Pirates, Princesses, Robbers and Monsters!

On Tuesday Hannah Whelan led more story writing workshops in schools in Peterborough with some of the NIE artists in tow. The workshops were fantastic and involved children of all different ages and backgrounds. Games were played and many stories were written. We now have lots of stories to help with the show so the next day we took a closer look at them.

On Wednesday Elisabet, Lenka, Unai, Carly, Tom and Ellie presented stories one by one to the rest of the group in promenade style performances around the Quaker House where we have been rehearsing.

Unai was a boy about to go on his first date, but he turns into a monster in the shower and can’t go. Elisabet became a young girl who buys a Princess dress for her mothers wedding but the Pirate that sells it to her rips it. But it’s ok they remain friends and get married when she’s older. Tom was a nervous young boy who had to judge a Police line up after his tictacs and water that he bought from the shop were stolen. Lenka told the story of a thief who stole chocolate from a local shop. Carly had us running around the Quaker House trying to escape from a very angry woman who’s shop we had just robbed and Ellie told us the charming story of Adam and Eve and the tale of the venue we were in. The stories were all written by children as part of the workshops. It was interesting to work with stories that follow an adult logic to an adults and it will be great to see how these stories affect the development of the show.

Then it was time for more music, out came the violin, guitar, accordion and drum (accordion case) and folk songs from Spain, Norway, Czech Republic and UK filled the corridors of the Quaker House.

Check back in the next few days for more about what we are getting up to in Peterborough.

written by Tom (Gideon) Womwell

The arrival of the New Arrivers

We have touched down in Peterborough to begin work on our exciting new site-specific show in conjunction with Eastern Angles, Arts Council and Peterborough City Council. The new show is called New Arrivers and will open in Peterborough in the Autumn of 2010.  You can find out more about the show by visiting the mini site at www.nie-peterborough.webs.com.

On Monday Alex, Cat, Tom (Gideon), Lenka, Elisabet, Carly, Hannah, Unai, Tom Anderson, Ellie, Marie and our intern Izzy descended on the Quaker House for the first day of work.

We kicked off the day by talking about the project and how we will be using stories written by school children as part of NIE workshops as inspiration for the show. The show will be performed in a disused shopping space in Peterborough city centre, therefore we have lots of stories about shops and many of them were written by children who’s first language is not English so that is interesting.

Then came everyones favourite part. LUNCH! Cat prepared a wonderful lunch which was all devoured very quickly. The afternoon saw movement work with big wooden canes and a trip up to Lincoln Road. This road is amazing, the streets are lined with shops and businesses from Czech Republic, Poland, Asia and lots of other places, it’s a real mix of cultures which is great to think about for the New Arrivers project. We ended the day with a coffee in a portugese café…. Unai had a beer.

Next up we will be holding more workshops in schools and going through the stories that have been written so far…..oh and we will be playing instruments too!

written by Tom (Gideon) Womwell

New departures / New arrivers

We have now left Norway but not without a hint of northern light. Driving back to Oslo on Thursday night after dinner at Kjell and Iva's house, the sky was green. And not some weird bluish green, proper grassy green. It didn't move, so it wasn't as spectacular as you'd expect from the Northern Lights, but to see them this far south is unusual enough for me.
So, moose and northern lights on one tour: it can't get more Norwegian...

When we left, Anna gave me this for the van:

A small guard dog.
So if you have anything you think would look cool in the cabin of our new van, please bring it along to wherever you will find us. I want to turn the van in a mini museum of our travels.

Today is the start of a new project in Peterborough. The New Arrivers have arrived there last night and I have asked Elisabet to keep us updated. I'm not there myself, as I have some extra travelling to do in order to get to Graz on time with all of our possessions - in our new van.
(Is it clear how excited I am about our new van?)