UP!SKILLING FESTIVAL SCHEDULE (subject to changes, skills training schedule to be added)

Thursday, April 9, 2015

LOCATION: ANNAPOLIS BASIN CONFERENCE CENTRE – 761 Broadway Ave, Cornwallis Park, NS

8:00am – Registration opens

9:00am – 4:30pm UP!SKILLING FESTIVAL AND EXPO: People, skills, and projects that make theory happen (see schedule below)

The Up!Skilling Festival is open to the public and costs $25 for the day (or the fee is included in registration for the full conference). Preregistration is not required to attend, but appreciated (preregistration is now open – see Registration page). Lunch is available to the public for an extra fee.

This festival will share and teach skills that uplift and empower: heritage skills once common and new skills emerging. The day will include 5 classroom sessions to choose from, with classes given by experienced Skillers teaching a wide range of practical trades, crafts and skills. There will be a tools/skills/services exchange, displays and will connect local people and wisdom with conference goers in an energized event. Become a ‘Do-It-Yourselfer’ and learn valuable skills that you take home and immediately put into practice.

Please download our fun new poster. Share it, forward it, and post it locally!!! Up!Skilling Poster

UP!SKILLING SCHEDULE

8:00 Registration opens (stays open throughout the day), Set-up for skillers and displays

8:45 – 9:00 Mi’kmaw Smudging Offered – outside at Main Entrance

9:00 – 9:30 (Plenary Room 117) Welcome, Opening Remarks – David Wimberly – MC, Mi’kmaw Opening Ceremony and Honour Song, Welcome – Councillor Alex Morrison

Opening Remarks – David Wimberly -Up!Skilling Coordinator

9:45 Last chance to order lunch on site ($11.50 or included with full conference registration)

9:30 -10:30 Session Period One

Lobby – SEEN Skills/tools/services exchange & display, Ross Farm Museum display – all day

Room 117 – Learning By Hand to Craft Community -Lee Schuette

Room 119 – Straw Hat Weaving – Monique Veinott

Room 120 – Herbal Medicine Making – Megan Tardif-Woolgar

Room 121 – Spinning Yarn: from Your Own Wool – Victoria Graham

Room 104 – Natural Beekeeping Based on Biodynamic Principles – Part 1 – Klaus and Shirley Langpohl

Room 103 – Seed Saving: Intro & Advanced – Owen Bridge

Room 102 – 3D Printing for a Sustainable Local Economy – Dana Perry

Room 101 – Skiller Demos and Tables All Day: Quilting – Diane Jubie, Wooden Barrel Making – Walter Larder, Knitting Socks (Luxury Socks from Natural Handspun Fibers) – Annie Jenkins, Porcupine Quill Artistry – Marlene Joudry & others galore!

10:30 -10:45 Break

10:45 -11:45 Session Period Two

Lobby – Displays

Room 117 – open

Room 119 – Wooden Bowl Carving – Lee Schuette

Room 120 – open

Room 121 – Knot Tying – Evan Cervelli

Room 104 – Natural Beekeeping Based on Biodynamic Principles – Part 2 – Klaus and Shirley Langpohl

Room 103 – Soil Fertility and Organic Amendments – M. Lynn Cornish & Dr. Jeff Norrie

Room 102 – Essential Oil Distillation & Soap Making – Kim Craig

Room 101 – Skiller Demos and Tables

11:45 -12:45 Lunch, Entertainment, Remarks and Thank Yous (Plenary Room 117)

David Wimberly – MC

Harp Music – Timothy Habinski

12:45 – 1:45 Session Period Three

Lobby – Displays

Room 117 – Furniture Making: Specialty Windsor Chairs – John & Jane Fowler

Room 119 – Wooden Bowl Carving – Lee Schuette

Room 120 – Making Meads – John Cummings

Room 121 – Growing with Heritage Seeds- Ashlea Viola

Room 104 – Adventures in Lutherie – Timothy Habinski

Room 103 – Rain Gardens: home storm-water management with a twist – Gini Proulx

Room 102 – Growing Shitake Mushrooms on Logs – Marcella Edwards

Room 101 – Skiller Demos and Tables

1:45 – 2:00 Break

2:00 –3:00 Session Period Four

Lobby – Displays

Room 117 – Furniture Making: Specialty Windsor Chairs – John & Jane Fowler

Room 119 – Heritage Kitchen Skills- dried fruits, canning, freezing, root cellars, herbs, oils, etc. – Carol Dibble

