We’re very excitied about this one!

For full course info click HERE

Booking form is HERE

We’re pleased to be working again this autumn with the Croft Carbon College in Leith. Take a look at the courses, workshops and events on offer, and learn a new green skill!

NonStuff courses this term include:

• Make your own cleaning products  session 2: Sat 17 November
• Compost made easy:  Sat 24 November
• Make your own botanical cosmetics session 2: Sat 8 December
• 

Last month Nenya designed a pallet-sized garden for Bridgend Farmhouse. The design is inspired by the themes of One Planet Picnic and Wildlife Gardening. All plants are edible and many are attractive to wildlife. The underground part of the garden features a living soil that is rich in organic matter and is teeming with microorganisms and invertebrates which help nurture the plants.

All plants are perennial, and edible parts include fruit, flowers, leaves, roots, stalks, shoots and seeds. The flowers are attractive to pollinators (e.g. mint, raspberry, chives) and other creatures. Here’s the design description and plant list.

The miniature forest garden received 1st prize in the “One Planet Picnic” category at Dundee Flower & Food festival.

Saturday 27 October 2018, 10am – 4pm. Ravenscraig Walled Garden, Kirkcaldy.

It’s good to be back in Fife for this one-day Introduction to Permaculture taster with Greener Kirkcaldy. We’ll be based in the lovely Ravenscraig Walled Garden. The course will cover principles and ethics, some design methods, and examples of how Permaculture can be applied to land design as well as in social contexts.

Read more on the Greener Kirkcaldy site here.

We’re open for bookings for the 2019 full Permaculture Design Course.
You can find the course details, dates, fees and booking information on our website here.

In line with the NonStuff social ethos, course fees are on a sliding scale of £270 – £750. The aim is to make permaculture education as widely accessible as possible.

We also offer a Friends Discount: encourage a friend to sign up with you, get 10% off your course fees.

We’re really pleased to be working with the Croft Carbon College, a new community education initiative in Leith. Take a look at the courses, workshops and events on offer, and learn a new green skill! NonStuff courses include:

Make your own botanical cosmetics – course full 
Introduction to Permaculture – 8 & 9 September
Composting made easy – 12 September
Make your own cleaning products – 15 September

Forest Gardening  (15 – 16 September 2018)

This 2-day course is now open for booking!

Forest gardening is an increasingly popular approach to growing food sustainably and efficiently through making use of the beneficial relationships of a natural healthy ecosystem, maximising the use of the garden’s vertical dimension, and increasing the range of perennial food plants to fill all available niches.

Read more here.

Bookings are now open for the 2-day Introduction to Permaculture course. Go to the Courses page for more information and to book.

The 2018 Permaculture Design Course began on a crisp, chill morning at the end of January. The venue – Bridgend Farmhouse in the south of Edinburgh – looked especially fine in the snow.

The cold outside didn’t stop the creativity indoors.

The 2nd module – the February weekend – was a chance for practical work with compost. As well as working on the existing bays, the group helped with building the new hot compost box. The box is based on James’ design for the composting system at Leith Community Croft.  The highly insulated walls and lid lock in the heat: temperatures should reach at least 65°C. Bridgend Farmhouse will be able to compost all their organic waste (including veg scraps from the community cafe), and should have good, rough compost after 6 weeks.

For the last few years I’ve been asking students to rate their course out of 10 .

Here’s how I’ve been doing:

Edinburgh Permaculture Design Course 2016 : Average feedback score    9.6 / 10

Edinburgh Permaculture Design Course 2017 : Average feedback score    9.2 / 10  

Comrie Permaculture Design course  2017 : Average feedback score 9.1 / 10

We had a a great residential Permaculture Design Course at Comrie Croft.

A big thanks to Sam and Judith at Tomnah’a, Sue and Tober at Tombreck, Apple Tree Man and everyone at Comrie Croft.

I got some great feedback from the participants with an average score for the whole course of

9.1/10

I’m teaching this course in Kirkcaldy in a few weeks time.

To book visit http://www.greenerkirkcaldy.org

There’s still places on the Comrie Permaculture Design Course.

After 10 years of designing projects and teaching permaculture courses I have finally managed to pull together this guide to designing just about any project.

I’ll be presenting this during the Scottish Permaculture Gathering this weekend. (June 30 – July 2nd)

You can download a copy by clicking on this link V1.2 the simplest design process June 2017

Here’s a cabin I’ve nearly finished building in the garden at home.  It’s designed as a music studio and permaculture teaching space.

I did use some new materials but here’s all the second hand, reclaimed or skip-dived ones.

All the insulation

All the windows

All the doors

The Floor

The stove flue

The sink

Wood for shelves, skirting, around windows etc.

Corrugated cladding (south-west external wall)

The larch cladding came from Robert Richie near Tranent.

I’d set aside this morning to create posters for the Comrie Permaculture Design course but I don’t think I need to. It’s already filling up nicely with 9 bookings and we’ve still got 4 months ’til it starts.

If you’re interested in one of the remaining places, you should read the info document first and then book using the online form.

comrie-pdc-course-info-2017

Booking form HERE

The first module is Jan 21st and 22nd, 2017. 

In April 2013 I was asked to create a permaculture design for Comrie Croft. Andrew and the team had been running the bunkhouse and campsite for a few years and wanted to do more with the farm.

I was back on site yesterday and it was great to see so many of my recommendations coming to life.

Recommendation : Provide an opportunity for a market garden to take over one of the front fields. It’s a great, south facing site, there’s no local competition and Comrie Croft have thousands of people self catering every year. Producing food on the farm is also a great advert for Comrie Croft.

