Looking back on the week...

 A Call to Home St Austell

Comments from our book...

"I thought it was a different show, like I'd never seen before. I thought the acting was great and everyone was enjoying themselves" Mark ( who used to live with Trevor!:) at St Mawes

"I liked a lot. I liked that everyone was interacting and taking part. It was very moving and inspirational". Natasha

"I liked the animals!" Rob

"I liked the animals too! I liked the music." Kerry

we had a 'small is beautiful' audience

due to competing 'beach and barbecue' a Friday night 'heatwave ' before rain all weekend!

 

However we raised over £100 for our new project.

We had a wonderful range of audience, Elizabeth and Demelza had people to sign for, the access was needed, family, friends, those who knew us, those who don't,  supporters from the church venue, Charlotte who wrote our NPO application and four people who want a group like Shallal in St Austell, so all good! 'Quality not quantity' and you only need 'to move' one person to make it worthwhile and apparently we moved a few! 

So onward to dear Trevor's Tribute

Pleased to have Leigh Jacobs with us for an internship next month so his curational skills can help set up the space.

Also a big well done to Phoebe and Lou and all in the Underworld Project, it was really enjoyable to see the range of responses to their Bat and Seaweed themes...

"Toby demonstrated his invention this afternoon at the Underworld exhibition sharing. It's inspired by bat sound, echos and waves".  Lou 

photo soon hopefully

Pam reading her poem. 

Kresen Kernow was a lovely venue for it.

 

This blog becomes less representative of much of Shallal and more of a slice, as what we do and deliver expands.

I'm loving going into Double Trees School and need to write it up our project on the website, it was our first session on Monday!

However covid still haunts and lurks, as two from that session now have it..it was a busy morning.

Loving our R&D 'Sound and Voice' with Holifield Day Centre.

Looking forward to Back Lane West planning for October residency, already have one artist keen to have space and time for own R&D, need to get Coats back in! could be a whole project of its own, keen to R&D installations ...devise Christmas Songs, develop Podcasts and more!

Meeting supporting Passmore Edwards projects with Dean and Hennie.

Oh and bumped into Josh at Old Redruth Library so looking forward to building on chats and contact Phoebe has had with him. 

We are currently searching for storage for Shallal 'stuff' props, mats, art work, costumes and all sorts and so that also means Shallal grows up and leaves home more, as much is stored in my home and its getting clogged up, as we grow and need to care for it all.

more to remember ....and film

and Zoe's birthday Dance Delivery

such wonderful feedback of how surprised and pleased she was!

Midsummer Dance - advertising

from our good friends Lois and Sam an exciting evening of dance not to be missed...

Midsummer Dance

What happens when you bring exciting, independent dance artists together to collaborate and make new work?
Choreography that pulses with the energy of Midsummer.

We are delighted to share that Midsummer Dance is making a return to Sterts on Sat June 25th, 7.30pm. 

Midsummer Dance is an evening of dance, spoken word and creativity. A collection of solo and group performances, curated by Dance Centred and set on the unique moorland stage of Sterts Theatre. Midsummer has its ancient traditions firmly rooted on Bodmin Moor and each dance artist brings their own contemporary interpretation Including:

Pléyades… Pleiades by Gocha Mendible   - inspired by the indigenous Latin America culture of summer solstice, a transitional time from sun to drought to rain and the effects on the individual and collective. 

Cresendo by Lois Taylor in collaboration with the dancers – a response to the buzz from earth to sky of midsummer.

Song of the Golden Dragon by Sapphire Sumpter - a moment of breaking free from our old selves, shedding the winter skin we have outgrown, to burst out into the unknown.

 

Curious Creature: Lois Taylor in collaboration with the dancers – Bold, colourful, sassy like the peak of summer.

Co-Director Lois Taylor says “ after a long 2 years we are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and share our work with a live audience. ”

Sterts is a fabulous 400 seat Amphitheatre nestled on the side of Bodmin moor and protected by a large canopy for all weather. We invite you to feast with us, by bringing your Midsummer picnic, or purchasing refreshments on site to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Book tickets now:

Midsummer Dance 25th June, 7.30pm, Sterts Theatre.

