We started our session with our ball games and also with a discussion about our first session at MIND. Sharing and talking about our experiences with each other and with the people from MIND is really important to maintain that level playing field that I believe we established last week. We were able to share our worries, our tips, our observations and found that a lot of us had received the same vibe. Something I thought was important to contribute to the discussion was Peter's reaction to the memories. When we had asked him to share some memories with us he didn't want to talk about it which was a different reaction from the others in our group. Therefore sharing our experience informed the whole group of the possibility that some exercises and some weeks our group may be less willing to share personal details and we need to be aware and considerate whilst still bearing in mind that our aim is to create a piece with, for and about them.
Another part of this term is doing a presentation on another community theatre company and this week we did our initial planning for this task. We got into a group of 4 (myself, Mia, Kitty and Ed) and we decided on our chosen group which is Wild Works a community theatre group who do pieces all around the world addressing a variety of subjects. Their specific project we chose to focus on was their 'A Great Night Out', an evening of live entertainment from all members of the Sunderland community. We decided to look at this company and project because it involves our skills as artists, not just actors. Whereas other community theatre groups focused on only acting, Wild Work's 'A Great Night Out' involved singing, dancing, comedy and a variety of acts in which each member of our group can explore and understand. As a group we are aiming and working towards bringing our talents as individual artists to our presentation, reflecting the structure of the project we have chosen to look at.
At the end of today's session we focused on giving our final piece a structure that we can start working towards. As a group our biggest confusion at the moment, is the design of our final performance. Will it be a scripted, improvised, student led, group led piece, or something completely different. We all wanted this clarification and yet by the end of the discussion realised that this term it wasn't like any other term; we weren't going to be learning scripts to a distinction level, or perfecting a ballet sequence, or harmonising a song, we would be working with our talents and giving them to our group, meaning the standard we work at normally is not a goal this term and that is just something we are going to have to get used to. Our end goal now is not to make our performance perfect for us, but for our group, a value and aim that I think keeps slipping from our minds.
After last weeks feedback from Susan about how keen she was to act, I suggested that with such a big group of actors in the room, acting technique and exercise are something we can and should be facilitating. I suggested that we focus on something like Shakespeare, a branch of acting that I and others in the room would feel comfortable facilitating. Playing to our strengths is key, but making our group feel like we are creating worth while work is the ultimate goal. Something a little more classical like Shakespeare, I believe will help them feel like they are really learning something and being given a responsibility within the group.
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Saturday, 11 June 2016
Questions from our first week
What was my contribution?
What was our feedback?
I led a warm down exercise that helped the group end the session in a calm collected manner and is something I plan on developing so as to create something which explores not only physical but emotional and mental reflection. I also think that another positive contribution I made today was my openness to the session. Truthfully I did not know what to expect. but I tried to therefore expect nothing, just to go in with an open mind and a positive attitude.
What worked?
I think that the memory scenes worked because it allowed the group to get personally involved with the work in a creative way. I think using all our skills as artists will make it easier for both us and them. Letting use their own life experiences and sharing them in a way that isn't just talking will be a huge assistance when asking them to open up to us.
What didn't work?
I think the freeze frames need to be developed if they are to work. Observing the atmosphere when doing this exercise I noticed that this was the exercise in which the ball was dropped. It is not so active, in either talking or movement and I think that takes away some of the base elements that the group seem to enjoy.
What did I learn?
I learnt a very important, very basic lesson; in that space, when we are working together, there is no difference between us and them. It is a level playing field. Understanding this whilst still keeping a sense of professionalism is something that will be key to exploring and working with the group over the coming weeks.
What was our feedback?
We had feedback on particular areas our group would like to explore:
Susan- focus on her acting, allowing us to give her feedback so she can make considerable progress with her performance skills.
Sandra- a 60s style dance and a Sam Smith song
Peter- focus on writing either scripts or poetry.
I think all of these focuses work together well with both our aims and their own. We have a large group of actors in our group so that is something we can give to the group, especially Susan. Building her confidence and her delivery is a skill that will help her beyond our time with MIND. The dancing and singing will bring another dimension to our performance and will allow everyone in the group to get involved. Plus, giving it a 60s style will work very well with our memory work, with the dance acting as a way into those memories. Finally Peter's writing will help us create something physical for them to learn, creating a well rounded final piece.
Susan- focus on her acting, allowing us to give her feedback so she can make considerable progress with her performance skills.
Sandra- a 60s style dance and a Sam Smith song
Peter- focus on writing either scripts or poetry.
I think all of these focuses work together well with both our aims and their own. We have a large group of actors in our group so that is something we can give to the group, especially Susan. Building her confidence and her delivery is a skill that will help her beyond our time with MIND. The dancing and singing will bring another dimension to our performance and will allow everyone in the group to get involved. Plus, giving it a 60s style will work very well with our memory work, with the dance acting as a way into those memories. Finally Peter's writing will help us create something physical for them to learn, creating a well rounded final piece.
