In my last entry I spoke about what I loved about doing drama and my favourite quote that I have learnt over the years which is..
Peter Brook - 'A man walks across an empty space while someone else is watching him, and that is all that is needed for the act of theatre to be engaged'
I would love to know some others. Let me know what your favourite quotes are. They do not have to be fully drama related but just something that stimulates the mind.
Lets get involved in the our own Drama Community and lets have a quote page or just say what you love about drama and what motivates you to do it! When we have so much work on the go it is easy to forget what you love about drama - so lets remind ourselves!!!
Saturday 21 February 2009
Storytelling and the Community
I was wondering around the internet trying to spark ideas for this project and came across this website...
http://www.thegloaming.net/community.html
I just though it was an interesting read - especially for those people who did storytelling as a module last year
'Community storytelling is a new way of looking at storytelling. It uses story to connect members of a community. By listening to stories and telling their own stories, participants in a community grow closer to their fellow members.
Traditional cultures relied on storytelling within the oral tradition to save each other's stories. They told their stories and they were remembered and retold by others. This technique depends on the relationship between the teller and the listener. Not only does the listener receive the story, but also the listener is charged with keeping the story alive. The story exists as long as someone lives to tell it.
Community storytelling strengthens communities in many ways. It identifies the values of a community. It provides common experiences. It strengthens the commitment of the members to the group.
Community storytelling helps communities define their values. Groups usually form because for some purpose. They have some commonality that they hold important. Whether a community is beginning or has existed for years, storytelling provides a way of members examining their reasons for participation in the group as well as making conscious the values of the community as a whole. New groups determine their values. As groups begin, they often struggle to define who they are and what their purpose is. Whether it's teams within a corporation or groups of volunteers who are thrown together to solve a common problem.
It provides a shared experience that members can build on later. Common experiences by groups often create communities. Wartime has spawned many groups of armed service personnel who create community around that shared experience. Storytelling provides one common experience that the community can use a reference point in their collective experience.
It supports strengthening the commitment of members to the group. By becoming more away of their own personal values and how they relate to the values of the group, participants in community storytelling become more committed to the group.
Storytelling has existed for as long as people have spoken. People have always created words that another would hear. Storytelling creates those direct connections between people and strengthens communities as result.'
Take a look at this websites digital storytelling ...
http://www.photobus.co.uk/index.php?id=2
I love that drama develops communities and effects every person that it comes into contact with. I love how it has effected me. I love that it has allowed me to have an outlet. It motivates me, makes learning interesting, fun, challenging and worthwhile. It allows you to explore subjects that are real. The quotes in this passages of 'People have always created words that another would hear' and 'The story exists as long as someone lives to tell it' really reminds me of my favourite quote which i have learnt in drama which is from Peter Brook - 'A man walks across an empty space while someone else is watching him, and that is all that is needed for the act of theatre to be engaged'
http://www.thegloaming.net/community.html
I just though it was an interesting read - especially for those people who did storytelling as a module last year
'Community storytelling is a new way of looking at storytelling. It uses story to connect members of a community. By listening to stories and telling their own stories, participants in a community grow closer to their fellow members.
Traditional cultures relied on storytelling within the oral tradition to save each other's stories. They told their stories and they were remembered and retold by others. This technique depends on the relationship between the teller and the listener. Not only does the listener receive the story, but also the listener is charged with keeping the story alive. The story exists as long as someone lives to tell it.
Community storytelling strengthens communities in many ways. It identifies the values of a community. It provides common experiences. It strengthens the commitment of the members to the group.
Community storytelling helps communities define their values. Groups usually form because for some purpose. They have some commonality that they hold important. Whether a community is beginning or has existed for years, storytelling provides a way of members examining their reasons for participation in the group as well as making conscious the values of the community as a whole. New groups determine their values. As groups begin, they often struggle to define who they are and what their purpose is. Whether it's teams within a corporation or groups of volunteers who are thrown together to solve a common problem.
