Sit down everyone cause I'm about to throw a LOT at you.
Today began with our usual Pret a Manger run, we cannot function without our first of five coffees for the day (that's right, you heard me₁) A few of us go together in the morning before our classes, and if you ask me it's a really great way to start my day with coffee that's practically free at this point. Eventually, we met up with the rest of our classmates and began our walk to our class for today which was at UEL (University of East London) in Stratford.
Now, usually, this would be a pretty chill day. HOWEVER, this day was anything but. Today London's highest temp was a whopping 37°!! For those in the States, that's 99°. We've been dreading it for days, we even prepared for the trains to close. It ended up not being the worst thing in the world. Luckily we were inside all day workshopping with a couple of incredible artists (as well as enjoying some air conditioning).
After meeting with Liselle Terret for a bit we began our first workshop of the day with two powerful women Vishni Velada and Sam Adams. Velada is the Head of Participation at the Royal Court Theatre while Adams works as an HCPC registered Dramatherapist, consultant, visiting lecturer, and academic researcher. Both practitioners started our workshop off by blasting The Black Eye Pea's "Where is the Love" and entering the room, immediately setting the tone for our time together. Students danced and cheered each other on, it was a really great start to the class. As the workshop went on we participated in many different activities that helped us get into our bodies and be really present with not only one another but with ourselves. One of my favorites had to be when we were all dancing together towards the end, however, this wasn't your average dancing. The main objective of this activity, called Murmurations, was simply to mirror your partner's moves and eventually take the reigns yourself. As the artists scaffolded the activity our groups grew a few more times until the whole class was dancing as one (see video below). Ultimately it was a really great workshop. For myself, I found this time with Velada and Adams really enrichening and liberating. I could go on and on but there's another workshop I'd like to share.
After a quick lunch break with the besties, we met with Rob Lehmann, the director
of Young Lyric at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. He began our workshop by sharing a short slideshow about Young Lyric and the really cool things they do for young theatergoers. I highly recommend checking out their website₂ Rob took us through a multitude of different activities-between "Bim, Bam, Name" and "Hi, my name is...." he taught us the distinction between a competition and an exercise and how they function in an arts space. A really fun game we played was called Magic Carpet (or Floor is Lava in the states) where two teams of eleven had to work together to get their team across the room using only two pieces of paper. They couldn't touch the floor or rip or slide the paper. It was pretty chaotic which I think is best expressed in some of the videos and pictures I've added below. I personally think this was a great ensemble activity with a bit of healthy competition (healthy for most, salty for some).
Following this activity, we had an awesome time recreating some of our childhood favorite stories. All in all, it was a really great day. Not just because it was so informative and fascinating, but because we as a class really enjoyed ourselves. Through the joy and the liberation, we invested all of ourselves in the work, and in my opinion, that's when the magic happens.
XOXO,
Erin Smith (A London Lady)
₁ Refer to Christine Skorupa's blog on July 15 regarding our Pret coffee deal
By: Kaylah Dixon David & Jonathan’s Favorite London Cohort It’s our last day and oh how bittersweet it is! Thank you all for following along on this wonderful journey! I started out with a leisurely morning in Covent Garden to do some shopping. Tamara and I went to a few different shops in search of some souvenirs for our families and parting gifts for our professors. We were very successful! We met up with Nick and took the train back to make it in time for our last workshop. Nick on his last tube ride. Tamara holding David & Jonathan’s expertly wrapped gifts. Our final class consisted of a workshop with Will Barlow. We got some time to ask him questions and create our own process dramas. I came to realize that I knew a lot more than I thought I did. Having so many things thrown at you in just a few weeks can make it unclear how much you’ve actually taken in. It was very encouraging to find out I internalized a lot more of the conventions than I thought! Me weeping ...
I wake up to the clattering of dustbins, reversing trucks restocking Tesco shelves, and the murmur of footsteps as people start trickling through Clerkenwell Green on their daily commute. Since I have a family in tow for this class, I’m living outside of the NYU residence - a stone’s throw from what, I am shocked to learn, used to be “the most disreputable street in London” in Shakespeare’s time. How scandalous! Early morning in Clerkenwell Green - my little piece of London Today, though, Clerkenwell is a quaint, leafy patch of life that is hidden from the bustle of the city. It feels like a village. There’s a grand church perched on a hill and lots of pubs with flowery facades that attract larger congregations than the parish. And I’m smack in the center of all this, sandwi...
On the second day of the hottest weather ever in the UK, our brave band headed off to UEL (University of East London) campus once again. Fortunately, the air conditioning at UEL is strong. If not, we might have all melted like a lonely sticky toffee pudding. * picture on left Oh Crap it’s Going to be Hot Today, London, 2022 (ps it’s in Celcius) * picture on the right credit NYTimes morning headlines email newsletter I arrived in studio one and moved some chairs to help set the mood for the work ahead. *Chairs in an expectant circle, London, 2022 At the start, Liselle came in to help explain what was going to happen for the day. We were to work with Caroline Griffith on physical theatre and text. From there, we would have lunch together, she would get us some snacks, and then we would have a zoom meeting with Carl Dunnington and Ali Warren from Open Drama UK to talk about the UK educational theatre system. When talking about lunch she asked if we wanted to go outside, ...
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