Many Hands celebrates Huntly's new community quilt through a joyful programme of music, zine making, quilting, food and storytelling.

For over 6 months, artist Keng Keng Tang has been bringing people together to applique, hand-stitch, and naturally dye textiles, and to stitch them together into a beautiful new Community Quilt. Through these embodied, slow and experimental textile processes, we have been exploring mutual care, togetherness and rest, inspired by the radical histories of quilting. The community quilt holds traces of the conversations, reflections and processes of its making by many hands. It is designed to shape-shift, to reconfigure and to hold many people, softly, inviting collective rest and repair - necessary in holding and building community resistance.

Come along to rest together, and to celebrate the quilt and all it represents.

Quilting & Hot Pot

Thursday 30 April, 6-8:30pm

As the quilt nears its completion, join us for an evening of quilting and a celebratory hot pot. The quilting process involves sewing or knotting the three layers of the quilt together. It is often the most social stage in the making of a quilt, bringing families and friends together in their homes and community spaces to share the labour-intensive process. This Quilting Circle will begin with collective quilting, before eating together to celebrate many months of making together. 

Hot pot is traditionally served as a pot of delicious stock simmering on a hob in the centre of the table. It originated in China and can be enjoyed in many different ways from region to region, from the spice-filled hot pots in Sichuan to the seafood influences in Guangdong. The bubbling broth is accompanied by an array of ingredients such as carrots, spring onions, tofu, seaweed and noodles, which are added to the communal pot before scooping out to enjoy once cooked.

Free and all welcome, but please let us know you are coming by booking a spot here, or emailing jess@deveron-projects.com.

Zine-making & Storytelling

Saturday 2 May, 10am - 1pm (stories at 10:30am, 11:30am and 12:30pm).

Drop into Square Deal community hub for a family-friendly morning of storytelling and zine-making*. Stitch together a zine with gathered fabric, prompts and guides for quilting, resting, and community building. At half past each hour, cosy up under the quilt with an invitation to nap from artist Keng Keng Tang, before listening to tales of community and generosity from storyteller Nana Tomova.

Free and all welcome, drop-in.

Quilt music and dancing

Saturday 2 May, 2:30-4pm

Come and immerse yourself in music and dancing to celebrate the community quilt, and to rest together through joyful movement and sound. You are welcome to join in or to watch:

• Scottish country dancing with the Huntly Scottish Country Dance Club The club will share their newly choreographed dance The Huntly Quilt, inspired by the making process behind the Community Quilt
• Yunnan circle dancing, a traditional communal folk dance led by Keng Keng Tang with trad Scottish/Chinese music from Teilo Qiu.

In the spirit of togetherness, these dances invite folks to join in to bring them alive. You are also welcome to bring along your own instruments, songs or dances to share.

Free and all welcome, but please let us know you are coming by booking a space here or emailing jess@deveron-projects.com.

Accessibility

• All of these events are family-friendly and children are very welcome. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult 
• We expect these events to be lively with up to 20 people attending.
• Participation is optional - you are welcome to join in, or to watch.
• An accessibility guide for Square Deal community hub can be found here with photos and information about the space.
• Please get in touch if there is anything we can do to make any of these events more accessible for you. Email: jess@deveron-projects.com, phone 01466 79449 or pop into the Deveron Projects office behind Huntly Library.

Allergens / dietary

Food at this event is prepared in a kitchen that may have traces of nuts, seeds, dairy and other allergens. Everything is clearly labelled and there are always vegan and gluten free options. Please let us know if you are planning on coming along and have any food allergies by emailing jess@deveron-projects.com.

About the Quilting Circle

These events forms part of Keng Keng Tang’s Square Deal residency at Deveron Projects. Over 6 months, Keng Keng has been weaving mutual care, togetherness and rest, through the five senses in Huntly’s creative community hub. More information about their residency can be found here.