“Klub Marigold is a community craft share project based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The aim of our work is to create safe and inclusive environments for anyone to learn or further their skills in arts and crafts.”
Martha McKellar, 25.
The Marigold Touch
In the back room of a warmly lit bar, Martha creates make-shift paint palettes from old cardboard boxes. In a corner, a stack of art books and painting supplies lay waiting for the artistic know-hows and novices who will soon fill the rows of benches lining the room. The driving rhythm of J.J. Cale’s Tulsa blues only adds to the relaxed ambiance of the scene.
“At the moment I try to provide a space where people feel comfortable, confident and self aware, so they can step out of their comfort zone”, says Martha McKellar, 25, as she sips a mix of vodka, soda and apple juice.
As people start to arrive, Martha gets up, welcoming each newcomer or group with the same disarming smile. Klub Marigold is not a traditional art workshop. Martha opts for the term ‘craft-share’. She never instructs the room as a whole; instead people are able to sit where they please, experimenting at their leisure with the materials provided.
“I do get a lot of art students, but I get a lot of people who, you know, would never consider themselves creative. There’s no prestige, there’s no bias”, says Martha.
Martha contents herself wandering around the different tables, conversing, laughing, enjoying the company. If someone asks for advice it’s freely given, but never imposed. Martha is very much a facilitator rather than an instructor.
“Getting to see so many different identities within the people who come to the craft-share, those who feel confident enough to express themselves, thats what it’s about, especially when they start sharing as a group”, Martha says.
Martha has been running Klub Marigold since 2019, each event allowing people to explore a different artistic medium free of judgment. Money taken on an evening helps fund the next event. Martha hopes that as the craft-share grows she’ll be able to provide more exciting materials, developing the project alongside the attendees: “It grows with the people who support it. Slowly, I hope that it does becomes a community of its own”.
“Eventually I’d love to do large community based projects, people coming together to create community paintings, community sculptures just really create something that people feel is their own”, Martha says.
Community is the sense you get from the event. As the evening progresses people start to intermingle; laughing, sharing, and creating art on their own terms. Not your typical night on the town, but one everyone in the room throws themselves into.
At the end of the evening those who wish can display their work, enjoying the fruits of their labour, along with another pint…
When asked why this particular evening is entitled ‘Anti-Valentines’ Martha looks at me with a hint of amusement, “If Hallmark are going to create a holiday, we may as well all benefit from it right?”.
Klub Marigold is held at Ernest cafe & bar, in Ouseburn. News about upcoming events can be found on Instagram and Facebook.
The Young Creatives of Newcastle 