Garden Gate Stefani Workshop - Friday 28th June 2013
The Garden Gate, Northdown Park,
Cliftonville, Margate, Kent
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| Workshop space at The Garden Gate |
Following the
success of the Stefani Workshop held at Limbo in Margate, I was invited to host
a similar workshop at The Garden Gate in
Northdown Park, Margate. The Garden Gate is a community run garden, combining
the cultivation of vegetables and herbs with creative pursuits and workshops
using natural materials. Volunteers from the local community help to maintain
the gardens and local people with learning difficulties and mental health
problems are invited to experience cultivating the garden and participate in
creative workshops. Throughout the gardens sculptures and crafted objects from
previous workshops are scattered amongst the trees and vegetable plots; the
atmosphere created is peaceful, meditative and magical, one can feel the
connection with nature that has been mindfully developed
by many hands over time.
Stefani hanging in the Gazebo
At the event I attended activities included
painting stones, making tie dyed fabrics using natural dyes and making small
sculptures from clay as well as my Stefani workshop, where participant wove
garlands using ivy and flowers. It was an inspirational experience. The
participants varied in their engagement with making the Stefani; some
approached the task with intense concentration and produced truly beautiful
crafted objects, others needed careful instruction and others just wanted to
chat and I ended up virtually making their Stefani for them. One thing was
apparent in all, they took great pride in the objects they had made, or had
been made for them. Some displayed their Stefani in the gazebo behind the
greenhouse and others wanted to take their work home to give to loved ones as
presents.
Participants weaving Stefani
My experience of this workshop underlined my belief in the value of community participation in artistic projects. I would certainly want to support future events there.
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