tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16133771.post-1139837709315160752006-02-13T13:34:00.000Z2006-02-13T13:35:09.356ZJABBERBLOG BY PAULINE MAYERS<br />On the 9th January I took over the project! Starting with the planning meeting, everyone made me feel extremely comfortable and welcome! First task was to build on the great work that had already been done. My role in this was to work with Sally, Rachel and Jennifer and their groups to create the Tulgey Wood in which the Jabberwocky lives. This would include what the environment looks like and the different types wildlife that could exist in its domain. This meant that each group would take a look in depth at a particular part of this world. Working very closely with both Caroline and Kate the piece the school are due to show in March started to make progress. During the January (16 – 20) residency week we started with:<br /><br />Sally’s group<br /><br />With help from Caroline, the group had already come up with names for the various animals that might inhabit the Tulgey Wood so it was decided they would actually BE the animals that lived there. They had to come up with the ways in which their chosen animals moved (helped in some instances by the names of the animals i.e. Jiggle - Wiggler) and the sounds they would make. Kate recorded these sounds and this helped to inform me as to the structure of the piece. The animals included in this section were…<br /><br />Tarantatoads Twistflippers<br />Jigglewigglers Crocodogs<br />Hippocrocahorses Runrippers<br />Butterbeats Spinstoppers<br />Firegods Lepotars<br />Taratasnakes Waterscribblers<br />Hippocroapigs<br /><br />Together with the group, we were able to incorporate the “What do you see….” poems that they had written with Caroline. The group worked extremely well and very intensely over a very long period of time for their age. So much so, I had forgotten to give the group a break!<br /><br />Rachel’s group<br /><br />The written work this group produced with Caroline became five scenes that looked at key moments in the Jabberwocky’s life and included its relationship with the Green Knight. Starting with the birth of these two beings (both born on the same day, at the same time and in the same moment, in the same hospital!) the scenes showed how the Jabberwocky came to be. This formed the basis of the movement. The group were already split into five groups to work on the written scenes, so it made absolute sense to keep them in these groups to work on the movement for each scene. The scenes were set up as follows:<br /><br />BIRTH – The birth of the Jabberwocky and the Green Knight (the Jabberwocky is born as a normal looking being)<br />FOODFIGHT – When the Jabberwocky and the Green Knight become partners’ -in-crime<br />RACE – The Jabberwocky cheats in order to win<br />EXPLOSION – During an experiment in a chemistry class, an explosion occurs which covers the teenage Jabberwocky in an unknown substance …… this turns the Jabberwocky into the Monster.<br />LOST CHILD – The Monster Jabberwocky is blamed for a taking a child that goes missing during a fair.<br /><br />Because the group have really taken ownership of this section the pupils came up with an idea to connect all the scenes. Caroline and myself had already come up with the idea of the group working as a chorus in a semi circle which would “frame” the picture of each scene as it occurs, in the middle of the space hence the name of this section, the “Gallery”. The idea the group came up with (in keeping with the framing of each scene) is that the chorus in the semi circle would echo movement that happened within each scene. This wonderful suggestion helped to take this section to near completion!<br /><br />Jennifer’s group<br /><br />This group looked at the environment of the Tulgey wood. The group had already completed a song and a sound score about the wood that had been recorded by Kate. Prior to the residency, Jennifer and the class had started to create movement based on the plants that would inhabit the wood. For me, because the section was already taking shape it was simply a case of building on the fabulous work done!<br />Starting with the fog rolling in, the plants and trees would start to grow out of the fog. This would lead to the group moving and singing as one, leading to it’s climax. It was decided that the Tulgey wood has a “voice”, which is friendly to start with, but as the section continued, this “voice” would become sinister, in effect warning anyone who trespasses to keep away.<br /><br />During this week we were extremely fortunate to have Matt Sharp join us. Matt is an opera singer (tenor) and cellist brought in by Opera North. Working in conjunction with Kate and myself, we incorporated Matt into the sections created by Sally and Jennifer’s groups. This meant that the pupils were able to work up close and personal with an opera singer, which excited everyone concerned. Having never myself worked with an opera singer in this way it has given me a challenge in itself!<br /><br />By the end of this week the structure of the sharing had been completed by Caroline and myself working closely with Kevin and Judith. It was decided that it would take the shape of a “promenade sharing”. This means that as well as the invited audience being taken on a journey into the world of the Jabberwocky, they would be literally be taken around the school, with various areas of the school dealing with specific aspects of the Jabberwocky’s life. The climax of which would take place in the wooded area behind the school. There would also be a “Jabberfest Day” which would be an open day whereby the parents and friends of the school would be invited to take a look at the research done by the pupils and teachers into the Jabberwocky and how this process informed the sharing created.<br /><br />During the following two days in early February at the school I was able to consolidate the work that was done in January, ready for when Caroline and Kate were next due to work with these groups. The next few weeks that all the artists are next in is being worked out at the moment, however it looks like the form of the Jabberwocky is due to be completed by Judith’s group (with Terry’s help) by the end of February. Hopefully my next time at the school will be used to concentrate on the Jabberwocky itself. All in all this has left me feeling extremely enthused and anxiously awaiting the next and final residency.davidnoreply@blogger.com