Room 120 – 10 Common Medicinal Plants & How To Use Them – John Cummings

Room 121 – Lunar/Solar Wisdom for Building, Planting and Harvesting – Gregg & Alexandra Clause

Room 104 – Attached Solar Greenhouses for Food and Energy Self-Reliance – Phil Ferraro

Room 103 – Porcupine Quill Artistry – Marlene Joudry

Room 102 – Edible Landscaping: Fruit Trees and Shrubs – Crystal Godfrey

Room 101 – Skiller Demos and Tables for the entire day

3:00 – 3:15 Break

3:15 – 4:15 Session Period Five

Lobby – Displays

Room 117 – Attached Solar Greenhouses for Food and Energy Self-Reliance – Phil Ferraro

Room 119 – Making Tool Handles on a Traditional Shavehorse – Ken Maher

Room 120 – Rug Hooking – Kris Murdock

Room 121 – Lunar/Solar Wisdom for Building, Planting and Harvesting – Gregg & Alexandra Clause

Room 104 – Rain Gardens: home storm-water management with a twist – Gini Proulx

Room 103 – Knitting Socks (Luxury Socks from Natural Handspun Fibers) – Annie Jenkins

Room 102 – Drumming and Voice for Interactive Community Building & Healing – Kadijah Photiades

Room 101 – Skiller Demos and Tables

4:15 – 4:30 Grand Conclusion and Send-off – Rousing Energetic Drumming – Kadijah Photiades and friends. All invited to join in!!!

4:30 Up!Skilling adjourned

Klaus Langpohl – Natural Beekeeping

formerly from Austria, and his wife, Shirley, love their life next to the shoreline of beautiful St. Mary’s Bay, Nova Scotia. They have been studying about, learning from, and partnering with honey bees for the past nine years. They created Bello Uccello Honey Bee Sanctuary (www.bellouccello.wordpress.com), a Demeter certified biodynamic apiary, discovered some unique natural methods to promote the “life enhancement of the hive”, and share and explore, in their Natural Beekeeping Workshops for Beginners, based on Biodynamic Principles, the amazing World of the Honey Bee.

Evan Cervelli – Knot Tying

Evan began learning to tie knots when he was young through scouts and rock climbing. When he was 15, he began sailing with the Nova Scotia Sea School on a traditional wooden sailboat. Sailing has provided Evan lots of opportunities away from the internet, where the only form of entertainment is knot tying. Through work at the Sea School, Evan has been exposed to traditional sailing methods that do not rely on modern technology such as winches, cam-cleats or electronics. Evan is well practiced at knot tying, splicing, whipping, serving, grommet making and rope handling. In 2008, Evan took a Chinese decorative knot class when he was visiting Taiwan and enjoys decorative knot tying in his spare time. Evan is also the Event Manager for the Local Prosperity Conference.

John Cummings – Mead Making & Medicinal Plants

As a herbalist and farmer living on Gaspereau Mountain, Annapolis Valley, John has been practicing herbal medicine for 9 years, apprenticing with some of North America’s most respected herbalists, including Rosemary Gladstar, and recently completing a 2 year Therapeutic Clinical Herbal Medicine program with Cherokee herbalist, David Winston. He is currently in the process of creating an organic medicinal herb farm and herbal product company, Green Man Botanicals. This herbal path has been infused with herbal mead making as a pastime, especially revelling in fruit (melomel) and herbal meads (metheglin). John will be sharing his knowledge and passion for making herbal meads as well as leading a workshop on “10 Common Medicinal Plants and How To Use Them.”

