Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Opening doors at Headway's 'Come On Down' Festival UK
Hello Friends & Happy New Year!
Firstly let me thank 'Team Malta' for our amazing trip there. We will all remember it for the rest of our lives. It was great to see our group experience travelling and soaking up the sunny experiences of Malta and the grand atomosphere of Valetta of an evening. Some had never flown before or been away anywhere for that long, nor stayed anywhere so lovely. The festival itself was wonderful, St James is a beautiful venue echoing with culture and history and we felt priviledged to appear there in the lovley millenium theatre auditorium.
Back here at Headway HQ we are only just recovering from a very busy few weeks hard work with Christmas projects and shows. It was absolutely fabulous to see everyone at our 'Come On Down Festival' in December. We run this festival every year, the groups who perform are all groups who Headway work with regularly and this year it had an exciting extra dimention with our visitors from Malta and Belgium. All were delighted & surprised to meet 'the europeans'. 'The Seven Stars Northumberland's Learning Disabled Theatre Co' supported by Headway, were finally to meet the mysterious guests everyone had been talking about for months!
The festival audience loved the Opening Doors Groups performances. Language was never a barrier (although this is mainly due to the excellent English spoken by our partners - we have been trying to learn a bit of each others languages - I promise!).
I could really see that the Opening Doors Groups had made loads of progress with their performance work. The acting and the devised stories were very good with lots of energy and enjoyment coming from the actors. Congratulations everyone!!
All looked very confident and comfortable on stage - particularly when you remember that people had done little or no drama work before this project - wonderful progress and rewarding to see. When I look back at how far the project has come since the seed of the idea was formed by Fran, Toni, Roger & myself (Allie) at the Grudvig Seminar about 3 years ago in Malta - I think it truely has 'Opened Doors' for everyone involved.
I think we are all learning a great deal from everyone who has jumped on board for this unknown journey and having a fantastic time along the way. We are learning amazing ways to work together whilst learning to understanding each others cultural differences and ways of being. We have also learned how deep down we are really all the same too.
Next Stop Belgium!
I'm really looking forward to the next festival in Belgium and I know that the rest of TEAM UK are really excited too!
Here is yet another language for you all - 'Geordie' (Geordies are the local people of Newcastle) 'Gan Canny' (or 'take it easy' in English). See you in Leopoldsburg!
Allie
AlisonWalton-Robson
Creative Director
Headway
Arts*People*Inclusion
HeadwayT@aol.com
Firstly let me thank 'Team Malta' for our amazing trip there. We will all remember it for the rest of our lives. It was great to see our group experience travelling and soaking up the sunny experiences of Malta and the grand atomosphere of Valetta of an evening. Some had never flown before or been away anywhere for that long, nor stayed anywhere so lovely. The festival itself was wonderful, St James is a beautiful venue echoing with culture and history and we felt priviledged to appear there in the lovley millenium theatre auditorium.
Back here at Headway HQ we are only just recovering from a very busy few weeks hard work with Christmas projects and shows. It was absolutely fabulous to see everyone at our 'Come On Down Festival' in December. We run this festival every year, the groups who perform are all groups who Headway work with regularly and this year it had an exciting extra dimention with our visitors from Malta and Belgium. All were delighted & surprised to meet 'the europeans'. 'The Seven Stars Northumberland's Learning Disabled Theatre Co' supported by Headway, were finally to meet the mysterious guests everyone had been talking about for months!
The festival audience loved the Opening Doors Groups performances. Language was never a barrier (although this is mainly due to the excellent English spoken by our partners - we have been trying to learn a bit of each others languages - I promise!).
I could really see that the Opening Doors Groups had made loads of progress with their performance work. The acting and the devised stories were very good with lots of energy and enjoyment coming from the actors. Congratulations everyone!!
All looked very confident and comfortable on stage - particularly when you remember that people had done little or no drama work before this project - wonderful progress and rewarding to see. When I look back at how far the project has come since the seed of the idea was formed by Fran, Toni, Roger & myself (Allie) at the Grudvig Seminar about 3 years ago in Malta - I think it truely has 'Opened Doors' for everyone involved.
I think we are all learning a great deal from everyone who has jumped on board for this unknown journey and having a fantastic time along the way. We are learning amazing ways to work together whilst learning to understanding each others cultural differences and ways of being. We have also learned how deep down we are really all the same too.
Next Stop Belgium!
I'm really looking forward to the next festival in Belgium and I know that the rest of TEAM UK are really excited too!
Here is yet another language for you all - 'Geordie' (Geordies are the local people of Newcastle) 'Gan Canny' (or 'take it easy' in English). See you in Leopoldsburg!
Allie
AlisonWalton-Robson
Creative Director
Headway
Arts*People*Inclusion
HeadwayT@aol.com
Monday, 12 January 2009
Happy New Year from Team Belgium!
Hi everybody!
A happy new year from Belgium ! After our wonderful England trip we are looking forward to seeing all of you again in April at the festival here in Leopoldsburg. Before the holidays we showed the photos and shared the stories of our time in Newcastle and Blyth to the parents and the rest of the group. We even toasted with a glass of champagne to our success as actors in the Seven Stars festival. At our first meeting of 2009 last week we listened to a sound clip that was broadcasted on the local radio here at the day we left for England . Anniek was interviewed by a journalist and she did a great job talking about the purposes of our trip and the Opening Doors project. We hope to put some of the many photos we made online soon. And thanks again for Seven Stars for that four days in December we will never forget!
the England travellers
Marcel, Ibrahim, Dirk, Anniek, Frida, David, Tessa, Johnny, Christel, Tanja, Anny, Wim & Peter
A happy new year from Belgium ! After our wonderful England trip we are looking forward to seeing all of you again in April at the festival here in Leopoldsburg. Before the holidays we showed the photos and shared the stories of our time in Newcastle and Blyth to the parents and the rest of the group. We even toasted with a glass of champagne to our success as actors in the Seven Stars festival. At our first meeting of 2009 last week we listened to a sound clip that was broadcasted on the local radio here at the day we left for England . Anniek was interviewed by a journalist and she did a great job talking about the purposes of our trip and the Opening Doors project. We hope to put some of the many photos we made online soon. And thanks again for Seven Stars for that four days in December we will never forget!
the England travellers
Marcel, Ibrahim, Dirk, Anniek, Frida, David, Tessa, Johnny, Christel, Tanja, Anny, Wim & Peter
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
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