The Stonemasons Guild of St. Stephen
Gild Moot
A celebration of skills, culture and history.
The Stonemasons Guild of St. Stephen Gild Moot
The biggest International craft cultural event for a generation.
A celebration of skills, culture and history.
Diversity, fellowship, humanity, strength.
Gild Moot 8th-14th June 2024
Journeymen arrival 6th and 7th June 2024
Opening Festival weekend 8th -9th June 2024 (Woodchester Mansion)
Projects and talks 8th-14th June 2024
The Stonemasons' Guild of St. Stephen will be holding a Gild Moot in Gloucestershire, UK in June 2024. This will be 1,088 years on from the first moot. The purpose of the event is to share cultures, histories and discuss the next thousand years. There will be joint projects, demonstrations, competitions, formal talks and many opportunities for personal conversations.
There is a school of thought that traditional crafts are almost dead, although in a precarious state in some places, I know this not to be true. The history and cultures of our crafts, on the other hand, are only held by a handful of people and are in danger of being lost.
Languages, poetry, sagas, myths, histories, music, dance, song, tales of artistic triumphs and labour disputes and of course architectural stonemasonry and sculpture are all our legacy.
This culture is passed on by word of mouth through a bardic tradition and much of the theoretical knowledge is interlaced with these stories.
The best way to save this priceless resource is through personal connection, conversation and friendship. Our crafts culture is still one of our greatest assets with huge importance not just to those connected to it but to all in the world today.
Gild Moot 2024 Line-up
Opening Festival weekend 8th -9th June 2024
Woodchester Mansion
Craft and Trade Demonstrations and Projects
Banker Work
A range of banker work will be demonstrated over the course of the Moot carried out by stonemasons from several countries and in different limestones, sandstones and marbles.
Limestone Carving
Several demonstrations showing limestone carving techniques and styles.
Granite Carving
We have the pleasure to have the O’Flaherty family with us from Ballyknocken near Dublin who will be demonstrating their skill in carving their local granite.
Dry Stone Walling
A range of drystone walling projects and demonstrations in a range of styles will be taking place in and around the Mansion.
Neolithic Burial chamber.
A chamber inspired by neolithic barrows built 5,500 years ago with a corbeled roof will be built at the Moot.
Letter Cutting
Several demonstrations showing limestone carving techniques and styles.
Ancient tools
Demonstrations will be given over the weekend of a range of tools inspired by the materials and technologies available to the Ancient Egyptians, Greek and Roman civilisations. We will be helped on Saturday by the Ermin Street Guard who are dedicated to historical accuracy.
Lime kiln burn
A lime kiln is being built for the Moot and will be working throughout.
Sign Writing Demonstration
A sign writing demonstration will be given by Eleanor Harper of Eleanor Signs.
Eleanor is a sign painter and lettering artist.
Demonstrations by non Guild members and other crafts.
Blacksmith
Dendrochronology
Wood Turning
Stained Glass
Pottery
Felt Making
Workshops and Competitions
Stone Carving Workshop
Stone carving workshops will be taking place over the weekend aimed at those carving for the first time or relatively new to the craft.
Poetry Competition
Four levels Under elevens, Under sixteens,
Mark Christmas, Poet is writing a poem for the event and will be judging the poetry competition. Mark has formerly written for The Abandoned Soldier and been Poet in Residence for the film industry. Currently working on several projects and pleased to accept the offer of Poet in ordinary for the Gild Moot 2024
The subject will be the Moot and craftsmanship, all submissions to be in by Friday 30th August. Winner to be announced in October 2024.
Photography Competition
There will be several levels within three main categories. Under sixteens, Amateur Adult and Skilled
Talks and Discussions
There are three stages for talks, some of which will be running simultaneously. All our talk slots are covered but we have some exciting possible late arrivals so some are marked as “To Be Confirmed” so watch this space.