Dana Perry – 3D Printing

Dana is a dynamic and engaging facilitator whose 3D workshops address the on-the-ground realities that are possible with 3D printing. The only limitations we face with 3D printing and design is the human imagination. He shares the knowledge and experience he has acquired with his work with the Nova Scotia Community Access Program (NSCAP) and personal interest in the realm of 3D printing. The workshop covers basic principles of 3D printing and design explained in layman’s terms.

Victoria Graham – Spinning Yarn

Victoria has lived on Brier Island for 40 years and has been an artist all her life. She always played with different mediums until she found her passion which is fibre, more like wool lol. She started rug hooking 13 years ago and then I started spinning her own fibre 5 years ago. She intertwined these two things into a business – Hooking by the Sea Retreats. Victoria runs a B&B and gift shop plus a fibre farm. Her work is classed a UNESCO Experience, as things are done the old traditional way – processing fibre locally and teaching how it is done. Her demo will be on processing, skirting, carding, and spinning wool, with the potential for class participants to try drop spindles. She will discuss the different breeds of sheep and alpacas’ fibre, and have wool available for purchase. She looks forward to meeting everyone as she will take you back in time!

Kris Murdock – Rug Hooking

A rug hooker for the past 7 years, Kris lives a peaceful yet very involved life in Bear River with her husband Gavin and two rescue dogs, Oliver and Mia. She rug hooks mostly with recycled and found 100% wool but occasionally treats herself to beautiful new materials from Moose River Rug Hooking Studio in Clementsport where you will find her most Tuesdays with her group of “hookers”! She will demonstrate how to cut wool, various types of frames and hooks and will offer the opportunity to try it for yourself. Careful tho…you might get hooked!

Annie Jenkins – Knitting Socks

With a back ground in electronic engineering, you might be surprised to find her crouched over an antique piece of textile equipment. She was fascinated from the moment she first discovered antique circular sock knitting machines. Mostly self taught, she was making wearable socks within a day of purchasing her first machine, and it wasn’t long before she started restoring machines for others. Annie enjoys teaching people how to use, and care for these versatile machines, as well as making luxury socks from natural handspun fibers. Although her husband refuses to wear any long underwear that she might knit him, her 2 children are always eager to try on anything that comes off the machine… especially if they helped to make it!

Diane Jubie – Quilting

I started making quilts in the early 1980’s. In the mid 80’s I had a child and I was also teaching, so I didn’t do much sewing again until the mid 90’s. I have made a few hundred quilts, mostly on a 1930’s featherweight sewing machine that only does a straight stitch. Five years ago I bought a new machine and that has opened up a new world for me. I have been learning to do machine applique and use some fancy stitches on some quilts. I like my quilts to look old because I live in an old house. I sew with civil war reproduction fabrics almost exclusively. I am now trying something new to me, sewing a quilt totally by hand, it’s so slow, but nice to sit in the tv room with my husband and still be able to sew. — Rather than as a workshop Diane will show her quilts, and how to quilt, on a one-on-one basis during the day.

Ken Maher- Making Tool Handles

Ken works with the Annapolis Heritage Society as an interpreter at the Sinclair Inn Museum in Annapolis Royal. In his role as “human speed bump” to attract passers-by, he works outside at a traditional shavehorse, carving ash handles (helves) for axes, hammers and other hand tools. In his spare time he also makes small furniture and decor pieces, using salvaged wood and hardware.

John Fowler – Furniture Making (Windsor Chairs)

is originally from a small rural farm near Cornwall, England, and he specializes in Windsor Chairs (www.windsorchair.ca). John will provide a demonstration rather than a workshop, using a draw horse and hand tools, along with logs cut fresh from his woodlot. From the logs, he will shave spindles and other chair parts. The public may have the opportunity to try their hand with some of the tools. Finished chairs will be displayed along with a slide show on aspects of John’s work.

