I would have thought Movement as exclusively related to dance and music, but after speaking to Jen Edgar, who is directing the movement workshops in Transform Aberdeen: The Cabaret of Impossible Dreams at Dyce Academy, she fairly changed my mind about what Movement involves.

My friend Darren, Lewis Hetherington (who is creative writing specialist on the project) and I spent ten minutes this morning chatting to Jen, who came across as very happy young woman who enjoys her work. She gave very detailed answers, giving us all the facts on what she is teaching her pupils during the workshops. She also shared with us the ideas she has in mind for the final performance in March, which sound fantastic.

Some of these ideas include turning a human into a puppet, using six different people operating the puppet with bamboo canes. During the workshop, the pupils worked on balance and lifts, and came up with theories on how the body becomes heavier at night. She also told us that during one period they came up with a special kind of dance, which they called a “sleep dance”.

 It is becoming clear that the movement group is more drama-based, introducing different thoughts and feelings to the pupils’ work. During the interview, Jen mentioned that the pupils in the workshop are coping extremely well with the work they have been set and that they are enjoying the work. She also explained that each participant relates to movement in a very different way – girls who dance outside school might have a different approach to what they are doing from boys who play football, for example – but what is interesting is seeing them work as a group.

 For the future Jen said that the work she will be tasking the pupils with more intense work than they are doing right now, to make sure everyone is ready for the final performance.

 With only three weeks until the final show, Jen is very confident that people will rise to the challenge in the final performance and can see an excellent future to those taking part in movement. Darren and I are very thankful to Jen to letting us interview her and wish her and the movement workshop good luck for the final performance.

by Lewis Grant

Today during period two at Dyce Academy the Transform blog group decided to go down to see what the Music group was doing and to see if we could get a few people to interview.

 We heard quite loud and jumpy music from outside the door and inside we saw pupils listening to what sounded like Indian or Arabic music and dancing in strange ways. We later found out that the music was actually Romanian. We watched the group doing different hand movements and leg movements that looked very fun and amusing to watch. The pupils all seemed as if they were enjoying themselves.

After they had finished their dancing we took away three pupils from the group to ask them some questions: Brian McMenemy, Emma Pantel and Hayley Thomson. They said that they were coping well with the work they had been given, and that they were singing lots of different songs and using instruments, each of them getting a specific role to do for one song. They were also involved in writing their own songs that could possibly be used in the show. Already there has been a love song written by Robert Forrest which is hopefully to be used in the shows. They are also looking forward to using the cabaret song that was said to be “weird but cool”.

 Brian mentioned that he did drumming in S1 & S2 but stopped after that and that Transform had got him back into doing the drums. This is great as Transform is discovering someone’s past skills and putting them to use as part of the show. They all enjoy getting involved with the project, and having fun as they learn.

 They said a few things about Paddy Cunneen, the director of the show and the instructor of the music group. They said that he is very open minded and willing to let everyone share their opinions. He gets everyone involved and that when there are disagreements with idea they do a vote to see what the majority want.

 We wanted to know if they had any concerns about the shows in March or anything about the project. There were no major worries except Brian mentioned that he might be a little nervous. But with a big show like this you expect that. We’re really looking forward to seeing how all the different things the music students have been up to come together in the show, and if the mad Romanian song and dance makes it in the show!

 by Darren Taylor

Hi Transformers,

Happy New Year to you all.  The Transform team at the National Theatre of Scotland hope you all had a good break and are getting ready for the next installment of creative work and workshops.  We are so pleased that so many of you have signed up to be part of one of our many teams.

The Transform team have been working away (like elves) thinking of some great ideas and making workshops that we hope you will enjoy and learn a lot of new skills from .   Please keep an eye out on the transform board for any updates and opportunities and if any of you would like to comment on any of our blogs so far please feel free to. 

 We are all really looking forward to seeing you at the end of January, we hope you all are too!

The deadline to get your task information in to Miss Wilson to become part of photography and writers blogging groups is the 15th of December, not long now.  We are really looking forward to seeing your photos and reading your writing over Christmas and New Year.

If anyone didn’t see the task the first time here is the information below.  You still have time if you would like to be involved.

To become part of the writers group:

Task

 Write about the week in the life of a pupil at Dyce Academy.  You need to blog everyday for the full 5 school days in whichever week you choose between now and the Christmas holidays.  There is only room for 4 pupils to be part of this group. The most interesting and intriguing writers will be chosen to be part of the writers group.

Conditions of the task – You have to be in 3^rd to 6^th year to take part and the piece needs to be 100 words minimum – 250 words maximum and to be handed in on a printed document or CD to Miss Wilson by the 15^th of December.   

To become part of the photography group:

Task

Photograph a week in the life of a pupil at Dyce Academy.  You need to photograph things everyday for 5 school days and create a serious of 5 photos about whichever week you choose between now and the Christmas holidays.  We will choose 4 pupils to become part of the photography group and you will work closely with the writers to connect the photographs that you take of transform with the blogs that the writers have done.

Conditions of the task – You have to be in 3^rd to 6^th year to take part and there should be no more or no less than 5 photographs.  Please think carefully and creatively about what the photographs should represent.  The photographs can be taken with a camera or camera phone as long as they can be uploaded onto a CD.  The final 5 photographs should be handed in or CD to Miss Wilson by the 15^th of December.