Week 1- Friday
I expected to be nervous going into MIND on Friday, not out of fear, but pressure to get it right. The want to create a relaxed, welcoming environment, in some ways made me less relaxed. However this feeling soon subsided when I met the people we would be working with. This week we had a small group: Sandra, Susan, Sinclair and Peter. Like on Tuesday, being introduced to the new personalities amongst my peers, going on that same discovery allowed me to be introduced to 4 people who had as much energy to contribute to the room as all of us.
Starting the session in the same way we started our own introduced a level playing field between us and them, allowing us to break down any initial barriers and remind us all that we are all just people in a room creating work. For us and them sharing something just a simple as a name creates a bond on a personal level and is the first step in creating a group of people that can happily and comfortably work alongside each other. They seemed very responsive to our games, but they also highlighted things that as a facilitator, I need to take into consideration. Firstly is memory; a lot of us have learnt to remember routines, lyrics and lines over a long period of time, so introducing such a task to people who may have no experience with the performing arts may prove difficult. Therefore over the next 6 weeks, we as a group need to devise methods to make this process more accessible to them.
We then did an exercise on memories, asking them to use their memories to create scenes. This is a really useful exercise because it allows them to feel in control. By asking for their input from day 1, hopefully by week 6 they will feel comfortable with contributing and performing their own ideas and emotions- by the end the piece needs to be for them, by them and with them. I was with Peter and something I learnt from this exercise is that getting people to open up about things that could potentially be painful, will take time as trust is built over the weeks. Being considerate and respectful of peoples boundaries is something we all need to keep at the forefront of our minds as we move forward in this process.
Today the activity I led was the warm down. I think that including an exercise like this at the end of each session will bring any emotions or energies that may have been heightened throughout the session, back down to a calm, collected state, perhaps helping them channel the positive energy from the two hours into the rest of their day. I asked them to tense and relax each part of their body one by one and also did some breathing exercises, allowing them to release any tensions or stresses that the sessions may have created. I plan to do this after every session so we create a routine that they feel comfortable with and can add to and expand.
My reflections from today are that the people we met have so much to bring to this process. Although it is my job to facilitate, they have the material and willingness to help us. They have already told us the ideas and input they want from the next few weeks and it has given us as a group an energy and positive mental attitude to kick start this process.
Starting the session in the same way we started our own introduced a level playing field between us and them, allowing us to break down any initial barriers and remind us all that we are all just people in a room creating work. For us and them sharing something just a simple as a name creates a bond on a personal level and is the first step in creating a group of people that can happily and comfortably work alongside each other. They seemed very responsive to our games, but they also highlighted things that as a facilitator, I need to take into consideration. Firstly is memory; a lot of us have learnt to remember routines, lyrics and lines over a long period of time, so introducing such a task to people who may have no experience with the performing arts may prove difficult. Therefore over the next 6 weeks, we as a group need to devise methods to make this process more accessible to them.
We then did an exercise on memories, asking them to use their memories to create scenes. This is a really useful exercise because it allows them to feel in control. By asking for their input from day 1, hopefully by week 6 they will feel comfortable with contributing and performing their own ideas and emotions- by the end the piece needs to be for them, by them and with them. I was with Peter and something I learnt from this exercise is that getting people to open up about things that could potentially be painful, will take time as trust is built over the weeks. Being considerate and respectful of peoples boundaries is something we all need to keep at the forefront of our minds as we move forward in this process.
Today the activity I led was the warm down. I think that including an exercise like this at the end of each session will bring any emotions or energies that may have been heightened throughout the session, back down to a calm, collected state, perhaps helping them channel the positive energy from the two hours into the rest of their day. I asked them to tense and relax each part of their body one by one and also did some breathing exercises, allowing them to release any tensions or stresses that the sessions may have created. I plan to do this after every session so we create a routine that they feel comfortable with and can add to and expand.
My reflections from today are that the people we met have so much to bring to this process. Although it is my job to facilitate, they have the material and willingness to help us. They have already told us the ideas and input they want from the next few weeks and it has given us as a group an energy and positive mental attitude to kick start this process.
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Week 1- Tuesday
My first impressions of the group was a little strange, only because I have never before, in the 3 years I've been at the school, worked with anyone outside of theatre in a creative environment. Therefore taking in everyone, their talents, their personalities, seemed unfamiliar and a little overwhelming. It seemed like there was a part of my year and school that had been alien to me until I walked into that room. However I soon realised the vibrant, colourful people I was going to work with and this was encouraging, giving me inspiration for the weeks to come.
We started the session with some ball games to get to know each other and establish each others names. This exercise may seem a little basic when first introduced, but its effect is invaluable; one of the most personal things we own is something we give out every day- our name. When you know someones name you have built the first layer of your relationship and a trust and bond is already beginning to form. We carried on doing these ball games, adding in different elements so as we could keep learning each others names, but also breaking that initial barrier of being strangers in a room by the simple method of play.