It provides a shared experience that members can build on later. Common experiences by groups often create communities. Wartime has spawned many groups of armed service personnel who create community around that shared experience. Storytelling provides one common experience that the community can use a reference point in their collective experience.
It supports strengthening the commitment of members to the group. By becoming more away of their own personal values and how they relate to the values of the group, participants in community storytelling become more committed to the group.
Storytelling has existed for as long as people have spoken. People have always created words that another would hear. Storytelling creates those direct connections between people and strengthens communities as result.'
Take a look at this websites digital storytelling ...
http://www.photobus.co.uk/index.php?id=2
I love that drama develops communities and effects every person that it comes into contact with. I love how it has effected me. I love that it has allowed me to have an outlet. It motivates me, makes learning interesting, fun, challenging and worthwhile. It allows you to explore subjects that are real. The quotes in this passages of 'People have always created words that another would hear' and 'The story exists as long as someone lives to tell it' really reminds me of my favourite quote which i have learnt in drama which is from Peter Brook - 'A man walks across an empty space while someone else is watching him, and that is all that is needed for the act of theatre to be engaged'
Thursday 19 February 2009
Working in Spain with Taller Spiral
Just before Christmas Mark Moffat and I went to Spain to work with a theatre company called Taller Spiral. They specialise in working with communities and use drama to develop those communities. Over this weekend I saw first hand how much of an effect that Drama can have in a community and bringing the people in that community together.
We worked in a place called Rhiello with an small community theatre group called Los Transumantes. The piece we were working on was about a town that was next to theirs which was being converted into a natural park. One of the youngest members of the group Ruben (23) co-wrote the a play with the company's founder Chris about this situation. The play incorporated all the different views of the town and the diversity of the community that they lived in.
The language barrier was very apparent as only 1 or 2 of the people could speak English-ish, in a group of about 10, (let alone me and Mark not being able to speak Spanish). However this language barrier made me truly realise that verbal language isn't everything. Even though we did not speak the language Mark and I managed to understand everything that was going on in their rehearsal process through tone of voice, body language and facial expression.
In Rhiello, the weather consists of snow and more snow. Therefore getting to the village hall for rehearsals is incredibly difficult. However due to the play being about real life and their community encouraged people to make the effort. This action as well as trying to work well together to create a good piece really showed me how Drama could truly effect a community and bring people together.
Another aspect which opened my eyes was how much the group welcomed us into their community. They did not treat us differently or make us feel uneasy, they opened up their village with open arms and made us feel truly welcome. I wish there were more communities out there like this. I have put the link to Spiral's website just below - check it out they are an amazing company!
http://www.tallerspiral.com/
We worked in a place called Rhiello with an small community theatre group called Los Transumantes. The piece we were working on was about a town that was next to theirs which was being converted into a natural park. One of the youngest members of the group Ruben (23) co-wrote the a play with the company's founder Chris about this situation. The play incorporated all the different views of the town and the diversity of the community that they lived in.
The language barrier was very apparent as only 1 or 2 of the people could speak English-ish, in a group of about 10, (let alone me and Mark not being able to speak Spanish). However this language barrier made me truly realise that verbal language isn't everything. Even though we did not speak the language Mark and I managed to understand everything that was going on in their rehearsal process through tone of voice, body language and facial expression.
In Rhiello, the weather consists of snow and more snow. Therefore getting to the village hall for rehearsals is incredibly difficult. However due to the play being about real life and their community encouraged people to make the effort. This action as well as trying to work well together to create a good piece really showed me how Drama could truly effect a community and bring people together.
Another aspect which opened my eyes was how much the group welcomed us into their community. They did not treat us differently or make us feel uneasy, they opened up their village with open arms and made us feel truly welcome. I wish there were more communities out there like this. I have put the link to Spiral's website just below - check it out they are an amazing company!
http://www.tallerspiral.com/
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