Sunday, 19 February 2012
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
The Mysterious River of Gold
Hi Guys.
Today was the day of the delivery of are live project ''The Mysterious River of Gold'' performed written and devised by Class 12 at Deneholm School. First a big thank you to the Class who completely pulled it out of the bag performance wise, and did Laura proud in more ways than one..The short performance was a reaction to our meeting just under a month ago..Within the month of us meeting Laura has worked hard with the class developing the story and design elements, which collimated in a two day Arts and craft roundabout experience for the Class taking in Sound creation and production, Scenic art, Prop making and design as well as music making and rehearsal time..all of this came together this morning at 11am.this is a very abridged version of events but thought it would be nice to put something up..included are some picks of the set element..
Today was the day of the delivery of are live project ''The Mysterious River of Gold'' performed written and devised by Class 12 at Deneholm School. First a big thank you to the Class who completely pulled it out of the bag performance wise, and did Laura proud in more ways than one..The short performance was a reaction to our meeting just under a month ago..Within the month of us meeting Laura has worked hard with the class developing the story and design elements, which collimated in a two day Arts and craft roundabout experience for the Class taking in Sound creation and production, Scenic art, Prop making and design as well as music making and rehearsal time..all of this came together this morning at 11am.this is a very abridged version of events but thought it would be nice to put something up..included are some picks of the set element..
Meeting the nuns
Well, it has been a bit of a whirlwind start to the new year!
As we explained at our last meeting together, we identified some themes with the girls in the first session we did on 6th January using a model from the 'write an opera project' and played a name + adjective game as an icebreaker. Gabrielle led these two elements of the session while I led on ' taking a line for a walk', asking the girls to think about the whole day from getting up in the morning to going home.
After discussing these line maps briefly, the girls labelled the different points of the day so that I could take the maps away with me and copy them. I am still finding them a really useful reference point for their likes/dislikes in terms of school subjects, and as a consequence may now try it with the university students I teach on a Tuesday.
Dina's lessons with this group are an hour and ten minutes long from 9am and the time disappears really quickly. She has to structure the session and keep an eye on how it might relate to their GCSE syllabus whilst trying to encourage independent creative learning.
The classroom is a bit of a tight squeeze for 16 art students, so it was great to release them into the rest of the school on 13th January. They had keys to all sorts of spaces they would not normally have access to and staff whose spaces we invaded were very accomodating. What started out as a walking tour to build an awareness of the architecture of the building - sound, smell, movement through it, rapidly developed into the telling of ghost stories provoked by the small details of the building such as the only stairpost with four crosses on it, and the strangely proportioned window. Their energy and enthusiasm was immense.
The most important thing for me was to say ' I don't know, tell me about it' and listen to what they said.
They photographed as they went around and, as Gabrielle wasn't able to be there for this session, they agreed to make powerpoint presentations to show her when they came to the Production Park.
I had hoped to introduce them to Windows Movie Maker but this was not available on the school system and we ran out of time to find it. However, Dina downloaded it and showed them how to use it in the interim.
Thursday 26th January - Girls visit to High House Production park.
We identified during our planning sessions on 20th/21st that sound was going to play a big part in what we did. We felt it was important to bring a sound artist on board to show the girls
what they might be able to do with their recordings. I have increasingly come to love working with sound but had no understanding of how a soundscape is put together. Nick explained the process to them in terms of a landscape painting which I thought was an ingenious way to approach this technology with art students.
We asked them to bring their favourite tracks with them and using one of these, Nick demonstrated how music and voice ( from the walk around the school) could be edited together. This was the first time they had heard their voices back from the recording and their opinions of what they sounded like were wide and varied.
The biggest lesson for us that day was to check that we are all operating on compatible systems - we are now in 2012 but still PC's and MACs don't like one another. The Windows Movie Maker movies the girls had made would not come up, so they shared their sketchbooks with Gabrielle instead.
My other observation really endorsed for me the Open Space process I have worked with before - that some of the most creative conversations happen in the coffee break. In this case, it was while quequing for the toilets that I learned most about the girls other interests and talents - singers, guitar players, piano players etc! This chat out of school and out of uniform felt like a very equal exchange and we developed this into a student-led skills audit later in the day.
We started the afternoon with a quick physical warm up - a much exaggerated and louder version of the icebreaker I did with all of you (have never done this with a group of young people before!) We then split the girls into smaller groups to create their own stories and sites/models within the seminar room building on the walk. Nick recorded these short stories that became like playground chants/rhymes and each group shared their 'site' and started to think about where their audience might be in relation to their installation.
I have it on reliable authority from Dina that the drive to get the girls back in time for the school bus was rather hairy.
