Tuesday 30 April 2013

arty snaps

Lydia and a new painting  -  Friday


 Zoe -we still aim for dress design but upcycling is interesting!


face to go on a mobile by Sam


mobile planet parts designed by Zoe made by Toby - studio

we bought eventually some more red material, Anna playing and Michael photographing, exploring ideas!

Monday 29 April 2013

Timeline Time!

It's timeline time!
I was going to blog solely about the exciting rehearsals, when busy i often can't find things quickly so i have tried to catch some rehearsals on film but keep missing it, as forget where my small camera is, in the excitemant of the moment.
Some set pieces for the 31st, some loose lovely pop ups with groups off wandering. Installations are an interesting learning curve, some require a lot of work beforehand, some just thinking as doing will happen on the day, so lots of different creative timelines going on, all part of the interesting learning curve which we wanted. As always in Shallal it's the conversations and seeding ideas which need to happen but time is short so they are often in snatches and then ideas fill out over smaller conversations in other times, and percolate outside rehearsals and art time.
5 new people to our process each coming in with very different experience and it can take a while to get used to us, find your place in the environment, the company is run to be easy for vulnerable people, so takes adjusting also, it is not just recreation, it is fun but it also is confronting and work and ...many things! We have the pleasure of with working with George, improvising musician on this project.
Rory is back doing some design and back from film work! everyone was very pleased to see him and to see Marjorie who popped in at the end of the day. We have finally found a form for the dance to the music she has chosen, which we want to dedicate to her and hope to show her soon.

Timelines of marketing, publicity, finding funding coincide or collide! with performances....outreach work, dates coming up;

April 30: Sketchbooks return date
May 25: Open Studio Opening/Private view 5-8pm 
27, 28, 29: Open Studios 10am -3pm at The Studio in the grounds of The John Daniel Centre, Heamoor, Penzance
27: Workshop at Falmouth Art Gallery with Jo
28: Shallal 2 performance at Falmouth Art Gallery
29: Holi-day, Holifield farm, Gweek,.
Main co pop ups, Workshop with Colin and Shallal 2 performing
31: 2ii's at Gyllyngdune Gardens, Falmouth
June:
13: Inclusivity Day at UCF
Morning Workshop with Mark Smith and discussion and inclusivity workshop/open space in the afternoon
more information on our website www.shallal.org.uk and coming soon on this blog


lots of planning going on, Shallal is a people organisation and peoples lives change unexpectedly, so " the best laid plans of mice and men" and "How do you make God laugh? tell Him your plans", as Phil told me. Most of the major experiences in Shallal have been unexpected, but still you have to plan the everyday and keep going, as wishes come true and you look back and see you are where you'd hoped to be etc..you might have guessed that part of this is me giving myself a pep talk...!! and i have been looking back on paths within Shallal, stimulated by current events and an email from Shelley who worked with us 15 yrs ago remarking on fond memories of the family feel in Shallal.

Really enjoyed my time at The Studio last week as was able to talk to Toby and Zoe about plans/projects they have. Sam is happy watching his work develop. Interesting that in Shallal we have great faith in peoples work and not the need to "teach", we want to impart skills and learn but everyone is a valid artist, just needing the right climate/environment and support. I am always excited when i see the mutuality involved in the creative relationships, each shine, 'better to give than to receive" if you give of yourself and both people do. Debs and Trevor dancing, Toby working on actualising the mobiles of Sam and Zoe's designs.....people supporting and inspiring each other. I watch them closely and am so impressed. And the outside timelines get harder, ( funding!!) and the internal ones get to crunch point, not many weeks left.
We have bought the red material for Anna's idea, and some orange material for Zoe, we are setting dates to film with Barbara. We need to do a site visit again soon to consolidate ideas.
We are hopefully filming with Tom next week in the parks, a good try out for pop ups!

I think we are also unusual in that we are formed so strongly by the people involved....and that is why we attract artists ....
I had hoped to add some photos but they will have to wait....

Return of the Sketchbooks!

Zoe's was the first back, the rest of us are working away! to finish on time..we will put out a survey for feedback soon...so we can learn from this.
Thank you to Diana who has lovingly and artistically numbered them and will be cataloging them, so do please return them on time..thank you!

