Blogs
May 2008
Stacey's Dance Placement blog
My
placement at Valley and Vale has been quite an intense few
weeks. I started with Valley and Vale in January but unfortunately injured
myself whilst studying in University.
Over the last few weeks, I have been working with the dance department to give me an experience of Community Dance within the Bridgend area. Due to changes in the timetables form January to April I have had the opportunity to work in different settings, with a wide range of people and ages.
The experience has given me a good insight into Community Dance and has shown me how dance can be for everyone. One of the new projects the dance department are working towards is with members of Ynysawdre Day Centre. I was very nervous about this workshop, as I have never been in that situation before. The same went for the workshops in the Children's Ward at the Princess of Wales Hospital due to the childrens’ restrictions of movement. However, I feel these workshops were inspiring and it was a lovely feeling appreciated for the time by the participants.
I would like to wish good luck to Xplosion youth dance group and say well done with the performances over the last few months. I hope that the group members will keep dancing and hopefully will enjoy working towards their next performance.
Finally, I would like to thank Saydi, Paula and Elaine for making my time at Valley and Vale very enjoyable and I hope your plans for the rest of year go well. Thank you to all the staff at Valley and Vale and all the people I have met through the projects for your time and help over the last few months.
Stacey Jones
April 2008
Elaine's Dance Blog
Returning to work after my year out for Maternity leave ! This is my daughter, Millie.
My initial emotions upon returning to my position as a Dance Development Worker were a mixture of nervous excitement and worry. The past year has been full of contrasting emotions, laughter and tears, nappy changes and sleepless nights, crying and cuddles; but all in all a truly wonderful year! So slipping back into my position at work seems quite strange.
However I am pleased to report that my first few weeks back have been enjoyable. I have realised how much I have missed dance and what my job gives me personally and professionally. More than this I have missed the team as a whole, as I have very good friends within Valley and Vale Community Arts.
What I have noticed since returning is that my perspective seems to of changed - I think maybe that is because I have not worked for a year. Also since becoming a mother I feel more grounded as a person, and so much stronger in many ways.
I look forward to new challenges at work with confidence, hopeful to use my experience over the past year to benefit those I am working with.
'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass -
it is about learning
to dance in the rain !!'
Elaine Bennett
March 2008
This month I was lucky enough to go to Birmingham, where I attended the Geese Theatre Company training course called Behind the Wall.
The course lasted for three days and focused on working with feelings through drama. We played games which were a lot of fun, and then looked how to process them into our own lives. I found this very interesting, as I play these games often in workshops, and through this course have now learnt how to extend them further into work which will really benefit participants of my projects. We also explored mask work, looking in depth at what masks we wear in our lives, and what happens when we lift the mask. As well as all this we explored different ways to use forum theatre with groups and also looked at the use of images to show different situations and problems. I really enjoyed the training, and can't wait to put my new skills into practice!
Alyson Evans, Drama Worker
February 2008
Stacey's Dance Blog
I am currently in my 3rd year studying a BA (Hons)
Dance degree at UWIC. As part of my course I was asked to
participate in a work placement to help me decide what career path
I would be interested in pursuing and the different opportunities
there are within dance. As I am from the Bridgend area, I decided to
contact Valley and Vale Community Arts and Saydi (Dance Development Worker)
asked me to watch Valley and Vale's Community Dance performance
in December. After this I decided that my placement within
the Dance Department at Valley and Vale would be very fulfilling
and felt that I would be able to improve my dance teaching skills and
knowledge.
The placement takes place every Monday and Tuesday for 6 weeks and I get to work with a wide range of ages - children and young people. My first week with Valley and Vale has been quite busy, I mainly observed and joined in classes to see how the members of the company work and teach. Saydi has asked me to teach an After School club for five weeks at Maesteg Comprehensive School, concentrating on a jazz piece for an end of term performance.
Another area I will be participating with is the Valleys Dance Initiative Tour 2008. I will be involved with the youth dance group Xplosion who have been working on a dance piece to be performed in 6 venues across the South Wales area. The piece is called Agree to Disagree and will form part of a larger piece made up of 7 shorter pieces, one from each Valley Borough. The work is going to be put together during a two-day workshop in half term on 11th and 12th of February 2008, which I will be involved with; it will be interesting to see the development of the piece and also be involved in the preparation for the tour. The rehearsals take place every Tuesday between 5pm-6.30pm.
The second week of my placement started in Bridgend College, teaching a Contemporary Technique class for 1st year Performing Arts students. Saydi taught the class, whilst I joined in and observed. Next week she has asked me to take the warm up and a few centre exercises to get involved more with the teaching side of dance and also build my confidence to lead the class in my last week at Valley and Vale. I have also been to Maesteg Comprehensive School to teach students the jazz piece for their end of term performance. I was able to take the warm up and recap on what the students had done the following week, whilst the students added in their own movements into the piece. My aim for this class is to introduce the students to jazz and choreograph a small jazz piece the students would be able to perform.
