RECENT TRAINING, EDUCATION and COMMUNITY PROJECTS Photo credit: Susan Traenkner
CURRENT AND UPCOMING PROJECTS WORKSHOPS ABOUT ALCHEMY EARLY YEARSCurrent%20and%20Upcoming%20Projects.htmlWorkshops.htmlAbout%20Alchemy%20Early%20Years.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2
World Beaters in Woodlands Park Children’s Centre, Haringey World Beaters invited me to facilitate creative music, movement and storytelling sessions in a year long collaboration with Woodlands Park Children’s Centre (World Beaters specialise in celebrations of diversity in local communities).  The project was funded by ‘A New Direction’ as part of the Centre’s involvement in the Change School programme. ‘Sounds, Movements and Pictures’ @ Tate Britain Facilitating Family Day movement, vocal and instrumental workshops for Under Fives and their families in the gallery, responding creatively to works in Room 21 (from the 1950’s - Patrick Heron’s Horizontal Stripe Painting, Paul Feiler’s Morvah and Roger Hilton’s March) Every Child a Talker (ECaT) Music, Movement and Storytelling Training Facilitated 6 hours of practical and creative training for 25 Bexleyheath Early Years Practitioners Devising and Performing APPLE with Tinka Slavicek Musical puppet theatre show for Early Years children (2-5s) and their adults. A week of performances for large visiting audiences in East Hackney Early Years settings during April 2010 as part of the borough’s EY ‘Buddying Project’ funded by National Strategies. Performances and follow up creative workshops arranged and funded by the Early Years Department @Learning Trust, Hackney. Some performance pictures in Hackney settings taken by Andy Gilbert, with kind permission, view here. Music Activities Programme @Mayfield Centre and on Lewisham Playbus At the invitation of Lewisham Library Services and Lewisham Children’s Services (Area 2) I put together and ran a 5 month programme of weekly creative music activities for mums and their Under 5s at Mayfield Hostel and for parents and carers with Under 5s visiting Lewisham Playbus. Activities included: Nostalgia Steel Band members visiting sessions, musicians Lizzie Scorah (with harp), Malcolm Bruce (with guitar and djembe drum,) Zoe Gilmour (with cello) and Yousuf Ali Khan (with his amazing Bengali dancer and singer colleagues) for singing, dancing and story activities, and, visual artist and EY visual arts facilitator Carinan Blijdenstein supporting us all in making incredible pieces of art. We had a great time together and I miss the families so much already! ‘Dance a Picture, Play a Picture’ @ Tate Britain Facilitating Family Day movement, vocal and instrumental workshops in the gallery, responding creatively to ‘Cloud Study’ and ‘Chain Pier, Brighton, works by Constable “Music, Movement and Storytelling” Professional Development Training 3 hrs of intensive practical training for 25 members of staff @Yarnton Way Nursery, Abbeywood, Kent Special Creative Story Sessions 6 creative story sessions (including singing, instrumental activities, props, puppets and more) for Under 5s with disabilities and their carers @Wavelengths Library, Lewisham Music and Movement with Stories, Lewisham Library Service 112 creative storytelling sessions with Early Years children and their Adults in Lewisham libraries (September - October 09) ‘Developing Musical Creativity with the Early Years’ Half day Continuing Professional Development with Alison Blunt and Ivor Kallin for the Learning Trust, Hackney Stories of Latin American Southwark World Beaters invited me to work on their project at Kintore Way Childrens’ Centre exploring Latin American culture (s) through music, stories, dance, visual arts and food. Musicians, dancers, visual artists and creative facilitators, children, parent, carers and staff explored Latin American cultures intensively over several weeks and then shared our activities with each other and visitors by means of a walk-in installation. Amazing South American refreshments were served!! Music, Movement and Storytelling Training for SELPIG Library Services (SELPIG: Bexley, Croydon, Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark and Lambeth) It was a great pleasure to facilitate two 3 hour practical training sessions for staff who take Under Fives music and story times in libraries. Sound Connections Families’ Music Project @Ann Tayler Children’s Centre I was invited to help devise and work on a Sound Connections funded families’ music project that involved my facilitating music and movement sessions for staff, parents, carers and