Mashi Theatre Residency

Last week I was working with Mashi Theatre, as part of a creative education residency at a group of primary schools in Lincolnshire. Working with Parmjit Sagoo, a drama, movement and yoga specialist, we were leading workshops, sharing the tales of Birbal. The workshops are in preparation for seeing the show ‘The Tales of Birbal’ this week, as the show begins its autumn tour.

I was leading the puppet making section of the workshop, where each child makes a crow puppet, similar to those in the show. The children then spend the rest of the workshop manipulating and embodying the crows, having a wonderful time. Do try and catch the show at some point over the next 2 months!

COAL 2017 Autumn Tour

Over the past month, COAL has been on its Autumn tour in Scotland. We visited Edinburgh, Greenock and Stirling, and met some wonderful pit women, brass bands, and audiences. 

The miner’s ‘underground’ trousers were throuroughtly in need of some care, and a mend, so lots of patching and reinforcing was required for them. We also had a couple of new miners to fit costumes for, as well as 10 new pit women, and 2 returners, from Glasgow. The brass band jackets have also had a lot of wear over the past few tours, so I have repaired and restored the details on them as well. All in all, a busy few weeks, telling the story of the miners strike to lots of new audience members.

At the final venue in Stirling, The Macrobert Arts Centre, at the university, there was also an exhibition launching alongside COAL, where artist, Philip Gurrey, had worked with some groups at the local Miner's Welfares, rembering life with the colliery, and also the tumultuous time during and after the strike. More about this here

 

COAL starts again next year, when we return to Inverness.