Result : The Tomnah’a Market Garden was set up in April 2016 and the team have done an extraordinary amount of work already. Lots of infrastructure has been put in and there’s already loads of veg, herbs, eggs and flowers.

Recommendation : Create an obvious entrance for the site reception. Whilst doing my observations on the site I noticed a lot of new visitors struggling to find the reception with some of them giving up and going elsewhere.

Result : A new front to the building with a very obvious entrance and new 100 mile shop which sells produce from Tomnah’a.

Recommendation : Build a compost loo in the high Campsite. I noticed that it was a long trek to get from this camping area to the toilet block. The number of existing toilet facilities were also limiting the number of people allowed on site for events. 

Result : A great new composting loo and washing up station!

Recommendation : Move the bike shop from the steading courtyard next to the reception. They were hard to find and passing visitors could easily miss them. Use the stables for over-night staff accommodation or craft workshops.

Result : The bike shops is in a much better place and the steading buildings are being used by New Caledonian Woodlands and by Comrie Croft staff.

I’ve just finished this recycled building project.It’s a garden shelter to be used for woodwork and as a focal point for the garden at Milestone hospice in Oxgangs.

The frame is Larch from Inzievar Community Woodland, the walls and gates are built from chunky pallets. The pallet wood was flamed and then brushed  in the japanese blackened wood style.

The decoration is made from bottle tops threaded onto wire by students at Firhill High School. A big thanks to Karen, Helen and all the Firhill kids.

Booking is now open for the 2017 Edinburgh Permaculture Design Course, running 1 weekend a month from Jan – June.

Read the course info here :  PDC 2017 course info pdf

And you can book on the course using THIS FORM

Offer a workshop, performance or volunteer as crew by using this form

There’s a competition to design the ‘O’ for this year’s logo.

To Enter –

1) Please create a clear drawing, painting or photograph for us to use for this year’s ‘O’. You do not have to add it into the NonStuff logo, but you can if you want.
2) Original artwork only please.
3)Please post your entries up on the club Facebook Page or email them to hello@nonstuff.club
4)Previous ‘O’s have included a fried egg, a life ring and a hole.
5)The deadline is midnight on May 31 2016
6)The only prize is to see your creation used for the event. 

The chaos quartet are performing at this Valentine’s charity ceilidh on Sat 13th Feb at the Edinburgh Steiner School.  We’re on from 7-8pm and then again at 10.30pm.

There’s only a few tickets left, so get yours now from the link below!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2386269

NonStuff Industries and The Chaos Quartet are now officially part of the Yellow Movement.

There are only a few places left on the Edinburgh Permaculture Design Course.

The full permaculture course is run over 6 weekends from Jan – June.

Main teacher : James Chapman plus others.

The dates are :

Jan 23+24 – 2 day intro / Module 1

Feb 6+7 – Module 2

March 5+6 Module 3

April 2+3 – Module 4

May 7+8 Module 5

June 4+5 Module 6

Prices are on a sliding scale depending on income –  £260, £440, £620 and £740

To book fill in THIS FORM 

Here’s the PDC info Ed 2016

Contact James via the CONTACT PAGE or on 07790 265883

Nonstuff festival favourites Mike and Solveig have a brand new album out – “Here Comes Today”

Every vinyl copy comes with a free smiling Solveig face!! Amazeballs!!!

You can listen to the album for free, buy the Vinyl or MP3 download from https://mikeandsolveig.bandcamp.com/

Here I am inside one of the new insulated compost bins for Leith Crops in Pots.

An open invite to the launch party of the new, 3 Hares Community Woodland.

The chaos quartet are a new function and party jazz band based in central Scotland. We play a wide range of tunes and styles from trad and bee-bop to free jazz and unusual covers. The line up is keyboards, drums, sax and double bass.

Click on the link to have a listen to some live recordings.

http://thechaosquartet.bandcamp.com

There’s a new alt/trad music night in town – the first one is this Sunday (nov 8) at Berlington Berties near Tollcross.

Join Magpie and Sharon McBrearty for tunes, songs and shanties from Ireland, Scotland and beyond!

8.30pm Start.

Here’s the FaceBook page : https://www.facebook.com/events/1645786905693131/ 

This has been generated from the feedback forms.

3 Hares Community Woodland Design Course.

Here are the rescheduled dates.

Weekend 1 : 28+29 Nov 2015

Weekend 2 : 9+10 Jan 2016

James Chapman will lead a group design over the two weekends. The Three Hares is a new, 20 Acre, community woodland site close to Penicuik, Roslin and Rosewell in Midlothian.

Costs for the course are on a sliding scale from £40/Weekend to £120/Weekend.

You can book on the course using  THIS FORM

photo by Angus Soutar

Festival Prices

Children under 5 – Free

STANDARD PRICES 

Standard Adult  £85

Standard Child £35

Standard Family (2x adults + up to 4 children) £220

Standard adult day pass  £40

Concession Prices  (those on low income/benefits) 

Conc Adult £55

Conc Child £20

Conc family £110

Conc day ticket £25

Beds 

Bed in a dorm – SALE  now only £20 for fri/sat/sun including bedding

Private room in a cabin (3 x single beds) £90

We’ve got some beds in dorms still available for the weekend and they are now only £20 for Fri,Sat and Sunday night. That’s only £6.666666666 a night! Bedding is included.

Private rooms in the cabins are also still available – three single beds for three nights –  £90.

