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A nationwide competition among event organisers on ticketing and events platform Eventbrite has been shining a light on the wide diversity of events that can be found across the UK. The 12 competition finalists include tea leaf readers, foragers, wooden spoon carvers, Morris dancers, and scarecrow makers.
The overall winner will be announced on Thursday 24 November and stands to win a £2,500 cash prize and £2,500 of Eventbrite fee credits to help it grow and bring even more people together.
Throughout and following the pandemic, organisers have worked tirelessly to keep people connected through events. Eventbrite’s Most Curious and Colourful Events competition was created to celebrate the wide variety of events that can be found on the platform, and especially those that could be described as unusual, unique, alternative – and maybe a little bit ‘out there’.
There were hundreds of entries into the competition from event organisers all over the UK, which Eventbrite has whittled down to 12. These are:
- Spoon Carving Classes (Manchester)
- Stinging Nettle Foraging Workshop (Cheshire)
- Tea Leaf Reading Party (Elgin, Aberdeenshire)
- Morris Dancing Taster (Margate)
- Stained Glass Making Workshop (Nottingham)
- Circus Skills Workshop for Everyone (Rochdale)
- Underwater Photography Shoot (Whitburn, North East)
- Moss Art Workshop (London)
- Japanese Paper Marbling Course (Shropshire)
- Kids Circus Workshop (Surrey)
- Calligraphy Classes (Belfast)
- Scarecrow Making Workshop (Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire)
As part of a Spoon Carving Workshop, run by 48-year-old Steve Tomlin from Heaton Norris, Stockport, participants learn how to use an axe and knives to shape fresh greenwood into an everyday object that they can use at home – a wooden spoon. It was commended for bringing rural skills into urban settings, its ultra-hands-on approach, bringing people together around an unusual subject matter, and for creating unique, sustainable pieces of kitchenware that will be used and loved for years to come.
Steve explains: “I started teaching wood carving in 2003. It is a passion of mine, and I love sharing that passion with others. Over the years I’ve seen an explosion in popularity for spoon carving. Many of my students work in IT and tell me they want a break from their screens and to take up something practical, physical and that uses their hands. I think I’ve found a real niche in bringing rural countryside crafts into the city. It’s actually an ideal hobby for an urban setting as you can do it easily in your front room.”
In Elgin, Aberdeenshire, the Tea Leaf Reading Party is run by husband and wife Derek McGillivray and Angela McPherson, who teach guests how to develop their powers of intuition. Derek is a life coach, Reiki healer, and psychic medium and he uses his gift of clairvoyance to help teach his party guests how to interpret the tea leaf symbols left at the bottom of a white china cup. Meanwhile, Angela is known as the foot whisperer for her Reiki and wellness skills.
The Tea Leaf Reading Party, which is run monthly, was selected for its ability to get strangers talking and connecting with one another. It was also applauded for teaching the ancient art of tasseography (tea leaf reading) to a new audience.
Derek commented: “We’ve been really delighted by the popularity of our tea leaf reading parties. We started them just before lockdown as we had a lot of interest in them at corporate events, and they’ve really taken off. What’s really gratifying is that no one uses their mobile phones during the party, which is surely a sign that everyone is having a great time!
“I was taught how to read tea leaves by my nana. It’s a gift that definitely runs in my family, and I’m fortunate to have made a career out of my psychic skills. Lots of our guests tell me that their grandma used to be able to read tea leaves too so there’s a real interest in bringing back this ancient form of fortune telling.
“Some guests have ‘the gift’ more than others, but Angela and I can help everyone identify patterns within their tea leaves regardless of their abilities. We encourage people to try to open up their third eye and use their imagination. It’s about asking the right question as much as looking for the right answer.”
A Kids Circus Workshop, run by Heidi Harris and Carolina Fandino from Surrey was chosen for its ability to give children the opportunity to have fun and make friends while learning exciting new and unusual skills such as juggling, spinning plates, hula hooping, aerial silks, aerial hoop, partner acrobatics and solo acrobatics.
Heidi, whose other job is to stage aerial silk performances and stilt walking at parties, corporate events and festivals, and Carolina, who has performed all over the world in the circus, launched the business and the workshops in 2019.
“The workshops are really hands-on and the children have a ball,” says Heidi. “They’re learning something new and get a real sense of satisfaction and a confidence boost when they get the balance and flexibility to grasp what they’re doing. The children socialise, make new friends and even get to be creative. For example, they make their own juggling balls out of balloons and rice that they get to take home with them to practise.”
Tina Johnson, mother of Alice (8) who attends the circus workshops, commented: “The class has boosted my daughter’s confidence hugely. After years of dance and gymnastics, this puts many of those elements together into something unique and exciting. She is always excited to go to the workshop and comes out bursting with pride at her achievements.”
Daughter Alice Johnson added: “Circus skills is my favourite because you get to climb high and do amazing things. Heidi is the best and bendiest teacher. She makes it loads of fun!”
A Stinging Nettle Forage and Feast Workshop in Lymm, Cheshire, run by Jim Parums from Altrincham, was chosen for its ability to bring people together in nature and acknowledge how precious it is, while educating them on foraging and cooking skills with the humble nettle. Eventbrite also noted that it helped people to forage safely, especially those learning the skill for the first time to help combat the cost of living crisis.
The stinging nettle event is part of a special focus series celebrating all things stinging nettle and helping attendees get to grips with this incredible native plant. During the workshop, Jim will show them how to handle and eat raw nettles without getting stung, cook with nettles, and educate them on how the nettle is used in textiles, medicine and nutrition before finishing with a nettle feast including nettle beers and nettle cocktails.
“I’ve been foraging my whole life thanks to my granny who was big on mushroom foraging,” explains Jim. “British culture doesn’t lend itself to foraging in the way that the rest of the world does so I enjoy bringing this new hobby and skill to people. Those that used to come to events were foodies wanting to find new ingredients and learn new cooking skills and while they do still attend, I’m finding that other people worried about the cost of living are coming to learn more as foraged foods are free and can supplement a diet. However, it’s important to know which plants to eat, how to pick them safely and get inspiration on how to cook the ingredients.”
Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert said: “The 12 finalists we’ve chosen piqued our interest for bringing something so delightfully different to their communities. All of them enable attendees to learn something new and with that, chances to socialise, build confidence, create and have fun. It’s a huge accolade to all 12 that they’ve stood out from the vast number of events of all shapes and sizes we host on our platform all over the UK.”
