Hazel Darwin Edwards

Crèche Landing- 1st February 2011

 I created Space Dust in response to the discoveries I made last year- it was the cherry on top of this residency. We set out to explore new ways of bringing creativity into the crèche setting, using extended in-role improvisation and principles of naive play and a child led narrative. In other words we dressed up and pretended to be aliens living in the crèche with children aged 0-4 for a week to see what the response would be and to listen to their suggestions to move the story on (as many of the younger ones are non-verbal their ideas are initiated through play.)

The project was in collaboration with actor Samuel Jamieson, film maker Geraldine Heaney, director Heather Fulton and the Treehouse crèche staff Lisa, Gillian and Laura. It was a dream team who were all completely behind the experiment, which pushed all of us out of our comfort zone at times and could be quite exhausting, but which was genuinely fascinating and produced exciting results. The Treehouse is already a fantastically creative and artistic space run by an energetic and resourceful team who were thankfully open to having a new experience- and helping to shape that into something that could work in other childcare settings in the future.

Much of the discussion was about how much (story/activities/ideas/material) we needed to ‘offer’ and how much space we needed to leave for their contribution. The week began with us offering very little and trying to let the children take the lead- made easier by the idea that the characters couldn’t speak and don’t know anything about the objects/language/earthly customs. But as the week went on we adjusted to the rhythm of this particular setting and, for example, found out that offering a high energy activity just after snack might work well and offering a more focused performance section (to watch) worked well whilst they ate their lunch. If a child wanted to watch/engage with us- in any way- we were always open to them taking the lead and reacting ‘in the moment.’ Often things didn’t work out as planned- e.g. the tea party became a game of sucking up the space disks through a tube… maybe you had to be there! We found a lot of humour in the characters and the situation (imagine 6’2 Sam stuck in a tiny toddler sized play house shouting ‘help, help!’) but it was all natural and never forced. If participants were more interested in the toy cars/dolls house/baby at that moment then there’s room for that, our characters might be interested in that too, or play on their own for a while- after all we had the whole week, there was plenty time. Considering we were wearing silver, lycra, all-in-ones, it actually felt a very natural role to play and like we were in a place of real creativity, empowering for the children, very engaging for us as artists, and there was some great feedback from the Treehouse staff:

‘You guys have really opened our eyes to all possibilities in providing opportunity for creative play - really offering and not leading… having you guys with us for the week has really given us an insight into how the children we know who attend regularly, have developed and learned throughout this whole journey.’

Space Log

Day 1

The spaceship lands beside a lake outside the MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling. Little faces are pressed to the window. We look around and decide to join the little people in the crèche. Our ship nestles among the bright toys. We join them in their hand painting custom, pressing our painted hands together then making prints from them. We fall asleep.

Day 2

We are adjusting to their ways- they paint not only our hands but our whole bodies. They name us Twin, Twin and Rabbit and we begin to pick up the language ‘spanner’, ‘big blob’, ‘200 points’, ‘tattoo.’ They say we are from ‘out of space.’ Twin starts to nod off, so one boy teaches the other Twin to ROAR at Twin with a tiger to wake him up.

Day 3

They are now exploring our space ship, and some made silver suits to look like us. Slowly the walls, the floor and some of the toys are becoming silver. We all danced and banged things until we were exhausted. We ate a meal with them: yoghurt, cheese, nana, sorry.

Day 4

We are still sleeping when they arrive (all that dancing.) We want to show them shadow pictures of our world. We make shadows of their objects and guess what they are. One strange shape is a ‘combine harvester.’ Lisa and Twin are put in ‘Jail.’ Twin tries to fall asleep and we all have to ‘sshhhh’ but then there is a big storm in the room. We have an excellent silver space meal; it is so good that Twin plays a tune on the teapot.

Day 5

We are having a lie in, in the spaceship; it has been an exhausting week. They tickle our feet to wake us up. We brush down our suits and have bubble showers. We all rock out to ‘around the world around the wo-orld’ by Daft Punk- and that was our final mission- it is time to go. We pack up. They teach us to say ‘good-bye’ and ‘miss you.’ A final hug and we leave, squeezing the space ship out the door as they wave good bye.

