Nederlands 
EnglishLaunch Day Message
Hi, Martin here, President of St. Samen Voor Elkaar and one of the active people in the workgroup Rocking Good Folk Club.
We have some news, and we think you'll love what we've been up to!
We have some news, and we think you'll love what we've been up to!
As you may know I'm not only Clan Elder, I am also Tradition Bearer. Tradition, especially Folk Tradition, is very important to me. Keeping these traditions affordable, available to all and alive and blooming in the community is one of the reasons we founded our non-profit foundation Stichting Samen Voor Elkaar, of which Rocking Good Folk Club is a part.
We will be including another tradition in our foundation, with our working group Jig Dolls & Limberjacks.
The tradition of Jig Dolls (known in the USA as Limberjacks and in France as Petit Bonhomme Gigueur or simply Gigueux) is a long one, thought to originate in Italy, historically practiced all over Europe (in The Netherlands as Plankpoppetjes, Plank Dolls) and currently mostly alive in the UK and the USA and Canada.
We will be including another tradition in our foundation, with our working group Jig Dolls & Limberjacks.
The tradition of Jig Dolls (known in the USA as Limberjacks and in France as Petit Bonhomme Gigueur or simply Gigueux) is a long one, thought to originate in Italy, historically practiced all over Europe (in The Netherlands as Plankpoppetjes, Plank Dolls) and currently mostly alive in the UK and the USA and Canada.
You might know the song "Whisky on a Sunday", the story of the Jamaican singer/entertainer Seth Davy, seated on the corner of the Bevington Bush in Liverpool at the beginning of 1900s dancing his Jig Dolls on his jig-plank. The song was made famous in the 60's by Irish folksinger Danny Doyle and stayed at No. 1 in the Irish charts for ten weeks.
At the start of last year we received from the the family of Goff Evans, a well-known maker of Jig Dolls, his entire remaining collection of materials, designs, templates and instructions.
Over the last year I've taught myself how to use various woodworking tools and how to craft Jig Dolls while designing new models and accessories.
At the start of last year we received from the the family of Goff Evans, a well-known maker of Jig Dolls, his entire remaining collection of materials, designs, templates and instructions.
Over the last year I've taught myself how to use various woodworking tools and how to craft Jig Dolls while designing new models and accessories.
I've recruited Corine into this as well of course, I do the woodworking part, Corine does the painting and dressing part and together we are creating Jig Dolls/Limberjacks, with the goal of taking them on the road, reintroducing the fun of making and dancing the dolls, and demonstrating them to anyone that wants to learn. They really are an amazingly fun way for young and old to get into music, rhythm, and to participate in sessions!
With our volunteers we will also be giving workshops, both on how to make them and how to dance them and we will be showing them off at sessions and concerts. We will take them to festivals, and into schools and retirement homes, once the world is back to a more normal state of being.
With our volunteers we will also be giving workshops, both on how to make them and how to dance them and we will be showing them off at sessions and concerts. We will take them to festivals, and into schools and retirement homes, once the world is back to a more normal state of being.
All of this will be under the umbrella of our St. Samen Voor Elkaar, a non-profit foundation that organises activities with one of its goals being making the folk traditions available and affordable to all.
We've even thought up a competition you can take part in, using one of the "to lend" dolls with the chance to win a fantastic prize! Keep an eye on our Facebook page, Instagram account and website for more details, which will be coming soon!
While we're still busy building and painting and dancing the dolls, we have also have an Instagram account where we lift up a little bit of the veil and show our work as we go along. We have also set up a website to share information on the history of Jig Dolls, instructions on how to dance them, and an online shop where you can get your hands on a handmade, handcrafted, handpainted traditional Jig Doll/Limberjack or even get one of the 50+ year old vintage ones we still have!
While we're still busy building and painting and dancing the dolls, we have also have an Instagram account where we lift up a little bit of the veil and show our work as we go along. We have also set up a website to share information on the history of Jig Dolls, instructions on how to dance them, and an online shop where you can get your hands on a handmade, handcrafted, handpainted traditional Jig Doll/Limberjack or even get one of the 50+ year old vintage ones we still have!
So come join us on: https://www.facebook.com/Jigdolls-Limberjacks-110629597729555/ and https://www.instagram.com/jigdolls_limberjacks/ and on our website http://www.jigdoll.com (already overflowing with great information, but also still expanding and enhancing!).
"Come day, go day
I wish in my heart it was Sunday"
I wish in my heart it was Sunday"
Cheers, Martin