SO. A LOT has happened since this year began. I cannot believe it's already MAY? Where have these past few months gone? Anyway- I was working in Dundee with Smallpeitklein Dance Company, which unfortunately shut down in April. As part of the Creative Learning Team, I got to work on some great projects with some of the best people.
One of the projects I was involved in was "Aspire"- funded by Dundee City Council- it looks to bringing the arts closer to areas and children who otherwise would not have the chance to be exposed to it. During my last term on the project, we focused on Stravinsky's "Firebird" with the children. It was challenging and some days it was difficult to get out of bed. But every time I saw one of our students dancing their heart out to music they wouldn't have otherwise listened to, it made me realise just how important my job was. I've seen students with the most challenging behaviour become entranced by movement, dance and music. And that's amazing.
At the end of the term my fellow Creative Learning Team players and I were extremely proud of our students. Over 200 of them got a once-in-a-lifetime experience to perform in the Caird Hall in Dundee. The day was manic. We had a whole lot of children to be responsible for, each of them had a different piece to practice and perform. The Caird Hall was packed. The students performed alongside a 70 piece orchestra to over 500 audience members. What a day.
Apart from all the dance theatre workshops being run during and out of school hours, I was asked to create a GIANT Firebird puppet.
And so I did… I used a technique I had learned during the River Of Light Festival and made the Firebird head structure out of willow.
Here's the bird, who I named "Bob" during the different stages of being built and covered in wet-strength tissue paper and PVA.
Thanks a million to all those who helped me build and cover this beast!
Here is Bob- moved from the Gym Hall onto the stage of one Rowantree Primary school- of the schools we were working in.
Cant say I wasn't worried about Bob's safety..
Caird Hall! Performance day on 7th March 2015!
Bob in action on the Caird Hall stage before the performance. I also kitted him out with torches. so when he went down the aisle, he lit up people's lives ;)
