I don't 'do' days but some do and we join them in Happy Downs Syndrome Day!

"I don't do days", i told my husband,*

i support others who do, but for me someone somewhere would still get left out, so i'm thinking i don't do days but i do do days for the planet - that sustains us all and i do Birthdays everyone has one and if you don't know yours you can make one up, choose one.

However though 'i' don't do days,  i know many people who do and do them well so, stolen form Star's facebook page!

 from the past to the present.

*when he mentioned Down syndrome day and then we mentioned Iceland and then we stopped as i wanted to cry...https://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-iceland/ it is genocide, we will look back and be appalled that we let this happen. 

When i was pregnant at 44 on her first visit the midwife pressured me so much about having a test to see if our unborn child might have downs syndrome, it was unexpected and upsetting and she wouldn't stop until in the end i said, " some of my close friends have downs syndrome you need to stop, I find it offensive, you won't change my mind!" 

To give and receive love, joy and affection is a wonderful thing and to care for others is a good lesson to learn for many of us, who are we to make those decisions? just cos you have 'one less chromosome' doesn't mean you are a better person!

I believe in a working together for so many reasons but this is one*, when i grew up people were often institutionalised unseen. Marjorie Zoe's mother, would recount how the doctor came to her soon after Zoe's birth said they could take her daughter away she needn't see her again.  Marjorie's life was changed from that moment on, she fought all the way for Zoe and others to have a good for filled life, and it was lonely and hard sometimes. We have much to thank her and others for, who were trail blazers.http://shallal-arts.blogspot.com/2011/05/marjorie.html

*If you know people you care about them and then hopefully you speak out for them.

Zoom talk, news, R&D Voice and Movement started

 Oh my it's getting so busy! in a good way.

Hard to share/do justice to what's going on, all need their own post...

Last night in our zoom talk Anna's slide choice presented a slice of Shallal from 1985 till today via people, Zoe, Toby and Trevor to Residencies and cross art form, Embodied space ending up at 'Marks, movement and Conversations.' 

(20 people on zoom talk ""Very inspiring... Thanks...I'd be wanting to get involved if I wasn't already.. 😁)

However this isn't the end as installations seem to be a really positive development for our collaborations and we realise we have 2 already on the boil or brewing, with Lisa Mortensen, Eddie and Anna and Peter Freeman and George and SDT, we would like to grow one with Janet's art work as well.

What an extraordinary pleasure when collaborations come off so beautifully, i was stunned by the curation and vision of Leigh Jacobs hanging the marks made in the 2 workshops. He transformed a seemingly small awkward sized space /gallery into a wonderful inviting intriguing installation which called you in and offered so much. I'll ask someone else to describe it and hope to document it this week.

An appreciative audience of approx 50 for our 2 pop up performances on Friday evening - thank you team! and Jonty Lees and everyone who supported it so warmly and worked hard to enable it.

Shallal Sketchbooks

Yesterday the Shallal Sketchbook zooms started again weekly, thanks to The Claire Milne Trust funding.

Voice and Movement' R&D at Holifield Farm Project 

Yesterday afternoon i had the pleasure to go to Holifield Farm Project to start an R&D that has been brewing for years 'Voice and Movement', I'd love a Shallal style 'choir'. 

The joy of familiar faces Liam and Emily - both had been in Shallal Dance Theatre years ago - Rupert i met as a toddler 25+ years ago! and Ian and some others I knew from centres i worked in many over 25 years ago! 

Thank you to Sadie for supporting this and Anna now interning with us and Elle volunteering with us. We plan to do 8 free sessions. I feel able to do this due to the musical skills of Sadie and then Elle so they compensate for my lack but i'm enthusiastic and we made great sounds and had fun!

Ideas

In true Shallal style you talk about something and already people are suggesting more and developing it, Zoe and Eddie had 4 good ideas from the talk, and Janice and co in Liskeard are developing and playing with their own style mark making. 

Thomas at Liskeard group

Someone in the audience was going to ask about the meaning of cross art form but after the talk said she now understood it in Shallal, which was good to know. 

Faraway dances 

a passion project! most of them are, check them out on our Shallal Arts you tube channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHqXvGvul--aNrXo-NoGtsA/videos

Lily, Joseph, Colin and me and Demelza

Time to prepare for the zoom sessions today and my weekly chat to our manager Chris whose calm at the centre of Shallal is really noticeable now, in so many of us being able to keep producing more and feeling well supported, thank you to the trustees and Ian as well and Charlotte.
Chris has been super busy outside Shallal with setting up/co-ordinating responses to the needs in the Ukraine and the suffering people.
https://planetradio.co.uk/pirate-fm/local/news/cornwall-group-offers-homes-for-refugees/

The global crisis asks more of all of us and i was thinking we could all aspire to tithe our time, ( many do already) 10 or 20% of our free time would make a real difference if we all did it and it could precipitate more positive change.

RSA 
As part of our UNBOXED: Collective Futures project we are inviting you to submit examples of collective participatory initiatives you're involved in. Together, we can show the power of collaboration between people from different backgrounds, perspectives and practices.
I responded to this from Shallal

and also recommended to them Manda Brookman
http://www.permanentlybrilliant.com/

and
Elephant Queen film outreach 
https://elephant.co.ke/
good to see art used as an inspiration and education and as a catalyst in this way

Snapshot day!

   "Work in progress painting by Eden in the studio today ! One to brighten up this afternoon!" from Phoebe

Sally Crabtree a royal favourite! Poetic Postee http://www.sallycrabtree.co.uk/sally-crabtree/ 

"Wow what a fab creative day in Shallal world...we had the enigmatic Poetry Postie with us at Express Yourself and Friends and Dancing...

Fabulous fun..."from Colin 

                                                                              Miles

                                                                                 Yvonne

                                                Zoe's Bat Workshop was on zoom with 12 people.

"Zoe did amazing leading her first poetry and comic workshop exploring bats on zoom this morning ! Despite some techy hiccups which added in some batty echoes to some of the poems! 🦇" Phoebe

"The workshop was fab! Zoe made the steps so clear for us to follow and gave us loads of creative freedom, well done to Zoe and Phoebe" xx Lou

"It was lovely to join Zoe's workshop today with  N****..she doesn't like to mix with groups but was very comfortable on zoom ..she is very excited about developing some work she started today  .and I'll be able to  forward it to you.. so glad we got Internet in our pod in the woodlands !!.. I thought the echoes were very fitting 😁

By an amazing coincidence  the other group were out building bat boxes!!! Bats Rule today!!🦇🦇🦇

Very well done to Zoe...x" Janice

                                                                Planning for this event.

Marks, Movement and Conversation. 

Opening 5pm Friday 11th March 

dance performance approx 6pm -  by some of Shallal Dance Theatre with George

exhibition is on till 18th March 

at 

Goldfish Bowl Gallery, 

Woodlane Campus 

Falmouth

Hope you can get to see it

Big Thank you to Leigh Jacobs and friends for such a wonderful experience.

Anna and I gave a talk at Falmouth University Woodlane campus

about Shallal and work we had already done re mark making etc especially though our Back Lane West residencies.

Which we are excited to be doing again this year in October!

Hope to share it on zoom sometime soon.