Star Carr Workshop - Up Coming.
Recreating Star Carr Workshops - Woodend, Scarborough (12:00, 21/06/25)
How about spending this midsummer getting to know your 11,000 year old ancestors?
We’re hosting a workshop which focuses on recreating Mesolithic finds from Star Carr and some ancient instruments to produce a reenactment from our ancient passed along the beach on midsummer’s day.
Attendees to the workshop will be guided to create the sights and sounds inspired by finds from the Ice Age, particularly the Star Carr site just down the road from Scarborough. The goal being, to have your own ceremonial costume, so you can join us in a parade along the beach adding to the rich tapestry of folk dance observed for probably tens of thousands of years upon midsummer’s day.
Tickets available from the link below - depending on bookings, also available on the door. Suitable for children with a guardian and adults.
Workshop 1: Recreating the headdresses.
Workshop 1 will involve creating and decorating a headdress and pendant. A blank 3D printed Roe Deer replica headdress will be provided to decorate with the option to upgrade it to a larger red deer version.
Natural materials, fabric, paint and mini 3D prints will be on offer to decorate the pieces. Pictures of ancient designs will be available to draw inspiration. Foil embossing, clay and good old-fashioned glue will be the techniques on offer. To bring from your imagination a modern recreation of an ice age costume.
Workshop 2: Recreating the sounds of the Ice Age.
Workshop 2 will focus on ancient instruments. Although not found at Star Carr Ocarinas and Bullroarers did exist concurrently with the local Mesolithic site. Using 3D printed parts we’ll help you created and decorate your own instruments in airdry clay.
Decorating the instruments was an important factor for our ancestors and will also be a big part of this workshop. Although traditional and ancient designs will be on view as a guide, we want to see colour and your imagination at play.
The Workshop will finish will a parade down to the beach. Let us start a new folk traditional inspired by our ancient ancestors.
What to Expect.
Intro to Star Carr and the Mesolithic (15-20 mins). Our host will welcome you and give a brief overview of the whats, wheres, and the whys of Star Car.
Workshop 1 (Total: 1.5-2 hours - 12:00-14:00)
Introduction to the finds we’ll be inspired by and recreating as well as a demonstration of some of the techniques and an introduction to the materials we’ll be using for the workshop (15-20 mins).
You’ll be given some airdry clay to recreate the 11,00 year old pendant or you could create you own design. If your really eager then why not try your hand at some of the beads found at the site too. Your items will be ‘fired’ and given back later dry enough to paint (15-20 mins).
Foil embossing is a very simple etching like technique. We’ll give you some sculpting pens and some foil and let your imagination run wild. The pieces you make will be used to adorn the headdress and fabric of the costume (20-30 mins).
Attention will gradually turn to decorating the headdress, you’ll be encourage to use the supplied materials and your embossed foil pieces to adorn your headdress, as well as string it to wear (20-30 mins).
Finally, the parts will be brought together to produce your costume. We’ll supplied simple white fabric, to wear alongside your headdress (12-20 mins).
Workshop 2 (1.5-2 hours, 14:00-16:00)
Your host will introduce you to a brief history of ancient instruments. Particularly focusing on clay ocarinas and carved bullroarers. There will be a short demonstration of how to handle the clay and how the 3D printed part - the fipple - will be attached and result in a sounding instrument (10-15 mins).
You’ll be given airdry clay in 150g balls, as well as some dabbing water and expected to use your hands as did the ancients. Once complete we’ll take your pieces to be ‘fired’ (10-15 mins).
We’ll introduce what a bullroarer is and give you a 3D printed one to decorate and design. The finished thing will be strung with a cord ready for swinging (30-40 mins).
Finally, we’ll help you glue the 3D printed fipple to your clay ocarina (10-15 mins). After this you might want to paint and decorate your new instrument (30-40 mins).
We’ll end the Workshop with a short parade down to the beach, being as bright and noisy as possible!
Standard Ticket:
This gives you one 3D printed Roe Deer headdress blank, one fipple and one bullroarer blank as well as the tools and materials to decorate these pieces. Accesses to both workshops.
Family Ticket:
This gives you three 3D printed Roe Deer headdress blanks, three fipples and Three bullroarer blanks as well as the tools and materials to decorate these pieces. Accesses to both workshops.
Headdress Upgrade:
For Workshop 1, we’ll be offering a 3D printed Red Deer blank as an optional upgrade for £8.
