Investment and Generosity

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Yesterday I got back from NODA Summer School after a week of pure creative joy.  It’s a Summer School that is all about people immersing themselves in something they can’t always focus on in their day to day lives…it’s about people learning something new about the thing they love and often learning something new about themselves…it’s also about being brave and honest and open and generous. All of that means that often it’s a transformative experience that brings out the very best in the students and the tutors.  This is all thanks to the truly brilliant team that spend endless hours making it happen in the first place.

This year I had the privilege of being the tutor on the Directing Drama course which meant I got to spend the week with 20 students from places as diverse as France, The Shetland Islands, Somerset and everywhere in between.  The age of the class ranged over 4 decades and the student's experience of directing from one end of the spectrum to the very opposite end.  A daunting prospect for a tutor anywhere other than NODA because at NODA everyone regardless of where they have come from, how old they are, how much they know already, throws themselves in with abandon, trust and hope.  We spent the week, playing, debating, analyzing, sharing and supporting each other and it was glorious!

The days flew by and before we knew it we were at the sharing that celebrates the work the classes have been doing over the week – what followed was two and a half hours of performances and they were all uniquely brilliant.  We had Musical Theatre, Films, Shakespeare, The Art of Burlesque, debut performances from the beginner singers and dancers and a whole host of other creative joyousness.  The diversity of the performances was certainly engaging but that wasn’t what made it unforgettable.  What made it unforgettable was the sheer investment and generosity of every single performer and audience member…an investment that touched the hearts and souls of everyone in the theatre…so much so that at times there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 


What is even more marvellous is that, that level of investment is in evidence throughout the duration of the school and it’s that investment that makes people leave knowing they have been part of something incredibly important where magic happens…something beautiful that illuminates everyone’s potential for greatness…it’s been an honour to be part of it…

Comments

  1. Gordon7 August 2016 at 20:54

    As one of Sarah's students in her Directing Drama course at NODA Summer School (and one of the older age bracket - celebrated my 63rd birthday whilst at Coventry) may I firstly say THANK YOU to Sarah once again (been on her courses in the past) for her patience, calmness and above all knowledge which she so generously shares. Secondly I have in the past travelled down to your Christmas showcase and was greatly impressed by not only the performances of the students but the uniqueness of the work content - mostly down to Sarah herself. Think yourselves very lucky to have such a talent at your disposal each and every week at Yew tree.
    Today I have the major 'blues' that comes at the end of a summer school week of intense immersion in the arts but I know that it will return in a short 357 days - can't wait...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yew Tree Youth Theatre7 August 2016 at 21:23

    Thank you Gordon! Hopefully see you at Christmas for a celebration of Banter Birdness!

    ReplyDelete

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