Weaving Workshops with Cass Sabo and The Oxford Weaving Studio

Looking for ways to explore your own creativity? Cass Sabo of Oxford Weaving Studio (see S1 Ep3) teaches weaving workshops for all ages. And she's also designed her own  Oxford Frame Loom.  Find out more, and check out a special discount from Cass at the end of the episode.

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Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips
Artworks: Emily Portnoi emilyportnoi.co.uk
Photo: Ella Pallet

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Transcript

Claire Waite Brown: 0:40

Stay tuned to the very end to find out about a special offer from this episode's guest. Hi, I'm Claire, founder of open stage arts, drama and singing classes for adults. For this podcast, I chat with people who have found or refound their creativity as adults. We'll explore their childhood experiences of the arts, discuss how they came to the artistic practices they now love. And consider the barriers they may have experienced between the two. We'll also explore what it is that people value and gain from their newfound artistic pursuits, and how their creative lives enrich their practical, necessary, everyday lives. For this bonus episode, I'm really excited to be speaking again with Cassandra Sarah, who was one of my first podcast guests. See season one, Episode Three. Cast is a fabulous textile artist and founder of the Oxford weaving studio, which is opening its doors for workshops to give others the opportunity to get creative, and learn a new skill. Let's find out more. I Cassandra, lovely to see you again. Hi, Claire, how are you? Very well. So the studio is opening and workshops are back on the calendar. Can you tell me more about them?

Unknown: 2:06

Yeah, sure. It's taken a little while to get myself organised. But it is fabulous to have lots of people back in the studio. It's exciting because in workshops, I've tweaked them over the last few months as I've been kind of coming back out of lockdown. And part of the tweaking has been the result of a loom that I've designed. And so that students when they start to do new workshops get to start working on this new loom.

Claire Waite Brown: 2:31

Brilliant. Tell me more about the new loom.

Unknown: 2:35

So the new loom is called the Oxford frame loom. It's a new loom design that I created myself and actually is an extension of my original frame limbs that I've been teaching on for last few years. And the reason why the loom is special is because it finally enables me to help teach people sort of my style of weaving, it's a bit more authentic for the way that I work. And it also enables students to discover their style of weaving. Because beginner Weaver's who don't yet know what type of style they like, where they like thick and chunky find simple patterns, textures, colours, you know, there's so much to learn. And traditional frame looms really only allow you to focus on tapestry, which is tends to be thicker, thicker yarns, more sort of plain weave, which is kind of a classic sort of rug type design. Whereas these new looms actually also enable you to weave more hand weaving techniques. So it's kind of a hybrid framework of design. And it's the first of its kind on the market.

Claire Waite Brown: 3:37

Brilliant waves are new. So when people come to a workshop, what should they expect? What's going to happen?

Unknown: 3:46

Yeah, so the workshop format actually hasn't changed very much. I've had to tweak the studio. So the studio is looking a lot more organised and colourful, has bit more space to move around. So in terms of you know, so the practical elements, yeah, the workshops are definitely an improvement, but the content is going to stay much the same, or the format so I like to welcome people in, they come, they booked online, they will get emails from me in advance, and I will give them all the details about where they have to be when to show up and to choose their yarn starter packs, because why I always like to give people a bit of a head start with their yarn choices, because colours and textures is the fun bit. So once they arrive, we have all of that waiting for them, including their looms. So depending on the type of workshop, we work on different types of looms, sometimes it'll be the Oxford frame loom, sometimes it's on ring sets for for like example, the circular weaving workshop. So whatever materials they need, it's all included, they come to the workshop, sit down, I have coffee, tea, we have biscuits throughout the morning. It's very relaxed, I give tuition on you know, all the different types of ways that you can wave and, and hopefully they come away with, you know, sort of a new skill set new new knowledge. Often people come with a background or experience with other sort of fibre crafts, like knitting or crochet, etc. So, depending on the group that I get, yeah, we kind of take it in direction that sort of suits the group so I tailor it to the people that are around me. So yeah, no really excited just to have everyone back in the studio and to be teaching again is absolutely fabulous.

Claire Waite Brown: 5:19

That's brilliant cast. How do you think people are responding to coming back into the studio after various lockdowns?

Unknown: 5:31

Yeah, it's interesting. I personally have wasn't sure how people would feel, you know, my space is you know, sort of adapted like every space has to be as good If they can for, you know, accommodating people. So from a practical standpoint, I think people are getting more comfortable with that. And that will still take time. But on a sort of mental health and sort of social aspect, I think people are really, really encouraged and really keen to get back into group activities, doing things where they can actually spend time around others, because I think that's the thing we've missed most with COVID-19. It's that sort of belonging to a group and spending time with others meeting new people. And also, I think the mental health aspect of weaving particularly isn't is incredibly helpful where people come and can just sort of unwind, they learn to weave, and then they take the skill home with them afterwards that they can use when things do get a bit much because although we feel like we're out of it, we don't yet know fully. And so this is not just a skill for sort of, you know, lockdown, it's a skill for life, that you know, if you can learn something that you can take away and feel comfortable with it and sort of learn and grow on a personal level. I think that's an even bigger win. That's why I think the workshops are great. It's it's a starting point for you know, someone's journey on doing something more for themselves. And just yeah, just feeling more comfortable and you know, having something to focus on at home in their own time.

Claire Waite Brown: 6:52

Yet doing something for yourself doing something creative for yourself. It's what we're all about here at creativity found that for me. So when people want to book onto these workshops, where do they need to go?

Unknown: 7:05

Well, my website, that's the easiest place Oxford weaving studio.com. So you can find me online and all my workshops are uploaded for you to just click and browse and buy directly. You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you can find me again, at Oxford weaving studio. And if you're really keen to get a head start just to check out some of the videos that I've taught before and recorded. You can follow me on YouTube as well. I have a new YouTube channel and I'm slowly uploading some of the techniques and you know, sort of blog posts and other things. And that's again, you can find me at the Oxford reading studio. So pretty much the same. If you remember the Oxford reading studio or forgetting just Google it, you'll find me.

Claire Waite Brown: 7:44

Excellent. Thanks so much cast I hope people will enjoy learning a new skill or maybe getting back to one that they have practised in the past is lovely to speak to you. Thanks, Clara. Really appreciate it. Creativity found is an open stage arts production. If you're listening on Apple podcasts, please subscribe rate and review. If you would like to contribute to future episodes, visit kayo hyphen f phi.com slash creativity found podcast. If you contact any of the artists featured sign up to their workshops, or buy their products don't forget to mention creativity found podcast on Instagram or Facebook. Follow at creativity found podcast where you'll find photos of our contributors artwork and be kept abreast of everything we're up to. And now for that special offer. You can save 10% on any of Kathy's courses using the discount code c f podcast 10 all caps. Visit Oxford weaving studio.com to choose and book your workshop.