Merestone Residency continued.....

During the week there were many reminders of why I enjoy this work so much. There are the obvious reasons such as creating work from a simple idea and watching the end result performed infront of you on the final day. A lovely thing happened on the final day when one of the School Governors was visiting for a meeting.He sat down at the back of the hall whilst the group were going through their final rehearsal before performing to class mates and teachers. He congratulated the group on such a wonderful performance and announced that he was due to leave at that point to attend a meeting, he decided however to stay and watch the performance a second time as he was so impressed.I feel this was real praise to everyone involed throughout the week. I really hope that I can continue to carry out projects at Merestone in the future.

Merestone School Residency Evaluation

Drawing from previous residencies held at Merestone School, I entered into the week with enthusiasm and an expectation of being part of something really special. In addition i also felt very reflective due to the fact I would be co-leading on the project with Ray Jacobs.Ray was my mentor at Blue Eyed Soul in the early years.

The participants came from Merestone and Forset Oak Special School and Smithswood Secondary School housed next door to the other two schools.

We chose to follow the theme of the Olympic games and its values and ethos. Its funny how that ethos was present throughout the process with the integration aspect working smothly without it being made into a major issue. The level of understanding of what the group nedded from staff was amazing which in tern really helped Ray and I focuss on delivering enjoyable sessions, and creating a beautiful performance piece. I felt that this residency allowed me to explore creative ideas and get them across into the piece and I noticed a new confidence in myself throughout the week. This initially was a concern for me as the project was my first residency after being off Ill for 7 months.To say i felt a bit rusty was an understatement. However once inside the 'bubble' of the week things seemed to really flow for me.

Residency with Merstone, Forest Oak and Smithswood Schools

It was great to return to Merstone School for our fifth yearly residency, meeting up with old friends and making new ones.  We have been working with 24 energetic and creative young people working towards a sharing on Friday afternoon.  We followed the schools current theme of the Olympic games, exploring what they meant to us and how its values are echoed within the workshop environment.
The young people from the three schools have integrated excellently, sharing skills and supporting one another. During our lunch break we learnt to play dodge ball, and now keep a safe distance!
Areas that we have been focusing on with the group include: different qualities of physical contact, performance skills, moving with strength and confidence, and finding a good balance between play, exploration and focus.
We are looking forward to sharing our work on Friday and celebrating the achievements of all in the group.