An absolutely exhausting day...and so to the third and final discovery of the day...all will be well and all manner of things will be well if you debrief in the wine bar in John Lewis at Bluewater!!!
3rd February - Nick and I went into school. I took the other half of the group out this time with Edna, the former school secretary and volunteer minbus driver who told us what many areas of the school used to be and how much it had been adapted and changed. amongst other things we visited a small room in the roof which had been a nun's bedroom. It was very marked how different this group was in personnality to the previous one - much quieter and some scorn for the active imaginations of the other half of the group. We recorded interviews they had done with family members and teachers with previous/long standing relationships with the school picking up thmes of bands/music, memories of loved ones and teenagers identified in the first session. We voted on a space to make our final event in...and finally at lunchtime, we got to go over too the house and meet the nuns - Sister Rita and Sister Rita!
I took six of the girls with me - the house is such a tranquil sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the school. Sister Rita and Sister Rita were so welcoming, taking time to talk to each of the girls, answer their questions. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the modern world that the girls live in and thoughtful on their perception of teenagers. One of the girls said it was the best day in school she had ever had and they are all very keen to visit more regularly. I am hoping next week that we might be able to record Sister Rita singing a song from her childhood. The challenge now is to focus this all down in to a tangible achievable project outcome, but if it has re-ignited this moving dialogue between generations, then there is already the fragment of a legacy I will be very happy with.
If I end up with half the energy, drive and focus that Dina has on a Friday, that will be a bonus! Fiona
As we explained at our last meeting together, we identified some themes with the girls in the first session we did on 6th January using a model from the 'write an opera project' and played a name + adjective game as an icebreaker. Gabrielle led these two elements of the session while I led on ' taking a line for a walk', asking the girls to think about the whole day from getting up in the morning to going home.
After discussing these line maps briefly, the girls labelled the different points of the day so that I could take the maps away with me and copy them. I am still finding them a really useful reference point for their likes/dislikes in terms of school subjects, and as a consequence may now try it with the university students I teach on a Tuesday.
Dina's lessons with this group are an hour and ten minutes long from 9am and the time disappears really quickly. She has to structure the session and keep an eye on how it might relate to their GCSE syllabus whilst trying to encourage independent creative learning.
The classroom is a bit of a tight squeeze for 16 art students, so it was great to release them into the rest of the school on 13th January. They had keys to all sorts of spaces they would not normally have access to and staff whose spaces we invaded were very accomodating. What started out as a walking tour to build an awareness of the architecture of the building - sound, smell, movement through it, rapidly developed into the telling of ghost stories provoked by the small details of the building such as the only stairpost with four crosses on it, and the strangely proportioned window. Their energy and enthusiasm was immense.
The most important thing for me was to say ' I don't know, tell me about it' and listen to what they said.
They photographed as they went around and, as Gabrielle wasn't able to be there for this session, they agreed to make powerpoint presentations to show her when they came to the Production Park.
I had hoped to introduce them to Windows Movie Maker but this was not available on the school system and we ran out of time to find it. However, Dina downloaded it and showed them how to use it in the interim.
Thursday 26th January - Girls visit to High House Production park.
We identified during our planning sessions on 20th/21st that sound was going to play a big part in what we did. We felt it was important to bring a sound artist on board to show the girls
what they might be able to do with their recordings. I have increasingly come to love working with sound but had no understanding of how a soundscape is put together. Nick explained the process to them in terms of a landscape painting which I thought was an ingenious way to approach this technology with art students.
We asked them to bring their favourite tracks with them and using one of these, Nick demonstrated how music and voice ( from the walk around the school) could be edited together. This was the first time they had heard their voices back from the recording and their opinions of what they sounded like were wide and varied.
The biggest lesson for us that day was to check that we are all operating on compatible systems - we are now in 2012 but still PC's and MACs don't like one another. The Windows Movie Maker movies the girls had made would not come up, so they shared their sketchbooks with Gabrielle instead.
My other observation really endorsed for me the Open Space process I have worked with before - that some of the most creative conversations happen in the coffee break. In this case, it was while quequing for the toilets that I learned most about the girls other interests and talents - singers, guitar players, piano players etc! This chat out of school and out of uniform felt like a very equal exchange and we developed this into a student-led skills audit later in the day.
We started the afternoon with a quick physical warm up - a much exaggerated and louder version of the icebreaker I did with all of you (have never done this with a group of young people before!) We then split the girls into smaller groups to create their own stories and sites/models within the seminar room building on the walk. Nick recorded these short stories that became like playground chants/rhymes and each group shared their 'site' and started to think about where their audience might be in relation to their installation.
