Drama in Community - 9th October

HAM HOUSE

Today we began the lesson in the Orangery room at Ham House.
As a group we discussed the different aspects of work that we shall be doing in the lesson and lessons to come.

We were priviledged to be shown around Ham House by a member of the team.
The tour focused on reminding us that the house was once lived in and was very much full of life.
I found myself looking at each room and imagining what went on there when William Murray's family lived there back in 1610. Where they ate, slept and exercised?

As i was walking around the grand rooms of the house i used the intense atmosphere to create different characters and different stories in different rooms.

One of my favourite rooms was one of the attic bedrooms where the servants slept. The room was very small and basic with very few materilas and furnature.
This room was solely fo sleeping in, there was nothing in the rooms that entertained or comforted the servants.

The kitchens and the larder were other rooms of interest for me and i could see myself using the space to create great pieces of theatre. Making pieces of theatre and telling stories about the workers and the servants were more interesting to me that using characters like William and Elizabeth because i felt that i could relate more to the workers and i felt that they had more of a story about them that was interesting.


SPIRAL

Mark gave us information about a company called 'Spiral'.
I found this very very very interesting and i was really interested in thge project that we can particicate in december. Im desperate to go out and work with them. Its sounds like such a new and fresh way of working that i dont think im used to, and it would be brilliant to work with them and gain a different aspect of making theatre.

From their website i found out that;
Spiral lives and works from rural La Rioja, Spain, developing participatory, multicultural theatre projects in site specific contexts. Much of their work takes place in beautiful locations and places of significant historical importance. At Spiral they work with local communities, theatre students and with those who have a passion for theatre. Projects and workshops can last from a few days to years. And for this reason every outcome and performance is unique.

Spiral makes theatre and performances in all sorts of places. Museums, windmills, archaeological sites, abandoned villages, forests, village squares, classrooms, old folks residencies, community centres… everywhere can be places in which their workshops and performances take shape. Participants can be school children or village neighbours. All their performances are designed to be popular, participative and festive. The more there are the better.

NOW DOESNT THAT SOUND BRILL???

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