Drum Birthing
A day of connection, ceremony + Craft to bring your drum to life
Create your own sacred drum by hand. Through ritual, story, song and ancient craft, you'll not only leave with an instrument; you'll leave having woven a relationship with a lifelong companion.
The call of the drum is one that cannot easily be ignored. It is rarely heard with the ears first. It is felt in the body. In the pulling sensation in your bones. Perhaps you've been feeling that call for some time or maybe that calling has arrived suddenly. However it has found you, this invitation is to pause, listen deeply and answer.
This is not simply about making a drum.
Long before the first beat is ever played, something begins to awaken.
There is something profoundly moving about taking a raw hide, a wooden frame and your own two hands and witnessing a drum slowly come into being. Every pull of the lace asks for a deepening of your breath and a tender presence. Every knot becomes a prayer. Every choice becomes part of the story your drum will carry.
Throughout history, drums have gathered communities, marked rites of passage, carried prayers and held the rhythms of celebration, grief and healing. Across cultures, they have become vessels of remembrance, reconnecting us to something older than words. This day is an invitation to step into that lineage.
Together we move slowly and intentionally, honouring the tree who gifted the hoop and the animal whose hide continues its journey in another form. We weave with reverence rather than haste, allowing the making of the drum to become a ceremony in itself. Along the way, you'll be invited to root into your own intentions, gently weaving them into every stage of your drum's becoming.
This is more than crafting an instrument. It is an opportunity to honour your own story, deepen your relationship with the natural world and welcome home an ally that may accompany your healing, ceremonies and life's thresholds for years to come.
Because in my experience, you don't simply make a drum. You're welcoming home a guide, a companion and an ally that will walk beside you through all thresholds of life.
The Flow of The Day
While every drum birthing unfolds in its own unique way, the day is likely to include:
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Arriving, settling into the space and opening sacred space together
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Rooting into your intention for the journey ahead
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Honouring the tree and animal whose gifts make your drum possible
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Preparation of your hide and hoop
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Weaving your medicine drum by hand, with guidance throughout
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Time to pause, share food, rest and connect in community
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Crafting your drum beater
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Caring for your newly born drum and learning how to tend it after the day
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A closing circle to honour your drum, reflect on the journey and close our shared ceremonial space
Each drum birthing has its own rhythm. The day isn't rushed or governed by the clock, but allowed to unfold in relationship with the people gathered, the season and the process itself.
The space you'll be held in...
Many of our drum birthing days take place waterside beside my narrowboat, Equinox, a tranquil floating sanctuary nestled on the banks of the River Nene. Depending on the season, weather and the shape of the day, we'll gather within the cosy embrace of the boat, around the fire in the canvas tipi, or beneath the open sky. Each space offers its own unique atmosphere, inviting us into a slower rhythm where craft, ceremony and community naturally intertwine.
This experience invites you into a closer relationship with the land and the elements. As the day unfolds, there may be opportunities to work alongside the river itself, perhaps soaking your drum hide in its waters, sharing moments around the fire, or simply allowing the surrounding landscape to become part of your experience. No two drum birthing days are ever quite the same; each one responds to the season, the place and the people gathered.
Alongside gatherings here on the River Nene, I also travel to facilitate drum birthing experiences for retreats, festivals and private groups. If you're dreaming of offering this experience within your own community or at your venue, I'd be honoured to bring the work to you.
All Welcome
This isn't about crafting the perfect drum. It's about entering into relationship with its becoming. This day is open to everyone. Whether you've never picked up a lace before or have walked this path for many moons, you are warmly welcomed.
You don't need to be artistic, creative or particularly crafty. You simply need a willingness to arrive with curiosity, an open heart and a pair of hands.
I'm deeply devoted to holding a space where people feel safe to learn, ask questions and move at their own pace. There is no rush, no expectation of perfection and no pressure to get it right. Every drum is as unique as the person bringing it into being.
Together we'll create in the spirit of community, where stories are shared, laughter is welcomed and every person is held with care. You are invited to come exactly as you are.
Why make your own drum?
You could buy a drum.
But there is something entirely different about playing an instrument whose every thread has passed through your own hands.
Every time you hear its voice, you'll remember the prayers you whispered whilst weaving it together.
