SPRING/SUMMER 2013 No. 101 - Devon Folk

In the next few weeks, Devon will see the launch
of Spinningpath Arts CIC a new Devon based
Traditional Arts organisation formed by Jenny
Read and Ed Rennie, who have been actively
involved in teaching and leading in Devon
for years. It is dedicated to inspire inclusive
participation, creativity and development through
traditional music, song, dance, pastimes, and
related arts. That’s quite a mouthful, what does
it mean
Jenny and Ed will be leading workshops
and projects for all these in schools and the
community either as individual disciplines, or as
multi-discipline packages, strongly inuenced by
the time of year and seasonal traditions, both local
and national e.g. broom and stepdance, songs
collected in the villages and towns of Devon,
mummers plays at Christmas, Egg traditions at
Easter etc.
“Culture isn’t static. People adapt to changing
climate, new inventions, inuences from other
people and other cultures.” Kim Bridge
Their enthusiasm for things traditional is deep felt
and infectious. They are also aware that all those
things collected and written down (thankfully) by
Sharp, Broadwood, Baring-Gould et al are not the
whole story, but rather stills from a continuously
running lm.
Inevitably things change and evolve. That’s a
good thing. We don’t live like the Victorians,
who in turn didn’t live like the Tudors. But
equally it is vital to keep and nurture those things
in our traditions and culture that are the cement
by which communities bond together and make
us uniquely who we are, i.e. Community music
making, singing, dance and drama. That’s where
we step in.
new. The message is always “Yes, you are
allowed!”
For those few who have not yet come across Jenny
and Ed:
Jenny is an experienced traditional dancer,
specialising in Appalachian precision clogging,
improvised atfooting, 3 times Dartmoor Step
Dance Champion, choreographer and teacher of
Firestone Youth, maypole dancing, music teacher
and the only folk practitioner in the UK currently
holding the new Level 6 Diploma in Dance
Teaching and Learning for Children & Young
People from the Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of
Music and Dance in London.
Ed is a renowned musician and singer, melodeon
teacher, band and singing leader, song writer,
composer and arranger, maypole teacher, long
experienced mumming performer, founder of
Devon Squeezebox Foundation and author of The
Melodeon Tutor.
Combined they really are a tour de force. Their
website will have full details of projects ready to
roll out and ideas in the pipeline and be well worth
a visit.
Jenny and Ed would like to thank Debbie Stewart
at The Fruit Tree for all her help in guiding them
through the business of setting up this Community
Interest Company. You can nd out more about
their fantastic work here; www.the-fruit-tree.co.uk
So along with pieces from the tradition which
have a proven track record because they work,
participants will be encouraged to develop new
dances, songs and music of their own. After all,
900 year old traditions started with something
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