End of year

 So many thanks to the whole team for this year... Shallal has grown to be so much more than this blog can give credit to, please check out Shallal Sketchbooks and Shallal Studio especially and the community groups, so many good creative things going on!

Most groups had their own end of term celebration for Christmas, Friends and Dancing had a wonderful Sharing.

 Shallal Dance Theatre hosted the Shallal Zoom Christmas party with 34 people dropping in.

We ended the year with The Video Premiere of 'A Call to Home' on Shallal Arts Youtube at 7pm 23 December, do check it out.

https://youtu.be/zo2FhEHbtiA

Many thanks to Sapphire for filming, editing and compiling and to Sammy and others who helped on the day.

We will be sad to have Sapphire's role end on the 7 January we have so benefitted from and enjoyed working with her, we hope to keep connected and working together, plans bubbling along.

We are grateful for a few wonderful audience members on 10 Dec for Shallal Dance Theatre's second Showcasing and Sharing, with covid concerns heightened we didn't want to cancel but also wanted safe numbers, so all worked well. And we are now attracting the cross section of audience we had hoped for some years ago.

"A spellbinding garden of winter runes and blossoming light forms." - comments from a returning audience member who also has joined a community group.

I also heard second hand that a performer said it was "one of the best days" he had when commenting on our first Showcase.

Our next AGM is booked in as 2pm 20 May 2022.

A big thank you to everyone behind the scenes in Shallal for our increasing organisational improvements. We are growing and need to sustain all we do and everyone is in role and holding and supporting each other, it is lovely to see.

And the kindness, generousity and creativity of everyone involved in the groups and sessions continues to move, inspire and impress me.

Shallal 2 had a fun Christmas meet up some in the room and some on zoom! We are thoroughly enjoying being at our new venue.

Shallal Christmas tree, one of many at the Christmas Tree Festival at Princess Pavillions until 4 January

Until next year I leave you with a favourite memory to dance in the new year

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUn-r6JD-ZV/?utm_medium=copy_link

Watching this again reminds me that...

The joy and collaboration of Shallal Dance Theatre has been the inspiration Shallal has grown from,

it is now so much more with each part having it's own unique yet similar spirit.

Creativity , Charlotte, Showcasing & Sharing, Covid, 'A named thing'

 Last week, apart from a stinking winter cold!

Great first meeting with Charlotte and team, I learn a lot, i get catapulted into 2 parallel realities in such meetings/conversation of confidence and insecurity at the same time, not sure one ever gets used to it.

 Confidence, in those you work with, in the vision and history etc 

Insecurity, in ones own creative life endeavours etc 

Thankfully dear John Miller said, "you never know if you can do it again", creativity is not owned, controlled, manufactured, it's a visitor, a gift, a small bird on the shoulder, a whisper in the ear, a glimpse of something on the periphery, you make the situation as inviting as possible and work and wait for it to come along, So when people talk about it as a given, you know it's not. We try to make friends with our own creative process sometimes, ranting, shouting, rushing....sometimes curling up empty and waiting... the great thing about Shallal is it's shared.

So heres to a creative solution for tomorrows Shallal 2 unexpected venue issue!

Here's to the fun of another of these...

i now remember what drove me here, to blog about the changes, subtlety and inclusion needed in our Covid times. Last week in Shallal Dance Theatre we reflected on the show A Call to Home and whether to do this Showcase and Sharing.

A smaller team are keen to go ahead with it and that makes it easier, as there will be less people performing so more covid safe..so trust the process..is what Shallal has taught me over all these years! 

Another small reflection from that conversation was about space and environment, we need to have the 'vibe' to suit us, enable inclusion and welcome as fully as possible. Which interestingly came up in a chat with national Mencap this week, who have a legacy to spend on Cornwall..interesting.

I do love a legacy! Anyone want to add us to their will?

I feel my age, 58, creeping on, but intend/hope to work for years.

Films trickling out ...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHqXvGvul--aNrXo-NoGtsA