These are some of the comments made by participants this week or in emails over the last week:
‘I’ve had so much support in these sessions. I’ve felt free.’
‘It’s been amazing today.’
‘Since doing these sessions I have been thinking about words’.
‘I cannot begin to put into words the effect these sessions are
having on my life.’
Today Milena was taking a complex-sounding maths exam so we focussed entirely on words and voice.
We began with some exercises which helped us relax and some
voice exercises which woke us up! I
asked why they thought I had elected to give them a particular exercise which involves
reading pieces in different moods.
After several acute and intelligent answers – ‘to build our confidence’,
‘to bring emotion into our work’ – one group member said ‘because you want us
to perform on the exhibition day.’ It
produced a lot of laughter and a round of applause. Sprung.
The truth is I do want them to
read on 10th July because what they have produced is original, moving and worth
hearing and because I know the joy of walking away knowing you have read something
you have created and it has been listened to and appreciated.
An important step towards this was taken today as everyone present
read something to the whole group. We
heard how the giraffe grew its long neck, group poetry performances and a striking
piece on the theme of oppression and liberation that one of the participants
had penned at home. The group were supportive and – rightly –
encouraging in their feedback. Here is
Sandra’s piece which fits into a triad of pieces on the same topic.
The Beatles were performing on a stage built over the Albert Dock,
but something was awry. The orange
missed Paul McCartney by millimetres but, from my (admittedly distant and
partially obscured) viewpoint, he seemed to make no reaction. Possibly he had become, over the years,
inured to random fruit or vegetable missiles.
Perhaps, as a famous vegetarian, he would simply collect all such items
and create one of Linda’s renowned Goan curries. I resolved to stay after the concert ended
and observe matters closely. It was
thus, due to no more than idle speculation and a lamentable lack of companion,
that I was to discover far more than I could possibly have anticipated.
The concert continued. I
waited in a state of tension, taking some enjoyment from the masses’ reaction
to the old songs, yet with my mind still musing. I still have no idea - at all
- why this mission felt so imperative but I could no more have left without
indulging this whimsical notion than I could have unfurled my pigeon wings and
flown to the moon.
Sandra
I was delighted that the first person offering to perform was a
woman who at the beginning had said she wouldn’t want to read out to the
group. How far we have all come in the
last nine weeks!
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