their 0-5s and supporting the professional development of the staff involved. Several sessions involved guest musicians performing to and with the group (Bengali tabla player Yousuf Ali Khan, guitarist and djembe player Malcolm Bruce, Gambian musicians Jali, Bunja and Ibrahim, Turkish musicians Ozan Toprak and Tahir Palali), further sessions involved making instruments from recycled materials and the final session included a captivating performance of “Videk’s Shirt” from The Puppetellers. NHS Baby LifeCheck Music and Story sessions in Lewisham Lewisham Library Service accessed NHS funding to provide music and storytelling sessions for parents and their very young children. I was invited to plan and facilitate 24 sessions in Lewisham Early Years settings and libraries, linking in with the NHS Baby LifeCheck initiative and themes. Themes such as baby’s development, talking together, playing and learning and sleeping were explored through stories, songs, gestures, movement and percussion instruments. ‘Book Ahead’ for the Early Years in Lewisham, Croydon and Bexley The DCSF recently provided funding nationally for collections of books to be bought for library services to be loaned to private and community nurseries (not school or Children's Centre nurseries) to give children a greater access to good quality books and promote the enjoyment of reading. They compiled a booklist and along with the books, also provided funding which could be used for logistics and reader development. To view the national ‘Book Ahead’ website and an online version of the book list, click: http://www.bookahead.org.uk/. Invited by Lewisham, Croydon and Bexley Children’s Library Services to model a series of storytelling with music and movement sessions (1 session in each library in each borough, sessions based on some of the stories in the Book Ahead booklist) to which local nurseries were invited. Following the participatory sessions in Lewisham and Bexley, I facilitated several half day CPD sessions delivered in libraries for library staff and Early Years Practitioners interested in developing their storytelling activities. Hackney Learning Trust’s Buddying Project Facilitating Early Years creative storytelling sessions in Children’s Centres, Schools and Playgroups working with children, parents, carers and staff as part of the Learning Trust Buddying Project. Celebrating World Book Week 09 A week of creative storytelling sessions in Early Years settings across ‘Area 3’ in Lewisham and Early Years music, movement and storytelling sessions at Avondale Park Primary School, Holland Park Boxgrove Year of Reading Music and storytelling workshops with all Foundation Stage and KS1 classes at Boxgrove Primary School, Greenwich Symphonic Dances, Radio France and Early Years Children Co-facilitated workshop training with Sarah Goldfarb (ReMuA) for musicians in L’Orchestre National de France (Radio France). Modelled and co-facilitated creative music and movement activities based on Grieg’s Symphonic Dances (Op 64) with musicians and Sarah in a local kindergarten (Paris). Music Start (see PRESS article) Early Years Advisor on the Creative Team creating a multi-dimensional resource to support families with young children in their music-making at home, funded by DCSF and DCMS. Devised and wrote activities (page length activity panel per book spread) for the “Chiff Chaff and Chickpea” storybook. Wrote “Getting Started” parents’ booklet to support families in their use of the pack. Co-wrote support documents (located on the Bongo Club website) for Children’s Centres distributing Music Start. Wrote document linking EYFS and Music Start (located on the Bongo Club website). Music Start was produced by Youth Music as part of the Music Manifesto initiative, Music Start was distributed for free in 2008 to 100,000 families through national Children’s Centres. For more information visit: EARLY YEARS MUSIC RESOURCES , Music Manifesto and the Bongo Club. Community in Music Co-devised, co-fundraised, co-managed and facilitated weekly music and movement sessions for Early Years settings and families at Somers Town Community Association (a Youth Music 1st Steps project). Devised and facilitated a parallel training programme for EY practitioners and interested parents. Devised and recorded a supporting CD resource. Info about the CD and a downloadable order form can be found in EARLY YEARS MUSIC RESOURCES. Guest Music and Movement Artist Facilitator at Chisenhale Facilitated interdisciplinary improvisation workshop and ‘jam’ session for adult practitioners