Monday 28 November 2016

last week

Images from the week:

Doorways visiting artists continue with Patrick Mcwilliam and sculpture/carving - fun!! everyone who did it last week loved it and did really well...
https://www.facebook.com/WildArtCornwallSculpture/

More dances coming together for the piece and Barbara Santi in filming for a short 'older' dancer film, i dislike categories, but if we do this we show older dancers/artists working with every other age, so celebrating and getting our inclusion perspective out there!

Animation design also started with Barbara....
and postcards i am collecting for our AGM getting finished! bring them in all of you who are late or have forgotten!!

Currently writing termly report and thinking i had nothing much to say and then finding we are full, full full, wonderful and thank you to our funders and donors!

AGM Friday 2pm Newlyn

Showing from Footprints this Saturday 3 - 6pm Saturday Back Lane West, Redruth
come along for refreshments and to see some of the work produced over the past month!

Ben and Brian

6 work benches and all go...



some worked in pairs and then this group were left and created a great new piece!

with Katy! and Jo behind - eyes right!


photos by Victoria, so pleased she and George are working on the book, see George's lovely photos from the residency on the studios blog http://www.shallalstudios.com/blog/ilcollectiveshallalinaligans


Thursday 24 November 2016

The past week

from Craig at Squashbox Theatre
 "had a really wonderful time performing to the group - one of the best audiences I've ever had!"
"I loved doing my show for you!
It was a real joy to perform for an audience who were so attentive and enthusiastic."

We were able to invite in other groups to watch as well....
Craig showing how the puppets work 





Well done to Alice, Janice and Tom on Tuesday night at the Bodmin Dance Platform we hope to make it a regular event in our calender!
I love the Liskerett centre the warm, clean, uncluttered, light space with shafts of light and a view!!
unwinding towards the end of the session
Janice, Tom and Pam

Last not least a great week for BLW;  more details on Shallal Studios blog

this week visited The Shallal Sketchbooks and yesterday the Collective, and this weekend sees Pep, Colin and Kerry with some mats and a stepladder! joined in the afternoon by musicians Delpha and Nigel! with Kerry and Mel in on Sunday ( Toby maybe as well)
The next week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday i get a chance to 'play" with Shallal artists and guests moving and drawing and ....! 
Come and see some of what has happened on Saturday 3rd December  3 - 6pm
and another chance with interactions in the Private view ( we are fixing the date ) At Helston Museum gallery 3- 16 January



looking at film
And just a few hat photos! from last week :
Zoe

hats in the making!
and today we celebrate Victoria's birthday she has brought so much to Shallal and this afternoon she delivers the second Shallal Sketchbook Project workshop with St Levan School.

if you haven't seen it then....https://www.instagram.com/shallalsketchbooks/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/shallalsketchbooks/

This afternoon Barbara Santi returns with film opportunities , animation this time!- and we start work with Patrick Mcwilliam on sculpture!!

Behind the scenes Lou soon starts writing bid/s for us and our AGM is next Friday 2pm 2nd December at St Peter's Hall, Newlyn.

This summer holidays was the first summer for many years when i haven't had to carry concerns about structure and funding and i am very grateful to everyone who has enabled that, and to those in the past who supported us through to this point.

About to sign off without mentioning the real improvement and sensitive and confident work, withinteresting choreography, i saw at Friends and Dancing this week! do get along to their Sharing on morning of 14 December, Dracaena Centre, Falmouth if you can.

Saturday 19 November 2016

A rich time & a short rant re moving on/forwards Art: Provision, Perspective and Delivery of art for everyone!

We've just had a wonderful rich time:

Yesterday....
A show by Squashbox Theatre to Shallal Dance Theatre and guests, followed by a really interesting discussion on how Craig creates work etc, part of our Doorways Rand D.


Wonderful opportunity to see a free HFC show all together for most Shallal community groups! Thank you Hall for Cornwall, each group decides on a show they want to see, that will be fun in itself!
Shallal Sketchbooks first 'proper' outing, of its relaunch, at St Levan School, wonderful images and a great success, well done Victoria - so pleased!

Amazing hats emerging from workshops with Victoria and Amanda

in the week......
Book meeting held so we are on our way, where it will lead we don't quite know yet, but i just needed it started,  the team are Victoria and George (with me floating around) and we hope to be helped by George's friend Jonathan http://www.edgeoftime.co.uk/
also 'phew' something positive - to combat the trends in the NHS screening
http://www.edgeoftime.co.uk/index.php?p=lk01&c=lkup
http://www.edgeoftime.co.uk/index.php?p=lk02&c=lkup

Good meeting with trustees Nick and Lesley-ann, we learn a lot from their experience, insight and support - thank you - and Lou is now able to crack on with our next stage in our strategy for funding, and all those lovely possibilities and plans....

and
Liskeard new group, small but beautiful, a little microcosm of who Shallal reaches and speaks to and three of them are performing on Tuesday at Bodmin College in a dance platform...see poster...

Footprints residency at Back lane West nearly half way through - Jo Lumber in the studio with writing, performing and music on her mind this weekend  - i love residencies, the chance to dig deeper, dwell longer on things and in process and more friends to join us....

Shallal Sketchbooks there on Monday and Tuesday...see poster....


