ABOUT

The Forest & Friends ceremony is about honouring our forests & our friends: furry, feathered & human. Acknowledging the losses that have occurred, it is an opportunity to release these and to look toward to a future we can grow together. This ceremony of gratitude will be away from the main festival set in the native garden space on the edge of Baromi Park beside the playground.

Starting at midday on Sunday 4th August, the Forest & Friends ceremony will incorporate a traditional smoking ceremony, music, poetry, fire, stories & art and is open to all ages, genders, cultures and abilities.

‘Clootie’ making is from an ancient Celtic tradition, where you write or draw something that you want to release or something you feel needs healed. This is written on cloth, known as a clootie, and remains private because part of the process includes tying your clootie to a branch or piece of string so that the writing is not visible. At a pivotal point of the Forest & Friends ceremony, all the clooties will be burnt.

There are opportunities to write clooties in advance of and during Winterfest. There are clooties and a clootie branch ready and waiting at Co-space (96 Ridgway) weekdays from 9am-3pm. Or if you want to come along to the last lantern workshop on Saturday 27th between 12 and 4pm, clooties will also be available for writing.

On the Sunday morning of Winterfest, 4th August, 9am – 12 noon, the workshop Tipi will have a space for individuals to come and write and tie up clooties. Or you can wander down to the native garden space after the Forest and Friends ceremony, write a clootie and offer it to the fire in your own time.

This ceremony has been curated by Douglas & Mackay.

PRICING & TICKETS

This is a free event and bookings are not required.