Posts for June, 2025

An opportunity for local S1-S3s (for the 2024-25 year) interested in art, creativity and this amazing landscape.

Landscape Creatives is an opportunity for local young people to explore art and creativity through different landscapes, habitats and species. Based at Badaguish Outdoor Centre and working outdoors as much as possible through a series of workshops, we’ll create and reflect on the wellbeing and positive futures of landscapes we’re all part of.

Free to attend and no special skills required, just a keen interest in exploring and learning about nature in creative ways, including choreography, film-making and drawing.

We are asking young people interested in taking part to complete a short expression of interest form, available on our website: https://bit.ly/LandscapeCreatives

Deadline for expressions of interest: Wednesday 25th June 2025.

Join us this year for our first retreat – Bag Making!

Our Bag Making Weekend will include:
– 2.5 days of sewing, with all patterns, materials, haberdashery and hardware included
– 2 night stay at The Railway Rooms – boutique group accommodation in Kingussie
– Breakfast, Lunch & one Dinner (leaving one evening to sample local restaurants, grab a takeaway or bring your own meal)

Sewing Projects will include:
– Project Pouch from Country Cow Designs – an opportunity to sew with vinyl & create a great storage bag for your sewing projects
– Caravan Tote from Noodlehead – an amazing tote bag with so many pocket and customisation options
– Kaede from Country Cow Designs OR Haralson from Noodlehead – both lovely crossbody/hip bags with adjustable straps
– Optional: A collaborative evening project, bring fabric scraps to share with the group & create a patchwork pouch as a special keepsake from the event

Check In: 5pm on Friday 31st October
Check Out: 5.30pm on Sunday 2nd November

All initial bookings must be completed on the Learn & Create website. To secure your place you must:
– Complete the online booking
– Agree to the terms and conditions
– Pay the deposit

Once we receive your booking we will ask you to complete a detailed booking form where you can highlight any dietary needs, room preferences, workshop options and any other retreat specific questions. Please complete this & return it promptly so we can confirm your preferences. 

All rooms at Railway Rooms are double occupancy so if you would like to bring a non-participating friend or partner you are welcome to for an additional cost of £150 – this covers room and meals but not participation in workshops.
Unless bringing a guest, participants will get their own room, with a choice of double or twin.

Please note – as this is our first retreat images shown are from Country Cow Designs & Noodlehead websites. Further images will be updated soon

Get ready swing to the infectious rhythms of the Roaring Twenties in our Charleston Workshop!

We will guide you through the fundamentals of the Charleston, helping you build confidence, rhythm, and a whole lot of flair. You’ll learn a wee routine in this comical and fantastic dance style from the 1920’s and FAVOURITE on Strictly Come Dancing!

No partner required, but feel free to bring one along if you’d like!

This workshop was super popular last time and some of you missed out. So grab your tickets early to make sure you get your spot on the dance floor.

Date: Saturday 24th May 2025

Time: 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Venue: Inverallan Church Hall, Grantown on Spey

Tickets £20.00 per person

16 years and up

Due to Popular Demand… We’re Bringing It Back! 🔥

You asked, we listened! 🎉 Our Chicago Workshop was such a hit that we’re running another one! We are bringing the razzle-dazzle back and continuing with our jazzy number!

Date: Friday 9th May

Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Venue: Inverallan Church Hall, Grantown on Spey

Tickets £20.00 per person

16 years and up

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss your chance to be part of the show! ✨

Join us for an exciting American Smooth Dance Workshop, a style that blends the elegance of traditional ballroom dancing with the freedom and expression of theatrical movement.  This workshop is designed for dancers of all levels who want to enhance their musicality and explore the artistry of smooth ballroom dance.

No partner required, come dance with us and experience the beauty of American Smooth!

Date: Saturday 28th June 2025

Time: 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Venue: Inverallan Church Hall, Grantown on Spey

Tickets £20.00 per person

16 years and up

This will be the first of our ‘Cinema Takeover’ events! Join us for a 2 hour workshop dancing to the hits from Mama Mia, enjoy a complimentary screening just for us of Mama Mia at the Grantown Community Cinema.

🌺🌺 Inspired by the music of ABBA and the iconic moves from the hit musical, this workshop is perfect for all dance lovers. You’ll learn fun, feel-good choreography set to your favorite songs – expect an afternoon filled with laughter! 🌺🌺

This workshop will bring the sunny, summer joy of the movie all the way to Grantown.  Who doesn’t love a bit of Mamma Mia’s ridiculously fun energy!? ☀️

Fancy dress optional, but totally welcomed – let’s go Dancing Queens! 

Spaces will be limited so make sure you and your friends grab your tickets early for this exciting event to avoid disappointment.

Date: Saturday 26th July 2025

Time: Dance Workshop 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Movie Screening: 5.00pm – 7.00pm – Rated (12)

Venue: Grantown YMCA Community Centre, 80 High St, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3EL

Tickets £25.00 per person

16 years and up

I am super excited to bring you this unique, one-off workshop with guest teacher, the utterly fabulous… Yasmin Kabir!!! 🩷✨

She believes wholeheartedly, that dance is a tool to empower people, and empower people she does! Yasmin has an incredibly warm, encouraging and uplifting spirit, and taking part in one of her classes is just joy for the soul. We are so fortunate that she has agreed to fly up and teach for us here in Grantown-on-Spey. As a teacher with experience in multiple styles, Yasmin incorporates influences from different genres and is very excited to share her “Vogue inspired” routine.

Yasmin and I share a similar ethos – that dance is for everybody – all levels, all abilities, EVERYONE! That is really clear in her classes, which I have been lucky enough to attend, where total beginners, people of all ages and different backgrounds all come together and enjoy the music. This is why I am so excited to have her with us, her positive vibe is infectious and I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourselves.

This is going to be a striking, expressive experience, filled with sharp poses, fluid arm movements, and fierce attitude. This workshop is all about confidence, self-expression, and channeling your diva energy!

Our resident tutor Angus Grant will teach you a simple clay technique to make a finely finished and functional piece of pottery.

You will also decorate your handmade quaich with textures and patterns.

Pieces will be glazed and fired by Angus after the class. Items can be collected in person from the studio or posted to you (postage must be paid on the day of the workshop.)

Our resident tutor Angus Grant will teach you a simple clay technique to make a finely finished and functional piece of pottery.

You will also decorate your handmade quaich with textures and patterns.

Pieces will be glazed and fired by Angus after the class. Items can be collected in person from the studio or posted to you (postage must be paid on the day of the workshop.)

Get involved in a free family-friendly crafting project to build a large tabletop model of a remote landscape in the Cairngorms during the Easter holidays!

We’re bringing the landscape to us! Join us in creating a collaborative 3D cardboard contour model of Loch A’an, a remote and difficult to access place deep in the Cairngorms Connect landscape. Through cutting, glueing and layering cardboard, an accurate topographical replica becomes something we can touch, imagine and learn about.

Drop-in anytime to one of five sessions we’re running during the Easter holidays. Get involved, create cardboard creatures and invent your own little landscapes too! All materials are provided.

Accessibility: Accessible for all abilities, knowledges and experiences of crafting and the Cairngorms. Toilets, car-parking and wheelchair access available at all venues. Please contact Cairngorms Connect with any questions: robbie.synge@cairngormsconnect.org.uk