BREAK DOWN OF SOME OF THE WEEK

Mondayà

 

We want to start our very first session with the group that we are going to be working with in a casual, unpressured way. We thought that it would be good to get know the group a bit and to give them a chance to get to know us and ask us any questions that they wanted so that they could feel more comfortable with us. I feel that this is really important because it starts to build a relationship between us and them so that they might feel more confident and comfortable working with us and pushing themselves. We also thought that this would be a good time to talk to the students about any ideas they had about the piece as we want them to as involved in the creative process as possible so that it can be their piece not ours that they are performing. By getting to know their ideas early on it allows us to adjust the week to fit in and explore their own ideas as well as ours.

We then wanted to play some theatre games later on in the day so that the students could get used to working with us and playing the games that we are more likely to be playing and developing throughout the week. Also for us it shows us what the students are capable of doing physically so that we can plan the choreography around that to make sure they are all included.

The craft time allows the students to get involved in creating the props that will be in the final piece. It also allows them to personalise it a bit more and have their own creative ownership over a certain piece of the performance.

Tuesday à

On Tuesday we are going to be playing some more physical games to lead into the creation of the piece. The games such as mirroring and sculpting and contact games allows us to see how far the students can go and push themselves and it also allows the students to get more comfortable with what they are going to be doing in the piece. It is also a really good way to start developing work for the piece and it allows us to explore and see what does and doesn’t work. More over I think that it give the students some ownership on what they are doing as they can interpret the games in their own way to create unique elements and movements to go into the performance.

PLAN OF THE WEEK

Sessions	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri
1	Introduction, Name games, Chat – get to know the group , Spider diagrams and chat about “Paint It Black” – Share ideas	Intro. Zip Zap Bong – Warm up / games.	Intro. Warm up / games. Zip Zap Bong		Intro. Warm up / games. Zip Zap Bong
2	Warm up – Vocal and Physical. Games: Fruit Salad, Shakespeare says and Zip Zap Bong.	Shape it. Mirroring. Sculpting. Contact Game	Recap the movement e ct		Recap and refine choreography
3	Games: Pass the emotion, See it Be it, Still Images, Improv	Movement / Choreography	Add and develop piece		Last run of piece – dress and play final games.
4	TUTOR
5	Craft session – making billboards
6	Craft session – making billboards

RESEARCHING SENSORY EXERCISES

http://www.scope.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/Early_years/Scope_games_for_all.pdf - This helped us to look at games that included all children with or without disabilities. This was really helpful because in our groups that we are working with the students all have a variety of disabilities so this allows us to look at all the games that would be suitable for all of the students.

http://www.youthgroupgames.co.uk/youth-group-games-for-disabled-children.html
- This website lists a lot of different games to be played with everyone of different disabilities and what is really helpful is that it goes into detail of different disabilities such as wheelchair games or sitting games or feeling games. This is really helpful as movement is something that can cause a problem in games and could exclude some people also the feeling game links into our sensory games that can be used with the PMLD students.

PLANNING

We started to plan the exercises we would be doing with the students that we are working with to facilitate their rehearsal process and the construction of the final piece. We have been coming up with generic games that we can play with all students and then more focused exercises that will lead into the creation of their performance. This is so that we can work with all the students, even if they are not in our performance sections so that we get to have more experience facilitating workshops and so that they all get to be involved at some point. Also by doing exercises in the workshops towards the performance it gives us a chance to work out what can and cannot work with the students, but on top of this it gives them the chance to have a creative input into the final performance.

PMLD

The Lovers Chase

In our first section – “The Lovers Chase” – we are working with the students with PMLD, this means that our exercises and the performance that we create will have to be focused around sensory elements to make sure that all the students and audience involved and included. For us this means that we have to research sensory games and exercises to do with the students to produce a successful and inclusive workshop.

