WATCH: Sheffield flower arranger hosts virtual Glastonbury ‘gig’ from own home

For the last four years, Emma McGeehan, 42, of Abbeydale, has been running flower arranging workshops from Glastonbury’s ‘green fields’ site, where festival-goers can learn new skills in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way.

However, when this year’s annual performing arts extravaganza was cancelled due to coronavirus, she instead recorded the workshop in her front room in Sheffield.

The tutorial was then shared on the festival’s website where it has since been watched hundreds of times by keen craftspeople unable to make their yearly pilgrimage to Worthy Farm.

She said: “This would have been my fourth year of doing it and we normally run workshops for hundreds of people over the weekend.

“All the flowers we use are from Yorkshire. People choose the ones they want and we show them how to make a flower crown.

“But this year because of coronavirus they asked me to do it online. They wanted it to have a very ‘at home’ feel so I did it in my living room.”

As well as flower arranging, other workshops offered in the virtual green fields over the weekend included willow weaving, perfume making and hat designing.

“It is such a wonderful atmosphere and we fit the ethos of the festival really well,” said Emma.

“People always come up with weird and wonderful creations and we only work 10-4 every day so we have the rest of the festival to enjoy for ourselves.”

Glastonbury 2020 - which was due to be the festivals 50th anniversary - would have taken place between June 26-28 but was cancelled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will return again in 2021.

As well as teaching flower arranging, Emma also works as a florist and provides flower designing services to weddings and other events including decorating bars for gin brands.

Her studio - Orchis Floral Design - is based at Hagglers Corner on Queens Road and she can be contacted via her website at www.orchisfloraldesign.com.

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