Baby Stages at the Dukes, Lancaster

Our series of  ‘Baby Stages’ sessions launched at DT3 at the Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster, with a delightful group of infants and parents and carers from Appletree Nursery.

Movement and song combined with material and buckets, theatre lighting and sound to create a strongly engaging play session of imaginative engagement for the very earliest of theatre attenders.

Imaginary Leaps at the Dukes, Lancaster

The Dukes welcomed us into their DT3 space for a special Imaginary Leaps session with Appletree Children’s Centre based on the story of  ‘The Runaway Pancake’.

A very floury time was had by all: playing with flour, eating pancakes, listening to the story performed with ordinary kitchen objects and making pancake puppets to take home.

The children enjoyed playing, meeting our puppet cat, laughing at the pancake and getting messy!

 

This is the first session of a series to be held weekly as part of Appletree Children’s Centre’s outreach work.

Transformational Object Theatre Professional Creative Development workshop Toihaus Salzburg

Workshop held with Early Years practitioners at Toihaus Theatre, Salzburg in September 2009

Early Arts North West regional meeting

On Friday October 16th DNA hosted a network meeting for Early Years arts at the Watermark, Preston.

Rachel not only talked about her Dandelion study trips to Bologna and Saltzburg in the morning but also gave an impromptu workshop  on ‘Transformational Object Theatre’ with early years practitioners.

High school ‘Beowulf’ shadow performance training

Last week we spent the day at Droylsden Academy, Manchester, where we worked with an entire year 7 group (nearly 250 of them), getting them to design and make shadow puppets and scenery to stage the epic tale of ‘Beowulf’.

 

 

Youth Theatre Specialist Training in Barrow, Cumbria

Over the past few months we have been working with The Ashton Group’s Youth Theatre in Barrow, and artistic director Rachel Ashton on their  new production of ‘The Selkie Boy’ based on the traditional Celtic myth.

We trained them in the design and performance methods on our life-sized ‘The Hoodies‘ puppets, and staging, creating and using shadow puppetry techniques to use in their forthcoming production.

Creating an underwater scene using shadows and light

Designing and making eyeballs for 'The Hoodies' puppets

Early Years Creativity Training

Rachel has been to Claughton Childrens Centre on the Wirral near Liverpool to conduct an ‘Imaginary Leaps’ training session in creativity with staff from various local children’s centres.

In her report on the day, Debbie Hoy says “The training we received will support us in encouraging the development of children’s language and communication skills and support understanding of sustained shared thinking”

Debbie also says “It was very valuable having training in a specialist field such as puppetry delivered by someone who also clearly had an understanding of the EYFS which all our practitioners have regard to in their work.”

Ball Pond Bobby at the Dukes Lancaster

Shakera dancing with the sun

Bobby Spinning with Adam

Tea Party at the Bottom of the Ball Pond

Teddy Planet

Thurtinkle on ‘Look North West’

The day after Thurtinkle’s appearance on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of the ‘One and Other‘ project by Antony Gormley, he was met by the BBC, who wanted to interview him and film him ‘doing something ordinary’ for the feature on the evening of the 7th of September 2009. Here is the result.

Earlyarts Professional Development Day

Earlyarts Professional Development Group

for the North West Region

Friday, 16^th October 2009

DNA Puppetry, The Watermark,

9-15 Ribbleton Lane, Preston, PR1 5EZ (directions here)

10.00 am – 4.00 pm

(Coffee from 9.30am)

please bring a packed lunch or money for the café

Programme:

10.00 Earlyarts National Growth Programme and introduction to Pathfinders in region

10.30        Morning Case Study Presentations by Earlyarts members:

• Elaine Bates and Debbie Walker, Renaissance North West on the Renaissance NW Early Years Family Learning Programme.
• Rebecca Johnson, Head of Learning and Play at Eureka on International Developments in Childrens Museums, and what next for family learning at Eureka.
• Rachel Riggs, DNA and Ruth Churchill Dower, Isaacs UK and Earlyarts on the learning emerging from Earlyarts International Exchange programme, Dandelion (focussing on theatre for families).

12.00     Earlyarts Knowledge – Latest publications, research, national initiatives and Speed Networking

12.30     Networking LUNCH

13.30     Practice Workshop – choose one of two excellent opportunities to gain ideas and skills:

a)      Zoe Greenhalgh, Turton Music – Supporting family learning through music (specifically exploring Kodaly approaches).

b)      Louise Rutherford, Peoples History Museum – story building with young children and families

16.0    Finish.

To book a place please contact Susan at earlyarts@isaacsuk.co.uk or phone

01484 685869.

Any problems on the day, phone Ruth on 07967 804223