Imagination games- In this game we want to be able to engage the students imagination through sensory exercises and storytelling so that they can get in to the world of the performance and know more about the section that they are doing. We would do a version of the exercise my group did in the first lesson, where we ask each student to get into a space and close their eyes. We would then hand out leaves for them to feel so that they could imagine the woods from touching a part of it; we would also rustle them to create the soundscape of the woods, as well as making animal sounds. Then we would hand out soft, comfortable material and link it to love so that the students have a physical feeling of what love could be to make them more connect to it. We would also have the Supreme song in the background that the performance is around, so that the students can get used to it and comfortable with it and linking it to their performance. Other sounds that we might have are bells to create a light, magical performance and drums to show the heartbeat. 

 This game will hopefully engage the students as it focuses on the sensory experiences that include them in the exercises. Also I think that we could push this exercise further if we felt it was appropriate for the students and could get them involved with making sounds of animals for the soundscape or holding shakers ect, so that they were also creating a performance as well as experiencing one. 

Yr 10/11

Paint It Black

In this section we will be working with the year 10’s and 11’s to create a movement piece to the song “Paint It Black”. The section is all about the teenagers wanting to be moody and do what they want, so for this piece we are focusing on the actions that they could do to put in the piece but also trying to give them a bit on creative control in making some sections their selves as well.

Zip, Zap, Bong goes moody teenagers.

Zip = What? (Arms out)

Bong = Not Fair! (With folded arms)

Zap (across the circle) = groan

This will be a warm up game to get the students into the feel of the piece that they are going to be creating but could also be played with people that aren’t in our section. We will teach it in stages and have practise rounds so that the students all feel comfortable in playing it and the rules. Also we will have a head action, arm action and a sound for each of the movements so that students will a variety of disabilities can still be involved in the game and it can be adapted to peoples own specific abilities. It will also be a good game to get the students energy up and for them to get excited about having fun working with us and the project as a whole.

Voice

For this we will do a call and response exercise using the lyrics from the song, so that they get to know the lyrics and learn the song that they will be performing to in an engaging and fun way. Also with this we can experiment with the tone of voice that we use and ones that the students want to use in the performance so that in the songs their can be different tones, emotions and dynamics to their voices.

Dance

We will lay a game similar to Musical statues, but with another name so that it is age appropriate. We want to use this so that we can work with still images in our workshops to create sequences and movements for the performance.  For this we will lay the song, so that again they are getting used to it, and then when it stops they should freeze in a guitar/band position or a moody teenager position. This will allow the students to use their own imaginations to come up with movements for the performances. Also we may a free dance piece in it so that the students can do what they want so this will give them time to have fun, practising and enjoying the music.

Still Images

As there are six students in our section we will split them into two groups of three and in these groups together they will come up with some moody teenager movements or freezes. Then we will share them but in a competition so that each group has to be bigger and better than the other one. This will give the students the chance to have an input into the performance and develop their skills in devising and telling s story through the images. Also the competition aspect will push them to exaggerate their movements and to put their all into it. We will then put the movements that they have come up with together to create a section of the piece that can be repeated.

See it. Be it.

In this exercise we are working with still images to stimulate the student’s imagination, get them working together and getting them to be engaged and taking ownership of the creation of their performance. In this exercise we give the students a number and this is the amount of people they have to be in a group with. We then say and object or person such as “The London Eye” or a “grumpy teenager”, along side this we give them the instruction to either see the object or person we have given the or to be it. Then in their groups they have to create that image.

