Sacha Kyle
Why did you want to become one of the Starcatchers Artists?
The Starcatchers project enables artists to explore their own artistic ideas while at the same time incorporating and furthering their understanding into children’s unique developmental stages and interest in theatre and play. Creating with and for children has always been an artistic passion of mine and Starcatchers aims to challenge what can be created for this age group in a way that directly involves and includes the children and the important people around them - parents, carers and grannies and granddads of course! I am excited by the prospect of this dual collaboration to create tailor-made and unique bespoke pieces of theatre and to further develop my own skills as a theatre director creating work for this age group.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re planning over the next few months?
Over the next few months I will be having ‘Play Days’ with performers and designers to begin to create and experiment artistically in relation to the themes and starting points of the theatre pieces; observing and doing initial creative work in nurseries and playgroups; visiting Parent and Toddler groups to set creative tasks and further research on what parent’s expectations are when they go to the theatre and their input into the design element of each show.
I will begin my 1 year process of working with a Mum to be who is currently three weeks pregnant. This ongoing work will be continuous through the full year of the residency and will include creative work, research and documentation. It will also involve the Mum and child to be included in as much theatre related opportunities as is possible.
“The earth laughs in flowers.” E.E Cummings
A HUGE THANK YOU
to
Starcatchers and AttFife (Carnegie Hall)
and of course
all the children, parents, families, artists and nursery staff who have supported me on this wonderful journey!
My Starcatchers Residency has come to an end but I will be showing 'Oops a Daisy' at the Symposium and the Imaginate Festival 2011.
For more details please follow these links:
OOps a Daisy at Starcatchers Symposium http://starcatchers.org.uk/network/
Oops a Daisy at Imaginate Childrens Festival 2011 http://www.imaginate.org.uk/FESTIVAL/shows/oopsadaisy.php
For more information on my work and future projects please follow the link:
Whimsical!
Luvhart has finished at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow but there is still a chance to see it at Carnegie Hall on Thursday November 4th 10.30am and 1.30pm.
The Press has described it as 'whimsical and charming . . . nicely stylised, almost like an early years animation brought alive’. The Herald Mary Brennan.
And audience comments have also been coming in:
'It's great to see real theatre for little people'
'The music was gorgeous and visually worked fantastically|'
'Mesmerising'.
'Just arrived home from Luvhart. It was just gorgeous. We loved it. Everything was stunning, it all fitted perfectly. My daughter was captivated all the way through. '
'Can you please do some performances at the weekend. My husband missed Luvheart, and is sick of my daughter and I saying how good it was!!!'
'Luv Hart' - The minutes engage, blanket and deliver parents and children to the scene where 'love' finally finds its moment! Well worth a visit! '
'If you can...get yourself along to the Tron to see the beautifully designed theatre piece 'Luv Hart' - Sacha Kyle has excelled in this production for the very very young! A tick-tocking delight of quirky expression and tender interaction, softly bubbles away to the mesmerising sound of an ever-present cello'
Tick Tock! Tick Tock!
The Cuckoo Clock is Whirring and there seems to be a stirring!
You are invited to meet two beautiful wind up figurines, the man in the bowler hat and the angel, as they go on a magical journey inside the wonderful ticking clock.....
Luvhart is a special show for 2- 4year olds accompanied by live cello and is on this week as part of the Inspirations Festival at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow with a few tickets left on Thursday 27th at 10.30am and 1.30pm. Friday 28th is now sold out!
Luvhart will also be on at Carnegie Hall Dunfermline town on Thursday 4th at 10.30am and 1.30pm with only a few tickets remaining for each show,
Hope to see you there!
Arty Autumn
Well it looks like Autumn is shaping up to be a busy few months! All is a go go in the creative department with Luvhart going into final development and rehearsals beginning next week leading up to performances in Glasgow at The Tron Theatre October 28th/29th as part of the Inspirations Festival and Carnegie Hall November 4th. Also on the go are rehearsals for Shake N Bake and Oops a Daisy both about to embark on a Fife Nursery tour and the return of Baby Chill November 5th/6th at Carnegie Hall.
My creative work as part of my residency will finish in the middle of November and the reflecting and documenting side of things will begin. I'm looking forward to the next few months and the mixture of presenting shows to audiences of children and also having the time and space to reflect on all that has been. The year has been quite a continuous flow of making, developing and presenting with a combination of led CPD work and specially tailored projects for the Venue. As I approach this phase of reflecting I'm looking forward to catching up with myself and looking at the finer details of what has been developed.
I am also looking forward to re visiting my relationship with my resident Mum, toddler and baby and reviewing what this year has been like for them.
Autumn into Winter and early into the New Year will be both presentation and reflection - my blog will be updated as I experience this process and as the findings unfold and present themselves. Stay tuned.....
Oops a Daisy! Daisies Galore....
Oops a Daisy premiered in Fife this week....
The original development of Oops a Daisy took place in July and involved one dancer, two performers and a live musician. Upon showing the initial ideas to children it became immediately apparent that it was the dance and music that they responded to the most. Therfore for the second phase into production I decided that I wanted to create a piece which was purely about movement and sound.
I enjoyed exploring the abstract nature of the work - beginning from a name/an action that children experience at this age - the act of playing, of pretending, of dancing and clapping and of taking the occasional tumble or 'Oops a Daisy' moment. I was curious about working with dancers to create movement that was both artistic and that would also appeal to a very young new theatre audience and adults alike.
