Yokai Work Experience

Alucard by Adam Leitch

Back in September, Magic Torch were delighted to have Adam Leitch from Inverclyde Academy along on his work experience. Adam is an artist, and so we gave him a brief script to work on - a lot to get done in a week...here's some of Adam's artwork, some thoughts from Adam and the finished piece Yokai - which is appropriately spooky for Hallowe'en.

SSJ4 Vegito by Adam Leitch

My name is Adam Leitch. I am 15 years old and I love drawing manga. I especially like drawing fan art of Dragon Ball Z. I worked with Magic Torch for my 4th year work experience because I want to do something related to illustration when I leave school. I have also attempted to draw my own manga using both traditional inking methods combined with digital drawing software for colouring.

Note : If you thought that creature was weird, explore some of the other Yokai. Gotta catch em all....

Go Yer Own Galoshans

 

We have been out and about distributing copies of our Galoshans Play to every Primary School in Inverclyde, every pupil will get a free copy - and hopefully some folks will begin performing their own versions of the play again.

Copies will also be available from The Beacon and The Dutch Gable House during the Galoshans Festival weekend - be sure to grab one.

And don't forget that we have two different versions of the play being performed at The Dutch Gable House this weekend, on Saturday at 12 and 3 we have a rehearsed reading of our new version of the play and on Sunday at 3 we have a puppet show performance from Sokobauno Theatre. Both are free but the puppet performance is ticketed - email aulddunrod@gmail.com for tickets.

The Going Galoshans project is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland and Inverclyde Place Partnership.

The Skeleton Key

There's a war on, well, two wars really. There's the one everyone knows about, with soldiers and bombers and then there's the other one, with spells, magical swords, zombies and giant ravens.

The Rowan Tree Legion are here to help us win both.


The Skeleton Key, by Mhairi M Robertson and myself is available on Saturday 29th October. You can pick up a copy at The Dutch Gable House from 2pm during the Galoshans festival. Shortly thereafter it will be available online from the Magic Torch Comics shop, amazon and comixology. 48 full colour pages for £5. Mhairi will be along to sign copies on the day, rendering it all the more precious.

We will also have a new print edition of our first book Wee Nasties, unavailable since 2013. The book introduces younger readers to the popular folk characters of Inverclyde. I will be along at Inverclyde Library on Friday 28th October from 4 - 5 to share some spooky local stories, including Wee Nasties, as part of the Galoshans Festival.

Galoshans Play Performances

We have two different versions of The Galoshans Play for you to enjoy during the Galoshans Festival this year. Our new version, presented by volunteers is on Saturday 29th October at The Dutch Gable House in William Street, Greenock. Performances are at 12 noon and 3pm. It's free to attend, but spaces are limited.

The second version, you can see on Sunday 30th October at 3pm in The Dutch Gable House. This is Shane and Stan's puppet theatre version, which has been performed around local schools over the last few weeks. Again, the performance is free - but this one is ticketed. Contact auld.dunrod@gmail.com to book your tickets.

And of course, you can download our new adaptation of the play for you to perform yourself.

The Galoshans Play 2016

Vintage clown craze terror

Merry Galoshans everyone.

This year, we've been working to help rekindle the Galoshans Play tradition, as part of our Heritage Lottery Scotland supported Going Galoshans project. We have created a new version of the play for you to read and download for free. A printed chapbook edition will also be delivered to schools and passed out for free during the Galoshans Festival.

The new version contains elements of the play which would have been performed in Greenock hundreds of years ago, as well as some new additions which feature folk characters and motifs specific to Inverclyde. It's a bit of fun really. Just as it was originally intended to be. Maybe you can even have a wee laugh staging your own version.

You will also be able to see and maybe even participate in a few performances of the play during the Galoshans festival, on Saturday 29th October at 12pm and 3pm in The Dutch Gable House.

What IS a Galoshan?

From the awesome Haunted Air project...

As part of the Galoshans Festival in Inverclyde, we're celebrating the roots of the term "going galoshans" and sharing new versions of the traditional play which used to be performed door to door at Halloween and New Year in Scotland.

Sokonbauno Theatre have been out sharing their puppet theatre version of the Galoshans Play with Aileymill Primary School and helping the school create and perform their own versions of the play.

Sokobauno and Magic Torch are also working with Trust Volunteering to recruit and train a new troop to create, rehearse and perform a new adaptation of the play throughout the Galoshans Festival, and to carry the torch of this reinvigorated tradition into the future.

Call Laura or Amanda on (01475) 553334 if you are interested in being involved. Volunteers must be 16+.

The video below sees our gallant Galoshaneers Stan Reeves and Shane Connolly explain the roots of the play - and share some Mighty Boosh style cardboard masks...

trailer from David Newbigging on Vimeo.

A big thank you to artist and film-maker David Newbigging for filming this short for us, David will be filming the whole Galoshans play process for a short documentary which we'll share later this year.

David is also working on his own film project just now - Benchmark 6. Really worth a look.

Going Galoshans 2016

We're heading into Magic Torch's favourite time of year - autumn leaves, crisp mornings, terrifying ghost stories...the season of the witch is almost upon us.

We've lots happening over the next few months, kicking off with our new Going Galoshans project, supported by Heritage Lottery - Sharing Heritage fund and Inverclyde Place Partnership.

As part of the Galoshans Festival in Inverclyde, we'll be celebrating the roots of the term "going galoshans" and sharing new versions of the traditional play which used to be performed door to door at Halloween and New Year in Scotland.

Sokonbauno Theatre will be sharing their puppet theatre version of the Galoshans Play with Aileymill Primary School and Newark Primary School, and helping the school create and perform their own versions of the play.

And we are working with Trust Volunteering to recruit and train a new troop to create, rehearse and perform a new adaptation of the play throughout the Galoshans Festival, and to carry the torch of this reinvigorated tradition into the future. Volunteers must be 16+. Call Laura or Amanda on (01475) 553334. More info below...

Here are the marvellous Sokobauno Puppet Theatre performing the play a few years back. As well as being performed in schools, there will be a one off performance of the play in the Dutch Gable House on Sunday 30th October at 3pm.

Plus! Magic Torch Comics will be launching our new graphic novel The Skeleton Key on Saturday 28th October as well. So it's all go. Hopefully see you around.