Remember to bring

*slippers

*blankets (for yoga sessions).

*cardboard for the big art project.

See you at the weekend.

The NonStuff team

We shall be offering lots of great music performances at NonStuff festival, but we thought it only fair that everyone has a chance to make their own music, so we are bringing you some fantastic music workshops, to get those feet & fingers tapping and your vocal chords oiled.

In the moment drumming workshops

Paul John Dear is a Rhythmical Alchemist. He works very much in the moment with what is present and is able to connect the participants in a workshop to create an experiential whole that is far greater than the sum of it’s parts. It’s true. I’ve seen it with my own ears. Drummer extraordinaire & facilitator: John Paul Dear

Enjoy your voice Natural voice practitioner, experienced community choir leader, musician , performer. . . with an MSc in my craft – I run inclusive singing and voice development workshops for participants of all abilities and confidence levels. Teaching songs form around the world and using well structured workshop exercises designed to increase vocal confidence.

Six years running Forest Community Choir, six months running Portobello Community Choir. MSc Music in the Community (Edinburgh) Trained as a Natural Voice Practitioner with Frankie Armstrong. Member of the Natural Voice Practitioners Network. Ten years experience running day, weekend and residential workshops in Edinburgh and all over Scotland. Eight years of experience Glastonbury Festival hosting improvisation / jamming circles. Gigging folk and reggae musician. Facilitator: Chandra

Boomwhacker percussion workshop Boomwhackers have their origin in recycled street percussion, a boomwhacker is a pipe that when it is hit on something makes a note, with a group of people working together makes a tune each person having one or two notes. I usually get people playing samba style rhythms.

I’ve been playing percussion for nearly 10 years and been teaching workshops for the last three years. I find that percussion brings folk together, boomwhackers are a very approachable instrument and it allows me to bring a workshop on my bike!!! Facilitator: Chris Stock

Kirtan, devotional singing and Mantra chanting Kirtan is Indian devotional singing invoking various names of the divine. Uplifting, cleansing and relaxing to body and mind. This will be accompanied by an Indian harmonium. There is also space for people to share devotional chants or songs if they wish.

Have been involved in devotional singing and Kirtan and bhajan with friends and various small groups. Share the lead with one other person of a small Kirtan group in Glasgow where we meet in a Yoga studio. Have visited India many times and I am familiar with a number of chants from Hindu Tradition particularly from Krishna Das. Also I am familiar with a number of Vedic mantra chants. Facilitator: Jeffrey Levin

Ukulele for absolute beginners – does what it says – come and try the world’s most accessible stringed instrument! If you’ve ever wanted to strum, sing, and play the happiest instrument on the planet, this is for you. Learn at least 3 chords, and be playing actual songs by the end of the workshop…

Plus Drumming for community thriving

Join us for an hour of rhythmic community-building, as we explore how drumming is increasingly being used to promote health, wellbeing, and sound community relationships. More than just learning and repeating a beat – everyone present takes responsibility for their own sound, and the sound of the group. The best music arises from the awareness skills of the group, rather than musical technique, and there’s plenty of rhythm and relational exercises along the way to nurture group spirit. For anyone who’s interested in a better world through music!

Dr Jane Bentley is a freelance specialist in music and wellbeing, and works all over the UK and abroad using music to explore community, communication, and creativity in health, educational and social care settings. She works primarily in mental health, and has contributed to national and European initiatives on music in healthcare settings. She recently completed a PhD in musical participation, interaction, and its role in human wellbeing. More info, at http://www.art-beat.info. Facilitator: Jane Bentley

World harmony singing (with Harry Campbell and Voicebeat). Combo performance/workshop. Come and sing traditional music from around the globe with Glasgow’s world music community choir.

plus Shapenote singing (with Harry Campbell and Gordon Kennedy).

“Shapenote” or “Sacred Harp” singing is an early ancestor of gospel, descended from English village hymns, flourishing in 18th-century New England, kept alive to this day in the American South. Now experiencing a revival, it has spread to Europe and there are monthly singings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. http://shapenotescotland.weebly.com

Harry Campbell leads workshops and community singing groups in Glasgow and elsewhere and sings in the folk/world harmony groups Muldoon’s Picnic and Crying Lion. He was one of the first to introduce shapenote singing to Scotland. Gordon Kennedy is a freelance composer and musician who sings in Voicebeat. Facilitators: Harry Campbell & Gordon Kennedy

bhajan/kirtan/chanting session An opportunity to learn and sing, some simple songs and chants, which calm the mind and open the heart. no musical experience required.

Music has been a real healing force in my life for many years, especially sitting down with other people and singing these songs and chants. Facilitator: Scott Young

 Festival tickets: http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me

Find your inner artist, open up to your creativity, learn new skills, while having fun. This year at NonStuff Festival we offer you many opportunities for all of the above (and more)

Festival tickets & more info: http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me/

Here are just some of the workshops to get those creative juices flowing – for beginners and all the Picasso’s out there:

How to make poi from bits and bob’s

Also how to knit them if one so desires, although I’ll not be teaching actual knitting, just the poi pattern, and then teaching to use the poi. A bumper double time slot,  because it takes time to make them and we want people to have ample time to learn to use them before sending them off to practice themselves

I am keenly interested in the human heart and its potential. It’s pretty much the most important thing in the world to me. Listening to my heart brought me to, among other things, poi. I love to poi and have been learning alone for sometime (6 years, give or take). I find joy in making my own poi from random ‘ingredients’, poi are so personal, what one likes another doesn’t, so it seems prudent to show people how to experiment with this before they start to learn to spin. I feel quite passionate about passing this love on. I would love for this festival to be my first foray into sharing with others what spinning has given to me. It has more depth to it than I can possibly convey here. Needless to say it’s not just balls on a sting! Facilitator: Cate MacColl

Felt bunting making 

participants make pieces by wet felting dyed fleece, we join them all together, and hang it up to decorate a space!
suitable for all but children under 8 will need a grown up to help them.

