Merlin's Cauldron Flyer 1997

Redcar Writers Group

As a Creative Writing tutor, I helped set up the Redcar Writers Group in 1989.The group attracted 30 members at it's first meeting and was for a time one of the most dynamic writers groups in the area. The group participated in all of the Write Around Festival programmes over the year,and still thriving in 1997, participated in Merlin's Cauldron with writer Kitty Fitzgerald.

Saltburn Valley Woodland's Centre

Christine Corbett was one of my Creative Writing students in Saltburn and in the day time ran the Saltburn Valley Woodlands Centre.  We arranged to run two workshops in the centre for Merlin's Cauldron. The first was Valley on the Move with a tour of the woodlands and a writing session. The second was Smuggles Valley with Bob Beagrie as tutor.

The Media Cafe, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough 1997

The Media (Cyber) Cafe on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough was an amazing venue. Upstairs was a bank of computers where we typed the final programme of Merlin's Cauldron on P.C. (I only had an Amstrad Word Process or back then!) Downstairs was the vegetarian cafe which we used variously as a general Cauldron meeting place and for periodic meetings for involved in projects in Middlesbrough. It was a main base. We also organised two main events there- two mixed media events. Margaret Weir, my ex partner and a tutor / poet and workshop leader organised 9th Corner Poets event and I organised another called Merlin's Table. In addition a number of local artists and photographers had work displayed on the Cafe walls throughout the festival.

DramaTree

Dramatree were based in Thorntree, Middlesbrough and became an important part of Merlin's Cauldron with their musical and dramatic talent. At Preston Hall, Eaglescliffe, they teamed up with the Disabled Writers Group to perform a play.

Take 5 - Middlesbrough Arts Cooperative 1997

Another Middlesbrough organisation we consulted with was Take 5, athen new  Arts Cooperative.

WEA Tees Valley- Workshops

Although I tutored many Creative Writing Courses for the WEA in the mid to late 80's, I'd lost touch by 1997 with changes in the structure and the Tutor Organiser. Local Poet Norah Hill put me in touch with the new Middlesbrough branch and I got them involved with Merlin's Cauldron. Although a voluntary adult education organisation, under Paul McGee, the new tutor organiser, they had attracted massive European funding to work in deprived areas all over the Tees Valley. The various local branches and tutors ran various workshops for us during the festival and as an offspin,I got back involved with WEA and the Middlesbrough branch after the festival,once again tutoring courses in songwriting and Creative Writing and ended up with a full time Development job,which was good although it meant that I didn't have time back then to organise a follow to Merlin's Cauldron until now.

Thorntree, Middlesbrough - Creative ideas in the Community

We planned some brilliant events on the Thorntree estate in East Middlesbrough with a combination of Drama Tree, Chris Litherland, photographer working with Positive Options, Tony Jilks who ran creative workshops and courses via bank  of computers in the community centre etc. The enthusiasm and creativity we generated in the community was brilliant but unfortunately the political will prevent use of the rooms and facilities we needed because they didn't think it would work without funding. They only allowed one event which was a success. As Thorntree was only one place out of many where Merlin's Cauldron took place, it didn't halt the festival but it was disappointing to have to lose all that enthusiasm and ideas we generated in a deprived area of Middlesbrough because of lack of faith! After the festival the community worker who blocked us called me "The man who did it!". Well I did do it despite his lack of cooperation!

Poetry in the Spirit of Jazz - The Waiting Room

While running a Merlin's Cauldron stall at and arts and craft display in Thornaby Town hall, we were invited to do some events at the Waiting Room, Vegetarian restaurant in Eaglescliffe. We had had it in mind to approach them but synchronicity resulted in us being invited.