This exercise is a really good one to direct the students into becoming active in the creative process as they can put their own interpretation, ideas and opinions onto the image we had given them making it their own and making them think about what they want to present to the audience. As these images could be developed and moved forward to become part of the performance or movement piece. When we gave the students a person to be such as a “moody teenager” we allow the students to develop their characterisation and development of their character individual as well as part of the group. The being an object part of the exercise engages the student’s imagination and makes them think more creatively as becoming a “magical woods” might have to be more of an abstract image than a realistic image. Finally it makes the students work together and for us and them to get used to working with each other and learning how to use each other abilities and disabilities to their advantages to create an interesting image.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM

MY ROLE

Artistic Facilitator

• Understanding of working with people with disabilities
• Run inclusive workshops
• Engaging, stimulating and inspiring others
• Organised/ prepared and flexible
• Creative
• Able to communicate
• Research and plan

FACILITATOR

Good Workshop Leader

·         Introduce yourself

·         Name the game à good for if you are returning

·         Say the aim of the game à is it possible to win? Or to warm up voices?

·         Set and extend your expectation

·         Deliver it in stages – break it down

·         Practise/rehearse it

·         Qualify with a question à “Is that clear?” “any questions” à double checking and putting the ownership on yourself

·         You have to be fully committed – energy and enthusiasm

·         Make sure you feel confident in you and the workshop à with people who don’t do theatre it will make them feel more comfortable – give a bit of info about self (not personal) – don’t make anyone do anything you wouldn’t – especially if people are more venerable à these will make people feel more comfortable.

WORKSHOPS

Workshop leaders

We looked at what it meant lead a workshop and what an individual needed to lead a successful workshop. To do this we got into groups and had to run a short workshop on a drama game or warm up with the rest of the class. I found that this was really helpful because it allowed us to learn through practise what is needed to run a good workshop and to be able to have experience doing it instead of simply talking about it.

 

Whoosh
 

Our game Whoosh was a really good company game and warm up game as it got the group energy up and ready to rehearse/ perform. It also made the group focus and work together to make the game successful and fun at the same time.

 
From the feedback we received, what was good about our group and the way we lead the game was that we were all really enthusiastic and full of energy meaning that the people in the company felt like they could get more and be more involved as we had already set the standard of the energy as high, meaning that they wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or venerable by giving 100% energy. Also the instructions were clear and loud so that everyone could understand clearly what was happening and keep up with the rules of the game. We also taught the game in stages, we did this because there were a lot of different elements to the game so by teaching it and practising it in stage meant that it could be taken in by the whole group easier. It also meant that if we felt that we had enough levels to the game and any more would make it too difficult we didn’t have to put them in, this meant that the game could be made to fit all abilities, and equally if we wanted to we could challenge groups further.  The practises also made sure that everyone understood the game before we started playing it for real so that no-one got left behind or felt uncomfortable in what the were doing.

However there were certain elements to the piece that didn’t work so well and that could be changed to make the workshop better and more accessible to everyone. One of the things was that we would need to make a judgement on the amount of instructions to put into the game and be able to read the people in the group well to see if they were okay with the different levels of the game or if we need to make it simpler or more complicated to suit their needs. Also when we did the practise round everyone had to do it by them selves rather than everyone doing it at the same time together. This would have been better as it would have been less exposing for the people who didn’t feel comfortable or sure about what they were doing and it would have given them the support and comfort to get involved.

Swap

 At the very start of this workshop each member of the group introduced themselves and explained the space that they wanted us to be in. This was really helpful to start with as it added a personal element to the group and made those involved feel more at ease because they had presented themselves as people who wanted to get involved as well. Also it made it really clear to all of those involved what was expected of them from the spacing and how we should be, instead of us floating about feeling unsure. The language that the members of this group was really inclusive which was really important when working in a group of people with a range of abilities as saying “stand in a circle” could make some people feel excluded and insecure, however this group used language that included everyone in the game.

 
Similarly to our group, this group did a practise round so that everyone was sure of what was happening and felt comfortable, but before this they did a demonstration so that they could visually see the game and if they hadn’t understood the explanation of it the demonstration would make it clearer to them. The game was also very simple, this made it achievable for everyone involved and the instructions were given out clearly to make it understandable.

