Before 2005 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009

The Biomass Beastie

Roves Farm Visitor Centre, Wiltshire UK

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper & Marie Brett received Arts Council of England funding for an arts research project, based on a farm growing willow as a biomass crop.

Numerous species of willow were used in the construction of a large maze which was built within a field’s crop.

 

Open studio demonstrations were incorporated into the project with visitor days for the public, as well as a schools programme of hands-on workshops.

The huge, interactive sculpture was based on the outline of a deer with central seating, dens, tunnels and numerous laneways.

 

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Saltzgitter-Bad Cultural Exchange Centre

Germany

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper and Marie Brett in collaboration with The Octobus Project, Wiltshire, Uk were commissioned to create a 3 story banner for the interior stairwell of the Saltzgitter-Bad Cultural Exchange Centre in Germany.

 

The project involved making the artwork on site, in an open-studio setting plus additionally staging exhibitions in the town’s City Hall and library buildings.

 

This project was part of a European cultural exchange programme with young people, which involved driving a vintage community arts bus to Eastern Germany and back.

 

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Educational Outreach Programme

Glastonbury Festival

 

Marie Brett led an educational outreach programme for Glastonbury Festival which involved working with local primary schools and Somerset County Council Arts Office.

Over a period of approximately 10 years, Marie facilitated creative arts projects with children and teachers in school during the summer term which resulted in large scale artworks being made. These works were displayed at the festival within the Greencrafts Field with children, parents and teachers visiting to view the work.  Following the festival, all works were returned to the school.

 

Various types of artworks were made and particularly popular pieces were huge painted banners, candle lanterns and dream catcher structures. All artworks were large scale and often incorporating natural, renewable or recycled materials.

 

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WOMAD

World of Music Arts & Dance Festival UK

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper & Marie Brett collaborated regularly with a team of site decorators to build large scale sculpture for WOMAD. The sculptures were often large scale and attached to cliff-sides on the sea edge.

Cork Capital of Culture.

2005  Ireland

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper was commissioned to create a series of night time labyrinths for the Solas Festival of Light, the closing ceremony of Cork Capital of Culture 2005.

 

Three candle labyrinths were made, one in the county region at Carriganass Castle near Bantry, another in the city centre in Bishop Lucey Park and a final piece was presented outside Cork County Hall’s building.

Each labyrinth included live or recorded music and one work involved fire twirling displays.

Each work was temporary and interactive.

 

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St Finbarr’s Hospital and Chapel. Ireland

Wishing Tree and St Finbarr’s Shrine

 

Marie Brett was invited to create an interactive wishing tree and a shrine, dedicated to the hospital’s patron Saint, St Finbarr, in celebration of the Saints Feast Open Day at the hospital.

 

Both works were located outdoors in the grounds of St Finbarr’s Hospital and were temporary in nature. Through collaboration with the priest, congregation, hospital patients, staff and visitors; many prayer flags and intentions were incorporated into the artwork installations.

 

Nic Piper worked in partnership with Marie in facilitating both these projects.

 

MDK, Bytom. Poland 2006

Candle Labyrinth

 

As part of a cultural exchange programme, Nic Piper and Marie Brett collaborated with staff, students and young people from the MDK Cultural Centre in Bytom, Poland and worked together to create an outdoor interactive artwork.

 

Taking the form of a temporary candle labyrinth with music, the art piece was built in the town’s Main Square, with a large audience of townspeople interacting with the work over the course of one evening.

 

The work measured 10 meters x 10 meters.

 

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The Cross-Roads Festival

Reenascreena. Ireland

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper & Marie Brett were commissioned to make two large, statement sculptures for the entrance and exit of the village of Reenascreena, for their Cross-Roads Festival.

 

Two Folk Trees were created, using hundreds of meters of cloth incorporating text referencing local folklore, which was collected from the village community by local children.

 

The temporary works were installed for two weeks.

 

Cobh Maritime Song Festival

The Heritage Centre, Cobh, Ireland 2007

 

‘Baltic Wheel’
Candle labyrinth

 

Cobh Maritime Song Festival commissioned Nic Piper to create an interactive labyrinth for the opening ceremony of their festival in 2007 in collaboration with Sirius Arts Centre and MyCork.

 

Based on a traditional Baltic Wheel design, the work references older labyrinths found on the Baltic coastline which were walked by sailors before setting to sea to ensure good voyage. It’s believed that contrary spirits and winds would follow the sailors into the labyrinth and become trapped, enabling the sailors to make a swift exit and safe, unhindered journey.

 

The work was inspired and informed by an exchange visit to Poland supported by The Arts Council of Ireland and Sirius Arts Centre.

 

The work incorporated live music and measured 16 meters x 16 meters.

 

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The Big Green Gathering

Somerset UK

Late July / Aug

 

Nic Piper was a founder member of The Big Green Gathering Co Ltd. He established and managed a Greencrafts Field for the event until 2009.

