This week for Shallal: review of plans as corona-virus develops, keep in touch, stay connected!

"sad as this is we can devise many creative and collaborative alternatives to getting together physically."  

Jo Lumber associate artist Shallal2, performer/writer Shallal Dance Theatre

"I trust in our collaborative creativity, care and vision and adaptability to see us all through this coming time with fantastic projects as outcomes: puppet shows, online galleries, forums, sketchbooks, songs, poems, dances, short films, keep fit & have fun at home!  (do those personnel projects we never have time for) 

Reach out and stay connected." Jo Willis creative director

For Participants and Carers/Family/Supporters:

Shallal is taking a week to make a review of plans as advice develops concerning the corona-virus outbreak.

Please note:

• sessions this week will not be running 

• group leaders will be in touch with you during the session time (via phone, if another method is required please let us know) to talk to you about how best we can keep in touch and talk about ideas for keeping work going during the coming weeks
• group leaders will then feedback your ideas to a meeting where they will decide what will happen the following week and in weeks to come
• we will share the outcomes from this with you by 3pm Friday.

To help us coordinate this effort, it would help us to know:

1. Your up to date contact details:

• Email:
• Phone Number:
• Other (if applicable):

2. If you have access to any of the following (please put an ‘x’ in the appropriate box):

• Smart Phone []
• iPad/Tablet []
• Laptop []
• Computer []
• Other (please state) []

3. How would you like  to be contacted? (please put an ‘x’ in the appropriate box)

• Landline [] 
• Mobile []
• Email []
• WhatsApp []
• Post [] 
• Other (please state) []

4. Do you require anyone to support you with communication? (please put an ‘x’ in the appropriate box)

• No []
• Yes [] If yes, please provide the following details below:

Person providing support:

• Family member [] Carer [] Friend [] 
• Name of person providing support:
• Contact details, if different (email and/or phone number): 

5. If you have any ideas for Creative Projects and ways of communication, please state here:

BEHIND THE SCENES

For Shallal Facilitators and Associate Artists

Please read carefully. Do phone with any queries if necessary.

In discussion with the trustees, Shallal is taking a week to make a review of plans as advice develops concerning the corona-virus outbreak.

Please contact your group members to let them know the following:

• the session is cancelled this week
• group leaders will be in touch during the session time this week to talk to them about how best to keep in touch and talk about ideas for keeping work going during the coming weeks.
• the Studio is to remain open this week (with some measures in place to ensure precautions regarding infection and advice to participants to ensure that they do not attend if they have any symptoms)
• there will be further news by the end of the week once we have spoken to facilitators, participants and members about what will happen the following week and in weeks to come. We will be in touch on Friday afternoon 3pm to let them know our plans. 

To facilitate this please send your group(s) feedback by 9am Friday to: joannawillis357@gmail.com  

If you can make it please attend: 

• Meeting for facilitators/associate artists, 10-12am on Friday at Krowji Studio G08

Next week we will contact the group’s funders to inform them of our course of action.

Timetable for this week

TUESDAY 17 MAR

• 9.30am - 12pm - Business meeting at Shallal Studio G08, Krowji (Note: venue changed from Jo's home)

THURSDAY 19 MAR

• 6pm (?) - Trustees Conference 

FRIDAY 20 MAR 

• 10am - 12pm - Facilitators and Associate Artists meeting Shallal Studio G08 Krowji 
• 12.30pm - 2.30pm - Optional work party devising new strategy/creative solutions/inputs
• 2.30pm - 3pm - Prepare and distribute information to members

Embodied Space with Peter Freeman - film by Barbara Santi and chat

Embodied Space with Pete Freeman
Many thanks to Barbara for this beautifully interwoven promo/film showing the inter-relationships of the art forms.
https://vimeo.com/396217484

Wonderful, innovative and beautiful work. Well done to all!

• 
  

  
  Tina Cockett Congratulations to everyone involved! A real weaving of movement, light and sound, wanted to join in!!
• Tina Cockett And as always Barbara you have captured the essence on film

5.3.2020
I find myself in some of the background Shallal relationships and have been missing Zoe recently and now am aware how much i miss what Marjorie gave, a constant supportive presence sometimes questioning challenging but we need that and always with care for the other and an understanding of how far we had come and how far we need to go.
So much has improved but we can't stop and have to maintain the vision and pressure.
We maybe about to drop the word inclusion i see it branded around a lot now and we always need to move on, we believe in a society where there is equal worth, care and support and that should be our norm!  Justin challenged it and Phoebe agrees and i think the time might be right...
Lou shared Nneue Kalu https://disabilityarts.online/magazine/opinion/nnena-kalu-creates-organic-forms-for-elsewhere-on-show-at-studio-voltaire/ 

The studio is attracting artists as we had hoped, old friends and allies such as Lisa Mortensen who covered my maternity leave in SDT and i had hoped to work with again for years!
You can follow the stories of the artists on instagram.