I decided to re cast and invited three professionally trained dancers to work on the project: Tamsyn, Fiona Jeffries and Lyndsey Allen. I also wanted to work with a choreographer and invited Skye Reynolds on board to assist in developing the particular and quirky movement vignettes as well as musician Nik Paget -Tomlinson to create the quirky sound to compliment the overall feel of the piece.
I wanted to create a show which felt spontaneous and fresh, and one which allowed the audience space to respond to with their own ideas. I found early on that it was important when offering dance to such a young age that a narrative in some way was of importance. A hook was required in order for the children to invest in the piece and the importance of character and performers that they could relate to began to emmerge and one I would like to develop further.
The presentation of the piece went very well with some families returning to see it again based on their own enjoyment and upon the request of their children. It was demonstrated through feedback that the show was an enjoyable experience for both. The show engaged the wide age range of 0-4years on different levels. The very young enjoyed the movement and colour and sound, the older age enjoyed the characters, the interactive clapping and the opportunity to dance from within the audience and to discover the 'Oops a Daisy' moments.
At the end everyone enjoyed the opportunity to explore the 'theatre space', the objects and the performers.
Oops a Daisy will be going on tour in Fife in November 2010.
Baby Chill @ The Playroom Week 4
This week was the last of The Playroom and I ended it with an Inflatable extravaganza! In the Playroom the toys had been cleared away and replaced with beach inflatables, lilos, beach balls,inflatable whales and spades and buckets. Brian Hartley was spinning summer tunes and the parents were delighted at the option of beautifully decorated cupcakes for this summer finale.
Meanwhile a little way down the hall the Baby Chill Installation was waiting for it's first guests. I wanted to create a space in which both parent and child could be relaxed - a super soft and interactive space which was filled with soothing music to complete the experience. I invited Jonna Jarvinen in to design and make the interior and Nik Paget - Tomlinson to compose the soundscape. My theory behind the space was that if Parent is relaxed then baby is relaxed and vice versa. This theory was put to the test and the results were fantastic - the change in groups as they went in was very interesting indeed - parents and babies were engaging and chilling out fulfilling my initial aims that I set out to encourage with the creation of this installation of further bonding and play. It was a very special experience to be a part of and here are some comments from the parents:
'The Baby Chill is a great idea and extremely relaxing for baby and parents!'
'So many different textures, change of lighting and colours.'
'The cushions and the lighting. Baby very chilled.'
'Big soft cushions, calming music and lights worked very well to give some 'time out'.
'The overall experience worked very well! Music was good, the over head balls and lights facinated th 13 week child.'
'Loved small numbers, calming music, dome lighting, soft furnishings, AMAZING!'
'Absolutely brilliant experience.'
'Really chilled, lovely, relaxing experience'.
The Playroom - What the parents are saying
Was there anything you thought works particularly well about the Playroom?
'The way the toys are placed, the space concept, expressive toys.'
'The tea and scones, it was a nice relaxed atmosphere'
'Very friendly and welcoming and good set up'
'Variety of toys' 'Loved the Music'
'The children mixing and playing'
'Being able to come along on your own and meeting other parents for a chat'
'Looking after the parents!'
'Being able to have a cuppa, a scone & chat while the kids played.'
The Playroom Week 3
The third week of the Playroom has been another sell out success! A few Mums this week suggested we have snacks for the children and as if by magic little coloured pots of raisins have appeared on the tables. The format of the playroom is now running smoothly - the toys and baby safe areas are complete, the metros and magazines are readily available, the tunes are mixed up and mellow, the tummies of all ages are full and the adults are nicely watered.
This week we had the lovely Nik Paget-Tomlinson playing a variety of tunes for the children throughout their playroom session. The children were also able to interact with him and had the chance to experience playing the instruments themselves. The live music created a relaxing Friday atmosphere. Nik is also on board to create the soundscape that will compliment the Baby Chill Installation which will be part of this Fridays (30th July) Summer Playroom Beach party complete with Brian Hartley on the decks spinning those summer delights.
The Playroom Week 2
The Playroom has begun its second sold out week it has been a great success with many happy parents and wee ones! The scones are being eaten up and the old rat pack tunes are being enjoyed. Tomorrow I am introducing a baby safe space in the form of a paddling pool in response to the parents suggestions for a contained space to put their babies down. I have also bought a further selection of Jazzy and rock n roll tunes to keep the parents toes a tapping. This weeks Friday event is a storyteller from the Scottish Storytelling centre.
Cafe Cabaret!
This weeks show event at the playroom was 'Cafe Cabaret' directed by myself and performed by Hazel Darwin Edwards. We devised the show in response to how the children were playing in the Playroom this week and used the setting of the play cafe to inspire the piece. We came up with a 1940s/50's style character attempting to cook a wonderful meal for the teddybears and the children - with the occasional interruption of pesky mice getting in the way of her perfect presentation. The children responded well to the jazzy big band tunes and the burlesque performance style. Hazel engaged brilliantly with the children performing a fun, summery and visually entertaining short piece. The children also enjoyed the invitation to explore and interact with the set - re enacting the show and dressing up to create their own kitchen mayhem. 'Cafe Cabaret' will be returning after further development touring around nurserys in Fife in November.
To promote and increase participation in the arts. To be recognised for excellence in the development of the arts and creativity. Arts and Theatres Trust Fife Ltd (AttFife) is an independent arts organisation set up in 2007 to provide arts, culture and entertainment across Fife. We are a company limited by guarantee with charitable status governed by a voluntary board of directors. AttFife currently employs 70 full and part-time staff as well as 200 casual staff.
Adam Smith Theatre – Kirkcaldy
Carnegie Hall – Dunfermline
Lochgelly Centre – Lochgelly
Rothes Halls – Glenrothes
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