 years living in our community will benefit most from this subject matter.
Children will learn about the intriguing hidden messages of knots and interlacing using some of the finest examples from the Book of Kells. Using a library of samples and images, they will be encouraged to create their own Celtic knot using the ancient art of felt-making with a highly experienced felt-maker and artist Niki Collier.
The artist uses her practice of making things "to grow and connect" and believes that "mistakes teach more than successes." This is what we hope to offer to a group of young people in this workshop. The artist will share her knowledge around materials and provenance while children will get the opportunity to work with silk and yarn dyed with local plants and local wool, to make their creations.
During the workshop each participant will explore their own ideas about home, love, spirituality, connection with nature and the purpose of community. The children will also be encouraged to make the knot or interlacing they have selected, onto a tattoo using safe markers onto a model/a guardian or make their own page in the Book of Kells. Wearing an old T-shirt or any old clothing, it’ll be a morning filled with stories, artwork and lots of fun!
The workshop will take place at The Dock on Saturday 15 June, 10.30am.