 

The Greencrafts Field ran for 13 years and showcased some of Britain and Ireland’s leading environmental craft practice. Operating as a 5 day event and created as a working crafts village, there were over 100 workshops on offer to the public daily

 

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Bronze Bell Foundry Project 2007

 

Dave Chapman originated the ambitious idea of creating a Greencrafts bell and went on to co-ordinate the design and casting project involving many master craftspeople in the making.

Contributors to the project were

Adam the jeweller * Dave the Cryndir * Felix the welder * Gareth the blacksmith * Harry the chainsaw * James the windmill * Jules the foundry * Lucy and Will the rope * Mark the crew * Mick the carver * Nancy the woodcarver * Nic, Marie and Clodagh * Steff the blacksmith * Sue the basket maker * Tim the woodcarver * Tom the framer * Will the knapper

The bronze bell was cast on-site in the Greencrafts field at Glastonbury Festival during 2007.

"Many hands made me that many hands might ring me."

1. One piece of the case mould over the core, showing the space to be filled by the wax
2. The wax bell, complete with decoration, lettering and pouring system
3. Pouring the molten bronze into the fired mould
4. Breaking the clay mould away from the casting after it has cooled down

 

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Glastonbury Festival UK 2008

Lee Godfree, Nic Piper, Giles Scott, Lighten up Crew, Mark Evans & Dee Mason

 

‘Internal Spiral’
Labyrinth

 

Greencrafts Lee Godfree collaborated with Nic Piper to create a land drawing in King’s Meadow at Glastonbury Festival 2008.
The labyrinth was made using turf, stone and sand. A wooden perimeter fence was built by Mark Evans & Dee Mason.

On the final night of the festival, as a closing ceremony, the Lighten Up Crew facilitated a lantern procession to the labyrinth, followed by Giles Scott creating a fire walkway.

 

The work measured 15 meters x 15 meters.

 

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Irish Green Gathering 2008

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper & Marie Brett displayed large candle lanterns at The Irish Green Gathering as part of the events woodland trail.

 

 

 

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Laois County Arts Office
& Electric Picnic

Ireland 2008

 

‘Willow Shadow’
Labyrinth

 

Greencrafts Nic Piper and Marie Brett collaborated with Laois County Council’s Arts Office and six Laois artists as part of a sculpture training and mentor project at The Electric Picnic, Ireland 2008.

 

Nic and Marie worked as mentors to the six artists, focussing specifically on issues relating to interactive public artworks within a festival context. Hands on advice and support in the use of hazle, willow, roots, soil and bone was available and an information booklet was created.

 

The sculptural work was located in the Walled Garden measuring 15 meters x 15 meters.

 

Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle

Ireland 2009

 

“4 Towers”
Labyrinth

 

Nic Piper was invited to build a labyrinth by The Butler Gallery at Kilkenny Castle in Ireland as part of the galleries National Drawing Day event.

 

The work was constructed using limestone pebbles. The design was based on the ground plan of the castle and it measured a 13m diameter.

 

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NES, Iceland

 

Nic Piper and Marie Brett collaborated on a project at NES in Skagaströnd, Iceland during 2009.

 

Together they built a series of labyrinths using locally sourced materials:

Black volcanic sand, rock salt, tablets and snow.
The works were installed in a large, disused fish factory, a gallery space and on the shoreline.

 

One work incorporated a pair of wooden boats, each 60 years old, and used only once per year in a significant community rowing race.

 

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Tree of Intention

 

Nic Piper and Marie Brett were commissioned by The Young Social Innovators to create a ‘Tree of Intention’ for their annual Showcase event at the RDS in Dublin, Ireland.

 

1200 ribbons were attached to a collection of six trees; each ribbon having a personal intention written on it by a young person. The resulting installation, swathed with personal hopes for the future: each with an environmental, social, community or personal focus, was displayed for 1 day.

 

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Glastonbury Festival UK 2009

 

Giles Scott, The Lighten up Crew & Nic Piper

 

Black Strand Labyrinth

 

Greencrafts Giles Scott collaborated with Nic Piper who designed the Black Strand labyrinth drawing which was built in The Greencrafts Field at Glastonbury Festival 2009.

 

On the first night of the festival, as an opening ceremony, the Lighten Up Crew facilitated a lantern procession to the labyrinth, followed by Giles Scott creating a fire walkway and bronze caster Dave Chapman walking the labyrinth & sounding the big bronze bell which had been created at a previous event.

 

The labyrinth was lit using candle lanterns for a further 4 nights during the event.

 

The work measured 18 meters x 14 meters

 

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Glastonbury Festival UK 2009

 

Lee Godfree & Nic Piper

 

Great Seal of the Pima Labyrinth

 

Greencrafts Lee Godfree and his crew collaborated with Nic Piper to create a land drawing in The Greencrafts Field at Glastonbury Festival 2009.The labyrinth was made using cut turf and sand. The work measured 22 meters diameter

 

Lee Godfree : www.artdog.co.uk