Many of the performers are at their peak! 
Wonderful to see. 
Shallal 2 was 'small is beautiful' last night, 5 people of different types and ages working together so harmoniously, drama, humour, grace a rare treat and despite struggles in daily life etc.

A place to breathe, a space to allow creativity and connection without being precious about it.

So Marjorie was in my mind, as well as i need to get on and make a crowd funder for this Poetry book and launch it soon.

12.3.2020
Life moves on and this Wednesday a week later,  Zoe was at Shallal 2 after a good day in the studio with Phoebe and Eddie.
George dropped round with Sam on Tuesday and is willing to have a go at making a short film for our crowdfunder tomorrow!
Lisa and i have booked a chat on Monday.
So this week was busy and nice with conversations with Peter Freeman and George on taking our collaboration out and about and with Claudia for her new labyrinthine project, which could feature Colin drawing a large labyrinth in the sand.

Enjoyed visiting Liskeard group today, so good to see the group grow, and watch Thomas and Demelza explore makaton, BSL and dance/story telling.

AMICI fundraiser, Culture declares emergency,

A lot going on behind the scenes....news of funding and ideas and possibilities to be shared soon...

 just found this in my inbox
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alisponsoredsilence

save the dates Amici's next show!
"Amici Dance Theatre Company will hopefully celebrate their 40th anniversary with a full company show "Amici's One World" on the main stage at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith 20-23 May 2020, with over 80 disabled and non disabled performers from all over the world on stage."

The 23rd May is also XR's date in London and i'm feeling the need to stand up for what i believe in for our society and the bigger picture, and so who knows a double reason for a London visit?



Today we discussed Culture Declares Emergency https://www.culturedeclares.org/
and our alignment and all the gifts and connections and actions everyone in the room brings to it.



Zo described how her family, when the children were young, planted trees which are now grown into a shelter break and more trees are currently being planted behind them.
Make a collage of people tree planting etc

Katie 
tree planting

Star friends who are activists ie Wool against weapons https://www.woolagainstweapons.co.uk/?page_id=1090. Greenham Common.

Colin 
           Isha Foundation: Project Greenhands
           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_olAGmBvMY

           A Band of Brothers - people working on themselves 
            https://abandofbrothers.org.uk/
         "We encourage and facilitate young men towards developing a healthy connection to              their communities through acting with the emotional literacy, confidence and respect               that comes through healthy self-esteem and self-awareness

         https://www.taironatrust.org/
        The mission of the Trust is to magnify the Kogis’ voice, to help them defend                   their culture and its territorial integrity and to learn from them how to better protect the planet which we all share.

       Bees
       Trythall School, Eden Project and National Trust working to locally preserve             longhorn bees http://kernowecology.co.uk/eucera.html

Al
       care and respect for the planet, for the environment, to tread lightly on the                  earth, buy local, plant as many trees as possible, seed bombs, guerilla                        gardening


Tina
      planting trees

Sam
     plant more flowers for the bees

Toby
     local bee gardens, generations getting involved , rediscovering forgotten things,                     wisdom, reconnect with them and therefore nature, visiting Findhorn soon. Tairon                  message. Global village online talks - will try to source correct link

Katherine
           XR (Extinction Rebellion) started October 2018, very exciting.
           Concerned for our use of all sorts of things, not to waste. Attends                                           Penzance XR.

Kerry
         Strongly think to work on ourselves as much as possible
         Help with what has been mentioned and to consider disabilities and asthma

Conversations about inclusion in XR philosophy and practice, 
the police confiscation of accessible portaloos before the last event - which led into the closing of local Cornish council toilets! the affect of this on those with unseen disabilities, the young and older, all of us!! Possible performances outside closed toilets! with red noses.

Jo Suggested we bring these conversations into lunchtime sharing ( just as health, art, personnel news, creative reflection and ideas are in our morning sharing) focusing on the positive of what is being done and what we can support ( some of us in Shallal suffer from anxiety and we don't need to dwell on the negative, but celebrate and support positive change!)

Colin suggested a benefit gig for it, what and where? to be considered.
Toby recommended https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9dY5zkwK5M

photo by Steve Tanner
end of warm up

Film by Robin from Embodied Space Here and Now project

New film by Robin Fisher now on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/ShallalDanceTheatreCompany/
Original song by Skye-anna!
Many thanks to them both.
Shallal Dance Theatre went into Control movement gym on a chilly November day, we will return in the warmth next time. However it was a really good experience and Robin captures the soul and fun of the company.
I have a few hundred photos to edit from that day, which Anna took for us, and we have a mass of beautiful photos form Steve Tanner at Newlyn also awaiting attention.
Barbara and i have started an archiving discussion, something which is much needed and possible soon.

Sarah Waller and Guy kindly passed on the short silent black and white film from Trebah we hope to share soon.

