Dear ones… It seems an endless season of bits and bobs for us. We’re grateful to be so busy and with such varied activities, but it’s a task to keep you all up to date! I try not to overwork our mailing list, but the bits are coming in thick and fast, and that’s before we even get to the bobs.
All the pics in this missive are from our wonderful micro-residency in Whitby. We were commissioned by Flash Company Arts to make a new piece of music and a film, all built around the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone. There is more to come for this piece of work, which we will be announcing as soon as we can! In the meantime, enjoy these great images from M S C Photography.
workshops
Debbie has been threatening to do these for quite a while and just like the proverbial bus, there’s two coming along at once!
If you are in Birmingham, you can take part in a May Songs workshop at Centrala on Friday 26th April, just before our gig with Elizabeth Still. That’s this Friday coming so don’t dawdle… Click on the link below to take you to the ticket link
On Sunday 7th July, Debbie will be teaching a full day workshop called O Blithely Spin My Bonny Wheel, looking at Work Song at The Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. This event is strictly capped at 20 participants, and it’ll be going out on the Gallery website very soon. You lot get exclusive first dibs and I’d take the chance if you’re interested in coming. Using music from the Ruskin Collection as the keystone of the day, we’ll also look at international songs that speak to textile work and having a go at some of the techniques they support. We will also be looking at textiles in the Ruskin Collection. A jolly fun day. Click on the link to get the full details and book
Get Ticket
solo shows
Debbie is doing a couple of solo gigs in June, just announced. On Sunday 2nd June she will be performing an entirely unaccompanied and unamplified set of traditional songs at Dulwich Folk in London. Venue is The Castle pub, 280 Crystal Palace Road, East Dulwich, SE22 9JH. Tickets are on the door only and there’s floor spots!!
Then on Friday 7th June it’s a hometown show at Nottingham’s great JT Soar, supporting Liam Grant and with the unassailable Jennifer Reid also on the bill. This is going to be a belter and you can expect a full bells and whistles set from Debbie. Click on the pic below for tickets.
scottish tour
But before all that! The duo rides north to the Motherland for a series of very special Scottish shows in late May… We’ve got some amazing supports lined up and what’s best of all is that Debbie will get to see claire rousay live on our day off. Here’s where we’ll be and a wee ticket link for each one:
some personal news
Some of you may already be aware that I (Debbie) have been awarded a Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England. I feel very fortunate to be able to use that funding for a year of mentoring with artist Hanna Tuulikki and a residential week with Turner Prize winners Array Collective, via CAMP France. All of this is with the aim of moving me towards a more interdisciplinary practice, developing the conceptual branch of what I do with Burd Ellen and my other music, and doing more of the visual and performance work that I’ve been dabbling with for the past few years. I am so excited to do this work and if you’re interested in seeing what shakes out, I’ll be setting up another Substack to devote to documenting my process. I’ll let ye ken when it’s in the world, if that’s ok with you..?
See you all out there somewhere! BE x
