Welcome to the Bubbles and Squeaks project page! If you have created a lantern, here is the information about our forthcoming community processions. Please come to both, they will be very different!
Our Processions!
Sept 26th – A Daylight Event in Cerne Abbas – gathering at 3pm at Abbey Street, DT2 7JQ, where artworks will be given out. Free parking at Sinsay Field and walk to Abbey Street across country or through the village, DT2 7DG. The procession will travel along the River Cerne before entering and going around the field below the Giant. It will end at the Village Hall where the band ‘State of Undress’ will be playing songs, and our project animation film will be screened.
We would appreciate participants handing in their lanterns so that they can be used again for the Night-time event…
Oct 17th – A Night-time event in Nettlecombe, nr Powerstock. Gathering at 6pm at Wier Field, DT6 3SP. Info about the event, including parking will be provided soon.
Loos will be provided, as well as first aid at both events.
The Project
Here in hilly West Dorset we are surrounded by beautiful meandering rivers and rare chalk streams with unique biodiversity, but in this dry summer and through media reports of flooding and pollution, we know our rivers are suffering. Through ‘Bubbles and Squeaks’ children and teenagers at 8 schools are being connected with their rivers, they have dipped into the water with ecologists and discovered fascinating creatures. They have then worked with Emerald Ant artists to re-create invertebrates, eels, swallows, beavers, bullhead fish, and many more river creatures. Families have been busy through the summer creating trout and salmon in village halls. This is all leading to 2 exciting events, celebrating, and raising awareness of the challenges facing the rivers Cerne, Hooke, Frome and Mangerton Brooke.
We are proud of the work being done for rivers by our environmental partners, and we are working closely with Dorset Wildlife Trust’s ‘Water for Wildlife’ campaign. ‘Bubbles and Squeaks’ will help spread the word, and encourage practical actions to be taken at home.
Make Your Own Lantern this Summer Holiday!
Photo by Jane Tearle, artwork by Sarah Butterworth
Wworkshops are for parents and children from 6 upwards, working together, or adults. All days start at 10 am and end at 3pm. The lanterns will be kept and given out at events. Cost: £2.50 per person, please book in advance on eventbrite
Posters will appear in Maiden Newton, Cerne Abbas, around Powerstock and Bridport in the summer holidays. E-flyers will be sent out to parents via schools.
Cerne Abbas Village Hall , 28th July – Speckled Trout Workshop, with artist Sarah Butterworth – This is also a Culture Quest workshop, https://culturequest.co.uk/listings/speckled-trout-art-workshop/
Bradpole Village Hall, Bridport, 30th July – Speckled Trout Workshop, with artist Sarah Butterworth
Cerne Abbas Village Hall, 7th August – Leaping Salmon Workshop, with artist Holly Miller
Maiden Newton Village Hall, 12th August – Leaping Salmon Workshop, with artist Sarah Butterworth
Sydling St Nicholas Village Hall, 14th August – Leaping Salmon Workshop, with artist Holly Miller. This is also a Culture Quest workshop. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-lantern-workshop-tickets-1993148976242
Bridport Arts Centre forecourt, drop in workshop, 15th Aug – ‘Make the River Flow’, create fish to carry on our river processions. The workshop will be run by Emerald Ant artists Sarah, Flo and Phoebe. No need to book, just turn up, this is a quick make!
Bridport WI Hall, 15th August – Leaping Salmon Workshop, with Holly Miller . Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1993150181848?aff=oddtdtcreator If you cannot book through eventbrite please email Sarah at sarah@emeraldant.com with your details (number of people, ages etc), and turn up at the WI hall with cash. Apologies for the tech confusion.
Powerstock Hut, 4th October – Speckled Trout with Sarah Butterworth, book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1993150259079?aff=oddtdtcreator
June Update –
This month children from our 3 participating primary schools have dipped nets into Rivers Cerne, Hooke and Frome. With ecologist and nature writer Edd Moore and Kevin Parr they have found bullhead fish, caddis larvae, alder fly, crayfish and many fascinating invertebrates. In Cerne Abbas, working with Kevin, and artists Liz Somerville and Sarah Butterworth, a river map was created in the church, mapping the river’s journey from source to sea. Children and the local community shared nature sightings, historical facts, their stories and memories of the river, they drew pictures and pasted photographs. Similar maps have been created in Maiden Newton and Powerstock.
Working with our artists, children are creating swallows, caddis larvae, beavers, underwater hats, and putting words on placards…
