Shallal Sketchbooks and Studio Artists day out at The Exchange as guests of the Story Republic.

We were thrilled that all The Story Republicans chose to participate in the sketchbooks, we went past and they were busy filling them in already.
Pauline Shepherd writer in residence in the background   

Ben's great cartoon storyline.

 A limited few are still available in this batch of our first 100 sketchbooks.
 We had an enthusiastic uptake and are very encouraged and excited by their first real outing.
 It's an idea which people readily catch on to and like, inclusion and participation, sharing ideas and creativity in a fun, non threatening, non judgemental way. There were many comments on the different sketchbooks and I hope to take out a comments book in future, so we can collect them and artists can read responses to their work.

We are very grateful to the inspiration for this from The Sketchbook Project www.sketchbookproject.com.which also does a host of exciting interactive world wide arts projects, look them up, some of their projects are free to join in.

Fi is writing about us in her column in The Cornishman.

"Shallal Dance Company was also there promoting their new sketchbook project. Inviting people to chart their artistic journeys over an eight week period, you don’t need to be able to draw. Words, doodles, collage, pictures, quotes... anything you fancy is absolutely fine. Unleashing your own inner creativity, the sketchbooks will form part of a travelling exhibition. Suitably inspired I signed up for one. Interested? Contact  admin@shallal.org.uk "

Thanks to Toby, Zoe, Sam, Colin and Jo L we had a good time, and to Michael for providing tutorials on app 53 on our new exciting ipad - i will stop raving about it soon!

Welcome to your Shallal Sketchbook!

We are so glad you have chosen to join us on our first round of many Shallal Sketchbooks - please write your name on the label on the inside back cover of your sketchbook.

You will have the sketchbook for approximately 8 weeks. It is then returned to us so it can be logged and included within the Shallal Sketchbooks initiative, and becomes part of a travelling exhibition

and installation, which will be included in Open Studios, and other Shallal events and performances. If you wish to be kept informed

about these events please give us your email address, or follow

us on the Shallal blog: www.shallal-arts.blogspot.co.uk

Please return your sketchbook to whoever gave it to

you – you will be advised of the return date. Thanks!

There is the list of themes to help inspire you and get you started: you will find them inside the envelope the sketchbook comes in.

We welcome all creative initiatives, but please keep all content ‘family friendly’ as we are an inclusive community arts charity. Feel free to use whatever medium inspires you…. paint, collage, pen, ink, charcoal, mixed media, photographs etc. There is a suggested donation of £1, but please give more if you are able to support us.

Shallal Sketchbooks were inspired by the Art House initiative in Brooklyn NY, USA www.sketchbookproject.com. If you wish to participate in a global touring sketchbook project look them up!

www.shallal.org.uk   www.shallal-arts.blogspot.co.uk   admin@shallal.org.uk



and more?
Welcome to our new trustee Viv Stanton. Viv has many gifts and we look forward to working with her.
Felt the need to blog photos of the wonderful spread provided at Viv's home for our trustees meetings, (a continuing tradition from our last chairperson, many thanks to Gill).
We are looking for one or two more trustees if you are interested, or know someone who might be please contact us at our email address. 

Just found this:

(like the reviews by Colin and Anna, words by people we know and respect help us along!)

“The inclusion and recognition of sometimes overlooked voices adds to the richness and humanity of our culture. The inclusive arts shows us that each of us has our own extraordinary perspective and that all of us have a right to have that valued and witnessed.” Rory McDermott.

Clore Duffield Project: Moving Words

Yipee!
We can now share with you the good news of our Moving Words, Clore Duffield Project. We have had an initial meeting and are finalising dates in September. It builds on so much we want to explore and do, so we are really excited about it. Barbara's film element will not just record the work but will explore and engage in new ways with language and image with the groups. Each group presents different challenges and our team is joined by Jo Lumber and uses the talents of Demelza and Jessie who have just sat their final BSL level one exam. It is supported by Debbie Harvey who works within the deaf community in many different roles and is the BSL interpreter for the Hall for Cornwall. Many thanks also to our teachers, especially Barry and Susan.
BSL is a beautiful and poetic language as Mark Smith illustrated with his inspiring workshop.

Shallal for Moving words

Shallal Dance Theatre, an inclusive arts charity, will work with young people drawn from four different contexts outside school, including those who are home educated, leavers from special schools and a group for young people who are deaf. The project will explore poetry created from written and signed language. It aims to highlight the rich culture of British Sign Language (BSL). The young people involved who aren't deaf are currently studying BSL. Each group will attend four workshops with a writer and a cross-arts artist, and the work they produce will be filmed. These films will be shared across the groups and with parents. This project will be a positive contribution to the cultural experience of young people who are deaf or studying BSL: poetry has been identified as a perfect medium for this creative exchange. One outcome will be the development of an inclusive writing/performance poetry group.