Carol Dibble – Heritage Kitchen Skills

Carol has lived in Bear River, Nova Scotia since the early 1970’s and lived several years off the grid. She is mainly self taught, although credits her grandparents for knowledge of how to root cellar, garden and feed a family. Throughout the years living in Bear River she has taken a great interest in growing her own food, putting it away safely and teaching others how to dry, can or freeze food safely. She enjoys creating from nature and hopes to inspire others to do the same. Homesteading skills are good ones to pass on to our children and grandchildren for a healthier and more environmentally sustainable world.

Kim Craig – Soap Making

Kim has had an interest in and has been working with herbs since the early 1970’s. She is a certified aromatherapist who has incorporated her love of all things natural into a line of soap, skincare and herbal remedies. Kim distills hydrosols and essential oils from herbs she grows in her gardens and ethically wildcrafts from the surrounding woods and meadows and incorporates these into her products.

M Lynn Cornish – Soil Fertility and Amendments

Growing up in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Lynn was attracted by the beauty and agricultural of the Annapolis Valley, where she has lived for most of her life. She obtained a BSc. in Agricultural Soils at the Faculty of Agriculture (Dalhousie), and a MSc. in Biology at St Francis Xavier Univ. She has worked for Acadian Seaplants Limited for 20 years. Lynn has been owner/operator of Garden of Eatin’ Farms in Paradise for over 25 years, and her fascination with science, soils, seaweeds and plant production has given her a great appreciation for balance and nature. She will discuss improving soil type and health for optimal plant production, as well as organic amendments and soil microbes.

Marcella Edwards – Shitake Mushrooms

Growing up in South Africa during apartheid, the experience launched Marcella on a journey across 4 continents, seeking that which is capable of restoring dignity to human beings. Living and working with 8 distinctly different human cultures has made clear to her that apart from access to nutritious food, clean water, and adequate shelter, we need good working relationships based on respect for self and all others. Marcella pioneered education that would meet the whole human being – and to a variety of community transformation projects aimed at sustainability, the ethnosphere of diverse places, and a great love of Appropriate Technology – the use of locally available resources while leaving a small footprint. Her workshop will demonstrate how to prepare a Shitake Mushroom log, so that you can make your own and enjoy a harvest of home-grown, high protein mushrooms.

Marlene Joudry – Matues (Porcupine) Quill Work

Marlene is a Program Facilitator, Coordinator, Instructor, Educator, Designer, Master Artisan, and Cultural Facilitator. Marlene is a member of the Mi’kmaq First Nation from the Atlantic Region. She has been producing independently Matues (Porcupine) Quill Work and also sharing her knowledge nationally and internationally. More information about Marlene can be found at this link.

Gini Proulx – Rain Gardens

Gini is a gardener, naturalist and botanist with interests in conservation and local history. She was a founding member of the Clements Garden Club, Annapolis Field Naturalists and the Tobeatic Wilderness Committee. She was named 2011 Outstanding Gardener of the Year for the NS Association of Garden Clubs’ Western District. In 2003 she was presented with an Annapolis County Volunteer Award and the 2003 NS Bay of Fundy Environmental Awareness Award for research and conservation of species at risk on Digby Neck and Islands Currently, Gini is a member of the Clements Historical Society and sits on the Board for the proposed St. Mary’s Bay Marshland Sanctuary. To remedy a storm-water drainage problem at home, Gini will describe native flowering wetland habitats, created bogs and marsh gardens to absorb excess run-off.

Phil Ferraro – Attached Solar Greenhouses for Food and Energy Self-Reliance

This workshop will introduce participants to the advantages of building a greenhouse attached to a home or workplace and provide a list of ‘Rules of Thumb’ for designing and managing a greenhouse for optimum performance and year round production. Phil has worn many hats throughout his career. He has a Masters degree in Social Ecology. His thesis was on the design, construction and management of attached solar greenhouses. He has built and managed numerous residential greenhouses throughout New England and Maritime regions. Today, Phil has a small experimental aquaponic greenhouse attached to his home in Charlottetown. Phil and his wife Nancy also run the Institute for Bioregional Studies Ltd. (IBS); a not-for-profit, charitable organization that offers global consultation services on community development, social enterprise, and ecological approaches to food production.