Sterts Theatre 01579 363282 https://tickets.sterts.co.uk/sales/genres/theatre/midsummer-dance---dance-center/ticket

Choreographer Profiles

Lois Taylor  - national and international touring performer,  artistic director and choreographer for Attik Dance, dance lecturer at Falmouth University and co-founder Dance Centred with Sam Lawrence. www.dancecentred.co.uk

Gocha Mendible –performer and teacher across Venezuela, now based in Cornwall and sharing her love of Dance, Yoga and Pilates through choreography performance and teaching. https://www.gochawellness.com/

Kane John Mills -  ****Theatre & Spoken Word Artist [Facilitator, Maker/Choreographer, Director, Performer, & Writer] based in Plymouth and collaborating with a range of artists and community partners to share and inspire. https://www.instagram.com/kane_john_mills/?hl=en

Sapphire Sumpter – after training at Rambert Trained, her dance artist work includes: Collaborative exploratory work with musicians and filmmakers and a commission to choreograph a full length work for AMICI Dance Theatre company under the mentorship of Wolfgang Stange.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKO0RPolfWo

Shallal Dance – We are delighted that Shallal dancers will open the evening with their own response to midsummer https://shallal.org/shallal-dance-theatre

Performers: Huck New, Suryan Hall, Sam Lawrence, Kane John Mills, Sally Robins, Lois Taylor, Gocha Mendible and Sapphire Sumpter

Underworld Exhibition, A Call to Home, Blue Light Day and Trevors Tribute Tea Dance coming soon!

 I've been trawling through trying to find a photo of Trevor, after making our newsletter, getting ready to be on half term holiday, winding down.

Shallal has expanded and we are embracing that at our next AGM where we hope to start to bring in the whole Shallal participating community as voting members ( at present the voting members are the people in Shallal Dance Theatre).

It's nostalgic trawling back through Facebook photographs, and i need to share some highlights

first the one i was searching for, which was hidden here on the blog in 2014, not on FB!, :

Trevor happy surrounded by beautiful women!

Then not much has changed...

Amused as I still work chaotically with lots of pieces of paper, although i do like a 'post it note' sometimes now! Still love process.

Onto the important externals...

  Looking forward to Shallal Studios 

Yesterday Anna updated our poster for 'A Call to Home' at St Austell to raise funds to provide: 

'Shallal Sketchbooks

Art & Community for Ukrainian Refugees'

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/shallalsketchbooksukraine?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=campaign&utm_content=…

followed by: 

Shallal are at at Blue Light Day

pick up a Shallal Sketchbook from our stand,

 and watch a Shallal Pop Up on stage at approx 11.15am 

Hope to see you there!

The Trevors Tribute Tea Dance

Friday15 July 6-8pm

Princess Pavillions

Falmouth

Everyone welcome and some formal invitations coming soon (as a designer has time)

meanwhile...

such style!

the main thing you need to know is to "Dress to Impress"

We are busy across Shallal in Friends and Dancing, Express Yourself and Shallal Dance Theatre,

 all groups Trevor attended for years. we are making, writing, singing, dancing, acting, reminiscing and collecting memories to create from, and looking forward to our first large social gathering with some flown in on Zoom and Film specially for the occasion which will, also have a lot of cake!

Global crisis - Shallal Response

 I collated this list recently and thought here is a good place to share it.

Global crisis 

Shallal Response

Worked with Manda Brookman supported by CAST for Regenerative Visions for the Arts in Cornwall

Speakers

Judith Knight-  Founder of Arts Admin

Jess Pendergast - ACE women of the year…Onion Collective

Katherine Lewis- Helston Climate Change Action group

Manda Brookman - Cornwall person of the year  - Cafe Disruptif

55 attendees on zoom

BSL and captioning paid by Falmouth Art Gallery & Feast

Regenerative Visions for the Arts in Cornwall Part 2

SW region participants discussion 35

Annual Visioning in Shallal 

Manda Brookman - guest speaker

Now working with her for a Shallal Charter for Change via VSF, external for partners and internal for our housekeeping

Videos - Green Choices introducing the Doughnut ( Doughnut Economics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT9UY_USmWg

“If we ever go back to normal How are you going to change your life?” Eddie Callis artist with autism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO81NmPTMik  328 views

Instagram - created CornishDoughnutFeast 

https://www.instagram.com/cornishdoughnutfeast/?hl=en

Childrens Fire videos for G7 from Shallal individual participants: Sammy, Sam, Kerry, Toby, Katherine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8t3HsRE_c0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YLzq2P6z8Y&t=12s

Shout Louder FEAST 

10 million ….reach stats for their films etc

Voices at the Table youtube film Doughnut Economics by Shallal 2

BSL and Makaton versions

Used by Kate Raworth on a TEDx talk

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbgZJ1WnuM&t=88s    423 views

Project Lab

Doughnut Economics based arts project accepted

Jo Willis one of first members of Cornish Doughnut Collective - Cornwall Council supported group

Culture Declares Emergency on strategy group for approx a year - hoped to promote    inclusion, left to focus elsewhere.

