We are pleased to announce a series of willow courses based at Mires Beck Nursery in North Cave. The nurseries are a charity and we are happy to be supporting the great work they do. The site provides a brilliant base for running courses, with indoor space for sculpture workshops and breaks, and a fantastic outdoor space in which to practice our living willow skills, as well as offering an opportunity to buy wildflowers and many other plants from the nurseries. Take a look at thier website for more about them and a map: www.miresbeck.co.uk

Saturday 4th July 2009  Dry Withy Sculpture Course

We will use a mixture of dried white willow and basketry willows to make a simple sculpture. Animals, plants or geometric designs are all possible, your imagination is the only limit! We will also look at design skills and a few different weaving techniques and create a plant wigwam as an initial practice piece.

Saturday 14th November 2009

Saturday 13th March 2010

Living Willow Sculpture Courses

Make a group piece on the Mires Beck site and learn the techniques for planting and weaving a living shelter. We will look at domes, wigwams and other shelters, as well as tunnels and arches. The day aims to give you the skills to create your own structure in the garden and living willow will be available to buy on the day, so that you can get started straight away!

Please note that the nursery is not open on Saturday 14th November.

The living willow rods we supply will be about 8 - 10 feet long, please bear in mind that these will need to be carried home if you wish to purchase them from us. Give us a call if you need advice!

Saturday 27th March 2010  Living Willow Maintenance Course

Large willow sculptures require some maintenance and we get calls from a number of schools and sites each year asking for help and advice in manging their structures. This course will cover basice management techniques, and look at both weaving in new growth and when, and if, to start cutting back your structure.

Course Information

All courses run from 10am to 3.30pm and allow half an hour for lunch. We will provide tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits, bring along a packed lunch. All tools and equipment will be provided although you may want to bring along secateurs and a sharp knife. For living willow courses, waterproof clothing, wellies and gloves are recommended.

All courses cost £40 per person for the day inclusive of materials used. There is an extra charge for living willow to take home and we would expect this to be about £20 for enough to make a structure suitable for an average sized garden.

To book please email us on toni@dolphindesignarts.co.uk and we will send you an invoice for your course fee along with additional information and a map.