*The accompanying CD / downloadable album can also be purchased from the Mike Ruff Music website and from The Endless Bookcase website. This book looks at the practicalities of maypole dancing. Designed for teachers with little or no experience of teaching dance, the traditional dances are laid out in a clear and easy to use format with photos, diagrams and a Dance at a Glance feature. Maypole dancing is constantly changing and growing, and so a number of modern dances are also included, graded from simple to challenging. Issues of inclusivity, creativity and cross-curricular work are addressed in detail, along with non-ribbon dances from the Victorian and Tudor periods which are great for bringing history to life. A website and lively CD complete the package. "Easy to use manual, even for a novice" - Folkestone Primary Academy "This is an excellent, clearly presented maypole teaching resource which is attractively and thoughtfully presented, user-friendly and modern in its outlook. I am very happy to recommend this for anyone wanting the essential information on how to lead maypole dancing with young people and adults alike." - Rachel Elliott, Education Director, English Folk Dance and Song Society "This is the answer to our prayers! A really well written book and entertaining music CD to get people of all ages maypole dancing" - Paul James, Formally Halsway Manor, National Centre for the Folk Arts *The accompanying Maypole Manual Music album can be purchased as a CD or as a download, or as single track downloads.

Stonehenge is the world's most famous pre-historic monument and, since the middle of the 19th century, probably the most photographed. Using images from English Heritage's unique photgraphic archive (the National Monuments Record), Stonehenge: A History in Photographs charts the last 150 years in the life of this extraordinary and iconic site. These largely unseen images touch on various moments in Stonehenge's history, from the leiusrely tourism in the last years of Victoria's reign to the monument of today, a site visited each year by more than one million people from all over the world. This book is a celebration of Stonehenge, in fascinating and often very human images. The text is written by archaeologist and television presenter Julian Richards, someone with a genuine love of Stonehenge. This is a book for all who share a fascination with this magical monument.

James Payne’s YouTube Channel “Great Art Explained” gained a huge and appreciative worldwide audience. This beautifully put-together book is simply the best introduction to the lifelong pleasure and rewards of looking at pictures since Gombrich. An instant classic' Stephen Fry

Art appreciation made accessible, relevant and entertaining; writer, curator and YouTuber James Payne demystifies great works of art.

Based on the popular and enormously successful YouTube channel of the same name, Great Art Explained unveils the fascinating stories behind some of the world’s most iconic paintings and sculptures, proving that there’s more to art than just watching paint dry. It can be thrilling, if you give it a chance. It is how you view the work, place it in context and understand its history that makes an artwork truly come alive.

A fresh approach to a classic subject, James Payne’s no-nonsense analysis sheds new light on thirty different masterpieces from around the globe and reveals what makes them truly timeless works of art. Each chapter delves into not only the art itself but also the artist’s life, as well as the work’s place in their wider oeuvre; in other words, what makes it ‘great’. From Hilma af Klint’s occult altarpieces to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus to Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed, each artwork is explored with clarity and passion.

Whether a seasoned art enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this book promises to deepen your appreciation and enrich your understanding of some of the world’s greatest treasures.

Hierdie boek is nie 'n selfdoengids oor tradisionele raamwerk nie - dit is propvol oorspronklike idees en wys jou hoe om ou rame te vernuwe, te herwin en te hergebruik en hoe om kaal rame te tooi sodat jy jou foto's, prente en ander items op hul mooiste kan vertoon. Die boek fokus op maklike en ongewone rame wat in en om die huis gebruik kan word, vir enigiets van miniatuurparfuumbottels tot 'n groot swartbord vir 'n kinderkamer. Dit bevat aanwysings vir baie basiese raamkonstruksie, asook hope inligting oor afwerkingstegnieke vir kaal rame en maniere om ou rame nuwe lewe te gee. Die boek spoor jou aan om anders na rame te kyk en verder as hout en verstekhoeke te gaan. Leer om rame te maak met polistireenkroonlyste, polimeerklei, tydskrifblaaie, afvalstukkies leer, karton en watteersel, draad, lap, liniale, 'n ou fietsband en ander vondste en te versier met uiteenlopende materiaal soos gebruikte seesakkies en goudblad. Daar is ook rame wat funksioneel sowel as dekoratief is en kan dien as organiseerders vir enigiets van serpe tot notas en memos. Praktiese wenke en stap-vir-stap-foto's word aangevul deur pragtige kleurfoto's van meer as 60 voltooide rame.