Shallal one of first Penwith organisations to support CEE Bill see blog

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5156469026002019590/8712075895199896522

I would now add fund raising and supporting action for people who are refugees, local and international projects

Benefit for Falmouth and Penryn welcome refugees 2019

Benefit for Children of the Ukraine and Mobile Refugee Support 2022

George's dress rehearsal photos

 There are so many places to put images nowadays FB, instagram etc so these are going in here for a change!

Some for publicity, marketing, some for funders, some just for those involved to see each other, some for our birthday cards! 2 to make one for Toby and one for Sam, both wonderful cross art form artists and good mates, both started in Open House Penzance years ago and now in Shallal Dance Theatre, Shallal Studios and more...

Thank you to George for these dress rehearsal photographs:

Anna Penhaligon

Rev Elizabeth signing, many thanks

good audience, wonderful space, introducing Mobile Refugee Support

to show we were streaming it in Landscape!!?!

Colin and Sam with sticks

Anna, Miles, Toby, Rowan, Eddie, Kerry and Tina

Kerry and all - great ceiling

Toby as Pharoh

Go Down Moses

Star, Bobby, Julie, Becky and Kerry T,
thank you to Julie and all those who were supporting performers 

Toby

Eddie's monkey mask

Bobby and mask

Sapphire, lovely to have her dancing with us - now she is busy with other exciting projects

Noah's Ark

Pete, able to join us for shows and busy in FAD

Toby recorder piece played at the entrance to the show

Debs and Kerry, Debs is back with us each week now

we work in circles

Shallal Village Project - Tobys' words

 Dreaming and Visioning is important, 

Action and Vision.

I asked Toby if I could share this:

"to Bobby, Shallal Village project.

 Hi Bobby, this is my actual response to your suggested project. Which the illustrations were developed from.

      I like the idea that that people could live in small communities on different levels, like medieval towns on hillsides with alleyways and steps leading up, weaving through.

This could be friendly fun community, with secluded gardens and courtyards and spaces people share and meet up. I would want it to invite the light to move gently through it. Openings such as windows, skylights, lantern roofs and places the sun would linger and warm.

 It would be a bit rustic style, different homesteads could be connected by cat walks, or bridges over walkways. Buildings could have cantilevered levels, which would overhang community thoroughfares.

It would spiral up, and the dwellings would have a nest like quality, built over levels where artisan workshops and trading or market areas for day to day hustle and bustle.

Lighting at night would have a permeable magical quality, weaving shadows and reflections. Being reflected through moving water. Instead of garishly bright and relentless. This would contribute to people’s emotional and mental well being.

The over all design would resemble a small citadel, amidst trees and portages gardens, and animal runs and corales.

I imagine it having a flowing form, an integral organic quality. Ergonomic in design, it would invigorate. Inviting interactive play, spontaneity of being. Like Shallal.

Hope this is of interest.

Cheers Toby.

A Call for Home Truro Cathedral 6.5.22 comments & credits

this is a blog so my favourite photo so far:
 is George's, last minute, gaffa taped, 2 tripods on a cathedral platform construction to enable my poor Fairphone* - please note product placement- to livestream the event on FB to friends, last minute so not a big media push, and it came out sideways! however as we speak dear George might have resolved that issue!
Many thanks to George who in this effort epitomises the 'above and beyond' and 'can do' attitude so many bring to Shallal.

 Thank you everyone!

£611.15 raised for 2 charities

80 audience - old and new

Thank you to Sean, Steve, Joe and all team wonderful team at Truro Cathedral.

To Ian and Lin for lighting 

Tracy and Richard for serving the drinks

Elizabeth for signing

Star for suggesting we perform at the cathedral and all the people in Shallal for such a wonderful communal effort.

Photos from George coming soon and you can watch it on 

https://www.facebook.com/ShallalArts 100 views so far!

but apologies at the moment you need to turn it around to see it the right way up! - maybe watch on a phone.

Feedback:

"What a fantastic production last night. We were blown away with the passion, professionalism and sheer joy you all brought to us is such a wonderful setting. It is the third time we have watched  ‘A Call to Home’ and this was even more outstanding than the previous two.

Thank you both so much for making this happen and instilling such enthusiasm in the diverse troupe that makes up Shallal." performers parents email

"thank you so much for allowing me to sign.

What a wonderful company ... they are all so talented." email - signer

"performance was incredible. Eye opening, truly great !!"  email, new audience doctor

it was a joy to be there" 

"Loved the whole darned thing!

What a joy bringer...." whats app - performer

"it was the best and it was so amazing" whats app - performer

"Fantastic Jo ... ....., ...... & I watched it ( whilst eating at the table .. usually a big no-no but this was an exception !) & we loved it .. such an achievement .. WELL DONE  💕 .....sang along & was very engaged & enthusiastic throughout .. & we had front seats ... & what an amazing venue ! 