On my placement I have been doing lots and have been able to develop new skills around Community Dance and working with different groups and ages. I've really enjoyed my time Valley and Vale and have learnt so much. Thanks to Saydi and the team!
Stacey
January 2008
Katja's Counselling blog
"I
started my counselling course two years ago and had to give it up
after I became ill only three weeks into the course. Enrolling for
the second time made me very anxious. I very much would like to move
from my comfort zone into the stretch zone but I do fear that I have
not much of a boundary between the stretch zone and the panic zone.
I can recognise myself in some of the students Dave Mearns describes: 'Often the trainee makes her task impossible by imagining that each personal conflict which surfaces must be surmounted and worked through or she will not be a good counsellor.' (Mearns, 2003:37)
I do expect the course to be very challenging and that is very scary but like in a counselling relationship there is only challenge when there is also support. I have not expected the support but I can feel now after the day schools that I can also expect support from the lectures, the group and my supervisor. I am aiming to explore my traumatic experience in my personal counselling sessions.
I have also discovered openness to different approaches on the course which precedes my expectations and which I find very exciting. I thought I would have to have two heads on for the next two years one for my work using counselling skills and creativity and the other one for the counselling course being a straight counsellor. The possibility for incorporating creative approaches into my learning on the course feels much more real and that the course will be so much more relevant for me.
I find that the group is very open and honest with each other we are from all different background and have had different styles of teaching before this diploma course. There is awareness that we are going through this together and a want to support each other again this preceded my expectations. I know how close we got as a group during the two years of the counselling certificate group many of the group members went through this together I feared that there might be little groups developing yet everyone is very open to us newcomers. I feel that the invitation is there to develop trust and new friendship and I have to make the conscious effort to mix with all not only the individuals who seem to have most in common with me.
I also discovered that I find giving and receiving feedback much easier as part of the course as there is structure and a place for it. Learning how to give constructive feedback and not to see it as negative criticism helps me to not see it as a personal attack but as support. I am trying to find ways how to built constructive feedback into my work with colleagues.
I seem to often struggle especially at the beginning of courses when I commit to something I do it wholeheartedly. I remember a previous tutor saying to me why do you question everything? And it was another student who said: in my experience it is people like this once they internalised it they will carry it the furthest. I didn't know it at the time but ten years later I am the only one of the course who is practicing what we were taught on the course. It feels that if it is something as big as the existential philosophy I have to really make sense of it not just in the four hours on a Tuesday night.
The outcome of the learning style text suggests that I am an enthusiastic learner, which makes complete sense to me. However fulfilling the criteria needs planning and this paper is my first attempt to do so. I would like that all the learning and assessments would just happen naturally I will have to try and work more logically.
I had lots of opportunities over the last years to develop the Person-Centred approach. Listening, reflection and immediacy in a relationship have become almost natural. I find it easy to be warm and open. The most obvious direction for me is where the individual wants to take it. I need more practice in helping a client to focus and to challenge. I am looking forward to learning new approaches, to test them in triad work and to eventually use them in counselling sessions.
So far counselling skills have given me a new depth to my work. They are the key to empowering individuals, to building safe environments and to facilitate individual change. I believe that it is not the equipment or the approach, which is at the hart of any development, which takes place but the skills, confidence, and self-awareness of the facilitator/counsellor. This is why I chose to move out of my comfort zone and to embark on this journey."
Katja Stiller
November 2007
Alyson Evans' Drama Blog
I'm about to start my third month at Valley and Vale, and cannot believe how fast the first two have gone! That's because so much has been happening. Workshops are all going really well, and I've been excited to show young people in Wales all the new games I've learnt from around the world during my time as Assistant Drama in Camp America this summer.
I've just started workshops at Tondu Primary School working with a fantastic group of year 6 pupils. The sessions are based around team building and self-esteem, and already the group are showing confidence in performing, as well as having lots of fun playing games.
Cynffig Comprehensive School have now begun looking at making a performance based around relationships after a few weeks of workshops building trust and performance skills. We have been exploring different types of relationships, between friends, family, boyfriends and girlfriends and what complications they may have. The group have been working really well together so I'm looking forward to see how our performance turns out.
One very exciting project at the moment is with Back2Back Theatre Company at Ynysawdre School. As part of the Anti Bullying Week in November, the group will be performing a short piece of theatre at the Odeon Cinema Bridgend, exploring people's respect for each other. Having only a short amount of time to devise a piece, the group have done outstandingly well; using games, image theatre and improvisation we have developed ideas and, although still a work in progress, it looks like the group have created a powerful performance.