The Playday secrets revealed- 13th January 2010

When Sacha and I were planning our Starcatchers Playday (one of the Imaginate Winter Sessions for artists) we thought about what aspect of our year long residency we would like to share with other artists given only this one day. It is quite a useful desert island exercise ‘if you could only pick one thing to take with you from this residency…’ Though other creative values- those like ‘being playful’ and ‘keeping it simple’ will crop up during the day I think most of the artists have had a chance to get a handle on these things before.  So we decided to try something that we had never done in a workshop before, and bring an audience of nursery children and ask the artists to perform for them. Throughout the residencies all the artists have worked with a selection of nurseries, parent and toddler groups, public audience groups and creche’s. How each artist has gone about that and how it has affected the work has varied- but we have all shared work that is in early stages of development with young audiences. We wanted to open this discussion with the artists at our play day to give them the experience of trying it themselves, and then ask questions such as:

  - combining a performance and free-play session is very satisfying- but with the play first or with the performance first?

  - how did affect the way you worked knowing there would be a test audience so soon?

  - How do you feel about involving children in the making process? What are the different ways of doing this which you have tried or imagined?

We decided to keep the invited audience a secret. We arranged for the nursery group (who are based at Easterhouse in the same building that we were working and already have a relationship with Starcatchers so were totally on board with the idea) to arrive at 3 but didn’t tell the other artists. We led warm up games, then exercises using pictures and objects for inspiration, and then we gave them time in groups to explore a performance idea. We watched all of the pieces and asked ‘how do you think children would respond to this?’ before revealing that we would like to give them the opportunity to share it with some children after lunch.

I was actually amazed at how all of the artists were totally up for it. There were several who hadn’t performed for this age before and at least one who hadn’t performed at all since college, so to do it with very little preparation and in front of their peers was a big risk. But I think it was totally worth it.

Afterward we discussed:

-how exhausted we were

-the varied and unexpected the reactions of the different children

-how the pressure of having an audience focussed our ideas

-how important the atmosphere of the room is, e.g. lighting and music

-how much time, as an adult in the audience for each other’s pieces, we spent watching the children’s reactions

-how it is easy to become completely involved in performing to one child who is responding enthusiastically, and how we can think about reaching out to the shyer ones

-how children ‘think through doing’ (Rosie Gibson) and therefore allowing them a chance to play in the space afterwards is very useful for them, but also for us to gather their feedback on the piece

-how they may not want to participate during the performance but would reveal a willingness afterwards

-how the behaviour of the nursery staff influenced the piece

-how we would respond to those discoveries given another chance to develop the pieces

-why we lean towards participatory performance ideas for this age

Elf and Happiness- 22nd December 2010

Here are 10 bauble sized seasonal anecdotes about the Elf Experiment:

1)      The cracker story

The children find a cracker in the nursery and the Elf is very excited about it- however she has not seen a cracker before. With a little shake we can hear that there is something inside it but how do we open it? Lots of little faces look up at the Elf and a child suggest ‘scissors.’ The room agrees that this is a good suggestion and some scissors are discovered nearby and handed to the Elf who should do the honours. The Elf grins, and snip, snip the cracker is opened, perfect.

2)      Easy-to-use elf magic

The children are given small sparkly squares of elf magic.

Child: what do we do with the elf magic?

Elf: What do you think?

Child: Make a wish?

Elf: Yes. Exactly.

Child: Good. I already made one.

Elf: Perfect.

3)      Expect delays this Christmas

A jingle bells ringtone inside the parcel. It’s Santa- we have to get back. It’s nearly Christmas and Santa needs our help to get things ready.

Children: NO! Don’t go- stay and play again.

Elf: But Santa needs our help. We need to make the presents.

Children: No…

Elf: But there’ll be no presents- is that OK?

