Tuesday 31 May 2011

Permaculture Design Course

This course will be based at Canalside site for its duration, with design projects at Canalside as well as other locations nearby. Participants will gather from 5pm on Friday 15th, with the course starting properly on Saturday 16th and finishing on Thursday 28th July. Further details below; a full course description is available from cazingall@gmail.com



'During this internationally recognised certificate course we shall cover every major topic in Bill Mollison's Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. Living simply on the land we will be building community and experiencing new ways of connecting with each other and creatively solving problems together.

'Accompanied by film evenings/skill shares to extend the learning, this course offers life changing new ways to positively engage with the communities and landscapes around us. An outline of topics includes:
- Philosophies and Ethics underlying permaculture
- Permaculture principals and how they shape things in general
- Patterns in Nature and how to use that in design; methods of design; how to go from a damaged piece of land to having an idea for how to move forward with it
- Climatic factors and how to work with them
- Trees, forests and why we want to mimic their systems
- Water: catchment, usage, importance and conservation
- Soil, minerals, micro-organisms, building new soil and conservation
- Permaculture Gardening
- Earthworks: How to shape the land to help it achieve the goals we are aiming for
- Aquaculture, utilising water for high efficiency production
- Natural Building
- Alternative systems: community living, and other ways of choosing to live differently that work well for people and the planet

'Fast paced and intensive, yet creative and dynamic, the course breaks away from traditional education and is an inclusive and collective learning journey! With plenty of 'hands on' practical learning to back up the class studies, this course is fun and engaging for all, whether you are new to Permaculture of wishing to extend your skills.

'On completion of this course you can practise as a Permaculture designer or go onto further studies on accredited courses.

'£420 Certificate Course including 12 days camping and organic food.

'For more details see www.integralpermanence.org or email for information pack integralpermanence@gmail.com'

Monday 16 May 2011

Music session on 15 May / Bring Back Folkwaves Campaign

There will be a traditional music session next Sunday 15 May at the Prince of Wales pub in Moseley. All musicians are welcome to come along and share a few tunes. More information on our website www.tradartsteam.co.uk/music/musicsession.htm

If you want to help bring back the popular Folkwaves programme, presented for over 25 years by Mick Peat and Lester Simpson on BBC Radio Derby, now is your chance. Over 1,000 signatures have been collected so far on a petition for presentation to BBC Local Radio Management to show the tremendous support from East Midland BBC licence payers - but the larger the petition the better. If you would be willing to collect signatures, please download a copy of the petition from www.tradartsteam.co.uk/folkwaves.html, get all your friends to sign it, and send it back to Bring Back Folkwaves Campaign, Prospect Cottage, Upper Lea, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5GR

All the best - Pam

--
PAM BISHOP

Traditional Arts Team
19 Springfield Road
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7DU

tel 0121 247 3856
pam@tradartsteam.co.uk

The Traditional Arts Team runs activities in the Midlands relating to traditional song, music, storytelling and dance, and publishes the Folk
Monthly magazine.

More info at www.tradartsteam.co.uk

Community allotment in need of volunteers

Judy Steele says:
We have a fantastic allotment in Lillington at Black Lane and are looking for volunteers to help to maintain it. There are families who are keen to come with children, but are unable to give the time to the preparation needed. We grow mostly fruit and vegetables and have a large polytunnel for tomatoes and cucumbers.
If you can help please get in touch with:

Judy Steele
judy@dmac.co.uk
South Warwickshire Local Food cic
01926 887119
07786 137770
Please leave a phone message if you can't get through, or use text or email, as I may not be able to answer immediately.

Monday 9 May 2011

Canalside features in CPRE report looking at local food webs in Kenilworth

As part of the Big Lottery funded 'Making Local Food Work' programme reports, mapping local food webs in 6 locations in England, have been produced by CPRE - the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Kenilworth was one of the locations studied and Canalside features in a case study, with quotes from our two Kenilworth veg members.

This is the summary of the report. To download it as a PDF, copy and paste the link below to go to the CPRE website.

Kenilworth, a small, relatively prosperous market town, demonstrates a promising, yet not too extensive, food web. Recently, redevelopment of the town centre introduced the first Waitrose in Warwickshire alongside other national chain shops and food outlets. These co-exist with a variety of small, traditional outlets including a butcher, greengrocer, baker, delicatessen, farm shops and a weekly retail market, which offers some local food. Over 30 outlets are servicing public demand for locally sourced food coming from over 75 producers. Many of the independent outlets selling local food were found to help raise awareness among customers of where their food comes from and how it is produced. Food outlets provide valuable local jobs with, we estimate over 175 jobs at outlets in the study area and a further 580 at local suppliers supported by sales into the town. Local food sales in Kenilworth amount to an estimated £3.2 to £7.5 million annually.

http://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/farming-and-food/local-foods/update/item/1660-our-new-research-shows-the-value-of-local-food-webs

Canalside Barn Dance, Sat 9th July - ticket now on sale!

Summer is in the air and that means our Barn Dance is on the horizon, with July 9th fast approaching! Tickets are now on sale!

Make your way to Gaia, or leave your order with payment by cash or cheque (payable to Canalside Community Food Ltd) in my blue pigeon hole in the yurt.
Adults: £8, £6 Canalside members
Children under 12 free

Free camping available on-site to anyone who is attending.

It was a fab night last year, and I have high expectations for an equally good night this year.
Ali

Thursday 14 April 2011

Amnesty International - collectors needed

A request from Xandra - one of our Canalside members:

We have been given permission to collect money on behalf of Amnesty International on the following dates:
Leamington Centre – Saturday 7 MAY – Organiser Xandra Gilchrist
Warwick Centre – Saturday 14 MAY – Organisers Denise Fowler and Simon Lieberman
Kenilworth Centre – Saturday 21 MAY- -Organiser Barbara Jones

If you could spare an hour [2 would be a bonus!] please contact me indicating which town and any preferred times:
xandrajmgilchrist@gmail.com Tel:07796948211/01926315823

STORYTELLING CAFE and TRADITIONAL ARTS TEAM NEWS

April 2011
www.TradArtsTeam.co.uk

We have something for everyone in April including a music training workshop

Mondays 7:30
STORYTELLERS STUDIO in Birmingham
Weekly storytelling training, rehearsal and performance opportunities with BIRMINGHAM VOICES
Contact 0121 247 7607 or email info@tradartsteam.co.uk for more info

Sunday 17 April, 8pm
Traditional Music Session
Prince of Wales, Moseley, B13 8EE
www.tradartsteam.co.uk/music-sessions.html

Wednesday 20 April 7:30
Birmingham Storytelling Cafe
GRAHAM LANGLEY & AMANDA SMITH - Heroes All
Kitchen Garden Cafe
Tickets £7.00 from KG Cafe, 0121 443 4725
Doors 6:30 for delicious food and drink
www.tradartsteam.co.uk/Birmingham-Storytelling-Cafe.html

Wednesday 27 April 8:00
Tales and Ales Storytelling session
Lamp Tavern, 157 Barford Street, Birmingham B5 6AH
Share stories in one of Birmingham’s finest real ale pubs
www.tradartsteam.co.uk/tales-and-ales.html

The Traditional Arts Team runs activities in the Midlands relating to traditional song, music, storytelling and dance, and publishes the Folk Monthly magazine. It receives support from Arts Council England.

More info at www.tradartsteam.co.uk