Alyson Evans, Drama Development Worker
October 2007
Wishing on a Star Blog
In this project I worked with young people from Bridgend People First who suffered from Aspergers Syndrome, a form of Autism of which there is much public ignorance and misunderstanding. This was a very challenging project as I have to confess I knew little about Aspergers myself, but the project turned out to be one of the most rewarding that I've been involved in. For this I must thank Sarah and Kathryn of Bridgend People First for their help and support during the project.
With only one week to work in I had originally planned a very short and simple animation, especially as I was unaware of the group's abilities. I needn't have worried though as they turned out to be one of the most talented, committed and enthusiastic groups I have worked with and the end result is an impressive 8 minute animated film full of wonderful drawings and a very interesting and imaginative script.
The film follows the fortunes of a girl called Jessie who is suffering from Aspergers Disease. Misunderstood by her classmates and teachers alike Jessie's life seems to go from one disappointing day to another. The night before her 15th birthday, however, she falls asleep wishing for a friend who would understand her. When she wakes up it soon becomes apparent that this day isn't just another ordinary day in her life. The friend she wished for materialises, her teachers become aware of her talents, and her classmates finally realise that there is a lot more to Jessie than meets the eye.
The film was conceived, written and produced by the young people themselves and drew on their own real-life experiences of life with Aspergers. The result is a heartwarming tale that has already caused a few tears to be shed by those that have seen the film.
Tim Smith, Animation Worker
Watch Wishing on a Star now.
September 2007
Paula Gray's Dance Blog
Paula Gray is one of our Dance Development Workers. Here's her blog from her first summer working at Valley and Vale.
I
have just experienced my first Summer Scheme at Valley
and Vale and had a fantastic two weeks. It was great working
with the local young people in Bettws on our theme 'Around
The World In 10 Days'. The Summer Scheme provides
the opportunity for all the staff at Valley and Vale to
bring their art forms together so I really enjoyed experiencing
working with young people using visual arts, drama and
poetry as well as dance.
This year was the first time that Valley and Vale invited volunteers from different parts of the world to join us working on the Summer Scheme. It was a great opportunity for myself and the young people to learn and develop new ideas about art, song, dance and games from different cultures and ways of life.
The young people worked extremely hard for the whole two weeks putting together their art work and a fantastic 'Bollywood' Dance ready for a sharing at the end of the Scheme. Family and friends were invited not only to view their work but to take part in some of the new songs and dances they had learnt from the volunteers.
So now it's time to move on to some new projects. I'm particularly excited about the new workshops about to start in Wildmill for Parents and Toddlers. This will be an opportunity for little ones to take part in some fun creative dance sessions with the adults so I am armed with my play parachute, a few bean bag frogs, some balls and bubbles and nursery rhymes!
Paula Gray
August 2007
Rhia's Blog
Rhia Davies is a student at Ynysawdre Comprehensive School
near Bridgend and has been spending time with us on her work
placement. She is also a member of our Back2Back drama group.
Here are some of her thoughts about working with Valley and
Valley.
I am Rhia Davies. I am 15 years of age and I attend Ynysawdre Comprehensive School. I have been part of 'Back 2 Back' for 3 years and I am still there now.
The group was first formed in 2003. At that moment in time, the group was didn't have a collective name. Ali Franks from Valley and Vale Community Arts arrived at Ynysawdre Comprehensive School to create a drama group. A group of us joined and after the first session, felt excited to attend a second. We all enjoyed the activities and everyone in it. We performed small drama pieces based on bullying. We spent one year trying different exercises within the group to familiarise ourselves with the scheme. We played numerous drama games, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing. But to me, the group was never just about drama. It was a place where everyone could talk about his or her feelings and emotions. Everyone was comfortable in the group and no one would ever be pressured into saying something that they clearly didn't want to... Most of the time, we would express our feelings in the group in a search for comfort and friendship. We all felt safe as we drew up a contract, and one of the rules stated that anything that was said inside the group had to stay in the group. No one was permitted to tell anyone outside the group. There was a great amount of trust that we all gave each other in order to abide by this rule.
After our drama group's one-year anniversary, Ali wanted us to participate in a project called Breathing Space. It was an event where pupils from schools that were involved in Valley and Vale would meet together and perform a piece based on bullying. We all began to plan our drama piece. We finally planned it and Ali typed it out. It was called 'Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me'. It was trying to tell others that names can be just as hurtful as any forceful contact. We wanted to show people the danger that offensive labels can cause. We wanted to show the viewers that words stick to people and they need to be released from the cruel name's grasp. I played the narrator. We used others in the group to be the bullies and others to be the victims. To make its presentation even more effective in its approach, Ali created the idea to get the people watching to visually see that words don't go away by placing names and emotions into black bags that the victims had to drag onto the stage to show the words were affecting them. It was incredibly powerful and I know has produced the message we wanted to give, loud and clear.