Anna makes felt mainly for fun, sometimes to sell, and loves passing on this very simple and enjoyable skill. Facilitator: Anna Kinross

Willow sculpture for burning

Me, Anna. I’m a basketweaver and friend of Mr NonStuff Chapman. Anna is a skilled and experienced weaver, who also grows her own willow. Facilitator: Anna Liebmann

Making Natural Dyes

In this workshop students will learn how to prepare a number of different coloured dyes using common plant materials. Student will be given a ‘recipe sheet’ to take away and practice at home. We will bring samples of plants that can be foraged to make natural dyes so students can learn how to identify them

Plus

Colouring fabrics with natural dyes
In this workshop students will learn techniques to achieve different patterns and effects using natural dyes (made in the previous workshop and others prepared in advance). Students will make a sample to take home (e.g. skein of wool or a cotton scarf).

Emily is a textile artist and has a residency at a wasps studio in Dumfries and Galloway, she specialises in using natural fabrics and making dyes from plants. I am a hobby arts and crafts enthusiast. Both of us have volunteered at festivals before with activities ranging from stewarding, cooking to bar work. Emily’s keen to share her skills and will be delivering workshops from her garden this summer during the Dumfries and Galloway Arts and Crafts trail as well as taking part in the Spring Fling. Facilitators: Kirsten Milliken & Emily Buchanan

Upcycle book binding workshop – open spine binding.

Including – maps, paper, card, buttons. Participants will learn new skills and leave with their own hand bound book.
plus

Upcycle book binding workshop: Japanese stab binding.

Reusing scrap materials, including – maps, paper, card, buttons. Participants will learn a range of different stitches and leave with their own selection of hand bound booklets.

I am a self taught bookbinder and currently run workshops for a range of participants in Edinburgh and Glasgow, working with galleries, community groups, schools and through adult education. I also make books by commission, which include travel journals, wedding books and photo albums, using recycled materials wherever possible. I volunteer with a zero waste skill sharing group called Remade in Edinburgh where I run regular workshops, it was a member of this group that sent me the link to your festival, which I am really keen to be part of. Facilitator: Cassandra Barron

Beginners Knitting Workshop

Help us make a string of knitted bunting for the festival, learning how to knit your own triangle to add to the piece. You’ll be introduced to the tools used in knitting and types of yarn, learn how to cast on, knit, purl, decrease, cast off, and finish your piece. Suitable for adults and kids aged 10+ – younger children welcome if assisted by an adult.

Plus

Next Steps Knitting Workshop – Make a triangle for our knitted bunting using some more advanced techniques, including lace, cabling, textures and intarsia. We’ll also cover how to read patterns and charts, and workshop leader Mags will be on hand to answer any knitting questions or dilemmas you may have! Suitable for anyone with basic knitting skills, who’d like to learn something new.

Better known for cooking and growing things with the Fife Diet and more recently Common Good Food, Mags has been knitting her whole life, but got really quite good at it during a period of unemployment six years ago.Facilitator: Mags Hall

Upcycling with bicycle inner tubes

Playing about with the possibilities. Making jewellery, toys, decorations.

I have been making bags, jewellery, decorations and toys out of bicycle inner tubes for a couple of years. A free resource, easy to cut and punch and sew plus they’re strong and waterproof. Facilitator: Lucie Macaulay

Making Story Pockets

Creating a special Place Where Imaginations Unfold
Some of the most precious memories of enjoying stories are the earliest ones, but they can fly by in a flash. Sometimes you wish you could catch them like a moonbeam and hold them in your hand. And you can: Using recycled materials, including library books rescued from the discard bin, story pockets gives children and families pockets for keeping those story memories and taking them out again and playing with them. In this session families will have a chance to enjoy rhymes, songs and simple stories, make creative responses to them and a pocket place to keep them so that their creations, be they puppet, collage or game, are ready to pop out again whenever they want to return to the magical world of imagination and take it that bit further.

Beth Cross is a firm believer in stories’ ability to bring people together. All stories need a community to be told in and communities are the stories they tell. Beth Cross’s tales are always told with a pinch of mischief to give them spice. Whether its recounting the far fetched escapades of Scotland’s Jack tales, some of the wildest ornriest heroes from America’s frontier, or the wily Anasi of Africa and the Caribbean – these characters come to life drawing audiences young and old into the adventures. Beth’s work at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as StoryMakers facilitators has developed her PhD work on storytelling and children’s creativity. Facilitator: Beth Cross

Creative collage – make your own collage from scrap materials as a way of visioning your life.. Facilitator: Sophie Unwin @ Remade in Edinburgh

Mini Beasts

Using natural materials we’ll make mini-beasts for the lovely woods around Wiston Lodge. All the materials are totally organic, so can be taken away or left to degrade naturally with the woodland. Participants can be young or old (under 5’s should be accompanied by an adult). People will: -Learn basic clay sculpture techniques. -How to make a pinch pot. -Engage with their surroundings by selecting found materials and choosing the best spot for their woodland beast to live. -Appreciate that you don’t need anything to use your imagination! Mini Beasts can be as elaborate as people choose. Beginning with a simple pinch pot which would suit younger children, or coil pots and free form sculptures. This activity is salutary, calming, and good messy fun!

