Description
First meeting Tuesday 14th January 5-7pm 2025
Rebecca María is leading a series of workshops investigating the history of weaver’s songs, a
forgotten but important part of Paisley’s history.
Do you know much about Paisley’s weaving history? Have you ever heard a weaver’s song?
These workshops are designed to create a collaborative experience between participants: how
to do effective research, investigate the archive, and work with members of the local community
to collect interviews and testimonies.
Rebecca María has a background in collecting radical and political music from around the world,
starting up singing groups in London, Glasgow, Sweden, and Spain. Her project, “Wild Mountain
Thyme” in Glasgow, is a roving singing circle teaching songs of resistance, connection, loss,
and land from around the globe.
With ReMode she is bringing to life the songs of famous Paisley weaver, poet, and social justice
campaigner, Robert Tannahill, who wrote ‘The Braes of Balquhidder’ which was the basis of the
ballad ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ with its chorus of “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?”. She is also looking at
radical weaving songwriters from further afield, such as Dundee’s Mary Brookbank, who wrote
“The Jute Mill Song”.
These sessions will tie in Paisley’s history of weavers, worker’s struggles, and songs and
poetry, relating them to stories of the present day. We hope you can join us in the making of this
podcast – and learn a few songs! – reclaiming the voices of Paisley’s (not-yet) forgotten past.
What You’ll Do:
- Contribute Ideas: Help decide what goes into our zine, podcast, and film by suggesting creative content ideas.
- Create Content: Write articles, conduct interviews, and contribute to the development of audio and visual material.
- Collaborate on Editing: Join our editing sessions to shape the final pieces and refine the content for publication.
- Document Events: Attend ReMode events and assist in documenting them for future inclusion in our media projects.
What You’ll Gain:
- Hands-on experience in content creation and editing across multiple platforms (zine, podcast, and film).
- Exposure to creative direction and media production processes.
- Opportunity to get your work published and contribute to a community-driven heritage archive.
- Build valuable skills in writing, audio/video editing, and interviewing.
- Meet new people and connect with different members of the Paisley community.
- Learn from the Best: Work under the guidance of one of our professional facilitators, who will be leading and directing the project. You’ll receive expert advice and support, helping you build confidence in your creative abilities.
Who We’re Looking For:
- Passionate individuals with an interest in local history and community engagement.
- Creative thinkers who love storytelling and want to learn more about media production.
- No prior experience required—just a willingness to learn and collaborate!
Why Volunteer with Us? By volunteering with ReMode, you’ll gain valuable experience in content creation and event documentation, while helping preserve the stories and heritage of Paisley. This is a unique opportunity to get your creative work out into the world, learn new skills, and be part of a community-focused project—all while being mentored by a professional in the field. Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this project is made possible, offering you the chance to help archive Paisley’s heritage and current history for future generations.
