Monday 18 January 2016

visit to Godolphin - small group - and new poem


Saturday we had sunshine and went to Godolphin with Belinda for some more image collecting, sadly Zoe Osmond couldn't make it. We went ahead experimenting with a small mobile group which enabled Anna and Skye to engage more with the project, they had the giggles some of the time and we had fun exploring different spaces. 
Skye with Anna filming, winter light on plaster wall behind the Doorway

getting the giggles


in the garden 'the doorway' between the woods, field and house





After a particularly lovely improv from 'doors half open' on Friday i suggested, "you could try to write a poem for this" and joy of joys Elaine did!

When one door closes another opens

Some people say -
‘When one door closes another opens’
but first I think we need to seek to find the outer gate.
Leading up the garden path we pause
and pick the flowers by the way,
before we seek another route.

If only we could see behind these doors,
spy in little windows or
peep between the cracks and look in keyholes,
maybe find the secrets to our future lives.

But no, we must push on further,
take the road less travelled and
so then we knock a little louder on the doors we find.

See - in the darkness – someone is on the other side,
a crack of light spills out,
we push the handle harder and
take the hand that’s offered……..
Leaning to embrace, it pulls us through.

15th January 2016

Elaine Stammers

Thursday 14 January 2016

Private View Tuesday 2pm - 3.30pm 19th January.

                                                           
Private View on Tuesday 2pm - 3.30pm 19th January
Falmouth Art Gallery

We are delighted to invite you to a private view of artwork by artists from Shallal Studios and Falcare. The work is currently on exhibition at Falmouth Art Gallery in the community space and the private view will be from 2pm to 3.30pm on Tuesday 19th January.
During 2015 Falmouth Art Gallery funded creative work with Falcare and Shallal Studios and the exhibition is the result of this work. 

Shallal Studios
Shallal Studios is part of Cornish charity Shallal and is an inclusive group of artists who enjoy working together and supporting each other.
During summer 2015 Shallal Studios was lucky enough to be awarded a three month residency at Porthmeor Studios in St Ives. This meant that Shallal artists, as well as lots of new artists, could come in whenever they wanted, get to know each other and share studio practice. Thanks to fantastic funding and generous donors we had plenty of inspiring art materials enabling artists to explore new mediums and ways of working.  We also offered free transport to artists who otherwise couldn’t have come. The Shallal Studios work in this exhibition was all made at Porthmeor during the residency.
Please visit www.shallalstudios.com and our Porthmeor blog www.shallalstudios.com/blog .
Falcare
Falcare is a non-profit company in Falmouth that supports people with learning disabilities. Little Parc Owles Trust funding has enabled Falmouth Art Gallery to stage an exciting artist lead project with Falcare and creative practitioner Laura Menzies, making work that celebrated the iconic Porthmeor Studios and its artists (historic and contemporary). The group also visited the studios in St Ives and meet some of the artists working there which was a hugely inspiring experience.
Throughout the project individuals participated in individual and group activities, that allowed them to develop, explore and evolve their creative practices at their own pace. As well as learning new art disciplines, the activities were also designed to support the development of transferable life skills.
For directions to the gallery please visit http://www.falmouthartgallery.com/Gallery/VisitUs .
We hope you will be able to join us on Tuesday.

 Lou Brett, Shallal Studios
Laura Menzies, Falcare
                                                  -------------------------------------
I have seen the exhibition and it is really nice to look back at work from the Porthmeor residency, it is only smaller work so not representative of all that was created but fantastic to see. If you can't make the private view pop into the gallery, it's open every day except Sunday, and the work is hung around the stairs and landing.
Also to have the opportunity to exhibit with Falcare - long standing friends - who support and make up so much of Express Yourself http://www.shallal.org.uk/express-yourself.html on Wednesdays. I stood in for Debs this week and it is always a pleasure to see how people have moved on and flourished within the project! Many thanks to Colin and his multi talented efforts and Debs vision. They are busy creating yet another show and their work is flourishing, as work does with good support and regular opportunity, not to mention friendships and David and Esme's wedding next year!! Thy face a time of evaluation and discussion as the wonderful funding from People's Health Trust comes to an end next month and they move onto their next phase/inspiration.
Everyone has done so well but I want to mention Andrew and his joy and independence in the sessions and Hayley now so confident and showing her full talent that we always knew was there but had to coax out.

Shallal 2 
Many people ill and unavailable this week and only 4 dancers, 2 of them under par but wanting to be there, and yet 4 new pieces of work created, 13mins of really good performance standard work! Just from exploration and having fun.
They hope to show Winter Mixture again before Spring!
My challenge apart from the sessions is to present and show such good work in the right spaces/opportunities.
Jonathan 40 this week
more birthdays to celebrate: 40 for Jonathan and apparently Trevor is now 75 ( not 76 ).

I am procrastinating as one does before serious work/rehearsals and so here's hoping, I am always intrigued by the creative process.
And off to the Godolphin House tomorrow morning with 2 young dancers and Belinda to experiment, we will go whatever the weather, unless it snows!
Last ramble: i spoke with Anne a historian from the Friends of Godolphin this week and within one phonecall heard so many colourful and fascinating tales, we look forward to her talk.
Sponsored dance has already made over £100 thank you to everyone for their efforts and support it was fun and a good way to get back into the new year.

Thursday 7 January 2016

New Year and Trevor's birthday!

Back to work!
Happy New Year.
Lovely Shallal 2 to return to on Wednesday -Thank you to all - and we were all pleased to have Skye and Anna back and wish Eddie well with his animation course!
We looked at photos and fed back on show and future ideas, always one of my favourite creative times, what next? where do people want to take their work? and a visit from lovely Belinda...

So today is our now Annual Sponsored Dance, dancing back into the groove after the Christmas holidays, a joy and fun way to start the new year, 5 hours of non stop dance and music!

So plans, serious research and rehearsals coming up this term and new equipment our new film camera, looking forward to see what people create with it.
Evaluating Cross Currents! again a wonderful 'what next'? time
and chat soon with Jack from Feast to look at developing small pop up team for a few festivals? winter is a time for dreaming and scheming.

A selection of small art work from Porthmeor residency will be on show at Falmouth Art Gallery from today - thank you to them and to Lou. Tea and cake celebration 2pm 19th January.
Talk by Ann from Friends of Godolphin on the 5th Feb main co 10.30am.

And the reason i started this was Trevor's birthday i think he will be 76! on the 12th Jan.
and today we will give him his card, see below...
Trevor is quietly one of the most popular people in Shallal Dance Theatre and we are blessed and grateful to share with him.
He has a delightful light mischievous sense and clarity of movement and intent in improvisation and is one of the people who has particularly shone through our new way of improvised performance, enabling him to fully share his gifts.
He has had various advocates, partners and support to enable him to get to Shallal regularly especially Debs, Duane and now Star - thank you.