Extinction Rebellion, benefit and next performances

First things first:
the first day of EXTINCTION REBELLION !!!
I chatted to my husband recently and rediscovered that i am at heart an activist, (lots gets buried when you have 5 children), I am known to rant!
So we hope and pray for our future of this beautiful and wonderful planet and ecosystem we are a part of.

Back to Saturday night:
Big thank you to Miranda, Helen and Dhruv: Nordic Skiers who came to play for us - they are now back in the recording studio for two days.
Skye is also creating an EP.
Exciting times....
and a real privilege to hear them all. Live music what a joy!

It was lovely to hear the gentleness, range and humour of Nordic Skiers, their first gig!
and then to hear Skye who has performed a lot in the past year, is so at home on stage and is 'a force of nature,'
complimentary and contrasting singer songwriters.

Next

Thank you to Belinda for the photo
https://belindawhiting.co.uk/home.html
and Anna for poster design.
https://www.instagram.com/anna__sophronia/?hl=en

Off to Kestle Barton on Thursday to recce the space with Colin, hoping for good weather.


Blog i didn't finish and therefore post!.....from April 3rd

9am today the first wave of ...
https://www.facebook.com/culturedeclaresemergency/

"We are arts and culture practitioners, and invite you to join us in Declaring a Climate and Ecological Emergency together, on April 3rd. In our Declaration, we pledge to work with communities in tackling this emergency, we call for Truth, Action and Justice, and we express the value of Arts and Culture in imagining and forging better ways of relating to each other and the living planet."

Last Friday the voting members of Shallal, voted to support Extinction Rebellions vision. We are preparing a declaration of emergency ( as suggested by Culture declares emergency) and believe with them that ....

https://sites.google.com/view/culturedeclaresemergency/why-culture?authuser=0

"Culture gives space to articulate our place and survival in the web of life.

In studies of systemic interconnectedness, the energy and resilience of a system are where connections and links are the strongest; participation, diversity, plurality and variability the greatest.

Through its convening powers, culture brings people together across differences of generation, heritage, gender, class and working expertise to find commonality: all perspectives can be drawn on to create the future we want to live in. Celebratory social spaces allow us to to look backwards and forwards in time, where our collective knowledge, intuition and a sense of wonder at what is possible come together."

I had along conversation with my husband around politics ( my dislike of ) and he said you are really more an activist!

(Lightbulb moment and memories of activism in my 'youth.')

For me Shallal and inclusion is a form of activism, we create microcosms of how life could be, if: we acted to try to include and value everyone in the room, if we share our gifts and all do our best. If we work from where we are, not judged by external standards.

Shallal Benefit

Skye has her second single out Boy following on from Breathe - highly recommended.
I feel so privileged to watch Skye, Anna, Annis and Zoe Osmond grow through Shallal and their continuing creative journeys.
Anna - Camberwell Art School in September, Fine Art Painting degree
Annis - waiting to decide where to go, has offers, recent work experience with                   Barbara Santi
Zoe - Falmouth Art School, Drawing degree first year

I sing in a small choir with: Miranda, on the right, in Nordic Skiers and Jeremy Annear - who kindly arranged for Booths the printers to print these for free for us...Many Thanks to Booths and Jeremy ( and Anna for the poster design)! Our choir practice has a very Shallal feel to it, lots of good humour, celebration and food involved as well as some effort at the creative work, again with good humour, more because they are kind to me - who can't hold my part or remember my note!!

Thank you to all who will make this possible and we are so pleased to be sharing any funds raised with https://falmouthandpenrynwelcome.org/about-us/

Skye-anna http://skyeannamusic.com/
Nordic Skiers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClPta5YwRUwDb3ahIv0yxeQ
Jeremy Annear http://www.jeremyannear.com/
Booths the printers http://boothsprint.co.uk/

Good news that Colin and Debs are coming ( alternately ) to support in Shallal 2.
The new project Here and Now is cross fertilising the skills and dancers in Shallal, with George and a dancer or two from Shallal Dance Theatre coming to Shallal 2 soon as we work towards our next set of Embodied Space these are each so different as the venue space defines the show and we now have George so ( as originally envisioned ) with a section of  improvised music.

Thomas from Liskeard group will come along to sessions and join is for performances as much as possible, made possible by Henry Smith Trust funding as a trainee associate artist.

