Categories: uncategorized
Date: 18 August 2006 09:17:17
So, summer schools finished for the year, now it's time to stop, chill out, let my ears stop ringing (well, I have worked with around 130 teens over the past two weeks and some were very noisey indeed) and have a bit of a break. Officially the next two weeks are supposed to be holiday but I know for a start that there are three meetings I need to be at next week. The week following however is a holiday and there's no way I'm coming back from Dorset to go to any meeting, urgent or not...
However thought I'd add a brief mention about the kids at the art centre over the past two weeks. What a bunch of stars. Each had something to give and, bearing in mind it was a week at breakneck pace, each kept up well and contributed to two 15 minute performances that combined singing, dancing, music, animation and drama. We had a dance tutor come in and work with the kids, two drama teachers come in and do a day and an art teacher come in and make rain sticks... For the most part I was the general dogsbody, organising and sticking and pasting and the like but I did get to have fun on a few days by leading the art and animation workshops...
What surprised me was the drama which has come from the second group. Actually I speak about it in past tense but their performance is this afternoon, however on the final run through yesterday (I'm at another summer school today, then finished, last day of term feeling then) it was very effective and affecting: a kafka-esque story of one nation creating umbrella that would save people from acid rain and another nation going to war over them. The final scene, the animated piece we created yesterday, is surprisingly good with the warlike nation routing the peaceful umbrella carrying peaceful folk set to a soloists singing. Hopefully we'll have people crying in the aisles... Following that though there's a pop-art centre song which should cheer people up a little :) It surprised me because the group was the less cohesive of the two weeks, having a combination of exuberance, shyness, stand up front confidence and all sorts really.... It's been a goodie.
So, two more sessions and then Summer's gone. Then it's just gearing up for next terms shennanigans, the Guildford book fest and all sorts of all sorts... But there'll be a holiday inbetween at least.
Currently listening to: Five Iron Frenzy: The end is here/near. Utterly compelling, fantastic cds the two of them. Currently playing: Lumines: PSP.