The Academy is where it is today through years of hardship and teamwork. Through our dedication to the Bharatanatyam art form we have built a long-lasting impression in the UK Bharatanatyam history, and even as we look to the future, we always remind ourselves of our humble beginnings. Dancing for over 30 years Founded in 1990, Chitraleka Dance Academy has trained many dancers who have now gone on to developing and enriching the dance scene throughout the United Kingdom. We see our work as an investment for the future of the country’s cultural prosperity. The company is a remarkably one of the first Youth Dance companies in Britain to be founded on a strong repertoire of classical Indian dance and dance-drama work.
Here at the Wood Academy we provide a professional platform for those with an interest in woodwork. With over 30 years in the woodwork industry I have created classes and courses that give woodworkers of any level the most bang for their buck. Both in terms of time on the tools and time understanding why we do things the way we do. Let’s face it, there’s no point spending all your time with a tool if you don’t know why and how to use it.
If you have creative flair and an eye for detail, our art lessons in Galashiels may be perfect for you. At Easy Sketching Club, I feature well-equipped facilities and tutors who will encourage you to develop your own personal style over time. Explore your passion for creativity in a welcoming, friendly environment. Please contact me using the form for more information.
Kate feels extremely privileged to have worked with her hands for much of her adult life making sculpture and working stone. It has suited her practical and creative nature and has offered her the opportunity to design and make sculpture of every scale for both public spaces and private homes. She particularly enjoys site specific projects and draws inspiration from the people and environment connected to the place where sculpture will be placed. Kate says “you have to look sideways at a subject, see it with fresh eyes to bring originality and life into a sculpture, I try to create a dialogue between myself as the artist, the material and the place.” Kate has taken this idea further by creating Elysium Memorials where she collaborates with other artists to design and make artworks as unique memorials for the home and garden as an alternative to a headstone. Each one is a reflection of a life in the form of an artwork that can be kept and handed down through a family. The teaching of stone carving and sculpture brings her great pleasure too, helping people to develop their skills and watching the pleasure they gain from working stone. Kate says “I try to adjust my teaching to the student’s needs, it’s incredible what beginners can achieve if guided well. My aim is to offer a warm welcome and clear step by step instruction to suit them”. If you would like to contact Kate about her sculpture please email or ring her for a chat.
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We offer secluded luxury camping in one of two yurts and four beautiful log cabins. We also run a wide range of traditional woodland craft courses throughout the year. The site extends to approximately 6 acres, of which 3.5 acres is made up of ancient woodland. We are creating a Forest Garden, an innovative and highly productive way of gardening where an open woodland ecosystem is created using a mix of both common and unusual plants, trees and shrubs - most of which are edible! Forest Garden Shovelstrode is the brainchild of Lisa Aitken and Charles Hooper who both share a passion for horticulture, self sufficiency and the firm belief in the need to preserve our heritage in traditional rural crafts for future generations. The project was conceived in 2009 whilst Charles was being filmed on the Greenwood episode of BBC TV’s programme Mastercrafts and Lisa was simultaneously learning about Forest Gardening. Since opening for business in 2010, the Forest Garden has taken shape and many guests have visited to either enjoy a yurt or cabin stay, or have taken part in one of our woodland crafts courses.