Sign Up

Blog: Fatima’s Thoughts on Saturday Sessions

Fatima has participated in a number of Creative Crawley events. We asked if she would share her experience of a recent Saturday Session.

A woman with short dark hair in a black t-shirt is sat looking away in thought, holding earphones at a park bench. In the background are trees and bushes out of focus.

Fatima first connected with us last year when she attended a Come With Us, watching a performance called Bouncing Narratives at Greenwich & Docklands Festival, Canary Wharf. Since then she has taken part in friend; a dance project with Gillie Kleiman and worked with us at Around The Lake Festival. 

On June 8th 2024, Fatima came to the first of Creative Playground’s Saturday Sessions where she danced to Working Boys Club, went Foraging with Izzy and joined Sound UK to Make Your Own Sound Map.

Read Fatima’s blog below, where she has written about her experience of Foraging with Izzy from Rights For Weeds.

“I have wanted to do a foraging session for such a long time! I once went with a friend to pick mushrooms, but we were too scared about poisoning ourselves, so the mushrooms remained untouched! There’s something really amazing about being able to feed and heal yourself using common plants that are all around us.

A woman dressed all in black with hair tied up is listening intently to the woman in foreground, who is out of focus. She has short brown hair with a yellow bow and using her hands whilst talking. The background of the image is bright green bushes and long grass in front of a fence and large tree.

We met at Cherry Lane and there was a mixed group of people of all ages and experience. Izzy from Rights for Weeds put us at ease straight away and answered all our questions with so much patience and wisdom. Who would think that in Crawley there are so many useful plants just growing by the paths and pavements that I had walked down so many times without really noticing? 

I learned that what I thought was Cow Parsley was in fact Hemlock and poisonous! Useful information! I learned that young nettle plants make a good substitute for spinach in an omelette and you can pick them if you are firm without getting stung! I learned what sorrel looks like and how lovely and tangy it is. All of these useful plants I’d previously thought of as weeds.

A woman is standing wearing a yellow bow in her short brown, wearing glasses and a blue jacket. She is holding stinging nettle leaves in both hands. The background is bright green bushes in a park and in the foreground, out of focus are the backs of two peoples heads.

Izzy mixed practical information with folklore and simple recipes. For example, did you know that tincture of roses is good for a broken heart? There was space for everyone to share their own knowledge and experience and the group was united in its common goal. It was so fascinating and made me look at our local landscape in a completely different way with renewed interest and respect for our environment. 

I would love to take part again, perhaps in a different part of the town or in a different month to see what new plants present themselves. The session was free and open to everyone, and I thank Creative Crawley for organising it – please do come along for the next one – you will be most welcome!”

Three women dressed in black casual wear and looking to the left with big smiles on their faces. Two are are holding out their mobile phones. Blurred in the foreground is another woman's face and the background shows bright green, wild bushes.

Thank you so much Fatima, we love hearing your perspective on this and look forward to seeing you at many more future events.

Image credit: Ian Greenland