However their were some elements of the game that were left unclear, for example some people weren’t sure who the last person was in the circle and this meant that the game became broken and it wasn’t as easy to follow as it could have been. To make it clearer everyone could have had chairs to sit on and the person at the end that didn’t have a chair would be in the middle, or you could have to walk in a clear pathway or even allocate one person in the group to be the decision maker and be in charge of saying who was last. These all would have made the game clearer, more fluid and easier to play.
 
Also there was a point in the workshop when everyone started to ask questions at once and it was just a rabble of noise. To avoid this they could have asked if anyone had questions before the game started and said that people had to put their hands up to make it more controlled and organised.

Slapathon

This workshop was really good as everyone leading it was really energetic; making everyone else put more energy into it, so that everyone was involved. However nearing the end of the session everyone got a bit out of control and the energy wasn’t being just focused into the game, even though the amount of energy was really good the group could have channelled and controlled it more by adding a rule of not talking so that people stayed focused throughout the game.
 
The game was based around a team effort, this meant that everyone had to get closer physically but also in working together to understand and tune into each other and make the game successful.

Some of the instructions weren’t always clear and the group could have added them in and put in a practice rounds so that everyone was on the same page and understood what was happening in the game. This could also have been done if the basic rules had been clearly established at the beginning so that everyone could start in the same place. Also sometimes the instructions went quite fast, to improve this, the game could have been slowed down or broken up more so that people could get used to it and gain confidence in it before speeding it up to challenge people.

Zip Zap Bong

 Similarly to the other games, this one was presented in an energetic and lively style making all the other people feel more comfortable and want to get involved with the game as it gave off the energy of fun. From seeing all the games, it really highlighted the importance of being enthusiastic about the workshop you are giving as it can have a large impact on the people involved as it gives them the confidence to get involved and you can’t expect people to be enthusiastic about your workshop if your not. Also when they had practises of their game, firstly everyone did it at the same time, this was so that no-one felt exposed and everyone could understand what they needed to do without being put under pressure.

 
However the instructions of this game were given in a bit of a splurge and this made it very unclear as to what we were supposed to be doing. Also there was a reference back to another game which confused those involved as the games began to be mixed and no-one was sure what we were doing or play. The group needed to be clear on their own rules and instructions so that everybody was focused on this game rather than mixing the two.

1st VISIT TO ST GILES

• Openness of the school/environment/ teachers à really welcoming and able to ask questions – made us feel comfortable
• Excellent facilities – higher disabilities needs the more facilities needed. à So that the students get a valid learning experience, with visual help, making it fun and welcoming for all.
• Going to school and meeting the people there was a surprise à Children were having fun and enjoying life during break time. à The range of disabilities with some being physical and others mental and sometimes both. à Showed us the problems that might have been encountered in mainstream schools? – Access for wheelchairs ect.
• PMLD area à sensory experience that was provided but also the teachers wanted to give them a teenage upbringing, with the current music ect. à really thoughtful and considerate of students
• Student and teacher bond really strong and good with fun and banter.
• All specially set out for student’s needs à but does that make it harder/scarier when they have to leave, as they have always been surrounded by each other and therefore not experienced real world? à Separate schools – mean that students aren’t educated.

SENSORY PERFORMANCE

In groups we created a performance based around a section of “A Midsummer’s Nights Dream”. In these performance’s we used the skills of sensory performance which we had learned through the exercises to make the performance more inclusive for all people involved and in the audience.

Our performance centred on the forest that most of the characters move through throughout the course of the play. Leading on from the exercises we had been exploring our piece was centred around having audience members who were blind and focusing more on other sense’s such as touch and sound. For this we had our audience members placed around the room with their eyes closed and a narrator would make small indications as to what was happening and who was entering to woods to keep the audience on tack. We gave each audience member a leaf to hold on to and to explore through touch, this was to set the core of the piece and so that the audience could keep relating back to it to remind them on the setting without having to see it. I also think that it helped to transfer the audience to the place of the piece and be able to visualise it more clearly as they have something to reference to. This was supported by the sounds that we made of the animals in the forest and the wind and leaves rustling, our aim was to create the sound scape of that place so that the audience could feel immersed in it and transported there.