at Chisenhale Dance Space. Stepping into Sounds Co-devisor and co-facilitator on an innovative project across various Early Years settings in Peterborough focusing on developing language and listening through music and movement activities. Initiated by the Early Years Pedagogy Team, funded by Peterborough City Council. Romeo and Juliette, Radio France and Early Years Children Co-facilitated workshop training with Sarah Goldfarb (ReMuA) for musicians in L’Orchestre National de France (Radio France). Co-facilitated sessions with musicians and Sarah in a local kindergarten. Music and Storytelling for RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and the National Literacy Trust Participatory music and storytelling performances for KS1 and Early Years groups of children around the country. Celebration of BOOKSTART in Swansea Facilitated Music, Movement and Storytelling participatory sessions with 0-5s and parents/ carers. Led training for EY practitioners and library staff wishing to develop music and movement activities with story. Regular RIF , Bookstart, SureStart and festival events (2002 - ongoing) Guest storytelling musician (with violin/mandolin/melodica/harmonium/percussion) for one-off participatory storytelling performances around the country. Frequent collaborations with musician Malcolm Bruce. ‘Take 1 Picture’ at Caverstede EY Centre Took part in a long-term music and visual arts creative collaboration inspired by the National Gallery education initiative (Take 1 Picture) with visual artist Isabel Davis, children and staff at Caverstede EY Centre, Peterborough. Music Box at Chats Devised and facilitated year long music and movement project involving weekly Early Years family sessions at Chat’s Palace in Hackney. Sourced weekly guest performers (yes, weekly!). These included: Orphy Robinson, Christopher Wilson, Stanford String Quartet, Grup Nehir (Turkish/ Kurdish folk ensemble), Malcolm Bruce, Kate Shortt, John Barber, artists from Lila Cita (Gamelan), Guy Dartnell, Pete Flood, Juwon Ogungbe, Dorinia Harley (Emashi Dance Co), Steve Bewes, John Parricelli and Paul Clarvis, The Spiders (bluegrass), Simon Foxley, Neyire Ashworth, Caroline Walsh plus many more amazing musicians from a wide variety of cultural and stylistic backgrounds. Generously funded by the Family Learning Trust and local SureStart, co-managed by Hackney Music Development Trust. Music Box at Mapledene Devised and co-facilitated year long creative music programme for parents, carers and children at Mapledene Early Years Centre, Hackney. Sourced innovative EY music artists to collaborate on the project and to contribute to the culminating souvenir DVD - ‘Pathways’ (funded by Mapledene Early Years Centre). Click HERE to view ‘Pathways’ DVD cover with artist’s credits.http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/children_and_families/eyc/childrenscentres/woodlandscc.htmhttp://www.worldbeaters.co.ukhttp://www.tate.org.uk/families/britain/22034.htmhttp://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/153355Apple.htmlhttp://www.learningtrust.co.uk/Apple%20Pictures.htmlhttp://www.tate.org.uk/families/britain/21332.htmhttp://www.learningtrust.co.uk/http://www.worldbeaters.co.uk/http://www.sound-connections.org.uk/content.phphttp://thepuppetellers.co.uk/http://www.babylifecheck.co.uk/http://www.bookahead.org.ukhttp://www.learningtrust.co.uk/http://www.remua.beMusicians%27%20Union%20Music%20Start%20article.htmlEarly%20Years%20Music%20Resources.htmlhttp://www.musicmanifesto.co.uk/news/details/free-music-start-packs-for-under-5s/22178http://www.bongoclub.org.uk/musicstartEarly%20Years%20Music%20Resources.htmlhttp://www.remua.behttp://www.literacytrust.org.uk/RIF/index.htmhttp://www.literacytrust.org.uk/index.htmlhttp://www.literacytrust.org.uk/RIF/index.htmhttp://www.bookstart.org.uk/Homehttp://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/earlyyears/surestart/whatsurestartdoes/http://www.malcolmbruce.com/Pathways%20DVD.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1shapeimage_4_link_2shapeimage_4_link_3shapeimage_4_link_4shapeimage_4_link_5shapeimage_4_link_6shapeimage_4_link_7shapeimage_4_link_8shapeimage_4_link_9shapeimage_4_link_10shapeimage_4_link_11shapeimage_4_link_12shapeimage_4_link_13shapeimage_4_link_14shapeimage_4_link_15shapeimage_4_link_16shapeimage_4_link_17shapeimage_4_link_18shapeimage_4_link_19shapeimage_4_link_20shapeimage_4_link_21shapeimage_4_link_22shapeimage_4_link_23shapeimage_4_link_24shapeimage_4_link_25shapeimage_4_link_26shapeimage_4_link_27shapeimage_4_link_28