We are safety conscious facilitators with over twenty years’ experience between us. My background is in Fine Art and Art Psychotherapy. I have worked with older people and adults in mental health running therapeutic art groups. I currently run workshops in Primary school and with the Woodcraft Folks co-Operative children’s movement. Facilitators: Tanya Bolton and Pegs Bailey

Festival tickets & more info: http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me/

NonStuff Festival 2015 are returning to Wiston Lodge which offers the perfect landscape for fully realising our part in nature, and unwinding. It is a fitting place for a weekend filled with Yoga & Meditation.

We will be offering lots of opportunities to connect with nature, get grounded, learn new techniques, or practice the ones that have gotten rusty, whilst being immersed in nature alongside like-minded people. We have some great teachers & facilitators, for all of you interested in being still, being mindful and stretching your mind & body.

This year we have many great yoga and meditation workshops, including:

Thai yoga massage –
A fun playful -clothes on-massage session to open up your mind and body to healing form of touch. This is done in pairs and the practitioner takes the participants through 30 minutes (each) of thai yoga massage techniques. Facilitator: Morgan Windram

Morgan is a yoga teacher and works with all ages, delivering tailored yoga sessions, incorporating breath, mindfulness and body awareness. She teaches yoga full time and has developed a programme of yoga for healing from eating disorders.

Morgan and Penny Noel will also facilitate:

Kids acrobatic yoga and song session.

Penny is a clinical psychologist and is also a fully qualified yoga teacher in yoga and mindfulness with bodhi yoga. Penny enjoys working with children and teaching through song, and mindful movement.

Yoga, Health and Happiness for Teens.

This workshop will be for the teens to stretch, enjoy their bodies, express themselves through movement and breath. It will be about acceptance and delight in our incredible beings.

Facilitator: Jennifer MacGregor Dennis

Jennifer’s first teacher was her mother who is an Iyengar Yoga teacher. After moving to New York Jennifer’s practice deepened with the inspiring teachers and the great need for calm within the busy city. Whilst in New York she completed her 2 year teacher training at the Iyengar Institute and went on to spend 4 months in India with the focus on learning Yoga from great teachers such as Geeta Iyengar. She has had the privilege of teaching all ages and in many different parts of the world from India to California. Now back in her home, Scotland, she wishes to bring all that she has been lucky enough to learn and experience here.

Yoga and Meditation 

Gentle scaravelli yoga emphasising relaxing and releasing, followed by a loving kindness meditation. Facilitator: Sophie Unwin

Sophie is a writer, ecologist, and founder of community enterprise Remade in Edinburgh

Skin – a place of meeting myself and the world

Guided exploration on how we are in the present moment through body awareness, movement, work in pairs. Facilitator: Sona Zackova

I am a Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator. I trained at Institute of Bodywork and Movement Therapy. I work part time as a Weaving workshop leader with people with learning difficulties.

Meditation & Relaxation for Children

This would be made up of a few shorter meditation exercises aimed at helping children relax and have fun. Movement, stillness, colouring mandalas etc could all be incorporated. Facilitator: Suzi Gibson

I have been a therapist for 11 years now after leaving the world of Software Engineering. I teach meditation to adults and children, do confidence building workshops and am a Reiki Master Teacher. I have worked mainly in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders. I regularly run retreats and classes at Stobo Castle and meditation at Peebles High School as well as running my own private classes and 1-1 sessions. Trained in Mind Calm, Mindfulness and Connected Kids meditation.

Kirtan, devotional singing and Mantra chanting.

Kirtan is Indian devotional singing invoking various names of the divine. Uplifting, cleansing and relaxing to body and mind. This will be accompanied by an Indian harmonium. There is also space for people to share devotional chants or songs if they wish. Facilitator: Jeffrey Levin

Jeffrey has been involved in devotional singing and Kirtan and bhajan with friends and various small groups. Share the lead with one other person of a small Kirtan group in Glasgow where we meet in a Yoga studio. Have visited India many times and I am familiar with a number of chants from Hindu Tradition particularly from Krishna Das. Also I am familiar with a number of Vedic mantra chants

Mindfulness Yoga

My classes are fun and simple, with an emphasis on mind, body, breath connection. You’ll hear a little Sanskrit. My Yoga teaching, and lifestyle, is founded upon Buddhist principles – You don’t need to be a Buddhist to practice, just a willingness to be open to new experiences. Facilitator: Angela McHugh

Tai Chi Workshop Facilitator: Alan Skirving

Alan Skirving has been practising Tai Chi since 1997 and has studied with several teachers in the Cheng Man-ch’ing and Huang Sheng Shyan lineage, including a number of direct senior students of both. He has also practised yoga for many years, with a particular interest in ‘Scaravelli-inspired’ yoga, as well as various approaches to meditation and healing.

Eden Energy medicine to lift the soul 

Using energy medicine techniques including acupressure tapping, affirmation work, yoga and tai chi movements, massage and visualization you can learn a basic routine you can do daily to keep your energies lifted and keep happy.

I’ve just graduated from the Eden Energy Medicine diploma and have used it for working with clients for a two years now at bewitching beauty running monthly workshops there and I ran 5 workshops at various festivals last year and the year before. Facilitator: Suzy Berry

Come and join us for a weekend of relaxation, calm, quietness and nature connection.We will be offering camping as part of the ticket price, or you can book a room in the Lodge or one of the Timber cabins if you come with a few folk.

