Everyone had a great time playing games, acting and rehearsing, doing crafts, making props and costumes, making music and filming excerpts from Act 1 scene 2 of The Tempest with #Miranda, #Prospero, #Caliban, #Ariel - generally hanging out, enjoying one another's company, fooling about and making new friends in a beautiful setting - One Garden, Stanmer Park BN1 9SE
One Garden could not have been more generous - they gave us two classroom spaces AND free lunches. Nothing was too much trouble so MANY THANKS to Kelly Jolly, Richard Smith, Josephine Cobb, Abi Baker and the catering staff too.
Matt Kowalzcuk will edit the film footage he and Afra Nuarey shot - a drama / doc will be ready soon.
Photos from the four days are below.
Please see link below to a blog from Matilda from TDC about Apples and Eyes and this is from Caroline Vitta Youth Worker Manager at TDC who was with us for the autumn school -
What a fantastic four days. When I first met the young people on the bus on Monday morning, it was hard to imagine how the next few days would go. How amazing then to see the transformation that occurred in each young person by day 4 in confidence, participation, creativity and friendships.
Each part of the Apples and Eyes project contributes to the young peoples’ growth – from the drama games, reading scripts, making music, art workshops, acting and film making, plus just having some free space to be young people and being able to express themselves. The enthusiasm for Shakespeare and the arts comes across to the young people from the facilitators who deliver the days with warmth, fun, patience and encouragement.
One Garden worked brilliantly and gives us flexibility when we might offer A&E next year. It would be great to explore Stanmer Park with the young people and maybe a ranger or forager to see how we could link the environment with the play.
The group did amazingly well at staying engaged but maybe we need to just check if we can do anything differently with how we offer the project to them – including fidget toys/something they can do with their hands/ time out/ shorter days – finish at 3 instead of 4?
Likewise, how could we be more accessible to young people who may have English as a second language given we had several Ukranian young people?
I have no hesitation in saying that I would love for TDC Youth to be involved in Apples and Eyes 3 in 2023.