Today's school workshop was in quite a different school from yesterday's - a public elementary school, with a group of ten year olds. The space was bigger too, and the session extremely focused and rich. We repeated some of the exerises from Tuesday, and then added an extra activity which went a little deeper..a role-play where groups booked their passage on a space ship 
to a new world, in exchange for their plans of how to run it..
The school sessions have been the perfect way to begin, with the actors plunged into their world, and dealing straight away with the issues of language in the straightforward way that the children do. In terms of content the striking thing is so often the similarity with children in England, rather than the difference. This group had the same preoccupations to a large extent, as with workshops around the subject in Birmingham. There was some difference in the way the group collected brooms and swept the hall at the end of the session, though!
to a new world, in exchange for their plans of how to run it..The school sessions have been the perfect way to begin, with the actors plunged into their world, and dealing straight away with the issues of language in the straightforward way that the children do. In terms of content the striking thing is so often the similarity with children in England, rather than the difference. This group had the same preoccupations to a large extent, as with workshops around the subject in Birmingham. There was some difference in the way the group collected brooms and swept the hall at the end of the session, though!
In the afternoon, back at base, we fed back on responses to the schools work, and then had our first concentrated session creating ideas...exciting and sparky and fascinating - we seem to have a good mixture in our team, and the atmosphere is noticably easy and fertile already.
The writer's meeting went long into the evening, and we already have a feeling that the time here is short. There are some frustrations with the two step transl
ation English-Korean, Korean -Japanese etc, and we have been discussing our translation methods in Japan. This is felt much more acutely in the writers discussions, however, in the rehearsal room there is a clear pattern already of the most exciting moments being least involved with words in any language...
ation English-Korean, Korean -Japanese etc, and we have been discussing our translation methods in Japan. This is felt much more acutely in the writers discussions, however, in the rehearsal room there is a clear pattern already of the most exciting moments being least involved with words in any language...
1 comment:
Workshop notes
Some of the highlights and observations from the workshops in schools. Things said by children, and images created.
The future is fine, because there will be a rainbow
There is only a half earth, the other half has been lost
The earth is decaying [going bad…like food]
Darkness is eating the brightness
Seeds are the best thing to take to the new world. Seeds, trees flowers.
We need good food, good hygiene, good medicine and good thinking.
We will need to guard the trees with an army, not the people.
Monsters, creatures.
Problems with the air…choking
Korea is a tiger, a feeling of festival
Japan is Dokdo, bowing, little steps
England is fighting, kings and queens and football, an elephant, and no sunset.
Prejudices in some ways evident in the concepts of each country, but not at all in the attitude to the actors.
The president is a man thumping his fist and speaking into microphones.
The world has been made dirty by thoughtlessness. We need to clean it up together.
In the public school, children swept the room before and after the session…
I am not afraid of the night. The night is beautiful, full of stars. I am only afraid of being alone in the dark.
When we have a new world we will need a party to welcome it.
Observation – many of their choices at this age are ‘selfish’ choices. The unselfish aspects of the workshop seemed to be
Parenting – looking after the non-korean actors. Checking after leaving them. Leading, hand-holding.
Care for the natural world
Clarity of thinking – sometimes the wisdom of children equals thinking that has not become over-complicated by knowledge or tarnished by prejudice.
In discussion of these sessions
The shock of the level and nature of physical contact, to the Japanese and English teams
Importance of children finding love, where they feel alone or pressured. This can only be done by communication.
Feeling something bad or horrible coming to themselves. Monster, kidnap, pollution…
Emotional issues..what is near them, close to them concerns them most
The need for seeds was interesting, so was the need for a clock.
So, they sense difficult and important things, but do not know what to do, they are not ready yet.
Big question - What is the most important thing for us in the future?
The younger group in the private school..they knew the vocabulary but lacked the understanding…they knew the word futures, but had no sense of its meaning.
English was a barrier for them,. Because they saw the foreigners merely as an opportunity to speak English…
Most beautiful things..flowers, friends, dancing…
Back to back image…solitude, lack of friends.
Saddest image was of beating
Post a Comment