If you have taken a Shallal Sketchbook to play in, fill with ideas, artwork etc.

Please return your sketchbook to whoever gave it to you, 30th April is our return date, (do contact us if you joined in late and need an extra week!)
This is a pre-pilot and we are very grateful you have joined us on our first excursion into the world of Shallal Sketchbooks.
Do please consider giving a donation of £1 +, if you haven't already, we aim to make it inclusive but there are costs involved.

The Sketchbooks will be on show at;
Shallal Open Studio 
Saturday 25 May 5 - 8pm at The John Daniel Centre, Heamoor, Penzance 
Monday 27,Tuesday 28,Wednesday 29 May from 10am - 3pm 

and

2ii's Shallal's Improvisation and Installation Day
at Gyllyngdune Gardens, Princess Pavillions, Falmouth
Friday 31 May 10am onwards

more info on our website and blog soon

We are really looking forward to it, thank you for being a part of this and hope you can come and see your sketchbook and others at one of the above events.

best wishes from
Jo and all at Shallal

Jo Willis
Artistic Director

Shallal

Monday 15 April 2013

AIR event and news

Last night Mary and I went to;

Communicating Climate Change is an interdisciplinary forum for ideation and discussion.
www.air.falmouth.ac.uk/research-projects/air-pressure

The exhibition is well worth a visit, some, thought provoking, humourous, educational exhibits

and Jem Mackay ( Skye's dad, Anne's husband) is overseeing a film
Swarm TV is an interactive website that enables people to make films together. During the AIR:Pressure conference, the challenge is to make a film about climate change in 5 days, and Swarm TV is looking for participation from anyone and everyone who would like to get involved at whatever level.

Very exciting for me as a normal stay at home on a Monday home educating mother of 2 children,1 teenager,( 1 at college ), 1 now adult! to go out and listen, learn, enter into discussions etc, however the reason i can be found leading workshops, becomes evident as in some situations i can be too loud! which i tend to forget as it gets absorbed in my normal work! However there's nothing like your children to remind you. Also i think i always expect to have some level of "fun" with art and immediately enter my childish state, that combined with anything that may remind you of school?!...however i do hope to go out to similar events again and am grateful to have such exciting initiatives on our doorstep.

Today; off to meet lovely Amanda Harris from KEAP www.keap.org.uk this afternoon, haven't had a chance to chat in years, except in passing, creative chat re Sketchbooks, ( this morning i am blogging rather than working to finish a 2nd stage application about them- i am not a natural finisher - thankfully many who work with me are!)

Good to have Rory back doing some design work for us, always a pleasure to collaborate with him.

Off to a home ed writing workshop at Falmouth Art gallery this morning run by lovely Jo Lumber, who is now a founding performer/artist in Shallal 2. Last went to a workshop with her when the children were small in the library and at Truro Museum. We are working with her for Fal River Festival Performance by Shallal 2 at Falmouth Art Gallery, Tuesday 28th May 2pm.

Creative changes to the Studio communicated by Colin last night, exciting news on mobiles!
 and we are urgently seeking ways to help the Studio continue and expand after the summer.....

The morning calls, chickens to let out, teenagers talking to.....
wishing you a good ( warm spring) day!


Sunday 14 April 2013

Pipeline Theatre

Old friends Jude and Alan Munden and their daughter Anna are 3/5th's of Pipeline Theatre, an exciting new company and a new play, which needs to be seen, needs support and looks good, last chance to see it locally is this Saturday 7.30pm at the Burrel Theatre, Truro. Suitable for over 12's.

www.pipelinetheatre.com
http://vimeo.com/60105241

Jude ( and Pam Verran) created costumes for Shallal's show Mind the Gap  and has provided costumes for Doorways.

Feedback from the last Inclusive Dance Theatre day

Despite not having the company of Access and Castaways Theatre companies, who were unable to make it at the last minute, we had a good, full and successful day. Thank you to everyone who has supported these days we have had a good mix of old and new faces, and the pleasure of working in such a wonderful space. 23 participants this time and 9 were under 16! which is promising for the ideal of inclusion in the future generations. (Members of 4 families were involved.)
Thanks to Debs and Colin for all their support and work.
Thanks to Feast http://www.feastcornwall.org/community-art-cornwall/
and The Performance Centre for enabling these days to happen.

