Elspeth Penfold

Weaving the walk

@ #4Wcop (the Fourth World Congress of Psychogeography)

A fab invitation from Sonia Overall, to become her Ariadne, led me to 4Wcop in Huddersfield on the 7th and 8th of September .

Huddersfield canal , I love a houseboat!

Here are some images of the Vara* weaving the experience of Treading and Threading the Labyrinth.

(* Vara a staff of office which illustrates a semiosis that is very different from "writing proper"- as described by Frank Solomon in The Cord Keepers)

The Vara holds the ropes which I make by hand in my studio which are then knotted by fellow walkers who then return the ropes to me so that I can create a record of their participation in the walk.

Each of these varas has woven into it the ropes from particular walks I have led over the last four years. More about these can be found on my website and in previous blog postings.

The Story for #4Wcop

We had 16 walkers from the World Congress who came to Slaithwate (Slawit) to walk our textile Labyrinth, made by hand in the beautiful Colne Valley.

The textile Labyrinth had particular significance as the valley used to be the site of rows of textile mills, all pumping smoke into the air (no trees grew due to the acid rain) and dye into the river which flowed past our site.

materials from the Work and Play Scrapstore

It seemed fitting that some of our textiles for constructing the Labyrinth had been gathered from The Work and Play Scrastore , and recycled into our Labyrinth.

I reflected on this as we heard about the history of the area from Michael who, with Helen, welcomed us at Slaithewate Forest school .

With thanks to Helen for wonderful warming cups of tea and also sharing her knowledge of the aboriginal art of making rope.

The Baltic wheel Labyrinth, with vague terrain obstructions as designed by Sonia Overall.

Much measuring calculating and designing was followed by a quick assessment of the site and the joy of working with the terrain. We loved those trees almost waiting for our labyrinth to be installed

With thanks to all who attended and walked with us and in particular the Congress Central Committee.

Margate Bookie and The Margate Festival

I am now looking forward to taking our #4Wcop Vara , along with nine other Varas from previous walks over the last four years, to our Thread and Word performative walk "Walk with Shrines" on September 29th detail are on Margate Bookie Program .