You'll remember the people who witnessed its birth.
You'll remember that this sound began with you.
Details:
Upcoming Dates:
Sunday 20th September - Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Typically a drum birthing day will be from
9.30am - 6pm
(start and finishing times may vary)
Location:
Waterside at my narrowboat
Wollaston, Northamptonshire, NN29. Exact location to be shared upon booking.
Group size will be kept small to allow depth and connection.
Somethings to consider...
Some parts of the the drum birthing process will be held outside immersed in nature and the elements. Please bring clothing suitable for the seasons and changeable weather. You will also be crafting your drum at floor level, so certain mobility is required for this ceremony. Please let me know if adjustments need to be made for any additional needs.
Energy exchange
£355 for a 16 inch drum
£325 for a 14 inch drum
(payment plans available)
We will be working with 14- 16 inch wooden hoops and deer hides. Other hides might be available on the day. You will have the option of the following handle styles: traditional cross, spiral and tri-spiral. Please note that each hide is totally unique which offers patterns and natural imperfections that share the story of the animal that once walked the earth.
What to bring
A cosy nest to sit on (blanket, sheepskin, cushion etc)
A medium sized towel (for handling wet hide and wrapping your drum in to take home)
A stick for your beater (from elbow to fingertip length. Around 1 inch thick)
A selection of small crystals (where you can choose one to be woven into the handle)
A water bottle
Journal & Pen
Lunch & Snacks
A drum if you have one
121 Sessions & Private Groups & Retreats
It is always such an honour to hold 121 sessions and private group sessions whether that's for couples, family members or friends or a retreat you're running. Please enquire arrange a date. Prices vary depending on the size of the group and location.
"Our ancient foremothers have always used their hands to measure out their journeys and to pass on information and wisdom and secrets to the women who follow in their footsteps. Through the things that they made, through the twist and wrap and bind of their skilled fingers, they captured a feeling, an insight, a message for their daughters, a moment in time. Now the primordial hands of our mothers enfold our own as we in turn create the things that describe our lives and enrich our journeys and anchor the landscapes of our souls. As our fingers engage in the old crafts of our mothers, we also touch the mystical traditions of women's work. Of course, the work of wise hands may surprise us, for most of the magic lies in the creating rather than the perfection of the end result" ~Carolyn Hillyer
Disclaimer & Agreements
By booking a Drum Birthing Day, you are entering a shared space of responsibility, reverence and care; for yourself, for those gathered alongside you and for the materials we will be working with.
Personal responsibility
Drum birthing can be a deeply meaningful and, at times, emotionally moving experience. While the day is held with care, it is not a substitute for medical, psychological or psychiatric support. You are responsible for your own emotional, mental and physical wellbeing throughout the experience. You are encouraged to honour your own boundaries, work at a pace that feels right for you and communicate any concerns or additional needs before or during the day.
Working with tools and natural materials
Throughout the day you will be working with natural materials and a small number of hand tools as part of the crafting process. By attending, you acknowledge that you are responsible for using all tools safely, following any guidance provided and taking reasonable care for your own wellbeing. Crafting a drum also requires a degree of physical stamina, particularly when weaving the hide, so you are invited to work at a pace that honours your body.
Location & safety (narrowboat setting)
Many Drum Birthing Days take place on and around my narrowboat, Equinox, within the tipi or in surrounding natural spaces.
By attending, you acknowledge that:
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you are responsible for your own physical safety
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you will take care when moving around the boat, waterside areas and natural landscapes
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you will follow any guidance given to support the safety and wellbeing of the group
If you have any questions regarding accessibility or the environment, please don't hesitate to get in touch before booking
Energy exchange & refunds
All payments are final and non-refundable.
As each Drum Birthing Day is intentionally kept small and materials are prepared specifically for each participant, all bookings are final and non-refundable. If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, your place cannot be transferred to another date. Instead, your drum will be lovingly birthed on your behalf during the gathering, using the materials prepared especially for you. It will then be made available for collection or posted to you once complete.
Thank you for understanding that this policy allows me to honour the intimate nature of these gatherings while ensuring each space remains sustainable to offer.
Your agreement
By completing your booking, you confirm that you have read and understood the information on this page and agree to participate at your own discretion and responsibility.
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