Notes from conversation with Harry Theaker

Notes from phone conversation with Harry Theaker around Embodied Space Methodology....


Not overly conceptualised methodology, that people understand, that you can take to different spaces/contexts.

Not too much information - do you need anything else?

Model
"In it together" - equal opportunity
                      - level playing field
                      - participate wherever they're at

Visceral experience for me
calls on ways , there are things you can bring offer

Participation
            simple straight forward directives
Enables
"so much can happen"

Freedom within the container
Simple loose structures
                      freeing - lots of things can happen

" Attention awareness" of group & self
                                          collective & choices

Creative Process
Real true authentic
immediate conveyed
Interested ( in ) individual voices

Feeling Safe with The Uncertainty
Rules - pointers

Improv
" (we ) do it because it challenges us
                                                  ( it's) very exciting to be in that space"
Embodied Collective Sharing, experience joy of communication, ease with each other, myriad of quality and emotions -

Edgy . - Process as Performance
idea of can embed authenticity - ( freer in studio)?

(In the) Zone attention focused

Spectators Audience
process (as) performance
performance as process

Eureka moments "audience invited in"
generousity - come and see what we do -

Harry Theaker's feedback and some updates

Thank you to all those who work with us.

Harry and i enjoyed a chat the other day, this was his written response to our evaluation.

Harry Theaker      Reflections on Trebah and the Embodied Space with Shallal Dance Theatre.

Almost a year has passed since that memorable day with my fellow performer friends at Shallal sharing encounters with Trebah Gardens and the overarching Operation Starfish Film Project.

As an outside artist I relished the opportunity (one I've been wishing for)  to participate and become a Company Member in a charged performance space, with an audience, on a beach in Cornwall. What more could one ask for? 

I remembered the joy I felt in the freedom to move, interpret, find connections and magical moments collectively in response to clear contextualised themes that Jo had communicated, for instance that of departure and arrival. So much preparation, meetings, conversations, walking possible routes and identifying the Goto performance spaces, risk assessments, organisation of transport, personal assistance, etc etc and then something magical happened on the beach that day and was captured on film.

I would say that each person and performer can realise their own sense of Agency within softer structures that don't impose but liberate and support creativity and choice making. This is the beauty of the improvised space. 

Working with Shallal has been a thoroughly rewarding and nurturing.experience.

They just have a wonderful way of making you feel welcome and included especially when we meet in the performance space, the visual field, the kinaesthetic playground. 

I believe that outside artists/independent dancer performers can be enriched creatively and dynamically as human beings by experiencing the unique environment Shallal have evolved over many years of living and moving together. Could there be room for a regular program where Shallal invites artists from diverse backgrounds and artistic mediums to come and share and experience working together.

Pete Freeman

also kindly updated me on connections and comments he has had since our Newlyn event.

They both point to working more with other organisations/platforms and artists and getting the work more widely seen, (a challenge to me as i have to do less at present ) but wonderful for the whole team who can deliver so much.

Robin's short film from our Parkcor day is nearly ready for putting on Facebook and shows the fun behind it all.

Skye's song is uplifting and we are really grateful to them both,

and i am staggering through many photos, with help now, so hope we can show some of these as well.

The Parkcor gym provides a wonderful challenge and stimulus and we hope to make it an annual visit (for our own strengthening and) in warmer weather!

Al, Colin, Kerry, Pep on the scaffolding!

Shallal Sketchbooks are out and about again at Falmouth Art Gallery for half term.

Thanks to Claire.

Phoebe returns from a Conference about Unlimited

https://weareunlimited.org.uk/

we look forward to hearing all about it.

The Studio goes from strength to strength growing into what we hope and know it can be, with 'returning' artist Fran joining us. Fran works with Tina and they may go to the studio together. (Tina's beautiful painting might hang in the lounge in her home.)

Colin has fitted a key box which enables 'out of hours' artists to access it, such as Alexandra Xierle.

We want it used as much as possible and like our groups to encompass, a whole range of society, joined by enjoying and sharing art.

Had a lovely chat also with Stuart Blackmore recently who i respect and learn a lot from.

Peter & George photos

                                                    Pete Freeman by Steve Tanner
Many thanks to both Pete for making it happen and Steve for yet another set of glorious photos celebrating our final event in this project.
I still have fingers crossed for delayed short film being worked on in South Africa, as we speak, by dear Robin.
Star mentioned the time in the Parkcor gym https://www.controlmovement.co.uk/ as a highlight of the project for all the dancers in extending themselves, it is always so good to expand and explore within a project, as in this.....there are many photos from our time there still to edit ...

a simple favourite by Anna Willis

George with his array of instruments
by Steve Tanner

George's approach was the inspiration for the whole project and pushed forwards our approach to performance improvisation. Demelza emphasised in our feedback session that to create work from improvisation is not unusual, to continue that process and exporation into performance is! and also to not know who will be there or what music will be played or the space, pushes it even further ....