How to create a Write it, Perform it site specific performance in a week in 10 steps Yew Tree style:
Step 1: Make
sure your planning is in place, meet with visionaries who had the idea of a
litfest in the first place and the enabling and wise writer in residence. Engage the time and interest of
potential participants for workshops, writing and performances…talk to primary
schools about engaging with their pupils…plan what you hope are going to be a
series of thought provoking, word catalystic workshops…
…hope, a lot,
that everything is going to fit into place
Step 2: Spend
an interesting, inspiring and creative Saturday at a beautiful, historic
building and its grounds facilitating workshops with talented Youth Theatre
members in the morning and be part of a creative workshop with young writers of
Wakefield in the afternoon led by the wise writer in residence
Step 3: Spend
a significant amount of time drawing strange not to scale diagrams and maps of
the beautiful and historic building and its grounds to find a way of weaving
the ideas that have been generated together, use lots of colours to try and
make sense of the chaos…keep changing it as new thoughts occur
Step 4: Gather
together all the brilliant writing and devising from the young people together
and cut and paste A LOT until it hangs together as a script, adding a sonnet
your own here (1) and one from the writer in residence there (2) to turn it
into a cohesive whole…a script of sorts…
Step 5: Distribute
said script to youth theatre performers along with all the information you
think they will need. Schedule
rehearsals within the remainder of the week…realise Monday is already over…
Step 6: Spend
2 fab days in Wakefield Primary schools playing with the idea of stories
creating a wealth of original worlds, characters and stories…enjoy a visit from
the writer in residence, negotiate with parents and teachers about the
possibility of getting children to the performance…accept that Tuesday and
Wednesday have come and gone
Step 7: Fit
in rehearsals where possible, write a poem inspired by the creativity of the
school children (3) ask someone to perform it, feel relief and gratitude when
they agree…
Step 8: Take
an evening off and be reenergized and revitalized by the wit and wonderfulness
of Simon Amitage….acknowledge that Friday has come to a close and the
performance
Step 9: Squeeze
in last minute rehearsals, run throughs, do some running around with tealights
and torches and then, once the audience is in place, begin…watch with gratified
awe as talented, brilliant young people rise to the occasion beautifully and
acknowledge that in that place, at that time something unique and lovely has
happened (4)
Step 10: Sleep
soundly with a sense of accomplishment and thanks…
(1) The Joys of Story
I
once heard it said,
Wakefield
children have no imagination,
But
I’m here to assert
(With
a sense of outraged consternation.)
That
this lie is most certainly untrue.
Given
the chance
They
fly unfettered in full flights of fancy.
There
are simply no bounds
To
their passion for lovely literacy…
They
are full of the joy of story
I
myself saw them make
A
wealth of characters with new worlds to house them.
A
rockodile with boulders for hands
In
the centre of its forehead a gem…
Without
which it falls down dead
There
were mermaids,
Whose
precious pearl was stolen by pirates
Whilst
they slept on the ocean floor.
But
they finally one upped these tyrants…
The
pirates were unimpressed
An
improbable jungle
Where
a good looking, happy panda resided
And a
poisonous tree frog to boot.
There
was drama when explorer and jungle collided…
And the
traveler did not survive
Then
a couple of pretty princesses
Who
tragically lost their jeweled crowns
Happily
the thief was apprehended
And a
beaming smile replaced their frowns…
Whist
the robber was thrown in jail
There
were
Sleepovers
and battles and time and space travel
Comedy
and tragedy, laughter and tears
There
were pet shops, the owner began to unravel…
When
a hooligan threw her in a pond
Such
a wealth of delights
A
celebration of minds open to the glory
Of
reading and writing of words and ideas
Of
the wonderful joys found in story…
To inspire
them through all their years.
© Sarah Osborne 2012
(2) Sonnet: Words in Art
If Man is this world’s brightest only hope
And from all
other creatures set apart,
Should we
not strive to understand the scope
Of what we can achieve through words in art.
I search in all I meet for true compassion
In a world that often instigates despair,
Knowing what we need is clear connection
Conviction those around sincerely care.
If we could shed the chains of pride and glory,
Beat insidious fear and envy to the dust,
See beauty in each friend and stranger’s story,
Refrain from sinking into empty lust.
The world would be a place that we could live in,
A place where every gift desired is given.
© Sarah Osborne 2012
(3) Sonnet: On Reading
I have
fought in the wars of Greece and Troy,
Explored
countries I had not thought to find,
Sailed
the Amazon’s length while still a boy,
I have
dreamed the madness of poets’ dreams
And
laughed, and gasped and wept at others’ lives,
Learned
that nothing is ever what it seems,
And the
human spirit always survives.
How do I
know and feel all these things,
In a life
of living in one place?
I have
not met with wars, or want, or kings,
No marks
of torture on my heart or face;
But I’ve
known ‘the thousand natural shocks,’
Gained
understanding from the worlds in books.
© James Nash 2012
(4) Something that wouldn’t
have been possible without the brilliant Yew Tree
artists and Youth Theatre,
James Nash AKA The Wise Writer in Residence, Beam,
The Orangery and Arts
Council England
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