Now you can relax ! Such a lot of energy needed to pull together such a thing & practical logistics like live-streaming ... it was perfect, good visual & sound ." audience - zoom participant and family

Comments book:

Really wonderful and moving performance and evening, and great fun! Many thanks.

Most incredible evening, with so many wonderful people connecting and coming together . thank you x

"Brilliant

Very nice 

great fun!"

"Well done all wonderful evening" 

"Performances were very good to see"

" What total stars you all are. It was brilliant and very moving. Thank you"

"Such a powerful performance. Beautiful culture, music, dance and so good to people together again. Can't wait until the next one!

"Well done to all you excellent performance"

"It was wonderful and totally from the heart. Thank you so much"

" Absolutely Wonderful ! :) "

"and beautiful. Thank you so much"

CREDITS & INFO

 'A Call to Home' 

title by Michael Willis

Credits

Many thanks to:

Bells - Gem Boord,  with thanks to Terri Stevens

Children - Jacqui Callis and words by Suzan Caroll

Wade in the water/ Were you there - spirituals by (enslaved) African Americans

Lobster Song - words by Nick Darke and music by Jim Carey

Sky - Medwyn Goodall 

Bishops Jig/ No Song No Supper - Dalla

Shallal

The Origin of the world - Dave Shepherd, played by Toby Bridge

Hireth - the Ordinalia, - written and performed by Deborah Udy-O'Nyons

Live Improvised Music by George Clement Peer

The Animals Came in Two by Two  - recorded and produced by Eddie Callis with Stuart Blackmore, including Jacqui Callis - vocals

Lost in Translation - written and performed by Kerry Tomlins

'Reporter' - written and performed by Jo Lumber

Angels - dancers Star and Katie Wheeler filmed by Terry and Jacob, film edited by Star.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Go Down Moses arranged, played and sung by The Wheeler family: Glen, Zo, Katie, Joseph, Arron and Jacob.

Wade in the water and Where you there? - sung by Jo Willis signed by Demelza Rouncefield

Spoken word signing by Rev Elizabeth Foot

We were very excited and grateful to originally be given this commission by Kresen Kernow. Inspired by the Ordinalia and Out of the Ordinary.

It was our first live show since January 2020 and it was very well received on 24 September and in November we performed it at St Peter’s Church, Newlyn. We are pleased to offer an evening Benefit Performance.

We have worked with the themes of the Ordinalia and our own style of Open Improvisation, as always the gloriously varied creativity of everyone shines through and we hope you enjoy it.

A highlight for us is having our friends The Wheelers with us in voice. 

(It will still be sometime till we can all meet up and dance again indoors with them, so Katie danced in a field to be filmed, thank you to Star.)

You can see Zo and Katie with Lily and Zoe in Faraway dances on Shallal Art you tube channel.

The Wheeler family recorded and produced their own version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot at home...

"Everyone's worked really hard and got the swing low, sweet chariot song ready, I hope you like it, we are really pleased. we wrote the arrangement, produced, played and sung it all ourselves, all 6 members of the family feature on the track." Glen

"It's been amazing seeing it grow from nothing, we did the whole thing from scratch, no backing tracks for us. We all joined in, which has been lovely. Hope you like it." Zo

From that they have recorded in a day on their kitchen table, ‘Go down Moses’ for this show.

There's so much to say and we hope the work speaks for itself, do come and chat with us afterwards.

Dancers

Toby Bridge

Tina Butler

Eddie Callis

George Clement Peer

Colin Curbishley

Rowan Curbishley

Katherine Giddings

Jilly Hellerman

Kerry Jackson

Bobby Johnson

Peter Kirby

Jo Lumber

Anna Penhaligon

Demelza Rouncefield

Becky Smith

Star

Miles Stead

Sapphire Sumpter

Kerry Tomlins

Debbie Udy-O’Nyons

Sam While

Backstage/support/costume - Star, Demelza, Julie Watson

Technical Support - George 

Unable to join us today -  Zoe Wilton, The Wheelers and Justin Holland.

Creative Director - Jo Willis

Man of many hats! Co-ordination and transport and more...Colin Curbishley

Front of House - Chris and Viktoriia Gardner, Jenny Stead and Di Burrell

Refreshments - many thanks to Tracy and Richard Clowes

General manager - Chris Gardner

Finance manager - Ian Burns

Many thanks to all our trustees, family, friends and supporters and funders, and to Sean and all at Truro Cathedral for their support.

Please give generously this is a Benefit for Help for the Children of the Ukraine and Mobile Refugee Support.

If you fancy trying an informal fun approach to creativity do join us in person or on Zoom more info at www.shallal.org.uk

* FAIRPHONE https://www.fairphone.com/en/story/