Thomas is working on poetry in his company sessions, wonderful to have Alice performing this week, so far joining him are: Alice, Janice and Lois. We hope to have a poetry theme to our next big project after Here and Now and so are pleased it may dovetail well with launching his group/company.

Feedback in Shallal Dance Theatre today was really helpful and we all felt deeply moved by Trebah and 'Sorrowful Song.'
Two new members trying out and fitting in well. Lots to do. Pep sadly away in May, but back for June and Embodied Space is designed to be whoever is "in the room."

It has taken 30 years to come up with the simple structure: only 3 instructions and 2 other add ons for performance, to give us the Embodied Space.
Is it: moving art, performance art, dance, theatre? whatever it is it works.
Someone commented it is like meditation on Thursday, i steer away from those descriptions, but it is authentic in the moment and i agreed witht the way she described it.
As always so impressed by peoples articulate definitions and i learn so much.

Falmouth Art Gallery, 1.30pm Saturday 4 May – Kestle Barton, 3pm Friday 17 May Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gallery, 4pm. Friday 7 June - Minack Car Park,  daytime check into www.shallal.org.uk for times, coming soon! Free entrance - hoping for a donation at the end!

Trebah - some film screen grabs from James

 Screen grabs from James....

Jonathan, Katherine and Kerry

'Sorrowful Song'

Trebah - filming day

 A grand day out!
The Cornish March weather was kind to us, the steep sloping, glorious bejewelled ( with flowers) spring valley sheltered us and the warm sunshine meant that James the film maker had to wait for the gentle cloud covering he preferred.
It all came together on the day, aided by the offer of the rail of costumes - much appreciated, and so we set forth: comedy by the pond ( not sure it will get into the final edit) but it was good! then the beautiful pale blue bridge and vistas, then the beach, 'o joy of joys',  Sorrowful Song ( i'm on a requiem theme now?! have been learning The Wayfaring Stranger). It looked so strong and beautiful ( hard to find the correct adjectives - but i was very pleased with it), it gave us 10 mins Embodied Space improv on the beach, ( great new project R&D, as was it all, working in well along with the filming).
Harry Theaker joined in with us all day something he and we have always wanted and now we have such a good starting point for his continued input. We are grateful to have his support on the film and now we also have it in Here and Now, so we hope to skype, share film and have lovely arty chats!!!

James assisted by Eli, the film will be black and white ( and 2 mins) but the colours were lovely

7,500 American Soldiers left for D-day from this area, Trebah was one of the embarkation points
'Sorrowful Song'

just snaps
We were happy with what we managed in the day.
- there wasn't time for some of the ideas and material, so it remains to see if we will return?
to create our own longer piece?
- maybe just small groups for the smaller, intimate ideas -
George was filming for us, we'll discuss it next week.

Jonathan and 'crew"
Thanks for the ice creams and all your help Sara.
Ice cream provided the pause and 'fuel' before returning to the top of the garden to complete filming and then a late lunch. Star and i were both honoured by birthday poems composed and recited for us by Zoe

 Many thanks to Chris Hibbert who originally wanted us involved and to:
Sara Waller - dance project and more
James Stuart - Lightbox Films
Guy Watson - Trebah Gardens Ampi theatre and events co-ordinator
and all who helped on the day.

The access was a challenge, so we were thrilled to invite Kerry T back to help us in a supporting role, assisted by George.

Toby in costume, chatting with George.
Top of the garden, in the end we managed the access by 'topping and tailing' it. 3 cars drove down to the pond and beach sites and then returned to final site the lawn in front of the house.


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

                                           Thoughts from the week include.....................
                                                         

                                                    Extinction Rebellion
                                        https://rebellion.earth/who-we-are/

                                                 and Mary Olivers poetry
                                   http://maryoliver.beacon.org/aboutmary/
                                                           
                                                  Three sets of last lines 

                                             Joy is not made to be a crumb.  *

                                             ...still ready, beyond all else,
                                                to dance for the world.  **


                                   Let me keep my distance, always, from those
                                       who think they have the answers.  