Saturday 8th
Wren stage
10am Relaxation
11am
12pm Readings from The Mabinogion
1pm To be confirmed
2pm Conservation Conversation
3pm Dendrochronology
4pm The Irish That Built Britain
5pm
Drawing Room Stage
10am The history of The Guild and The Moot
11am An Unfinished Masterpiece - Liz Davenport
12pm The Stonemasons’ Friendly Society
1pm London Irish. The Irish who changed Britain
2pm Bearla lagair na saor Jim Fahy
3pm Stonemasons of BallyKnocken
4pm Building of Clochan (The beehive huts on Inis Oirr)
5pm
Sunday 9th
Wren stage
10am Relaxation tent
11am To be confirmed
12pm The feudal craftsmen of India and Ceylon
1pm
2pm Lamu Island, Gussi Tribe from Kisii
3pm Besa Blood oath and my friend Bubjar
4pm Egyptian Tools
5pm
Drawing Room Stage
10am To be confirmed
11am The MultiCultural Guild
12pm To be confirmed
1pm Conservation of the Mansion - the architect's dilemma - John Goom
2pm The Shona Tribe and Great Zimbabwe
3pm To be confirmed
4pm To be confirmed
5pm
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Throughout the Moot there will be open and private discussions between Stonemasons of all types as well as conservators and those working in the Heritage and Design sectors. All relevant topics are open with some examples being; Training, Certification, Regional and International collaborations, Skills and Techniques, Public perceptions of the Craft, Trade and Industry.
The Dining Room Open Stage.
Throughout the days there will be staged talks, stories, poetry, dance and music.
Free to the public, the events will be published on the morning of the day.
Static displays
Photographic exhibition showing the history and culture of stonemasonry through the lens of a camera.
A curated collection of photographs showing our world, often through the eyes of others.
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The Craft through poetry and art.
A selection of poetry and art depicting the trade and craft through the ages with new poetry written for the event.
A series of short film clips
A selection of short films and clips will be shown throughout the day in the cellar of the Mansion.
Live Music and Dance
Roger Eno, musician and composer known for his music used in films, including For All Mankind, Nine and a Half Weeks, Warm Summer Rain and The Jacket and a body of successful albums has written music for this event in his position as Composer in ordinary of our Guild, a position he has held for a number of years.
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A diverse selection of music will be on offer over the weekend ranging from Pipe and Tabor and highland pipes to Folk and Rock.
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Saturday Night Céilí and open mic.
What is a Gild Moot
The Gild Moot is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. Initially it was a way for the king or church to keep in contact with the craftspeople of the nation, and for the craftspeople to keep in contact with one another.
The first Gild Moot in Britain of the Gild of St Stefn was in 936 at the behest of King Athelstan. The craftspeople who attended the moot were the keepers of the song, a vast collection of techniques, stories, songs, and poems, all related to the craft culture. With the itinerant nature of the craftspeople, new techniques, songs, poems, and stories were constantly being found. The Moot was a way for them to share the new things they had discovered, adding them to the Song.
It was always a joyous event for the craftspeople. They would catch up with old friends, make new ones, and share the stories of their travels. They would discuss up and coming projects, ask for advice, and support one another. It was a place for them to share their knowledge, and to learn from one another.
At the end of the Moot, the craftspeople left with new stories, songs, and techniques, ready to pass them on to the next generation. The Gild Moot may have been officially a way for the king or church to keep in touch with the craftspeople, but for the craftspeople, it was a way to keep the Song alive.
In June 2024, 1,088 years on from that first moot, The Stonemasons' Guild of St. Stephen will again be holding a Gild Moot in Gloucestershire, UK.
The purpose of this event is to share our joint cultures, histories and discuss the next thousand years. There will be joint projects, demonstrations, competitions, formal talks and many opportunities for personal conversations.
Our culture is still our greatest asset with huge importance not just to those connected to it but to all in the world today.
The Stonemasons' Guild of St. Stephen Limited Registration number: 5069
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