Workshops in Poland
8 people committed to gaining knowledge about how to build a Natural House using Clay Build Technique (CBT) will participate in a 6 day training session with Wojciech Brzeski in Poland.
Workshop Leaders
Stan Khan
When I was little I wanted to be a part of The A Team. My dyslexia meant that I could never rely on the written language the way others do, so my fascination of using tools to make things and solve problems extended my learning practise, and I picked up other strategies for working and became inspired by working practically, in a hands on way. Today I work as a caretaker in a school - passionate about the mechanics of fixing, building and engineering around the structure of the building that others take for granted. Working around young people I see how I could inspire others through learning about CBT and sharing the innovative ideas to other young individuals, who keen to work with different practises outside those available in the standard national curriculum. I hope to challenge my own modes of practise and be able to use CBT methods with confidence, not only within a school environment, but as a whole experience as I travel around the world.
Colin Richards
I am Colin Richards Buildings Conservation Officer for South Shropshire. I have been a conservation officer for 25 years, advising on restoration practice and training building workers in traditional repair techniques. I am a founder member of The Institute of Historic Building Conservation and have represented The British Council in conservation projects throughout Romania since 1996. I led a team to set up a conservation training workshop in central Transylvania in 2000 and last year built a brick and tile kiln at the world heritage site of Viscri. This year I am coordinating a project to repair the walls of the ancient fortified church in the village and supervising the restoration of a 16th century timber framed barn. Such work is linked to the restoration of the ancient town walls of Ludlow Shropshire where I am based.
My interest in clay building technology has been long standing. I built the brick kiln at Acton scott to provide locally sourced bricks and tiles for restoration work as these were not available commercially. I have also built kilns in Eastern Europe. However in the light of global warming issues we in South Shropshire are trying to develop a more sustainable building practice using locally occurring materials with a low energy demand for conversion. As part of this years Ludlow Green Festival we constructed a straw bale house and rendered it with clay and lime. The Natural house project is a timely extension of this initiative and we will hope to develop the skills learned to share with the building community and encourage the building of clay houses in mainstream building practice.
Claire Appleby
Since arriving in Birmingham five years ago to embark on an artist led project to overhaul the physical and spiritual space of a dilapidated urban space, I have been collaborating with makers in a multi-disciplinary field to explore the possibilities for informing, designing and creating habitable spaces that respond to our very nature of being. With an interest in the relationship between people and their environments and a motivation for design and construction to be more accessible, my aspiration is to develop ways that allow for people to share their unique skills and specialisms in order to come together and create environments that are considered, understood and realised as an extension of their/a collective drive.
I have worked in different capacities to support activities that provoke interesting relationships between artists, makers and communities in regards to exploring the desires for their built environment and shared public space. These programmes of work have investigated peoples dreams, ideas and hopes for our homes and neighbourhoods and provided platforms for the practical expression of those ideas in a shared and collaborative way. Working from the different perspectives of an artist, project manager, workshop leader, consultant and documentor I have been fortunate enough to have engaged with people of various ages and backgrounds learning more about the infinitely fascinating needs and expectations that people have of their personal and shared spaces.
The projects that I have participated in have mostly curated a deliberate crossover between art and construction which in my experience has demonstrated an imaginative use of materials as well as of design. It is with the continued desire to further explore other, non-standard ways of building and creating vibrant spaces that I am thus keen to learn about CBT. It offers a further chance to skill share and act as a conduit between different cultural communities and their methodologies.
For further examples of work please visit www.longhouse.uk.com illustrating my contributions to the development of this regional arts organisation.
Wren Miller
Wren was born into a large family in Shropshire and brought up on the beautiful and wild Longmynd, by Painter and Ceramic Artist- Educator parents where she was steeped in the rural environment, art, music and encouraged in her love of dance. Post A level she went ‘direct entry’ and studied Interior Design BA Hons at Middlesex University and then London Metropolitan University from 1981 - 84. On leaving college she went to join the Greenham Common Peace Camp and was involved in non-violent direct action. Her first job was with Lancaster Community Arts Team before taking a P.G.C.E. Art and Design at Sussex University in 1987.