                                Let me keep company always with those who say
                                     "Look!" and laugh in astonishment,
                                      and bow their heads.  ***

***-this is one of the pleasures for me of working with others in Shallal, alongside the profound fun of gestural communication and humour. Thank you all x

* DON"T HESITATE
**PRAYER 
***MYSTERIES, YES
by Mary Oliver

Thomas, Eddie, news....

 Excited for the first of Thomas's time today.
I am constantly surprised by peoples talent and vision. I already enjoy watching Thomas's talent in our weekly sessions but with this opportunity I see even more: poetry, theatre, art, spoken word, music connections, vision.
Thomas is here discussing his poems with Janice and Colin, and how to work with them - strong work can't wait to watch it develop.

Travelling meeting with Lou and Colin yesterday.
* Friday is the start of our new ACE funded Here and Now Project for Shallal         Dance Theatre: building audience, opportunity, experience, venues.
*Shallal 2 also have first new funding in - thank you again to Lou - it will enable    our new project.
* Commission: a short film to be made at Trebah Gardens, looking forward to mentoring by dear Harry Theaker and working with James from Lightbox. As usual my struggle with heritage - and i need not worry as there is so much talent and knowledge around, (Jo L works with heritage at Cornwall Museum) great ideas coming in and warm local anecdotal ones ( Debbie has a wealth of local stories/connections) and Harry also has a story so look forward to creating with all of that over the coming week.

"Hear My Voice"
Mothers and Daughters Dance, Falmouth Library
superb photo by George..more on FB

Eddie's Art at London Charity Gala!!
Thrilled for him, it deserves a wide audience.
Pleased to have Eddie back with us at Shallal 2.

Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces .....


Hear My Voice at Falmouth Library

Peer group feedback really appreciated, as Lou write the bid!
"the show last night about suffragettes in Cornwall was so wonderful, so many really important issues brought to light in such a creative and expressive way without being the least bit preachy. There was no hammering home of issues, instead the invitation to think about things, which is so much more powerful."


Art & Home....

My dear husband back painting, I learn so much watching his process.

Liskeard....

Anna, Lois & Thomas
so excited to explore Thomas' progression as a dance/theatre artist, moving into working with others towards a company, small steps starting meeting after the Liskeard group for 20-30mins on Thursdays 12-12.30pm.
Thomas belongs to Access Theatre Company and has performed and trained with Far Flung http://farflungdancetheatre.co.uk/.
He is highly experienced and we look forward to seeing what opportunities we can all grow together. Lois and he are planning a workshop and he aims for a midsummer dance piece.

More excitement now we can advertise this...
I love their work so really looking forward to it....

Audience comments from 'Hear My Voice' at Falmouth Library

"Thank you and congratulations on a very impressive and powerful production"   Sue

"THOUGHT PROVOKING"

"I found this powerful and very moving.
Loved watching it - thank you"

"EMPOWERING"
Erin x

"A moving way to be reminded of such recent history. Powerful"

"I loved the personal story set against the larger picture.
Lovely, heart-felt performances and stirring words.
Thank you"
x

"Amazing performance - what powerful writing  and movement - loved the balance between the forms.
Very moving and the personal element makes it all the stronger.
Loved it and so important to tell the story.
But we still have a long way to go on the equality for all journey.
Fight on"
Maz x

"Thank you for tonight. You all really touched my heart,
certainly a celebration of diversity, ability and community.-
I too remember the workhouse here in Falmouth at Union Corner. My mother (born 1911) often told me of the situation of poverty, disadvantage, suffering of impoverished women, in her case, her mother a widow left with no income of her own.
Your expression through dance, music, the spoken word, signing, gesture - beautiful.
Thank you all - you are indeed reaching out to the community in such a positive beautiful way.
An evening to remember!"


Our love to those performers who weren't able to be with us today for various reasons.
Well done to those who performed.
Thank you to Henrietta and Sara at Falmouth Town Council for hosting us, and to Jo L for suggesting it!
To our audience approx 50, we really value the conversations/connections and comments.
To Martha for coming to film it and to Lou who helped her and without whom we wouldn't have made this piece of work, as she wrote the bid for us which was successful.
Art speaks and today i found more layers of why i like it so much - i could say more but hopefully you will get to see it so don't want to spoilt it.

Good news this week that we have our Arts Council Funding, (thanks again to Lou) for Shallal Dance Theatre, more news and performance dates and venues for the coming year out soon!