I have it on reliable authority from Dina that the drive to get the girls back in time for the school bus was rather hairy.
An absolutely exhausting day...and so to the third and final discovery of the day...all will be well and all manner of things will be well if you debrief in the wine bar in John Lewis at Bluewater!!!
3rd February - Nick and I went into school. I took the other half of the group out this time with Edna, the former school secretary and volunteer minbus driver who told us what many areas of the school used to be and how much it had been adapted and changed. amongst other things we visited a small room in the roof which had been a nun's bedroom. It was very marked how different this group was in personnality to the previous one - much quieter and some scorn for the active imaginations of the other half of the group. We recorded interviews they had done with family members and teachers with previous/long standing relationships with the school picking up thmes of bands/music, memories of loved ones and teenagers identified in the first session. We voted on a space to make our final event in...and finally at lunchtime, we got to go over too the house and meet the nuns - Sister Rita and Sister Rita!
I took six of the girls with me - the house is such a tranquil sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the school. Sister Rita and Sister Rita were so welcoming, taking time to talk to each of the girls, answer their questions. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the modern world that the girls live in and thoughtful on their perception of teenagers. One of the girls said it was the best day in school she had ever had and they are all very keen to visit more regularly. I am hoping next week that we might be able to record Sister Rita singing a song from her childhood. The challenge now is to focus this all down in to a tangible achievable project outcome, but if it has re-ignited this moving dialogue between generations, then there is already the fragment of a legacy I will be very happy with.
If I end up with half the energy, drive and focus that Dina has on a Friday, that will be a bonus! Fiona
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Making a Start (part 3)
When Nas and Stuart came to visit Dilkes Primary and my class 5D, I was rather nervous about how the children would respond to the open'ness of the project... whatever it may be :) I had carried out a build up lesson with my class, focusing on their pre-conceived ideas about what an 'artist' does and what an artist looks like... the outcome was rather comical as the children drew round a few reluctant individuals in the class and produce their 'life size artists' (Photos attached). So when Friday came around I think they were intrigued by Stuart and Nas (for a start neither one of them had a curly moustache!). There was a giggly and nervous excitement buzzing from the children as they knew that it wasn't a normal school subject... the 'take a line for a journey task' went well however when the 'movement to music' task came up - a few characters in my class made themselves known who were not as confident as the rest to do this (These are the children I would love to see a change through our project - if only they had some self belief...).
At the end of the session they were eager for Nas and Stuart to return, asking if they could come back the following Monday :)
Maybe not quite so soon as that, but 'they will be back again' to which they cheered.
After batting a few ideas around once the children had gone home, I'm pleased to say we seem to have a few more ideas about where our project is leading us.
Hayley
At the end of the session they were eager for Nas and Stuart to return, asking if they could come back the following Monday :)
Maybe not quite so soon as that, but 'they will be back again' to which they cheered.
After batting a few ideas around once the children had gone home, I'm pleased to say we seem to have a few more ideas about where our project is leading us.
Hayley
Makin a start II
NAS
Stuart and I visited Hayley's school. Initially, there was a feeling of anxiety as it felt like we were taking a trip to Wonderland and not knowing what was around the corner. We had a few questions and exercises set out for the group and as the session went on we got our groove back. We gave them a few tasks which they carried out and we thought they were not interested but at the end of it they wanted to have another go but unfortunately we ran out of time. They were keen to know when our next visit was which gave us a good feeling knowing that they enjoyed the session and I guess just like us they can't wait to get started.
Stuart and I visited Hayley's school. Initially, there was a feeling of anxiety as it felt like we were taking a trip to Wonderland and not knowing what was around the corner. We had a few questions and exercises set out for the group and as the session went on we got our groove back. We gave them a few tasks which they carried out and we thought they were not interested but at the end of it they wanted to have another go but unfortunately we ran out of time. They were keen to know when our next visit was which gave us a good feeling knowing that they enjoyed the session and I guess just like us they can't wait to get started.
Justin, Jodie and Amanda – Warren Primary – Year 1
Session Outline
1. 1st word
What is the first word or image that comes into your head when you think about the dark?
What is the first word or image that comes into your head when you think about the light?
2. Stop and go
Movement exercise feeding in responses from the previous exercise .
3. Blind walk
Children split into pairs and take turns guiding their partner around the room.
4. Mapping the worlds of light and Dark
Part 1 Split the group into two, one group to work on light and the other on dark. In small group add geographical features to the two worlds.
Part 2 Swap worlds and then decide who lives on these respective worlds.
5. Close
Explain that our job is to bring these worlds to life so that we create a magical experience for the other students in the school. Ask the group to brainstorm their ideas as how we might move forward.