We held a mixed media session of poets and music on the Sunday afternoon and then on Sunday evening it was Poetry in the spirit of Jazz. with the Pocket Orchestra. There was much talk of poets needing to take weeks / month revising poems for publication. I was reading Alan Watts - the way of Zen and the quote 'trust the natural man'. Jazz is largely improvisational and has links with Zen so we combined poetry and Jazz. We invited some of the top local poets who typically took weeks / months to process a poem to getup in front of the jazz band and create a spontaneous.There were doubts about this and if it would work but they all bravely got up and working with the band came up up with a poem. No doubt they took that and revised it afterwards but they all did well.

Myth in the Mirror- Village Arts Loftus

Thanks to Val McGee, Village Arts took part in Merlin's Cauldron. Myth in the Mirror was an exhibition and Interactive Art Event which took place at Village Arts in Loftus. It was an exhibition of Fresco paintings and plaster work by Helen Marbrow.

Nature's World - Middlesbrough

Tutor Margaret Weir ran a workshop - Writing from Nature at Nature's World, given all the interesting features of the venue.

Cleveland Craft Centre and Cleveland Community Circus Workshop.

We held several events at the Cleveland Craft Centre in Middlesbrough and the all day Saturday event  of Craft Workshops for the whole family,including silk screen posters,was most successful.

We had several craft tutors on the go all day and the place was packed out. They had agreed to do it for free and worked flat out but in the end we were able to pay them for their hard when we got news of a small lottery grant.The reason it was so packed is that we engaged the Cleveland Community Circus Workshop who were based in St.Mary's Centre in Middlesbrough.They located themselves in Cleveland Centre all day, involving people and kids in juggling and giving out leaflets for the Craft Centre workshops.

Sunshine Corner Performance Night - Redcar Mind 1997

Redcar Mind, for whom I tutored a longstanding Creative Writing course via Leeds University Adult Education,took part in Merlin's Cauldron with a performance night for users and the public at the Cricket Club in Redcar and they called the Sunshine Corner.

This was a graphic they used for their poster.

Thornaby - A Reading Town

Another project we hooked up with was Thornaby - A Reading Town.

Rural Arts

Another organisation we had dialogue with was Rural Arts in North Yorkshire.

John Brelstaff -Being There and Arts NB

Artist and poet John Brelstaff from Guisborough was involved with Merlin's Cauldron in so many ways, a very resourceful and talented man and friend.He was producing monthly magazine for the art community called Arts NB (No bullshit!) and setting up impromptu galleries in the homes of local artists where they had more control of the designation and sale of their work.  Arts NB had articles, poetry life drawing and other sketches and information.

John arranged a display of landscape work at Margrove Heritage Centre which was also part of the Merlin's Cauldron programme.

Plays by Graham Farrow and Duncan Rowe

A couple of plays were offered to Merlin's Cauldron -Talk about the Passion by Yarm author and playwright Graham Farrow who 20 years on now has international status as a playwright with his plays opening in New York and many other places in the States, London, Europe and his plays are now on University syllabuses. http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/talk-about-the-passion-rattlesnakes-9781474279017/

Duncan Rowe was a popular local writer and playwright and a leading light in the Teesside Writers Workshop.

Unfortunately these were some of the events that didn't happen as they required considerable resources.However we did end up with over 50 events over three weeks.

Warriors of the Rainbow

A writers group in the Loftus area looked into including a performance of the Warriors of the Rainbow. I don't think this one came off.

The Mutiny Poets - Hull

Through the connections of Ann wainwright (former editor of Teesside's Poetic Licence magazine in the early 80's), Ann, who had moved to the Hull area, arranged for a group of poets who had performed at the Hull Literature festival to perfom in Middlesbrough at the Laurel Hotel for Merlin's Cauldron.

Leo Walmsley - Robin Hood's Bay

A number of possible events were being planned around Robin Hood's Bay - ideas were centered around author Leo Walmsley and Robin Hood themes - author Julian Atterton lived in Castleton and wrote The Outlaw Robin Hood. Here are some more connections on another work in progress site of mine - Bards and Authors of North Yorkshire. http://bardsandauthors.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/robin-hood-connections-in-north.html