And if you like, you can also join in some in of our other activities, and of course enjoy the gentle and rousing sounds of the festival music.

Tickets: http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me/

Wiston Lodge

One of Wiston Lodge’s major attractions is our outdoor space. Our 52-acre estate consists of a wide variety of woodlands, with a large campsite and a productive vegetable garden.

The scale of our estate allows us to offer a wide range of environments. Some of these are described below:

• Policy woodlands. These woodlands, surrounding the main house, consist of interesting and exotic trees and plantings. This creates a beautiful area in the immediate surroundings of the main house.

• Regenerating woodland. This area is undergoing natural regeneration, with pioneer species and some native broad-leaf planting. An ideal place to demonstrate the natural environment, possibly as part of the John Muir Award.

• Plantation woodland. We have three plantations: An area of Sitka Spruce which provides firewood and building material, a larch plantation approaching maturity, and a mixed plantation of young larch and ash trees.

• Vegetable garden. Our organic vegetable and herb garden provides food for our guests and a great environment to learn about food growing.

Three in ONE

1) Come along to NonStuff festival for three days of workshops, music, nature connection and fun.

2) Support a fantastic project – happening right here in Scotland. Douglas & Rhyddian are planning to offer wilderness training for Scottish teens, AND they are just £146 away from their tipping point in their crowdfunder.

3) NonStuff festival have donated 2 tickets for the three day event (which include camping) to support Dougie & Rhyddian. So, if you pledge the money to them and their project, you save £5 –  a bargain 🙂 you support a great initiative, and your all organised to join us!!

Click here to find out more about the Wilderness Rites Project

*** Update: Dougie & Rhyddian are now just £26 away from reaching their tipping point!!!! Would anyone like to push them over the edge? 😉

Consensus Decision Making workshop, Edinburgh

Consensus can work in all types of settings – small groups, local communities, businesses, even whole nations and territories. The exact process may differ depending on the size of the group and other factors, but the basic principles are the same.

Consensus is a decision-making process that works creatively, to include all people making the decision.

Date: 4th July 2015
Venue: The Hermitage Café,11 Braid Hills Drive, Edinburgh, EH10 6GZ
Cost: Sliding scale £20 – £60 depending on income
Online booking form
More info on Trainers: Seeds for Change

For more info click here

The new mobile sauna had it’s first outing at Knochengorroch.

Fitting the stove before hitting the road.

Half way to Kochengorroch

Up and running!

A big thanks to everyone who gave us a donation. 🙂

There are many things guaranteed at NonStuff Festival 2015, and we have a hard task ahead to beat last years success, but one thing is for sure, we have some great musical performances.

The response for performers and workshop facilitators has been amazing and inspiring!!

Last year we had some outstanding musical performers, bringing us acoustic and unamplified sounds, just as nature intended. Music to get you moving; slow you down; have you reflect on the beauty of nature; smile inwardly; soar with melodies which take us back to our shared humanity & world roots.

This year, we will bring you more of that greatness and magic.

Here are just some of the creative musicians and touching performances you can expect:

Portnawak & The Woo – a musical ensemble, playing a unique blend of gypsy folk hop, psychedelic tribal bounce music and organic punk……with the added element of Woo!

Kuchke – All female polyphonic choir singing acapella songs of the Balkans and a few from the rest of the world….

The Watch Thieves:

‘The Watch Thieves play a kind of traditional folk but with political and modern twists, both lyrically and musically. Sort of indescribable and awe-inspiring.’ Raphael Lehmann

‘The Watch Thieves – As mysteriously comfortable as one wool sock. Beautiful new folk with a sombre smile’ Ryan Van Winkle, Host, The Golden Hour

Jemima and the Fuse

This fantastic duo, Tim and Jemima become Jemima and the Fuse. Singing songs, playing ukulele  with Tim accompanying on a tongue drum.

I’d add that they are hypnotic, soothing, wonderful and entertaining…

https://jemimathewes.bandcamp.com/releases

And of course, NonStuff Festival wouldn’t exist without The Forgotten Works (and James Chapman, who leads and accompanies many fantastic performers)

NonStuff Festival promises you many things, and will be releasing more details in the weeks and months to come, but you can be sure that the whole weekend will be accompanied with beautiful and heart felt music.

Join us in this musical odyssey.

We are still looking to add to the list of great performers, could this be you?

Fill in the form here

News from NonStuff

Consensus Decision Making workshop, Edinburgh

Consensus can work in all types of settings – small groups, local communities, businesses, even whole nations and territories. The exact process may differ depending on the size of the group and other factors, but the basic principles are the same.

Consensus is a decision-making process that works creatively, to include all people making the decision.

Date: 4th July 2015
Venue: The Hermitage Café,11 Braid Hills Drive, Edinburgh, EH10 6GZ
Cost: Sliding scale £20 – £60 depending on income
Online booking form
More info on Trainers: Seeds for Change

For more info click here

Introduction to Permaculture, Edinburgh

Venue: The Hermitage Café,11 Braid Hills Drive, Edinburgh, EH10 6GZ
Dates: 5 – 6th Sept 2015 (9.30am – 5pm)
Led by: James Chapman
Online booking form
Email: courses@jameschpman.org.uk
Course fee: Sliding scale £40 – £120 depending on income

Two-day introductory ‘taster’ course, providing an opportunity to learn about the principles of permaculture.