GOOD LUCK!

Anyone who hasn’t signed up to Transform Aberdeen still has an opportunity to take part.  We are looking for a small team of bloggers (writers and photographers) to work with a team of professionals from National Theatre of Scotland to blog the Transform process on a weekly basis.  The blogs the group creates will go up online on the school website and maybe there will be some articles or photographs which will feature on the main National Theatre of Scotland website and possibly even the papers!!

If you would like to try and be part of any of these two groups please complete any of the tasks below.  The group will be selected over the Christmas holidays and we will let you know who has been selected for the groups in the New Year.

To become part of the writers group:

Task

 Write about the week in the life of a pupil at Dyce Academy.  You need to blog everyday for the full 5 school days in whichever week you choose between now and the Christmas holidays.  There is only room for 4 pupils to be part of this group. The most interesting and intriguing writers will be chosen to be part of the writers group.

Conditions of the task – You have to be in 3^rd to 6^th year to take part and the piece needs to be 100 words minimum – 250 words maximum and to be handed in on a printed document or CD to Miss Wilson by the 15^th of December.   

To become part of the photography group:

Task

Photograph a week in the life of a pupil at Dyce Academy.  You need to photograph things everyday for 5 school days and create a serious of 5 photos about whichever week you choose between now and the Christmas holidays.  We will choose 4 pupils to become part of the photography group and you will work closely with the writers to connect the photographs that you take of transform with the blogs that the writers have done.

Conditions of the task – You have to be in 3^rd to 6^th year to take part and there should be no more or no less than 5 photographs.  Please think carefully and creatively about what the photographs should represent.  The photographs can be taken with a camera or camera phone as long as they can be uploaded onto a CD.  The final 5 photographs should be handed in or CD to Miss Wilson by the 15^th of December.

Transform Aberdeen started with a bang in October with 6 days of Taster workshops from a variety of workshop leaders who delivered workshops in Puppetry, Music, Writing and Movement. The workshops were a real success and pupils from 3rd to 6th year created small performances which were shown to the rest of the year groups before the Tattie holidays in the Multi Purpose Area.

Below are some examples of work created throughout some of the writing workshops, music workshops and some pictures from the puppetry and movement performances.

WRITING TASK DESCRIPTION:
Imagine a famous person looking at themselves in the mirror. Write a short monologue that includes the following features:

Repetition
The character asking themselves a question
Broken sentences
An insight into their level of self-esteem
Catchphrases and actions specific to them.

MICHAEL JACKSON- MAN IN THE MIRROR
- a monologue

Michael Jackson finishes brushing his teeth and looks at himself in the mirror.

MICHAEL JACKSON:
This morning is a Thriller!
Man I look good. That recent plastic surgery was well worth the money.

Hold on, does my nose still look a bit pointy?
Maybe I should call Dr Hannagan again….
I’m sure my nose looks a bit pointy.
Should I have breakfast or will it go straight to the hips?

Pause. He gears himself up for a big day.

You are a star!
You are a legend!
You are the thriller in Thriller!

He twirls around, does a cool pose in the mirror.

WHO’S BAD!”

He moonwalks out of the bathroom to begin his day.

By year 6

WRITING TASK DESCRIPTION:
The pupils were presented with a pair of field glasses from the trenches of the First World War. They were told to carefully examine the artefact, thinking solely about the materials it was made from and any parts that were missing (the case, the strap.)
Then they were asked to consider who the binoculars may have belonged to: what period of history, where in the world, what rank of soldier, how they got them, etc. and this time examine them for damage (one of the eye pieces is dented.) The pupils came up with possible explanations for how this may have happened (dropped as a shell went off etc.)
Finally the pupils were asked to consider firstly what these binoculars may have seen and then to imagine what these binoculars (or the person they belonged to) would have liked to have seen instead of the horrors of the trenches.

Sergeant Robert Johnson

These are my binoculars.
I wish I didn’t have them.
Through them I can see
Bodies rotting, spread out.
Before they were bodies,
They were my friends.
But I have to keep looking-

Maybe next time I will see
My mum cooking
her famous roast chicken
Or my wife combing
her auburn hair in the mirror.

The men think I am tough,
As firm as a mountain.
When they are determined to
Abandon the trench
I remind them of the penalty
for cowardice.
But secretly, I am just as scared as them.
As breakable as china or glass.

Once I thought I saw
The friends that I had lost
Walking towards me through the mist,
Like football players.
I know how they felt
Because here I am, playing sergeant,
With my binoculars.

By Cameron Pirie and Shannon Smith

If you haven’t yet handed in your consent forms please do so, so that we can post some more photos from the performance afternoon in October.

The National Theatre of Scotland team want to thank everyone who took part in the taster workshops and the performances at the end of the two weeks. Everyone worked very hard to make this work and we all know that it is not easy to get up in front of all of your pals and perform.

Everyone who is going to be part of the main Transform Aberdeen project has now signed up to a creative discipline and we look forward to meeting you all and seeing you in the New Year. It will be a very exciting project although hard work but it will definitely be worth it in the end.