Structure is Character. Characters are what they do. Story events impact the characters and the characters impact events. Actions and reactions create revelation and insight, opening the door to a meaningful emotional experience for the audience. Story is what elevates a film, a novel, a play, or teleplay, transforming a good work into a great one. Movie-making in particular is a collaborative endeavour - requiring great skill and talent by the entire cast, crew and creative team - but the screenwriter is the only original artist on a film. Everyone else - the actors, directors, cameramen, production designers, editors, special effects wizards and so on - are interpretive artists, trying to bring alive the world, the events and the characters that the writer has invented and created. Robert McKee's STORY is a comprehensive and superbly organized exploration of all elements, from the basics to advanced concepts. It is a practical course, presenting new perspectives on the craft of storytelling, not just for the screenwriter but for the novelist, playwright, journalist and non-fiction writers of all types.

Serena Fass has attempted to illustrate Jesus' Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved." (Mark 16: 15 - 16) and has presented a balance between the many different strands of the Christian faith, for each century, from the earliest Christians in Pompeii until today, and criss-crossing the globe from North to South: from Norway to Mozambique - and West to East: from Peru to Australia. Categories include architecture, painting, sculpture, ivories, textiles, metalwork, jewellery and portraits of people wearing crosses, as well as examples of the cross in nature.

Crafted to engage the culturally curious, 'Page 1' collects the responses of 70 international graphic designers when posed with the same brief - to design and lay out the first page of 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens.

Spell Songs is a musical companion piece to The Lost Words: A Spell Book by author Robert Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris. This mixed media CD is accompanied by sumptuous illustrations from Jackie Morris, new 'spells' by Robert Macfarlane, enlightening thoughts by Robert, Jackie and Spell Singer Karine Polwart and stunning photography by Elly Lucas. In 2018 Folk by the Oak Festival commissioned Spell Songs because of their love of The Lost Words book. Spell Songs comprises eight remarkable musicians whose music engages deeply with landscape and nature; musicians who are perfectly placed to respond to the creatures, art and language of The Lost Words. They spent a week in Herefordshire bringing this music together in the company of Jackie Morris. Art inspired music and music inspired art. Jackie Morris immersed herself in the musical residency where she generously created new iconesque artwork of each musician and their instruments portrayed in an unexpected and enchanting way. These stunning new artworks accompany the CD. Spell Songs allowed these acclaimed and diverse musicians to weave together elements of British folk music, Senegalese folk traditions, and experimental and classical music to create an inspiring new body of work. Here are 14 songs which capture the essence of The Lost Words book. Spoken voice, whispers, accents, dialects, native languages, proverbs, sayings, birdsong, river chatter and insect hum all increase the intimacy of the musical world conjured by the songs. Inspired by the words, art and ethos of The Lost Words book, each musician brings new imaginings, embellishments and diversions which are rooted in personal experience, a deep respect for the natural world, protest at the loss of nature and its language and an appreciation for wildness and beauty. In February 2019 Spell Songs enjoyed standing ovations at sell-out performances in major venues across the UK culminating at The Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre, London. Spell Songs was a highlight of The Hay International Literary Festival 2019 and in August 2019 they were invited to perform at the BBC's Lost Words Prom in the Royal Albert Hall. They will continue to tour each year. "There are songs here that would live with me for the rest of my years, even if I'd had no part in their making". Robert Macfarlane

Bits and Pieces tells the story of chiptune, a style of lo-fi electronic music that emerged from the first generation of video game consoles and home computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Through ingenuity and invention, musicians and programmers developed code that enabled the limited hardware of those early 8-bit machines to perform musical feats that they were never designed to achieve. In time, that combination of hardware and creative code came to define a unique 8-bit sound that imprinted itself on a generation of gamers. For a new generation of musicians, this music has currency through the chipscene, a vibrant musical subculture that repurposes obsolete gaming hardware. It's performative: raw and edgy, loaded with authenticity and driven by a strong DIY ethic. It's more punk than Pac-Man, and yet, it's part of that same story of ingenuity and invention; 8-bit hardware is no longer a retired gaming console, but a quirky and characterful musical instrument. Taking these consoles to the stage, musicians fuse 8-bit sounds with other musical styles - drum'n'bass, jungle, techno and house - to create a unique contemporary sound. Analyzing musical structures and technological methods used with chiptune, Bits and Pieces traces the simple beeps of the earliest arcade games, through the murky shadows of the digital underground, to global festivals and movie soundtracks.