Subsequently she became a Craft Design and Technology Teacher at Queen Elizabeth Boy’s School, London Borough of Barnet.
From 1988 – 95 she started a family and worked freelance as an Interior Designer, Supply Teacher, Adult Education Tutor and Arts Youth Worker.
In 1989 She cycled across Europe along the major rivers to highlight water pollution for Greenpeace.
In 1996 she formed with her Hydrogeologist partner, ‘Environmental Simulations International’ and was a Director of this successful specialist ground water company.
In 2001 Wren divorced and dedicated herself to freelance Environmental, Community Art working and as an Arts project manager working to contract. In this time she has completed many residencies, exhibitions and created initiatives. (Details of some below).
- Contracts included jobs as Curriculum Consultant, Adult and Community Education and Youth Participation Worker for Shropshire County Council. She is Currently Environmental Arts Participation Consultant, to the Beacon Awarded Youth and Community Team, Lancashire County Council.
- She has been teaching Dance and continues to perform.
- Recently asked to become a visiting lecturer and assessor, Architecture Department, Oxford Brookes University, she continues her studies into the psychological effects of light on emotions and wellbeing.
- Associate Artist to - Healthcare Arts, Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company, Arty Party, ALISS, Creative Remedies, Play Train and Ugly Bug World.
- She is a Visual Arts Network Trustee and is founder Artist of the Cloud Gallery Initiative Group, who hope to build an Eco gallery, studios and Environmental Art School in Shropshire, the first environmental and rural art based gallery in Britain.
Alan Cheeseman
I am a multi disciplinary artist originally trained as a diamond mounter at the Birmingham School of Jewellery and then as a Fashion Jewellery Modelmaker for Swarovski. I have been self employed since 1988.I run the Chameleon Gallery now as well as still practising as a jewellery manufacturer, working in pewter. The Gallery provides a space for artists and the local community to use to promote their work and highlight areas of concern. I curate shows for the Gallery too.
My paid arts practise has involved stone carving, working as a mentor to a disabled artist, running various workshops with children, project based work involving mental health service users, silver ring making courses at the Gallery/workshop and other arts projects in and around Birmingham leading to exhibitions such as X-ray factory in Smethwick and Canal heritage work. I was also arts council England funded to produce a show and an audio cd (Confidences and Confessions) that culminated in a strong show(Mindful States) at the Chameleon Gallery last October.
I enjoy an “alternative” lifestyle and am interested in the education of people to a sustainable way of living, now and in the future, hence this venture is of much interest to me and could possibly lead to further employment opportunities of some artistic worth. Hopefully opening peoples minds especially young children to explore the different ways of building and living with an eye on the future welfare of their environment. I want my arts practises to make people think and reflect, making the viewer come away with a different perspective on life!
This project is also of a personal interest in that I aspire to living in an eco-friendly dwelling that has some part of my personal input in, i.e. helping to build it with either straw bales/ solar panelling/ compost toilets/ grass roof etc.
Tom Fostervold
My name is Tom Fostervold and I live in Coventry. I am 34 years old and juggle my time between computer software design and landscape gardening. When I heard about the opportunity to learn CBT in Poland I jumped at the chance.
The idea of constructing buildings using only the Earth’s natural resources is very exciting and I intend to explore further its potential on my return.
Ultimately I would like to be involved in a project where CBT is used in the construction of a house and in so doing highlighting the benefits of this traditional method over modern methods used in the construction industry.
Jake Berriman
About me, I am head of planning and building control at the South Shropshire District Council. I have with Colin and John just spent the last two weeks building a straw-bale house in Ludlow for the green festival this weekend and we are keen to have built in our area different types of natural houses to provide healthy affordable housing for local people whist comparing lifetime costs, energy consumption, material miles etc. I am enthusiastic about this project as it will enable use to share our skills and understanding locally to drive innovation and change at a local level and to build skills which will ultimately contribute to the local economy. However ours is very much a team approach providing a more complete package of skills, knowledge, understanding to the process