Children: Yeah! That’s OK

Elf: And Christmas will be delayed- is that OK?

Children: Yeah, that’s fine.

4)      I love this game

‘You can’t possibly know this game, it is a traditional elf game played on our birthday which happens once every 200 years and there are 2478 rules, but don’t worry you will pick it up easily- I know what I’m doing. So first I pass the present to you and you pass it back to me, then I put it on your head, then give it a shake, then walk backwards 5 paces, give it to you- you give it back to me- that’s it. Then the music stops and we open a layer- but there’s another present inside. Pass the parcel? I’ve never heard of it. OK now you kiss the present and I throw it up and catch it then… oh- you want to pass it to Melody? He’s playing the piano- so I rub it against his cheek instead… I love this game!’

5)      The balloon

We are testing for Elf magic. The ‘tester’- I think in Scotland you say ‘rocket balloon’- inflates to giggles. Pause, more giggles. Worried look to Melody who is on the keyboard playing ‘tension’ music. Pause. Then a farty noise as it flies off to the roof of the gym hall, round and round until it runs out of air and pauses in the air like a cartoon animal who just stepped off a cliff… then it falls. In a straight line, all eyes following it, straight into the open hand of Melody- who is still playing the keyboard with his other hand. What an incredible, one off moment!

6)      The elf berries

You just take your time opening that, it’s fine, I’ll have one of my cherries, I mean- elf berries. Oh no, my mask has slipped! Conspiritory looks from the adults- they are not fooled, I’m not really an elf but an actor (my cheeks are actually face paint.) However every child in the room is focussed on present opening, not one of them has noticed… smiles from the adults, and we got away with that one.

7)      Understandable confusion

Elf: It’s Melody’s elf birthday! We should give him a surprise, have you got any ideas?

Child: A cake?

Child: A present?

Child: A Christmas tree?

8)      Very sensible suggestions

Elf: The silver box is shut and we need to get it open. Have you got any suggestions?

Child: Use your hands?

…

Elf: We have to leave- how do we get out of here?

Child: The door!

9)      The school run

Matt has left his notebook in a nursery, so on the way home we stop by to pick it up. We collide with the school run and join the queue of cars outside the school gates while Matt runs in to pick it up. Scott and I are still in full elf gear- rosy cheeks, bobble hats and high vis vests, sitting in the front seats of a blue sab outside school. We are the elf parents waiting to pick up their elf child? We are normal parents dressed as elves to embarrass their children on the last day of term?

10)   Flying off

We have to leave- I’m sorry but Santa needs us.

Child: how will you get back?

Elf: Sleigh of course.

I point to the window and trace the route of us flying off. Then we leave.

They watch for us going. Nothing, so they sing jingle bells (we are probably putting on our helmets and unlocking the sleigh.) Some time passes (we are actually hiding under the stairs by the fire exit; we don’t want to set off the alarm.)

One brilliant adult takes a risk: look- there they are.

Children: Oh yeah, look! Bye! Bye Elves!

They wave us off. Till next year…

Finding my Elf- 30th November 2010

I sit on the floor in the middle of a nursery to check out the map- a look of concentration on my face- I’m thinking ‘how exactly am I going to get back to Santa?’ A girl reaches out to touch my cheek and her tiny finger comes away with red make up on. She has found me out. Her eyes widen. I panic. She grins. I grin. It’s going to be OK- we’re in on this adventure together. It’s a scientific elf led evaluation of the ‘christmasyness’ of the nursery. Using unconventional elf methods of bottling sounds and stylophone-ometer colour testing, photographing wellies and person labelling the findings are elf evident.

What would happen if we didn’t announce that a performance is going to start? This allows the children to make the decision to opt in or out of the performance experience as they wish. The unsuspecting children check us out: some of them drop what they are doing and are right up to us with questioning expressions, and others watch from afar, hands still in the sand pit, and one or two are so involved in their world of play that even four grownups in high-vis vests with red cheeks who are TIED TOGETHER is not enough to attract their attention.