For each set of characters travelling through the forest we had different forms of touch and sound to show the audience their relationships and characterisation. For Example for the lovers we had romantic music playing in the background to emphasis the love between their relationships. The lovers ran through the forest and the sound of the fast pace feet emphasised the urgency that was created in that section and the danger of their running away and tension was created. This was then contrasted with the fairies entering in the forest as there was much lighter foot fall and we touched the back of the audiences legs to create the feeling of small creatures around them, we also traced the journey of the character on the shoulders of the audience with our fingers to help them to keep on track with the story. We also blew on the necks of the audiences and this created two different interpretations of firstly the wind but also the fairies flying past them, making sure that each audience member has a different experience. Finally the clam and cute feel of the fairies was interrupted by the layers entering, they were a lot louder and heavy footed, and this was to show the contrast of the characters and to make the transitions a lot clearer. Also we made them cough and snort to make them more grotesque characters, this made sure that each set of characters were really easily distinguished from each other so that the changes in the story were clear to the audience. This usage of the different senses made the performance more interesting and inclusive of all the audience members and put them all on the same level, so that they can have an exciting performance.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES

We looked and did exercises that were more focused on the senses and how we can take some away and rely on and wake up other senses. The ones that we looked at were especially for the blind, so in each of them we had to close our eyes and try to tune in our other sense to do the exercise successfully. I think that doing these exercise were really important to us as they enlightened us and helped us to understand the importance of the senses in performances and it showed us what it was like to be in their position so that we could appreciate what they might want or need in group situations to feel more secure. One thing that these exercises did was put us on the same level as those who are blind, so if we were to do these exercises with a group where some were blind and other weren’t everyone would be put on the same level and no-one would be advantaged in the group making everyone included and fully involved. I think that this could give some confidence to those who are blind as they know that everyone is equal to them and taking them into their world. The exercises also opened up our awareness to our other senses and allowed us to use them more than we would do in everyday situations. I found that it showed me how important senses such as sound and touch could be and how much they enhance your experiences without sight. It also made me think about how the other sense could be used in performance to make it more interesting and effective to those who are blind so that they are included and still getting an interesting and enriching experiences, arguably even more so than those who can see as they are engaging their other senses and becoming more in tune with what is happening physically or through sound.

Bottle

In this exercise a bottle was put in the middle of the room and each member of the company had to walk across the room without stopping and pick up the bottle with their eyes closed. I found this exercise really useful to use and explore as it highlighted the sense that was taken away and consequently the difficulties presented without the ability to see. This gave a very small and quick enlightenment into the world that some of the people we will be working with live in and helped us to understand, to a small degree, what it is like, putting all of us in the company on the same level. When doing this exercise I felt really disorientated and self-conscious and as a result I felt unsafe and confused during the process and I think that this was really helpful for me as it showed me how some people may feel as a result of their disability. Now I have this emotional knowledge I think it will help me to not under estimate how others are feeling and to be more in tuned to making everyone in the company feel safe and happy to be involved in the activities that they will be taking part in.

Sound  

In pairs we had to come with a sound to remember, then with our eyes closed we were moved away from each other and had to find each other again by following the sound. The main issue that was presented in this task the amount of sound being created by the other people also trying to find their partner, making it harder to pick out the sound that you are listening for. This disorientated me personally and made me feel alone and a bit panicked as I could not hear my partner. It made me think of how people who are blind may feel in crowds or busy, loud places and how intimidating it could be to some. However it also showed me how important sound can be in a sensory performance and how it can be used as a way of communicating. Also it showed me the power of sound, as when you mentally blocked out the other sounds and focused only on your one it became easier and this showed me how little we depend on hearing compared to sight yet the power that it can hold and how it can be used. This really made me think about how the usage of sound could be in a performance to enhance the experience of it as it can show distance and personality and can be used in really interesting ways to make a performance more exciting and engaging for members of the company or audience who are blind.