3 of the Liskeard group. Janice, Alice and Tom - final pose of last dance! all improv so come along and see them in action on Tuesday evening!
more photos on FB page

A slightly older blog which fits with the "Hurray" we are pursuing our funding dreams...
Rant
"I'm one of those people who learn by talking, or ear bashing! apologies those who have to listen!
so today when discussing how next to look for funding for Shallal with Lou, i felt strongly that - as i had said ( politely i hope ) in my provocation at AHSW conference -
Please, lets stop congratulating ourselves that art makes a difference in peoples lives, we know that! Art Therapies have been around a long time now, Community Arts long enough to know they work and should have supporting evidence eg,  dance is good for your health, well being, confidence, decision making etc etc etc. I'm not an academic but papers have been written on it...so rather than reinventing the wheel or saying again 'good hygiene is good for health' - we know that, 'The arts can work' we know that,
So how do you present them?
How do you take them out into the wider society, the world of creative arts so everyone can join in, not just in ghetto groups but altogether...so i want to suggest change in Art: 'perspective, provision and delivery', i want Shallal to, ideally, be funded for that!"

Enthusiasm
Ecstasy
Encouragement

the first 2 have been on my mind and then the third popped in, and recently i had the opportunity to talk about it to Artist Joan Gabie
What happens when the art absorbs you, painting/drawing/dancing, timelessness takes over, you touch something else
you can't command it, you can make opportunity to fall into it
What unities people who like to dance together....?

non verbal art forms.....

Structure
Stimulus
Suggestion

and so it goes on....


Sunday 6 November 2016

Catch Up


Eddie's hat in the making

Lydia at lunchtime.
Lydia is a lady of outfits, sometimes 3 a day!!
this was her Halloween theme for lunch
Now with Facebook and our Shallal Studios blog, it is sometimes a decision as to where to put things, however this blog is still a good place for bits from everything.

Open invitation to friends to join us on Friday 18th 11am for free Squashbox Theatre Show at St Peter's Hall, Newlyn.

Good news that the Safariseat Kickstarter project we have mentioned and advertised on FB, has hit a target to £50,000 and is still going strong. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/safariseat/safariseat-open-source-wheelchair-for-developing-c/posts/1720814


Footprints residency at Back Lane West has started and going strong, last week Joan Gabie followed by Anna and Annis, this week Laura Menzies and friends, follow it on Shallal Studios blog and FB.

Shallal Sketchbooks relaunch with Victoria Hodgkinson and has its first official outing soon to St Levan School and then the residency. Fantastic to have it in partnership with Falmouth Art Gallery and library, and how things swing round as some years ago the Libraries put in for a combined project and now it is happening!
https://www.facebook.com/shallalsketchbooks/ and also on https://www.instagram.com/shallalsketchbooks/?hl=en

Some Shallal Studio artists are signed up for Outside In Pallant House Gallery South West touring exhibition http://www.outsidein.org.uk/lets hope some of them get in, more on Studios blog.

So a few photos from around Shallal:
Colin's hands and my feet captured by Victoria's camera,
our arty meeting, pulling together Dreams and Visions and ideas from Shallal Dance Theatre for the next Doorways Show
and we have the date July 14 


A plethora of wonderful photos lovingly sorted into a book and extra put on a special FB page - Thank you Belinda.
https://www.facebook.com/Shallal-at-Godolphin-House-1691007837886514/

Happy Birthday to Demelza a week or so ago!
this one made me laugh!
Demelza and Colin! 


Photos from rehearsal 4 November:
experience and risk taking, combined in Demelza, Kerry and Zoe.
Kerry with Colin and Pep are in BLW soon for a day exploring hanging off stepladders!

Skye has written and recorded a lovely song for us, but i was unsure how we would use it, however on Friday it found its home accompanying this, which became a potential centre piece with 4 other supporting groups for the stairwell maybe - very exciting! The teenagers are sorely missed however we were able to commission this song from Skye, and Anna and Annis have been in Back Lane West, so we are all still connected!

Lydia threw off her pink visor - very fetching on Colin!

Really good morning at least 4 new pieces on the way


Thinking of making a short documentary with Barbara Santi for a PDSW competition which focuses on dancers over 50! there are 8 of us now over 50, our age range at present is 19 - 83 or 84?

"The world isn't simple enough to explain in words," Studio Ghibli creator Miyazaki from film The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness.

His working process is lovely, he doesn't know the end till he gets there....

Friday 30 September a busy day!


"We are very pleased that the group enjoyed taking part.  What a fantastic group that you facilitate. It was a privilege to be part of it for the afternoon.

Yes, it was a great high score, and we will definitely keep you informed of the competition results."

Dr Amanda Lucas
Postdoctoral Research Associate
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
University of Exeter
Cornwall Campus

Thank you to trustee Hennie who recommended us for, we knew not what! and to Colin who made it run smoothly and Amanda and Debbie the researchers!
Screens were put up forms and instructions circulated around the place and participants waited on chairs as in a waiting room, but a quiet bubble of intrigue and interest was sustained and the result was fun and some surprising high scores - hidden talents to the fore!

All that after:
 a visit from old Shallal friend Patrick Mcwilliam ( previously known for enthusiasm and vaulting over piano stools at Open House Penzance! many years ago) and some wild and wonderful ideas already percolating for sculptures, installations and more!
Barbara popping in, so grateful for all her multi layered input and support
Tom Willoughby leading a morning fun and interesting dance/movement/ mime/hiphop style workshop with high appeal
During which George and i managed a creative meeting to get the next phase of rehearsals and planning moving
Last not least George and Victoria will work on our book 
and more:
Zoe's wonderful red dress in time for the Summer Pop Up show!!
busy day!
Thanks to Victoria for sourcing this, Zoe was thrilled.

Passmore Edwards and his hat by Eddie
(Passmore Edwards turned down a knighthood twice!)