Shallal Summer Picnic photo ipad thanks, photos from St Ives

Many thanks again to THE SKINNERS’ COMPANY LADY NEVILLE CHARITY
for our new studio ipad, we have been trying it out this week, ready for Monday at The Exchange! We have 7 sketchbooks on the go and are getting tutorials on the app and skills. We are getting to know the camera and below are some examples.
Photos from yesterdays Summer Picnic.

Many people were busy or away but we still make a goodly number and had a joyful time, so nice to just be together without the pressure.

All the best to Echoes who were in rehearsal and so Kerry, Star and Demelza were unable to join us.
We wish them well with their show Beyond the Pale www.echoesdanceco.com. Eddie, Paul and David from Shallal 2 came, after the photos shoot as they had been with APEX. We took the photos before Giles and Trevor left. Colin put the proposal from Debs and our St Ives meeting for Trevor to possibly do a stunt - he is pleased at the idea. Very good news that Marjorie plans to return to the main co in September.

Although i don't work August ( for a start you can't drive anywhere, we lend Cornwall to the holiday visitors). I am excited for Shallal to be invited to The PlayFest in Truro, Thursday afternoon, 8th August and we hope to take a small outreach performance group and explore improvisation even further opening up our summer dances into interactive pieces with the children - oh fun ---thanks again to ACE for our recent research project!
Giles wanted some photos with us, so on ipad again!

Friday we had a training morning - thanks to Debs for updating us and for tea, coffee and homemade cake!

Then we were off to St Ives again, so beautiful! and to meet Jo Mayes re September festival pop ups!

walking to meetings barefoot across the sand, 

(returning with ice cream in hand. 

-if you can face the seagulls!)

St Ives Guildhall with new access

lovely courtyard with Barbara Hepworth sculpture

Jo L writer and main co ( and Shallal 2) performer, Colin support facilitator, transport, staging, design, multi tasking and performer

and why do I want to take a picture of half of my "office?"perhaps as I am about to go into holiday mode?

 before that happens we have: 

The Shallal Sketchbooks at The Exchange, 

1-5pm on Monday

a Trustees meeting, 

a meeting with Charlotte from Kneehigh and The Dracaena Centre, hatching plans for Rambles www.kneehigh.co.uk/show/kneehigh-rambles.php 

to come there in October,

 and plans for a Bread and Writing day in their barns?

www.kneehigh.co.uk/page/the_barns.php

Catching up with Dot on bid writing

Performing at Play Fest 8th August tbc

the "not again" - short, we hope -funding gap, 

Raffle and Sponsored Dance plans in the air

still searching for our rich patron, philanthropist!

So much going on, 

Wednesday we were at County Hall, 

so good to hear Kyle sing, 

www.kylecoleman.co.uk/

www.kylecoleman.co.uk/archives/cpt_photoalbums/photo-shoot-december-2011/photo-shoot-2011-03

...hope we may collaborate sometime.

And good to see Andy there and so photos coming soon...

end of term quotes

End of term quotes collecting and reviewing from groups/correspondence.
The first are from our Friends and Dancing Group in Falmouth:

"I am a support worker for Falcare. We have been bringing our clients to dance with Jo and her team every week by popular demand.

Everyone staff and service users alike have been extendng their abilities and imagination. We explore the potential we each have, with music and without. We stretch, we dance, we discuss and compare, and we relax at the end of the class.

It is a wonderful creative high point of our week, and the positive changes on the service users has been exciting and remarkable.

We cannot thank you all enough."

Mel Clark

"Like dancing

Like exercises"

Elizabeth

"I like dancing seeing my friends" 

Jo

"This is an extension of dancing from a long time (ago) from mostly Falmouth and St Austell, Eden Project"

Chris

"I like joining ( in ) everything"

Hayley

"Enjoy coming to the dance class because everyone no matter what abilities people have or have not nobody rushes you
 and for some (it's) not too demanding"

Yvonne and Leslie

..................................

general correspondence and thoughts: 

"I'm so happy to be part of Shallal; it is enormously fulfilling to put energy and dedication into something so meaningful."

 ".....(audience from Falmouth Art Gallery Shallal 2) .... very moved and impressed with it all ........ She made an interesting comment that as an audience member she got so much out of it and had a cathartic experience; she thought the audience response was something important to include in the funding bids .......... as the work seems to give so much to the spectator as well as the participants." 

Poetic Places thanks and reviews

Thank you to everyone who came to see us last night. It was a joy to have Marjorie and Elaine with us, both of whom are having a break from the main company at the moment for health reasons. Their poetic voices always move me with their beauty and honesty. On the way home Kerry, Jo L and I discussed the show and how well it all worked together, we would like to do it again somewhere and will look for appropriate opportunities. Some of us will be at County Hall on Wednesday, with a selection from the work.
Thank you to Anna Marie Murphy for reading her Shallal poem, see below! ( you can see her with Keap at The Exchange soon).
Thank you to George for wonderful music. George and Demelza have worked the Ladino Nina Nina song into a beautiful setting, and I relaxed to watch Zoe's amazing artistry which I have wondered at for over 25 years! So much to comment on and everyone to thank.
Especially Ian for coming in and cheerfully lighting and teching it for us. It was such a quick get in and out, and Thank you to Penzance Lit Fest for including and supporting us. We hope to reappear there next year and are already planning ideas.
It was lovely to see so much of 2iis again.