We decided that we would introduce the theme of light and dark to the children and asked them to begin by doing a word association activity. The children seemed to find this tricky initially as they tended to stick to the science of light and dark and kept offering sources of light! After some modelling and prompting they began to think ‘outside the box’. This was followed by a stop and go game and a ‘blind walk’ which encouraged the children to think about their other senses. The children were then split into 2 groups each group having an island outline (a ‘dark world’ and a ‘light world’). The first group added geographical features to their given island before swapping over and populating the islands. The children really came into their own at this point and had lots of good ideas that we had previously not though of. We ended the session by asking the children how they would like to ‘bring the worlds to life’ and they struggled a little to think of ideas, probably due to their lack of experience of working in this way. They did however decide that they would like to create a story about the 2 worlds and would like to use costumes, 3D modelling and drama to bring this to life.
The children were generally very well engaged throughout the session and seemed excited to be a part of the project. They were particularly engaged when creating the islands with all children eager to add their ideas. The practical nature of the session seemed to be very appealingly to the children and the class teacher commented that, “It was just what they needed at the end of a heavy week.”
As a triad we planned the session in advance and then spent time checking we were clear before the session began. We allocated sections of the sessions for each of us to take the lead on so the children had the chance to engage with all adults. However, we probably planned too much for an hour session and it did all become a bit rushed towards the end, Jodie hopes to spend more time with the class before January 20th to find out if they have thought of any other ideas and share some examples of ideas with them.
The session was generally led by the children and successfully met our main objective, to encourage pupil voice, what was unexpected was the extent of the narrative possibilities suggested by children’s work on the Islands. The group created two very distinct worlds with a wealth of detailed features and characters. Mysterious door -ways and cave entrances suggested portals between world. Ladders disappeared off the edge of the paper. Lands moved from lush forests to arid deserts and superheroes protected people against rooming dinosaurs
We left the session with a clear indication of how the children would like to proceed with the project. The next step is to create a narrative that links the two worlds .The children’s choice of characters and archetypes suggest a mythic structure which will probably be the starting point for the next session. We plan to experiment with shadow-play during the next residential as possible way forward after we have worked on the narrative.
We are looking forward to the next session!
(Photos to follow!!)
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Rivers of Gold
Hi Guy's Happy New Year., We visited Laura's School which is just beautiful I had my eyes on some of the furniture all would look quite smart in my home..Besides eying up the goods we deliverd a short project in an hour..We had toyed with a few ideas from Puppets to Costume, but felt this was all a little too ambitious for a short delivery and first meet..
Before Christmas I had Squirrelled (Take the Boy out of Liverpool) a 100metre roll of Liquid Gold Lame and Sue suggested we base are Workshop on that..
WORKSHOP..Sue and myself introduced are selves with a couple of energisers one a good old run about tick game and another in a circle with are names, and something that is about them, or why it came about...My name is Richard and I was named after Richard the Lion Heart (Thats my story and I am sticking by it)..
We then split into Three groups using 1'2'3-1'2'3. We then introduced the Lame unrolling it down the hall to lots of oohs and cheering and gave them all a giant piece..It came with the proviso that it couldn't be cut up..Then we gave them two adjectives like say War and Party and asked them to come up with a short story based on the Gold Fabric and the adjectives ..We also had musical instruments, and we had brought some Face paints as well..We each took a group Laura, Sue and myself..and then it felt like BEDLEM/CAOS just erupted ..Children shouting, banging drums and running around, but in a totally brilliant way..
I think we just about pulled it off without being totally over whelmed( I have never felt more like having a stiff drink in that hour than any time of late).
We made sure we kept an eye on the clock so we hit certain places that we needed to be in the hour..and at the end of it we had three performances with music, scenery/prop, makeup and written script..I also introduced the Children in my group to the concept of ''Winging it'' which they pulled off brilliantly..
Laura, Sue and Richard than had a good thirty minute debrief over a Cuppa on how we felt and how to move forward in the future..
Sue and myself then headed to the Station where we enjoyed a bag of Chips and a battered Sausage to Celebrate and get over the shock...
We have Photographs, but the School was not happy with them being posted on he blog (boo), but we have them printed up for all to see come Friday..Que. the Brown paper..
Sue ..Laura and Richard
Before Christmas I had Squirrelled (Take the Boy out of Liverpool) a 100metre roll of Liquid Gold Lame and Sue suggested we base are Workshop on that..
WORKSHOP..Sue and myself introduced are selves with a couple of energisers one a good old run about tick game and another in a circle with are names, and something that is about them, or why it came about...My name is Richard and I was named after Richard the Lion Heart (Thats my story and I am sticking by it)..