What would happen if we went in and left space for them to make the first move? I don’t think at the start of the year I’d have thought it was a brilliant idea to go into a nursery in character without any rehearsal, and without any language and just see what happens without pushing an idea- just responding to their play. But that’s where I am now- a year after I began this residency. There are moments of awkwardness, I’ll be honest, they are looking at me waiting for me to do something and I am looking at them waiting for them to do something. Take a breath. Ride it out. Leave space. And then it happens- they take the lead- How did you get here? Can I have a go of your camera? What is that on your back? Can you not talk? Why can’t you talk? I love that they totally accept that we are elves. I love that they can feel the buzz Christmas will happen but they only have a vague sense of what it will be like because they are only 3. And I love that Matt, Heather, Scott* and I are taking this business of elf inspired performance possibilities very seriously. It is not new to any of us any more; we are all on a journey with creating this kind of work and still solving the puzzle, it’s a really good team. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Matt (who has also blogged about this project on the Platform residency page) for the first time and his gentle, confident leadership of this project is very inspiring!

Oh, and just before we go, has anyone got a message for Santa? ‘Jingle Bells’, no, make that ‘Jingle all the way.'

*Matt Addicott (Starcatchers Artist in Residence at Platform, Easterhouse) Heather Fulton (director of The Attic/ previous Starcatchers Artist in Residence and currently working for Starcatchers creating a resource pack for nurseries) and Scott Twynholm (musician and composer for First Light)

Hey good lookin! What ya got cookin?- 8th October 2010

Shake n’Bake recipe

1)      Take a generous helping of shaking

2)      Mix in a bowlful of baking

3)      Add knitted mice to taste

4)      Now effuse with the finest quality retro jazz music for 20 mins

5)      Garnish with long silk gloves and a feather boa

6)      Serve with polka dots to Fife-based tots daily for the next 2 weeks!

Lottie and I have begun our tour of nurseries in Fife with Shake n’Bake, a show I created in collaboration with Sacha Kyle last summer. We have a rocking sound track compiled by Starcatcher’s favourite Nik Paget-Tomlinson which I challenge anyone not to want to dance to and the show’s a lot of fun.

We kicked off in St Serfs nursery today. A really lovely response from everyone, including the staff: ‘I could spend all day writing observations about that’ and ‘I was surprised how the boys sat completely engaged- we do drama but I’ve never seen them that absorbed.’ And one little girl tried to stop us from packing up: ‘don’t go, do it again?’ she asked. The children even came up with a cunning plan to keep us there- they posted our cheese prop through the letter box, of course they did.

Hats off- 26th October 2010

 

The Attic is all done but not dusted- we are leaving the dust on it (to add authenticity) for next year! We really enjoyed performing this beautiful show, and would love to do it again. We had a very positive reaction from our audiences and there are plenty ideas and discoveries coming from this show. The process has been so long and thorough that it has resulted in not only a show that is very rich in ideas and images, but a very multi-layered experience for all the artists involved. It was lovely to see the families and nurseries who had been involved in development come back and see the leap we made to a finished production. It’s hard to tell if a particularly memorable 3 year old recognises that it was his endless pouring of imaginary tea which inspired that part of the performance but he seemed in his element joining in exactly as we had intended- and his parents remembered. And another 4 year old wanted to know why Grandma hadn’t knitted him a fleece as promised last time- how do you explain that you have actually changed grannies since the development? Sorry…

And here’s what the press said:

a celebration of the creative imagination we all keep under our hats

spell-binding fun for little ones

the cups, teapots and knitted cakes that are also whisked, quite magically, into view- lead on to a splendid tea-party where we join in the fun.

MARY BRENNAN The Herald 21.10.10

photo by Neil Thomas Douglas

 

Final week of Attic Rehearsals- 13th October 2010

 

This week there is an entire universe of pom pom planets has evolved in the foyer at the Byre and a cheeky spider has crocheted yarn webs all over the place. Some woollen flowers have grown around the pillars and someone’s been busy knitting bunting up the stairs… it must be time for the Attic. We open next week on Wednesday and we’d love to see you there.