Feel

As a group we stood in a circle and all facing one way, with our hands on each others shoulders and eyes closed. We then had to feel each others backs and get to know how they feel, so that then we were moved away and had to reform the circle in the same order as we were before by feeling each others backs to find the person who you were originally behind. This highlighted the importance of touch as a way of identification and getting to know a person for people who are blind but also for us to get more comfortable with each other as well.

EXERCISES

Introduction

In this exercise the company walked around the space and on each instruction we developed our movements to holding eye contact with others, shaking hands and exchanging names. For our company this seemed as simplistic task of getting to know each other, however we then reconsidered the same exercise with members of the company who were blind or deaf and how it may present problems to them and what we could do to rectify it.

For people within the company who were deaf we needed to find another way of communicating with them as originally all of the instructions had been spoken. I thought that looking at the communication was really important because by having clear communication between all members of the company meant that everyone was on the same level and equal regardless of disability. Hopefully this would make the members of the company who are deaf feel more included in the exercise, allowing them to get involved and feel more comfortable within the group. To enhance the communication, especially with those who are deaf, the easiest way would be to have someone doing sing language to give the instructions. Although this is the most convenient way to communicate, problems still rose from it as the transitions in the exercise from eye contact to hand shaking were being shouted out and for them to be signed those who are deaf would have to be constantly focused on one person in the room doing sign language and not fully focused on the exercise and possibly being left behind in some transitions. On top of this we had to consider that a person able to do sign language would not always be availed in workshops to support us. To work round these problems we thought that the instructions could all be written on a board, explaining the transitions and when they occurred instead of being said or signed having the lights switch on and off to signal the change. This was a lot more effective as it provided a visual sign to those who cannot hear to show them the change so that they could be involved fully in the exercise and not worried about or pre-occupied with watching and depending on another person to keep them up with the rest of the group. Also the lights gave a visual sign to all members of the company at the same time; personally I think that this is really important because it made sure that the whole company were on the same level and being treated the same, making it more inclusive for all.

For those in the company who were blind the communication vocally did not present a problem as it did to those who were deaf, however the moving around the room did create safety and security problems. We thought that the amount of people moving around and with some not being able to see could not only create a physical safety issue to the exercise but also a personal issue of feeling safe and secure with those who are blind. This is a large problem as within workshops the aim is for all to be included and to be safe, happy and to be confident. However the emotions that could be evoked in this exercise for those who are blind did not fulfil this and went the opposite way, consequently they could be made to feel inferior or scared and different to the others in the group. To get round this problem we thought about having people moving around in pairs, making sure that one is able to guide the other if they are blind, this would make the exercise safer and hopefully would make those who are blind feel more comfortable and able to get involved in the exercise.  Also this would add another layer onto the exercise of developing trust between the pair, especially with the person who is blind as they had to rely on the other person to take care of them. I think that this creates a new element to the exercise of getting to know each other as in a company trust is really important.

Numbers

In this exercise we were put in groups and given a number for our group, when pointed at we had to show our number on our fingers, this was developed to saying the number and then to doing a group movement when pointed to. I think that overall this was a really good exercise to use with a group of people who had just met and with mixed abilities as it had a simple premise but included vocal and physical interaction. This meant that if someone in the company was restricted physically they could still get involved and support the group vocally and the same if someone was restricted vocally they could use their physicality instead. I think that this is really important because it gives all members of  the group a job and something to be involved in and contribute to, meaning that even if they were restricted they could still be an asset to the group instead of feeling like they are restricting the group. It also meant that the group had to learn to work together and be in unison to create an interesting image or strong sound. For a group that have just met I think that this is important to the company as it gets them working together and being in tune with each other, learning what everyone can and cannot do.