The next year, we were given the name Back2Back. Ali wanted us to create a piece of Forum Theatre to produce to schools in the Borough. Forum Theatre is when a drama piece is changed by the audience's suggestions in order to improve something in the story after the original story line is shown. It was to be based on bullying. We had to create it by ourselves and we were to practice without a script. It was quite difficult to get used to at first for we had to improvise on the spot, but after a little while, we came to terms with the idea. With all of our ideas combined we finally invented a piece. It was named 'Leave Me Alone' and it was about a boy called Arthur who has moved from a different school. He becomes a victim of the school bullies. I played the role of the teacher. Terrence Absalom and Nathan Absalom both played the role as Arthur. We all worked extremely hard and were extremely proud as the pupils from the schools enjoyed the performance. They understood what different actions they could take to stop bullying. It also signified which would work and which wouldn't in Arthur's situation. The audience can adapt Arthur's story into their lives and live by that example. We also aimed for them to help other's who might be in Arthur's situation by explaining what they can do instead of just living through it. It was enjoyable and educational for all. We performed it to Ffaldu Primary School, Bettws Primary School, Tyn-yr-Heol Primary School, Tondu Primary School and Cwm Garw Primary School.
Being in Year 10, we have to go on Work Experience. For those who don't know, it is when young people of a certain age group work in a job for a week in order to explore the world of work. With Ali's permission, I decided to work at Valley and Vale in Betws. When I got there, all the people there instantly welcomed me. Throughout the week, I travelled to different schools with the people of Valley and Vale, watching their everyday working lives. They have also allowed me to help them in some way. When I have not been going out, I have been given various jobs to occupy my time. I have been to dance classes most of the time. It has been very fun to watch and help the children in the classes. I also went to a teacher's inset day where I helped facilitate a creative workshop for teachers. Ali hosted activities for the teachers to get involved in. I helped with preparing for it. We managed to get them involved and they all enjoyed their time there. I have adored my stay at Valley and Vale. Everyone there is friendly and I have enjoyed my week there. As for Back2Back, I will definitely will be staying for a fourth year.
Rhia Davies
July 2007
Saydi's Dance Blog
Saydi Williams is one of our Dance Development Workers. As part of her Professional Development Plan at Valley and Vale she attended a Dance Movement Therapy Summer School at Dance Voice, Bristol – July 2007.
This month I will be attending a Summer School that will give me an insight into the world of Dance Movement Therapy. As a trained dancer and experienced Community Dance facilitator, I am intrigued to know what I am going to learn that differs from my approach to working with many different client groups over the past 10 years. The Person-Centred Creativity course that I attended while working at Valley and Vale has given me a new approach to workshops that I have adapted and adopted into my daily work with the community, and I look forward to exploring the differences between the creativity techniques which I currently use (which are often therapeutic) and a technique designed specifically for therapy.
Dance Movement Therapy has always in my mind dealt with the issues faced by an individual. My experience of this to date has been alongside Counseling, Occupational Therapy and in Mental Health support groups. To me, this kind of career choice is made by someone who is not necessarily a dancer foremost, but an observer of human movement. Some might say that the two go hand in hand, but I think there has always been a divide between the 'dancing' for performance and the 'healing' for therapy.
Until now.
I believe that in order for the Dance world to exist successfully in a developing and ever-changing environment we need to understand the importance of combining the strengths of Professional Dance training/performance, Community Dance and Dance Movement Therapy; this will then allow all areas of the community to be considered, respected and given the correct and relevant opportunities.
I guess my reasons for doing this course is so that these barriers can be smudged, pushed together and molded so that I may be able to work with a different group of people, a group that I may have not chosen to work with before; creating creativity for a group that may not have fitted into one of the pre-conceived pigeonholes that we tend to place people in. Or maybe it is just about really understanding the difference dance can make to a person, which is a skill that I sometimes forget. It is so easy to get lost in workshops, participation numbers, project and performance dates and times, but I need to remember that we do make a difference through dance – whatever style or approach we use.
As my nerves build at the thought of being the participant, not the facilitator for a change, I glance at the timetable at scary concepts such as mask-making, body language analysis and other such unfamiliar tasks lying in wait. My aim is to try not to worry about the fact that I am supposed to know what I am doing or about how my own workshops and projects are dealing with my week's absence. I will try to relax into the unknown, enjoy not having to plan my next workshop and crawl into my campervan each night with a good book and a glass of something vaguely alcoholic.
Watch this space...
Saydi Williams, Dance Development Worker,
Valley and Vale Community Arts