Learn about healthy and sustainable ways to provide for our needs – food, energy, shelter and community. The course will be lively, participatory and thought provoking, with outdoor and indoor activities. More info & application form here

Workshop facilitators, volunteers & performers
***Still time to sign up & join us**
Online application form here
Closing date  May 8th 2015.

We are seeking skill sharers; enthusiastic co-creators; wise souls; creative artists; acoustic performers; therapists; storytellers; and all nature lovers – to offer workshops and/or performances.

Online application form here

Our first mobile sauna has seen 100’s of hot clean people and is retiring to a permanent location in South Lanarkshire.

Time to build a new, flat-pack one. Thanks to new sauna-crew member Cliff for all the amazing help.

The new sauna’s first outing will be Knochengorroch festival – May 21-24

Closing date for workshop facilitators & performers will be May 8th 2015.

We are seeking skill sharers; enthusiastic co-creators; wise souls; creative artists; acoustic performers; therapists; storytellers; and all nature lovers – to offer workshops and/or performances.

Online application form here

All ideas welcome and we encourage the brave, bold and wacky.

• Offer a workshop, please fill in the online application form. We are looking for co-creators to make this an exciting, inviting and educational family event, with the focus on nature and fun.

Preference will be given to workshops that involve natural or recycled materials; focus on the wonders of nature; permaculture or creative arts.

Come and make some music or offer creative performance art. All performances are un-amplified in rooms with good acoustics. The use of small amps for bass guitar/keyboard is possible but the volume of these must match that of the un-amplified parts.

Swallow the Sea are crowd funding to raise funds for their amazing caravan theater project.

For an £80 donation you get the following perks.

* 2x adult tickets to NonStuff Festival.  (RRP £85! EACH!)

* Heartfelt thank you on their website.

*Handwritten thank you card.

*Show poster + illustrated postcard bundle (Emma Brierley, Jemima Thewes, Jessica Raine)

It’s totally BONKERS and will only happen once.

Find all the info HERE https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/swallow-the-sea

Want to make sure NonStuff Festival 2015 is another great celebratory event?

Here are some ways you can support us:

• Let your friends know about our Early Bird ticket prices – there is a 15% discount on all ticket prices, until 20th March. 

• Book tickets here and you could be one of the people to receive a surprise gift!

We will be offering some lovely little surprises at some key points in the ticket sales!!  We will offer gifts to the person/s who books ticket number 25, ticket number 50, and if we reach ticket number 100 before Spring equinox – 20th March (the early bird price cut off point) then we are offering a free place to the 100th person to book!!

• Offer a workshop, please fill in the online application form. We are looking for co-creators to make this an exciting, inviting and educational family event, with the focus on nature and fun.

Preference will be given to workshops that involve natural or recycled materials, focus on the wonders of nature, permaculture or creative arts. Bring us your ideas, we are open to suggestions and wackiness 😉

• Come and make some music or offer creative performance art. All performances are unamplified in rooms with good acoustics. The use of small amps for bass guitar/keyboard is possible but the volume of these must match that of the unamplified parts.

• Spread the word about the Festival amongst your friends, by sharing this link:   http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me

We are looking for co-creators to help make the 2nd NonStuff Festival as exciting and innovating as the 1st.

Are you a creative, inspiring & talented; storyteller; magical weaver; artist; therapist; musician/band; permaculture enthusiast; nature lover; acrobat; poet;chocolate maker; dancer/dance group; or someone who has a fantastic idea and can offer to share that experience?

Could this be you?

Join us for NonStuff festival 2015: Application form here

Ticket information and booking here.

Early bird prices until 20th March, 15 % discount…

We had a great introduction weekend on the 17 and 18 Jan. There were 22 folk for the weekend with 13 of them following on to do the full Permaculture Design Course.  A big thanks to everyone at the Hermitage golf course and cafe.

Only 3 places left

There are now only 3 places left on the Permaculture design course. Anyone who has completed an introduction course with James, Lusi Alderlsowe or Graham Bell can join us from Module 2 on 7+8 of Feb.

The Hazel Guild is a collaberative group of permaculture teachers based in Scotland. We aim to work together to promote permaculture and improve our courses.

The current members are Ed Tyler, Graham Bell, James Chapman and Lusi Alderslowe.

Visit the site to view all of our courses

www.hazelguild.org

Yep, we want your support and participation in the NonStuff Festival to be a celebration, and we’d also like to show our gratitude.

So….. we will be offering some lovely little surprises at some key points in the ticket sales!!

We will offer gifts to the person/s who books ticket number 25, ticket number 50, and if we reach ticket number 100 before Spring equinox (the early bird price cut off point) then we are offering a free place to the 100th person to book!!

Today we sold the 1st ticket!!! Yeahhhhh.

So we are thinking up a special something for that person. Thank You, Annette 😉

We’ve already had some offers of workshops, which is also exciting.

Want to make sure NonStuff Festival 2015 is another great celebratory event?

Here are some ways you can support us:

Share the word about the Festival amongst your friends, you can share this link:   http://nonstuff-festival-2015.bpt.me

Your can book tickets here. You could be on of the people to receive a surprise gift!

Keep the ideas flowing, and let your creative and talented friends know we are on the lookout for co-creators.

You can sign up to offer a workshop, performance or join our crew here

We are already very excited for the festival which is about to unfold before our very eyes.

We look forward to you being part of that unfolding.

Let’s celebrate!!!

***Please note the NEW date for the NonStuff Festival.

Due to various exciting life changes & events, NonStuff Industries will now present their THREE DAY Festival on 25 – 28th September 2015 @ Wiston Lodge. The line up will be bigger & better, so we need more of YOU, and your involvement.

