Buzzing about
Saturday 31 August
10am – 5pm
The Eastgate Theatre and Studio will be a ‘hive’ of activity on Saturday 31st August with a series of family friendly workshops, arts and crafts, demonstrations, live music and more…. all of which will be focusing on, inspired by or simply celebrating the natural world.
With representation from Tweeddale Red Squirrels, Tweed Valley Osprey, Peebles Beekeepers and Scottish Badgers to name a few. Find out what is going on in our local surroundings and how we can all play our part in helping and safeguarding our environment.
Ticket price includes concert in Auditorium.
Morning Session 10am – 1pm
£5
Buglife Workshop 10am
Anne Younger Studio
Join Buglife Conservation Officer, Kate, for a seed pebble workshop. Kids can get involved in creating native wildflower seed pebbles to take home and make their gardens a little more pollinator friendly!
All ages
Earth Songs & Our Natural World 11am
Auditorium
A joyful folk trio of fiddle, flute, guitar and beautiful harmonies. Katie and friends will be performing original songs for kids about Scotland’s birds, bees, frogs, trees and the harvest. Guaranteed to make you smile. Get involved with silks, shakers, costumes and dance. For families of children of all ages and abilities. Under 10s (with a grown up)
Afternoon Session 2 – 5pm £5
Arts & Crafts workshop 2pm
Anne Younger Studio
‘Circular Economy’ - an arts & crafts workshop for young creatives. Using old paper, magazines, junk mail etc Lara Green from Transform Arts will show you how to give these unused and unloved items a new lease of life. All ages
Earth Songs & Our Natural World 3.15pm
Auditorium
A joyful folk trio of fiddle, flute, guitar and beautiful harmonies. Katie and friends will be performing original songs for kids about Scotland’s birds, bees, frogs, trees and the harvest. Guaranteed to make you smile. Get involved with silks, shakers, costumes and dance. For families of children of all ages and abilities. Under 10s (with a grown up)
Back to Nature Festival
Saturday 24 August
Merlindale Nature Festival 2 - 6pm FREE
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 August
Back to Nature Art Exhibition 10am - 4pm FREE
Wednesday 28 August
FILM Wilding (PG) 7.30pm £10
Thursday 29 August
TALK Changing Lands 7pm PWYC
Friday 30 August
Riverbank workshop 10 - 11.30am FREE
Riverbank workshop 2 - 3.30pm FREE
Friday 30 August
Aurora Engine workshop 3 - 5pm PWYC
Friday 30 August MUSIC Terre 7.30pm PWYC
Saturday 31 August
Darren Woodhead
Watercolour workshop 10am - 12pm PWYC
Buzzing about
Morning Session
Saturday 31 August
Buglife workshop 10am
Katie's Music Sessions
Earth Songs & Our Natural World 11am
Saturday 31 August
£5
Back to Nature Festival
24th - 31st August
Afternoon Session £5
Arts & Crafts workshop 2pm
Katie's Music Sessions
Earth Songs & Our Natural World 3.15pm
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 August
10am – 4pm
Back to Nature Art Exhibition
Anne Younger Studio
A select group of visual artists will be exhibiting work which has been inspired by the natural world.
Including: French photographer, Nina Davidson who is inspired by the openness and the continuously changing landscape of the Yarrow valley; Katy Eccles an Edinburgh based imprint maker who transforms material from the natural world into artworks capturing one moment in time; and Darren Woodhead a pure field painter who works exclusively in the outdoors in brush and watercolour who will be exhibiting a selection of paintings inspired by local surroundings, birds, butterflies and mammals.
FREE
The exhibition will be available to view at various times throughout the festival week, please contact the box office to check opening times.
Saturday 24 August
2 – 6pm
Merlindale Nature Festival FREE
Parking at Drumelzier, ML12
Wednesday 28 August
7.30pm
FILM Wilding (PG)
Auditorium
Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling book by the same title, Wilding tells the story of a young couple who bet on nature for the future of their failing, four-hundred-year-old estate. The young couple battle entrenched tradition and dare to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature. Ripping down the fences, they set the land back to the wild and entrust its recovery to a motley mix of animals both tame and wild. It is the beginning of a grand experiment that will become one of the most significant rewilding experiments in Europe.
£10 Adult, £6 Child (£25 Family of 4)
Thursday 29 August
7pm
TALK Changing Lands
Auditorium
Great Britain is experiencing a biodiversity crisis along with climate change. Half of the hedgerows have been lost since the second world war; only 2-3 % of the native woodlands remain; recent studies indicate that we may have lost 84 percent of our insects’ biomass since the 1980s and we have lost 99 percent of our wildflower meadows since 1945.
Rather than feeling helpless about these shocking statistics, come and join Matt Griffin, Fi Martynoga, Karen Blackport and David Lintott as they share the stage for one evening to talk about the natural environment in the Scottish Borders, how it is changing and why it matters. Topics will include regenerative farming systems, the restoration of natural habitats on both small and landscape scale and more…
A Q&A will follow.
PWYC*, £12, £10, £8
Friday 30 August
Riverbank workshop
River Tweed
Join Tweed Forum’s Education Officer Jenny Holmes, in exploring the amazing riverbank wildlife of the River Tweed. During this hands-on workshop you will discover a hidden world of minibeasts and plants and learn about how important they are to us and our river. Meet at the theatre and wear suitable clothing.
10 – 11.30am
Suitable for pre-school children but older/younger siblings welcome FREE 2 – 3.30pm
Suitable for ages 7 to 11, but older/younger siblings welcome FREE
Saturday 31 August 10am – 12pm
Darren Woodhead Watercolour workshop
River Tweed
Painting materials provided Meet at the theatre – be prepared to stay outdoors
Join Darren on the riverbank as he works directly in brush and watercolour to create narrative and atmospheric paintings of the natural world. By working direct from life, we will look at natural forms and work direct in brush and Watercolour, a medium that Darren is so passionate about and has taught it's use for many years, both home and abroad.
Woodhead is a pure field painter and a Graduate of the Royal College of Art.
Age: 16 +
PWYC* £12, £10, £8
Friday 30 August 3 – 5pm
Aurora Engine workshop
Auditorium
An engaging nature inspired vocal / singing workshop exploring the natural world. Singing songs inspired by sounds of nature and exploring how music making can deeper our connection with nature and have a positive impact on climate issues. Participants will be invited to participate in the evening performance (optional!) on one short piece which will be taught on the day. Suitable for all abilities.
PWYC*, £12, £10, £8
Friday 30 August 7.30pm
MUSIC Terre
Auditorium
Blending collected sounds of nature with harp, voice, piano and French horn, Aurora Engine presents a series of environmentally inspired electroacoustic compositions: Expect pitch-shifting blackbirds, rhythmic honeybees, ‘sonic trees’ and ocean soundscapes amongst beautiful, beguiling songs. Commissioned by Sound Festival (2022), this sonic exploration of Scottish landscape reflects on how artists can respond to the Climate Crisis through their work.
PWYC* £12, £10, £8
* Choose the price that suits your ability to pay
