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.