Early Bird tickets for the NonStuff Festival 2015 are now on sale. You can get a 15% discount on tickets until spring equinox (20th March) grab yourself a bargain, and help us spread the news

Tickets on sale here

Would you like to offer a workshop, performance, therapy or some other magical turn?

Send us details with the online Application form

Still time to book a place the Permaculture Design Course, Edinburgh – starting on 17th January 2105. The course runs for six weekends over six months (Jan -June) Prices are on sliding scale, depending on household income.

More details here

Online application form here

I’ve been busy putting together a collection of my favourite colditz tracks. These were mostly recorded between 2000 and 2006 – most appeared on the albums “we are animals” and “people like diagrams”.

You can have a listen HERE

Snow flakes by Wilson Bentley 1902

Water is amazing stuff. The more you study it, the more unusual and magical it becomes.  Here are a few watery facts which we normally over-look.

Water expands when it freezes. There is hardly anything else which does this (most materials get smaller as they get colder). This is why ice floats.

Water is sticky. This video of water in space is worth a watch

Water is at it’s most dense at 4 degrees C. 4 degrees is also the temperature that grass starts growing at.

Water can cause soil erosion. The faster it flows, the more damage it can do.

Water is essential to all animals and plants.

When there is not enough water, everyone is in trouble, but too much can be very destructive too. Permaculture can inspire habitats which are resillient to dry conditions whilst preventing flooding and soil erosion.

Permaculture Design course Jan-June 2015 in Edinburgh.

Full course details here

Booking form here

Article by James Chapman

Here’s my second mini-article featuring favourite parts of the Permacultrue Design Course.

This week it’s soil.

Photo from wikipedia commons

It’s easy to not think about soil too much – what is there to know? It’s brown and sticky and plants grow in it. Anything else??

I have grown to love and appreciate soil in recent years.  It is one of the most undervalued resources and we’re in great danger of destroying it. Soil is highly complex, has taken thousands of years to make, is home to almost unbelievable amounts of micro-organisms and is absolutely vital to all life on land.  Without it, we would have no trees or plants, and without them there wouldn’t be any animals.

Soil is a mixture of :

* Small rock particles – sand, silt and clay

* Humus – broken down organic matter

* Water

* Air (vital for plant health!)

If the soil is healthy, it will also be chock full of micro-organisms – millions in every handful.

Soil is getting made all the time, but soil erosion is a massive, modern problem. Mechanised farming exposes our soil to rain and wind, washing it down rivers into the sea. In North America, an estimated 1/3 of all top soil is now at the bottom of the oceans.

Permaculture can provide methods of producing food which build soils rather than depleting them – essential skills for a sustainable future.

Full Permaculture Design Course info HERE

Booking form for intro or full course HERE

Intro course Jan 17-18 2015 in Edinburgh.

Full course Jan-June (1 weekend a month) 2015, also in Edinburgh.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to write some miny-articles about my favourite bits of the Permaculture Design Coruse.

This week I’m looking at Trees and Woodlands.

Native, broadleaf woodlands provide a lot of inspiration to permaculture designers.

They are a very good example of a system which is “truly sustainable”. With a bit of sun and rain, a woodland can provide all it’s own needs and produce a surplus for re-investment. Seeds can start off a whole new woodland and the soil is improved through all the rotting leaves and timber.

Woodlands are also great at fitting a lot of different species into a small amount of space. They do this by working in different layers; The canopy, under storey,  shrub, herbaceous, and mycorrhizal layers all add up to a very complex, high density habitat.

These layers directly inspire forest gardens which are very complex, high density food producing habitats.  A forest garden uses the same layers as a broadleaf woodland, but swaps all the trees and plants around to species which provide more food for us.

Every year the course visits Graham Bell’s forest garden which was planted nearly 20 years ago.

It is amazingly productive and requires minimum work – perfect permaculture in action.

Click HERE for full course information.

Click HERE for booking form.

For info on Graham’s courses and his plan nursery, click HERE

The Forgotten Works are performing at this great green party fair on Sunday 23rd Nov.

10.30am start.

Some NonStuff escaped from the festival and has been spotted near the compost heaps at Wiston Lodge.

Anyone wanting to join the NonStuff mailing list for news on festivals, permaculture courses, the forgotten works and events?

Sign up HERE

Online booking form HERE

Full design course information HERE

!!!!!Save the date!!!!

NonStuff & Permaculture Scotland Festival 2015

Date: 19 – 22 June 2015
Venue: Wiston Lodge

We are already in the planning stages for the 2nd NonStuff Festival with Permaculture Scotland… and this time it will be BIGGER (but not too much) and BETTER (if that is possible)

a few people are wondering where the nonstuff festival came from

this diagram should solve any questions.

Crowd Funding Campaign Launched. 

  

You can pre-book your ticket through our WeFund campaign at a discounted rate of £70 
per adult. (adult tickets will be sold at £85 after May12)
We need £2000 of advanced sales by May 12 for the event to go ahead.

Any help supporting the event would be much appreciated - pre-book your place, 
pledge as little as £5 for a reward or just spread the word!

NonStuff gets off to a flying start on March 16.

The Forgotten Works host NonStuff #1 with performances from VoiceBeat community choir and Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5. We also have  a tiddlywinks championships, sea shanties and craft workshops.

6.30pm -crafts, sea shanties, tiddlywinks heats

7.30pm – performances, tiddlywinks final