I can already see how this kind of exercise would be useful when we visit our group at MIND on Friday. If our group can introduce themselves within a group, even if it is by sharing something as simple as their name, they will become involved and present within the space faster, allowing both us to understand them and them to understand us. It is a mutual, equal exchange that breaks the barrier between us and them, a key goal on our visit this Friday and our visits for the next 6 weeks.
As there were so many diverse talents in the room, in strands we devised an activity to share with the group to give them an insight into our skills and forte. Theatre decided to do an improvised live scene: one person starts the scene in a generic location and people come and add their stories and perspective, layering the piece until everyone is involved in the scene. We chose to set ours in a hospital waiting room. We had a lot of funny, bold characters that really shone, cementing the work together as an ensemble. We then heightened the scene, adding the suspense of someone in the room having a bomb. Watching our peers working within this dynamic not only gave them a taste of the theatre life, but allowed us to observe their broad skill set.
What I learnt from delivering our exercise was that someone needs to step forward and lead, not necessarily dictating the group, but guiding them through so as not to get muddled. Our exercise was quite hectic, an environment perhaps not best suited to our clients. Therefore we need to refine our ideas, making sure their structure and format benefit our client in the best way possible and that we are fully equipped to teach and deliver them.
We were also allowed to take part in the activities the musical theatre and music students devised. Musical theatre taught us a song and dance, which turned out to be a lot harder to teach to people of a lower ability than them. Again that is something to consider and learn from; our group may have a different level of ability and we must be ready to adapt in an understanding and positive way. Music got us to have a jam using the drums, our hands and voice. This was such a communal experience that brought the group together. Music can be therapeutic and when experienced in a group immensely rewarding so perhaps that is also something we can take with us to MIND.
To finish today's session we created a warm up in small groups. Our group created a concentration game in which you pick a topic ie, football teams and you go round a circle each saying something from that category. If you hesitate, repeat or can't think of an answer, you are out. Being able to devise and adapt exercises in the coming weeks is a skill that I hope to take away with me, as it is a skill I am sure I will have to apply to many different client groups.
Overall today's session has introduced me to a group of wonderful like-minded people who are eager to help and make a change. Having these skills and talents, as diverse as they are, are best used when used to benefit others. I predict that being able to do so will be immensely rewarding.
We started the session with some ball games to get to know each other and establish each others names. This exercise may seem a little basic when first introduced, but its effect is invaluable; one of the most personal things we own is something we give out every day- our name. When you know someones name you have built the first layer of your relationship and a trust and bond is already beginning to form. We carried on doing these ball games, adding in different elements so as we could keep learning each others names, but also breaking that initial barrier of being strangers in a room by the simple method of play.
I can already see how this kind of exercise would be useful when we visit our group at MIND on Friday. If our group can introduce themselves within a group, even if it is by sharing something as simple as their name, they will become involved and present within the space faster, allowing both us to understand them and them to understand us. It is a mutual, equal exchange that breaks the barrier between us and them, a key goal on our visit this Friday and our visits for the next 6 weeks.
As there were so many diverse talents in the room, in strands we devised an activity to share with the group to give them an insight into our skills and forte. Theatre decided to do an improvised live scene: one person starts the scene in a generic location and people come and add their stories and perspective, layering the piece until everyone is involved in the scene. We chose to set ours in a hospital waiting room. We had a lot of funny, bold characters that really shone, cementing the work together as an ensemble. We then heightened the scene, adding the suspense of someone in the room having a bomb. Watching our peers working within this dynamic not only gave them a taste of the theatre life, but allowed us to observe their broad skill set.
What I learnt from delivering our exercise was that someone needs to step forward and lead, not necessarily dictating the group, but guiding them through so as not to get muddled. Our exercise was quite hectic, an environment perhaps not best suited to our clients. Therefore we need to refine our ideas, making sure their structure and format benefit our client in the best way possible and that we are fully equipped to teach and deliver them.
We were also allowed to take part in the activities the musical theatre and music students devised. Musical theatre taught us a song and dance, which turned out to be a lot harder to teach to people of a lower ability than them. Again that is something to consider and learn from; our group may have a different level of ability and we must be ready to adapt in an understanding and positive way. Music got us to have a jam using the drums, our hands and voice. This was such a communal experience that brought the group together. Music can be therapeutic and when experienced in a group immensely rewarding so perhaps that is also something we can take with us to MIND.
To finish today's session we created a warm up in small groups. Our group created a concentration game in which you pick a topic ie, football teams and you go round a circle each saying something from that category. If you hesitate, repeat or can't think of an answer, you are out. Being able to devise and adapt exercises in the coming weeks is a skill that I hope to take away with me, as it is a skill I am sure I will have to apply to many different client groups.
Overall today's session has introduced me to a group of wonderful like-minded people who are eager to help and make a change. Having these skills and talents, as diverse as they are, are best used when used to benefit others. I predict that being able to do so will be immensely rewarding.
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