Lee Schutte

Lee trained in fine furniture making at Rhode Island School of Design. He has taught within university, community college, adult education, university preparatory and even jail environments. His work with young makers has evolved projects that engage interest and introduce the value of craft as an important part of their development. Since moving to Halifax in 2009 he has worked as Artist-in-residence at DAL Architecture. He is currently curator of Visitor Engagement at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Wooden Bowl Carving is excellent for young and old with participants making a wooden bowl while learning skills readily useful for a wide range of carving. Our modern archetypes have taught us the importance of keeping our skills and belief systems intact to ready ourselves for cultural shifts coming our way. Learning By Hand to Craft Community addresses new ways of engaging makers in the craft process: exploring how the development of organizational and analog skills from LEGO to Montessori to S.T.E.A.M are but a few building trends that provide challenges to promote innovation and passion through the craft process.

Gregg and Alexandra Clause

Gregg has been farming, woodworking and building for the past fifty years. He and his wife Alexandra are presently directors at a Retreat Centre near Bridgewater, NS. In 1970 he apprenticed with Alex Stewart, a copper and farmer in Tennessee, making buckets and butter churns from the old tradition which came down from The British Isles. Some forty years later Gregg learned that Alex had followed the Lunar Cycles with everything that he did when it came to wine making, farming, cutting timber, or coppering. Alex would say “there is a time to do everything”. This wisdom of time was always associated with wisdom that was passed down to Alex from his ancestors, who had been passing it down for hundreds of years. Some twenty years ago, Gregg happened upon a book called “Moon Time” which brought the rich heritage of moon lore from Austria. Finding very few people in North America to talk to about this tradition, Gregg went to Switzerland where he met wood cutters, instrument makers, and architectural teachers who were working with this tradition. Since this visit to Europe, he has been exploring this phenomena of gardening, cutting timber, and building by the lunar/solar cycles. It is trying things out and seeing how it manifests over time in your own back yard. It is a sense of joining the practically of the natural elements of our earth with the wisdom recorded from the stars, from just a moment ago and also from our teachers, friends, and ancestors. It is such a wonderful time in our human development to be able to play with the wisdom and knowledge of our universe. Could it be that we are waking up as if we have always inherently possessed this wisdom?

Kadijah Photiades

Kadijah is a singer/songwriter, visual artist, and percussionist with a passion for Middle
Eastern and West African drumming. She moved to Digby County 20 years ago and resides on beautiful Digby Neck. Kadijah has studied with many wonderful drum masters including Ken Shorely of Wolfville N.S., and Famoudou Konate of Guinea, West Africa. Most recently she took a six month intensive frame drumming course in Whitefield Maine and travelled to the mountaintops of Cyprus with a group of women frame drummers who are re­birthing sacred frame drumming after a silence of 1800 years. Kadijah is also a certified HEALTHrhythms instructor and gives workshops locally and throughout the Maritimes. She uses percussion as a tool for healing, celebration, community building and empowerment. She feels blessed to live in a community that utilizes her skills in a multitude of creative ways. For this workshop Kadijah will share stories describing some of the many ways she uses drumming in community and the participants will have an experiential percussion session which will culminate in a finale to end a wonderful day.

Walter Larder – Wooden Barrel Making

Walter works at Ross Farm Museum as an interpreter and has been with the museum for 30 years. He wears many hats at the museum but his main interest is coopering and the apple barrel industry. In his early years at the museum he worked as a cooper’s apprentice with the late Leon Turner, and has mastered the art.

Monique Veinott – Straw Hat Weaving

Monique works at Ross Farm Museum as an interpreter and has been with the museum for 27 years. Monique has a keen interest and has mastered many heritage skills at the museum. She is a member of the Nova Scotia Basketry Guild. Monique developed her skill as a hat maker from the late Jane Hiltz.