By Breda Fay
Community Arts Facilitator Beth Murphy from Willow Wonder came up with an idea to celebrate Brigid 1500 by facilitating a number of community arts workshops. The project began in Feb 2023 and was called “A New Dress for Brigid”.
Feltmakers Ireland member Liadain Butler represented the craft of Feltmaking.
A wire form of Brigid was constructed around which there will be tiers of different materials. Designed to be displayed outdoors, these tiers will be made of durable weather-resistant materials or materials that can be replaced periodically. The tiers will be made of copper, felt, crochet and embroidered fabrics; the clay face using model Skye, Liadain’s daughter, felted hair, bark ‘growing baskets’, grass, and rush woven belts will all be included.
Based in Kildare town, the project brought together a number of craftspeople to explore traditional crafts and share knowledge. Each workshop was led by a different practitioner, allowing the whole group to experience each other’s practices and skills – skills passed down through generations but now in danger of being lost.
These ancient skills and crafts include crochet, embroidery, weaving, felting, sketching, clay, and braiding using natural materials such as wool from the Curragh sheep, grasses, willow, and copper. Many of the skills would have been practised in the time of Brigid using these same locally available materials.
The project will continue into 2024, but Heritage Week has provided an opportunity to view the journey so far. The beautiful setting of the Kildare Cathedral provided a wonderful exhibition space.
The completed piece will be exhibited in the square in Kildare on February 2024 as part of the closing ceremony for Brigid 1500.
The frame is made from steel by @paul.finch999
To learn more, visit the website – https://brigid1500.ie/AboutBrigid1500/
Brigid 1500 still has an Open Call for projects, with a deadline of 15th of September 2023, Find this at Kildare Heritage – https://kildareheritage.com/events/brigid-1500-2024-open-call/
Catch their Kildare Heritage’s Medieval Day today, the 17th of August, from 11 am to 4 pm – https://www.instagram.com/p/CwAFpDUokNe/
Feltmakers Ireland 