“Dis ontspannende terapie om vrylik te krabbel en in te kleur.” So se Marleen Visser, die kunstenaar. “My krabbels is spontane, verbeeldingryke lyntekeninge, persepsies en drome van die alledaagse lewe. Laat jou innerlike kind die klein stories binne-in ontdek en verken. Laat die kreatiewe reis jou inspireer en jou hart en gedagtes na wonderlike, nuwe plekke meevoer.”

Loki, ever the shapeshifter, has never been more adaptable across pop culture. Whether it's deep in the stories from Norse mythology, the countless offshoots and intepretations across media, or even the prolific Loki that has come to dominate our screens via the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each serves its own purpose and offers a new layer to the character we've come to know so well. By exploring contemporary variations of Loki from Norse god to anti-hero trickster in four distinct categories - the God of Knots, Mischief, Outcasts and Stories - we can better understand the power of myth, queer theory, fandom, ritual, pop culture itself and more. Johnson invites readers to journey with him as he unpicks his own evolving relationship with Loki, and to ask: Who is your Loki? And what is their glorious purpose?

Singing the Right Way enters the world of Orthodox Christianity in Estonia to explore the significance of musical style in worship, cultural identity, and social imagination. Through a series of ethnographic and historical chapters, author Jeffers Engelhardt focuses on how Orthodox Estonians give voice to the religious absolute in secular society to live Christ-like lives. Approaching Orthodoxy through local understandings of correct practice and correct belief, Engelhardt shows how religious knowledge, national identity, and social transformation illuminate in the work of singing: how to "sing the right way" and thereby realize the fullness of their faith. In some parishes, this meant preserving a local, Protestant-influenced tradition of congregational singing from the 1920s and 30s. In others, it meant adapting Byzantine melodies and vocal styles encountered abroad. In still others, it meant continuing a bilingual, multi-ethnic Estonian-Russian oral tradition despite ecclesiastical and political struggle. Based on a decade of fieldwork and singing in choirs, Singing the Right Way traces the sounds of Orthodoxy in Estonia through the Russian Empire, interwar national independence, the Soviet-era, and post-Soviet integration into the European Union to describe the dynamics of religion and secularity in singing style and repertoire - what Engelhardt calls secular enchantment. Ultimately, Singing the Right Way is an innovative model of how the musical poetics of contemporary religious forms are rooted in both sacred tradition and the contingent ways individuals inhabit the secular. This landmark study is sure to be an essential text for scholars studying the ethnomusicology of religion.

Talent alone isn’t enough. Education is important' Tracey Emin

'Don’t make art for the purpose of a career or success: make art because it is an unstoppable obsession' Shirin Neshat

'You’re not meant to know what you’re doing when you’re young and making art. It’s meant to fill you with dread' Ryan Gander

Weaving artists’ reflections and anecdotes with their invaluable words of advice to aspiring creatives, this inspiring book explores the practical realities of the art world and demystifies the route to professional success.

Survival Notes is an inspiring narrative weaving artists’ reflections on success with advice to aspiring creatives. Featuring direct quotes and exclusive interviews with internationally acclaimed artists such as Anish Kapoor, Shirin Neshat, Tracey Emin, Jesse Darling and Shahzia Sikander, this book offers authoritative counsel on how to thrive in a highly competitive art world as well as thoughtful insights on what it means to be an artist in the twenty-first century.

Nine thematic chapters offer essential guidance on how to negotiate the practical realities of artmaking, with discussions relating to education, self-discipline, gallery representation, mental wellbeing, mentorship and more. In a climate where emerging creatives feel less empowered than ever, Lydia R. Figes provides a hopeful message about perseverance and perspective, while questioning whether the advice given by established practitioners can still be applied today.

“Dis ontspannende terapie om vrylik te krabbel en in te kleur.” So se Marleen Visser, die kunstenaar. “My krabbels is spontane, verbeeldingryke lyntekeninge, persepsies en drome van die alledaagse lewe. Laat jou innerlike kind die klein stories binne-in ontdek en verken. Laat die kreatiewe reis jou inspireer en jou hart en gedagtes na wonderlike, nuwe plekke meevoer.”

Resin jewellery is very easy to make and the technique is incredibly versatile. Popular craft author Sara Naumann shows you how to make beautiful pieces of jewellery for men and women, using simple techniques and inexpensive materials. Great fun and quick to make, you can add paper, fabric, photographs, shells, dried flowers, nail polish and more to the resin, producing professional-looking and stylish pieces that are totally unique. There are more than 50 projects to inspire you to create your own resin jewellery for yourself, or as gifts for family and friends. Ideal for beginners and more experienced crafters, prepare to become addicted!