We then split into Three groups using 1'2'3-1'2'3. We then introduced the Lame unrolling it down the hall to lots of oohs and cheering and gave them all a giant piece..It came with the proviso that it couldn't be cut up..Then we gave them two adjectives like say War and Party and asked them to come up with a short story based on the Gold Fabric and the adjectives ..We also had musical instruments, and we had brought some Face paints as well..We each took a group Laura, Sue and myself..and then it felt like BEDLEM/CAOS just erupted ..Children shouting, banging drums and running around, but in a totally brilliant way..
I think we just about pulled it off without being totally over whelmed( I have never felt more like having a stiff drink in that hour than any time of late).
We made sure we kept an eye on the clock so we hit certain places that we needed to be in the hour..and at the end of it we had three performances with music, scenery/prop, makeup and written script..I also introduced the Children in my group to the concept of ''Winging it'' which they pulled off brilliantly..
Laura, Sue and Richard than had a good thirty minute debrief over a Cuppa on how we felt and how to move forward in the future..
Sue and myself then headed to the Station where we enjoyed a bag of Chips and a battered Sausage to Celebrate and get over the shock...
We have Photographs, but the School was not happy with them being posted on he blog (boo), but we have them printed up for all to see come Friday..Que. the Brown paper..
Sue ..Laura and Richard
Making brown paper costumes
I visited Caron's school with Anna last week, and we had a fun afternoon. Here you can see some of the images from our 'getting to know you' tour of the school, hosted by the whole class(!) and our making of brown paper costumes (genius steals); representing a teacher, an artist, a writer and a musician. A great start and more work to be done this weekend... Sam
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| Writer |
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| Artist |
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| Musician |
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| Teacher |
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Making a start!
I visited Hayley's School with Nas last Friday. The visit forced me to look at all the course material and go back to the 'purpose' of whole project. I feel a genuine connection with Hayley and Nas and I feel there is real trust between us. The class were really responsive and had lots of questions. Our activity involved playing a piece of Prokoviev and asking the children to draw a line (Rod style!) reflecting how they felt as they listened to it. We then played the music again and asked them to turn their drawing into movement. The children really opened up and I feel like we have made a start. Nas and I had a chance to see the school hall and get a feel for the spaces. - Stuart
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Some nudges forward...
Hello everyone. If like me, you're feeling rather grey and sluggish in the early days of the new year, you might appreciate some nuggets of inspiration that have helped me find my way into an increasingly inspired 2012. It's been an uphill struggle not helped by the whirling elements outside that seem to only encourage me to stay indoors and hibernate. Not a very strategic way to engage with a new year and fresh optimism, and imiment challenges, but an honest state of affairs. So, in my indoor seclusion, I have found some wondrous items to fuel me and get me back into the world, focused and ready for action. I hope they do the trick for you too. Happy New Year. Sue B
In no particular order:
1. Finding Neverland - a film to reconnect you with childhood and infinite imagination, but have tissues at the ready
2. Steve Jobs Documentary - a programme about a true Visionary Steve Jobs - Billion Dollar Hippy (BBC Documentary) - YouTube
3. Walks in the park - there's nothing like a blustery stroll to blow away the winter blues - just make sure you wrap up warm
4. Discovering the 'Starbucks Youth Action Grants' for 16-25 year olds that encourage young people to make a creative and positive stance in the world - £2k available for each great project idea. Check it out at: http://t.co/79Fy9tLk
5. 'Alive - an energy plan for life' by Rae Hatherton - re-connecting with Rae's amazing book / life tutorial and the joys of eating nourishing food, exercising the brain and body and experiencing loving kindness practices on a daily basis. Find it on amazon.co.uk / amazon.com
In no particular order:
1. Finding Neverland - a film to reconnect you with childhood and infinite imagination, but have tissues at the ready
2. Steve Jobs Documentary - a programme about a true Visionary Steve Jobs - Billion Dollar Hippy (BBC Documentary) - YouTube
3. Walks in the park - there's nothing like a blustery stroll to blow away the winter blues - just make sure you wrap up warm
4. Discovering the 'Starbucks Youth Action Grants' for 16-25 year olds that encourage young people to make a creative and positive stance in the world - £2k available for each great project idea. Check it out at: http://t.co/79Fy9tLk
5. 'Alive - an energy plan for life' by Rae Hatherton - re-connecting with Rae's amazing book / life tutorial and the joys of eating nourishing food, exercising the brain and body and experiencing loving kindness practices on a daily basis. Find it on amazon.co.uk / amazon.com
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