This week ended for me with splinters, sore fingers, a new found respect for bamboo artisans and a “not-so-private” privacy screen for my outside shower.
I should explain … this week Bellingen hosted Camp Creative. An annual event, now in its 27th year, which attracts over a thousand participants to the town. Courses on offer include – visual arts, writing, crafts, digital imaging, indigenous language and culture, music, singing and dance. Adults and children are catered for, and if you’ve always wanted to learn Indian Bellydance Fusion, African Drumming, The Joy of the Mighty Uke (elele) or how to Build a Canoe … then Camp Creative is for you.
My chosen course, Bamboo Craft for an Eco-Future was over-subscribed, with one participant driving 1,528 kilometres from Phillip Island just to attend. The course was run for the first time this year by the lovely people from the Bello Bamboo Company. We harvested our bamboo from Kirsten and Rob’s property and then launched enthusiastically into building our chosen project. I think it’s fair to say that we were all under skilled and overly ambitious, but everyone had a great time and went home with at least one creation.
Mine was a privacy screen for the outside shower – but to avoid shocking my neighbours, I think I’ll be growing a small creeper over it!
A Bellingen Diary 