18/08/2023
Gosh, another Long Awaited Update!
Life in France has taken over rather - predictably, as while one hears of arts companies who switch countries for gigs regularly, doing things as ecologically as one can with a big tipi theatre, a lot of large masks, lighting and kit, all overland in a big van means that we only travel to the UK for a few weeks in the summer now, this time a mere six weeks.
But renovating a barn takes time of course (pleased to say it's habitable and pretty civilised at last now!) but our sustainability mission has spiralled and so growing food takes time too. And there's still plenty left to do!
Like many storytellers, the strange wisdom of ancient and traditional folktales and fairytales sort of grows within you...until if you tell too often and too many, you too start to seek out a world of tumbledown stone dwellings and timber framed buildings, of besom brooms and real cooking cauldrons with tripods over fires, where the horses, sheep, goats, hawks and even bears in the tales are actually to be seen or sensed...And you end up growing your own enormous pumpkins in a real life Halloween scene, and genuine peasants appear blocking the road with their staves and smocks and amazing swirly horned goats...or even more bizarrely, the next time you see them, ride up in a remote mountain pass on a motorbike, with sheepdogs racing behind! So we have been drawn into (as painters have been drawn to the light to St. Ives or Provence) a land where folktale still lives and breathes and traditional and even Medieval life still in part survives and thrives! To the continual amazement of visitors. And many surreal happenings worthy of dreams or novels and cult road movie film occur!
However, it was awesome to perform at Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts again this June! Wonderful atmosphere, buzz, people, as always 🙂 . The rest of the time was taken up with many friends and family and other commitments. We return now for 'festivals, friends, family, funerals, weddings and wakes' oh and an AGM. So every time 'it's been emotional'! As well as incredibly busy.
As things get more sorted here in the Pyrénées however, the thinking caps are on for exciting plans ahead...
Meanwhile, look out for the Cartwheels Collective Crew doing fantastic craft workshops at the Beautiful Days Festival in the renowned Kids Field and hosted by the legendary MAJICAL YOUTH this weekend! At lovely Escot Park in Devon. We as two of the six founder members of the Cartwheels Collective are delighted that the Collective are now international! As the arts and crafts branch carry on the beautiful work in the UK 🙂.
Have a great rest of the summer X