"What a fantastic show, really enjoyed it, it made the world seem a good place."
audience
i have just received this unsolicited feedback, and this is what helps us go on!

also 
 "Best thing I’ve been to for ages"

 We had some excellent verbal feedback and i may ask some of them to write a small review for us. .......Anna has already replied .....many thanks to her and it is reproduced below:
Colin Rogers has also kindly written something for us,
very welcome as I philosophically was musing on my August holiday, which has often in the last few years been fraught with the trauma of trying to keep us going and hatching emergency plans till the next funding arrives, and this morning i opened an email saying we haven't gone through to the second stage of a big bid for the main co. There are others in the pipeline and you win some, you loose some, but as someone outside it all said to me once, "What a waste of man hours!"
if you consider how many people spend time writing/forming /planning bids, so much goes into it (it's similar to bidding for a new home you have to really believe in it!) then how many receive it?
I railed against it for years and now have learned to just get on...keep going until you can't any longer and HOPE!
must stop soon a report to be finished.....

Nice things: Thank you to THE SKINNERS’ COMPANY LADY NEVILLE CHARITY  for our new Studio Ipad,
Diana and I are registering it today, and it's first outing will be next Monday when we visit KEAP at the Exchange Gallery, Penzance with the Shallal Sketchbooks. Monday 29th July 1-5pm do come and visit the Shallal Studio artists there, pick up a sketchbook if you'd like one, (drop off one that you've finished - hint!)
http://thestoryrepublic.co.uk/events/the-exchange/
Thank you to Sue ( Sam's aunt) whose wonderful volunteering has saved the Studios and keeps them open. Colin and Toby will be there a lot over the summer working on the St Ives project. See us on 20th September!- catch us in St Ives popping up all over the place!

A wonderful, joyful evening at Shallal’s Poetic Places at The Acorn, Penzance - a real celebration of the terrific work that Jo and co have done over the past few years. 

Particularly good to hear Anna Maria Murphy, one of Shallal’s founders, reading the poem she wrote based on a workshop with Shallal members. Anna’s work in every field of writing - drama, poetry and prose - is always powerful and the inspiration provided by Shallal produced something packed with Anna’s trademark wit and keen observation.

As for the rest of the show, it would be impossible to single out any item from the parade of excerpts from Shallal’s previous work.  Poems and performances of great skill and energy performed with the love and happiness that Shallal engenders in its members and its audiences.

Having seen some of the performers develop their physical skills, creative talents and personal confidence over the years thanks to Shallal, it is hard to understand why they are not beneficiaries of long-term mainstream funding. They do more for the health and welfare of their members than many other better-funded providers of support.

Shallal is so inspiring that it is always hard not to be moved to tears.  So no surprise then when the final number - a marvellous company tribute to their oldest member Marjorie Wilton, set to the music she chose (Iz’s medley of Over The Rainbow and Wonderful World), ended with few dry eyes in the house.  Tears of joy is what Shallal does in bucketloads.

Colin Rogers

Shallal
Review of Poetic Places (2iis) Event at the Acorn Theatre.
by Anna Marie Murphy.

“I had the honour of being asked to read a poem  at this event, based on ideas from the members of Shallal on things they loved. It had been a long hot day working, maybe I’ll melt by the time the interval comes, I thought before hand , and I will seek the cool of home. 
However, I stayed till the end, hoping it would go on for longer, utterly transfixed till the extraordinary end piece, dedicated to Marjory Wilton. 
The show was witty, moving, beautiful, both to listen to and watch. The place should have been packed and I wanted everyone I know , love and respect to see the work of this truly amazing company. It’s all the above, and also, a very good night out.”

Things we love , Shallal.

Newlyn, by the rushing river,

Chocolate and rowing to the sunset,

Cheese and sheep, the cheese that comes from sheep,

Sheepy cheese,

Yes please sheep.

We love friendship , warm as brandy

Penguins wearing suits

That slide the icebergs

And dream of fish.

We love

Music

and

Unicorns that gallop in dreams.

Eleanor,

Well she loves love,

And the dove of love

And being in love with love.

We love Kates’ leathers, black as midnight.

We love Mel-an-tol and dancing at Mel-an-tol,

Oh and Lydia, she loves One Direction,

Every Direction of one Direction,

The north, south, east and west of One Direction.

We love the breeze

And walking in vanilla ice cream sands,

We love to run in wilderness,

Walk in gardens.

We love the hot sun on our backs,

The slink of cats,

Candles on a cake

Collecting eggs

From chickens

When they wake.

We love

Being

Here

Today.