June 7th - Workshop 1

Day 1
The arrival of our new client group was highly anticipated, we as a team of facilitators created a schedule of games with a lot of help from Deanna our workshop leader on Monday. We decided to have leaders who would each take charge of a certain game and the rest of us would be there to support our peer as a friend and professionally as makers of art. Having different team leaders for different sections of the day also allowed us the opportunity to have our own independence and develop our skills as leaders and communicators, everything we do is to create a broader portfolio of expertise in our craft and this really helped that. We wrote down an order of who would run which part of the workshop to give us and our clients some structure to our day.

1. Introduction/Welcome: This part was lead by our teachers Sarah and Matthew, it was about introducing ourselves and our new team members to what it is we will be doing with them over the next few weeks, what type of work we will be creating and a general overlook of the course and journey we are about to embark upon together

2. Name Game: Jess volunteered to run this section, it was about introducing us to one another, becoming familiar with other people and trying to break down the “fourth wall” between all of us.

3. Height order/Age order: Sarah ran this part of the workshop, it was about us a people knowing each others personal space but having to invade it a little bit for the purpose of the exercise and becoming comfortable with one another, it required us to almost size each other up and engage in friendly conversation so that we could complete the task together.

4. EastEnders Zip-Zap-Boing: Molly said that she would run this part of the day and it was just a general game most new groups would play but it was important for us as it was about never letting the energy drop, so that our client group become uninterested and unfocused on what it is we were trying to engage them in. This game highlighted some of the people less willing to participate and should that we would need more the a day with our new co-workers to break them into our ways of working, but also we would need time to get to understand them better as people and not just people we are creating art with.

5. Sunshine: Tuwaine was our team leader for this exercise and it was in keeping with not letting the energy become dead and dull, forever keeping our day alive and engaging our new arrivals in activities that would keep them moving which was exactly what this game done, it also meant that we got to try out techniques which Deanna taught us about letting whoever is in charge lead the group and feel as if though they have the power and if they have forgotten a rule, to not tell them they have made a mistake but prompt them in a gentle encouraging way.

6. Space game: The purpose of this game was to allow people the time to get comfortable with their new setting that they would be working in for the next few weeks, to really let them feel the space using different parts of their bodies. Beth led this game and her explanation was done very well, however we still got people who weren’t willing to completely give themselves into the game but that is due to come about and should seamlessly fade away as we start to build our trust as a team.

7. Bomb and Shield: This again was also about exploring your personal space boundaries and attaching yourself to people who you hardly know but trusting them enough to almost protect you in a literal and metaphorical sense in regards to the game. Rosie’s leadership in this game was very subtle, she immersed herself into the game also so no one felt left out or as if they were being watched, the game built confidence and friendships in some aspects.

8. Follow the leader: Nyah was in charge of this game and the purpose was to help the group focus and concentrate on one person, using their senses to know when there was a change in rhythm. It took teamwork and concentration to be able to get this exercise to work and it meant that even though we were silent, we connected with each other through our eyes and other ways.

9. Hot and Cold: The goal of this game was to steer one person in the right direction, it meant working in unison with one another to reach a goal that we weren’t allowed to vocalise. It consisted of us clapping our hands when the person stood outside the room got close to their goal, it was a confusing game and it was clear that we weren’t all working at the same pace, which was something we need to work over time.

10. The magic calculator: Maisie concluded our games for the day and she ended with “The Magic Calculator” the aim of the game is to stand in a circle with our eyes closed and count from 1-10 without two or more people saying the same number. This was a game which really tested our ability to just be one with ourselves, trust our instincts and rely on others instincts, which is a lot to ask of a group of people who have never worked together before. We managed to make it to 10 once but after that it proved to be rather difficult and resulted in us saying that we’ll try again a few weeks down the line to see if we have made any improvements. It would be a great test of our journey and to see how far we have come, also to see whether we have made any progress as a team, if we have pulled together of apart.

The Tour

Towards the end of the day, we took our new peers for a tour around the school to show them where certain things are and where they need to go if they want to eat, smoke and other things. It was nice coming out of our working space as it felt a bit more relaxed and had more time to just talk to the people we would be working with, getting to know them and not running around all the time trying to keep the energy in the room at a certain level. The tour allowed us time to interact with our client group and then answer any questions they may have or ask questions we may have about them and their knowledge of school facilities. It was amazing to find out what impressed them about the technology we hold in the school and it opened your eyes to realise how much we take for granted.

After the tour of the building, we met back in our space and started discussing what it is we would like our final piece to look like, what type of finishing product we would like to show to people. A lot of them were reluctant to performing live whilst others were more open to the idea. We began talking on their strengths as performers and what it is they would like to be doing as performers, there were directors, singers, songwriters and rappers sitting amongst us and I think that is when we truly started to see the potential we all had as a group to put on a really inspiring showcase.