Help Tribe of Mog devastated by Fire!

Myself and Michelle Mari Elliott have set up a Go Fund Me for our dear friends Jack Tree and Sadie Shrub aka 'Tribe of Mog' who very recently lost everything in a devastating fire at their workshop including tools and basically their life's work. Unfortunately they did not have insurance.  

Please see their background and devastating story below told in their own words and if you can please show your support by making a donation this will enable us to replace the tools they need to provide themselves with an income and start working again and to support them in moving forward and breathing new life into 'Tribe of Mog' xx Thank you.....Here is their story......

The universe has a funny way of making decisions for you.

It was not that long ago we were talking through what 'Tribe of Mog' was and what it is now, how does it fit into our lives? All these questions we contemplated over and over often getting stuck in various ruts and circles looking for practical answers, none of which satisfied or fitted into our current situation.

Tribe of Mog was set up 18 years ago. A collaboration between like-minded artists who live low-impact lifestyles. Over the years we have created areas at events and festivals with side shows of storytelling, walkabout performance art, nature spaces to chill in, cinema tents, labyrinths and stalls/set-ups to exhibit and sell art created by talented artists using natural materials ethically sourced or traded.

The last 5-6 years the Tribe dwindled to the first and last of the Moggites Jack Tree and Sadie Shrub juggling all these many hats at once. In the last 3 years we survived the challenges of covid on a small self-employed business with no support from the government. These last few years many good trading folk in a similar position would understand how brutally difficult it has been to earn a living…But we survived by our wits and skills.

Returning ourselves to the question of what is Tribe of Mog, we knew with our choice of lifestyle being off-grid, low-impact, self-determined and self-sufficient was not going to work with this epic hat juggling act so we meditated asking the universe for direction.

A sign helping us choose our path.

Well on the 23rd January 2023 we got the answer and it was violent!

Our personal workshop/studio and the store for ALL our kit, including the festival/market stalls various set-ups indoor and outdoor, backdrop, decors, ALL performance character and ‘dress up’ costumes with props for each of them, 6 pairs of professional stilts, ALL environmental education tools, equipment and materials, our entire finished artwork stock(online & live markets), 20+years of collected/traded unique materials from all over the globe that we collected personally on our travels, 95% of our work tools and so so so much more was cleansed by fire, vaporising to ash and gas to another world beyond this one.

What followed; Shock, grief/loss, acceptance….Move forward.

So now we start a new chapter, we still have wits and skill. Jack Tree is a constant creator and too long in the tooth to know he will not have all that time again to replace what was physically lost and will keep creating art whether anybody likes it or not.

Shrub the multi-talented will also not stop making and weaving. She also has a new horizon and path to walk, A hard path she has been treading for 3 years now already gaining her teacher training to become an Iyengar yoga teacher. (Book your beginners class now, she is good!)

We may not be around the national festivals or events, markets and fayres like before. It may only be a local affair within our community in keeping with our lifestyle…The last of the Tribe of Mog is still out there.

On the back of this epic download both Sadie Shrub and Jack Tree send a massive love bomb with lots of hugs to all of you out there who have supported Tribe of Mog over the years, we truly, truly value you all, without you, we are only singing into our own lunch boxes.

Keep in touch…you can find us on Facebook!

We are not fully gone yet!… Onwards and upwards!

A Personal message from Michelle Mari Elliott...........

I've known Sadie and Jack aka The Tribe of Mog for many, many years and they are much more than crafters and performers. Their incredible and very unique creations are foraged from our Blessed Earth and each hold a story. I and many other friends were devasted to hear that his entire collection of costumes and creations had burned down in a raging fire recently. On hearing this terrible news we arranged for a group of close friends to meet up with them to see if we could help instil hope back into their hearts. I had commissioned Jack to craft me a walking stick last October and was astonished to hear he had saved my crow walking stick and just a few other creations before the rest of their precious wares succumbed to the raging fire. We have set up this go fund me to help them to begin again, we cannot replace any of the old creations but with your help we can help them to start over and pay for the tools, costumes, materials and resources that now need to be replaced, and find or build another workshop. When tragedy happens to those we love we need to support so I am asking you from the depths of my heart if you can donate any amount you are able, let's help Jack and Sadie start over with hope in their hearts, thank you xxxxx

ALL DONATIONS GO DIRECTLY TO JACK AND SADIE’S GO FUND ME ACCOUNT XXXXX