My character Lucy is such a joy to play and for the last 3 weeks I have spent all day exploring a magical attic with my pretend Grandmother. We have discovered some magic and most importantly, a beautiful story to tell (oh, and a few surprises, but I can’t write about those yet!) There’s a really talented team of exciting artists behind this show and everyone is so focussed this week on making it something very special. This really is a piece that has grown out of my residency, from being here in St Andrews, in this theatre and this community- and I’m so excited to share it here.

The Attic Rehearsal Blog-2nd October 2010

Lucy: Where do you go when you are asleep?

Grandma: To the Attic of the Imagination.

The first week of rehearsals is over and I feel very excited about how the play is shaping up. I have discovered that I can wear 10 jumpers at once and that Grandma speaks French and has a lucky hat. It really has been a joy to get back into this show- there are so many layers and possibilities with this theme. We are working in fascinating territory; thinking about stories that span generations or skip them and values that we pass on through families. I don’t want to tell you too much because I really hope that you will be able to come and see it for yourself.

P.S. There is an added lure: I have made a book to give away free to everyone who comes to the show. It works like a scrapbook- so an adult and a child can fill in blanks in the story together and you’ll end up with your very own personal book of the stories and pictures you might keep in your own imaginary Attic.

Looking back- 11th September 2010

Last year my friend gave me a favourite book of his from childhood called ‘Grandmother Lucy and her hats.’ I loved the illustrations and they brought back memories of when I was small and first allowed to explore my grandparent’s attic. I always had a close relationship with my grandparents and, after losing the last one last year, I wanted to explore the special relationship that a young child shares with someone elderly. It’s almost as if they share a special world where imagination and play can be very real- often there are less rules and responsibilities and a particular energy is found in someone just arriving in the world, or just getting ready to leave it.

In January I began by working with another actress and a director to explore the ideas for the show and we regularly went in to local nurseries to try them out. We filmed and analysed the children’s responses to different stories or performance styles and began to find out what we wanted to make and how we wanted to do it. The whole process has spanned several months and now we have several other artists involved and its full steam ahead into production.

We have a fantastic team for the Attic, I am humbled to be working with very experienced, talented professionals. I think lots of the stigma attached to making children’s theatre; the ‘do it because that’s where the money is’, ‘it has to have an educational message’ idea that what children like is totally removed from what adults like is now very old fashioned.  It goes without saying that we are aiming for exactly the same quality as any adult show- we’re just performing it during daylight hours and paying special attention to things like how the audience enters the space, how they sit, how close they are to the action, how dark or light you can make it etc. I want the play to work on a level for adults as well. If the play has the right heart to it, then it should work for both, and I think this one does.

The webs we weave- 2nd September 2010

 

This week I have been crocheting spiders webs for the Attic and thinking about the philosopher Ernst Cassirer who said:

Language, myth, art and religion are parts of this universe. They are the varied threads with which we weave the symbolic net, the tangled web of human experience.

I also made a bird puppet from pom poms, which symbolises the place that the imagination of the very old and the very young meet, and thought about how Samuel Johnson said:

Curiosity is, in great end generous minds, the first passion and the last.

And while arranging and rearranging the moments of the play on little coloured notes, like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle, I remembered this quote by Anna Paola Corradi, a kindergarten teacher from Bolognia:

Then, one day, poetry came, like some sort of possible crossroad on a route of deep communication between children and adults, built day by day and full of very intense moments, towards a deeper understanding and awareness of art and beauty.

The Byre Theatre of St Andrews is Scotland’s only 5 star arts attraction. Situated in the East Neuk of Fife, the Byre plays a key role in the local community and in the Scottish arts. Children & families are a key focus of the Byre Theatre. Boasting an excellent youth theatre group producing several performances every year, the Byre is also committed to producing work for our youngest audience members, aged 0-4.

 

The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9LA

 

T: 01334 475000

F: 01334 475370 

 

www.byretheatre.com