Feedback;

Loved it!..have to say I enjoyed this day (out of the 3) the most. The size of the group was good; big enough to break off into smaller groups yet small enough to have full use of the space.
I LOVE working in this space; a real treat  wonderful to have such standard of facilties and lovely to have natural light. Jo's facilitation is fantastic -  I think the structure of many different exercises includes everyone and keeps everything fresh rather than labouring on one task for too long.
Good to work intensely when rehearsing for performance but these days should be about doing a lot of things. And we did! I think the gradual arrival of people in the previous day was a distraction to concentration and so today we were far more focussed. A GOOD GROUP!  Yet the others were too!!
Today had a good balance of mostly doing and partly viewing.

It was great fun
I really enjoyed the whole day
I really enjoyed meeting new people

Good rhythm, nice energy, interesting bunch of individuals, felt encouraged on the whole.
Good venue enough space to express yourself.

Excellent. Well worth it.

Wonderful for creating movement, and a treat to be a part of such an open group.

I really enjoyed it. Doing different shapes with different people. I found it challenging to do what I did with Colin crossing the room in front of everyone but enjoyed it, and I felt more confident after I did it. I really enjoyed the afternoon, it had more gentle movements, the morning was busy and hectic. I think we need to be better at improvisation and not doing the same things a lot. Good to make new friends. I really enjoyed the different songs and how to move.

An amazing day which I loved for myself. Also very touched in witnessing those who have learning disabilities and their individual decision making in the dance/acting. Enormously validating in me being able to be me - solo and in communication with others.
Excellent leadership and facilitation.

A nice relaxed time.
A totally safe enviroment with no judgement - felt free to be fully expressive with no boundaries

Very inspiring
         informative
         fun  
         inclusive and welcoming
         relaxed in nice way
Didn’t quite get into the afternoon. Was a bit tired and achy and not so confident with acting and without music. But I enjoyed it anyway, but went more into an audience.
Defintely got a taste for more!

A wonderful day, I worked very hard. The dance was graphic and expressive. Learn a few new skills and  felt I improved on others I had.

It was good

really enjoyed it!

It was really good!

It was really fun

I was also passed on some interesting work inspired by Anna Halprin in America, and from that i have spent a nice bit of research time listening to Anna Halprin, now 93 - an inspiration, and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen ( Body Mind Centring )
on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKHnxIa1ltg 
from Continuum Movement : Moving Legends they are archival interviews, fascinating and dedicated work, both married with families and still working!

Some belated company photos from research and development trip to Gyllyngdune Gardens, Falmouth;
cafe outside

butterfly!

arches










it was very wet and soggy!


Katie, Demelza and Arran


beautiful shell house

with window




workshopping!



Tuesday 2 April 2013

Last of our 3 Inclusive Dance/Theatre Days

Monday 8th April is the last of our Feast funded Inclusive Dance Theatre Workshops supported by the Performance Centre, Falmouth University.






Do come, they have been fun, entertaining, accessible and useful and have enabled people across the county of all ages and abilities with a love of dance and inclusion, to meet up and share skills and practise, led by Jo Willis from Shallal and Lauren Davey from Access and supported by experienced practitioners, Colin Curbishley and Debbie O'Nyons.

Working with people of different ages and physicality etc, challenges us, it develops our movement, increases empathy and understanding, creates exciting work, enables spontaneous work of depth and fun to be created from simple exercises. We work in light hearted but safe and structured way to enable everyone to access and join in at a comfortable but also challenging level for themselves.

It's happening elsewhere ( see link) as the need for inclusive skills is recognised
http://www.communitydance.org.uk/DB/events-and-training-8/introduction-to-inclusive-dance-practice.html

Come along and see how Shallal and Access work, meet company members, other artists etc...



following on from this is our;
Inclusivity dayhosted by The Performance Centre, Thursday June 13th.
Dance workshop 10am - 12pm with choreographer Mark Smith.
Mark is the founder and artistic director of an all-male dance company called Deaf Men Dancing. He choreographed the Paralympic Opening Ceremony 2012. http://marksmithproduction.com/index.html

followed by discussion and then an afternoon to explore inclusive practise funded by Feast, with support from Arts for Health and other local organisations.
contact us for more information, 

and more detail on our blog and website soon