from nickcan | Comment (0) | Mar 9, 2010

I can't download my pictures! I don't have cables for my new camera...but i will try again today with a card reader.
I did enjoy last night - great to see so many pictures - including the one of Peter looking like the demon headmaster! You see the camera does lie! I suppose I'm still a bit old fashioned in my outlook so I'm not sure that we should be tweaking photo colour and the like...though its amazing to think what can be done. All those glamorous pictures of film stars and models, they must look as rough as me in reality!
Hopefully I took some lovely photos yesterday so will tweak them all so that you all look like Brad and Angelina!

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Mar 1, 2010

Hi all, having read Dunni's thoughts on the process I thought I'd better get on here quick! Sorry, that we don't get on here as often as we should. I think its because when we go home we have tospend time with our families and when we're at school we're working on other things but I get your point! Sorry.
But I absolutley agree about there being too many things and that may be the reason why some people aren't able to cope with what we've been offering! If we do it again I think we would spread it out over the year.
I'm glad you're enjoying it all though. What did you think of Twelfth Night? Miss Simmonds said that the your faces were an absolute joy to watch as you engaged in the show.

from nickcan | Comment (1) | Feb 11, 2010

The drama workshop based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will take place on Monday 22^nd February (the first day back after half term) from 3.45 pm to 5.15 pm in the Old Hall at Jubilee.

It should be very hands on (not scarey!) with everybody having a go and mucking in: it’s not about being a star (sorry for those who are looking for stardom!) but finding out about the play (which you will see on Friday at the National Theatre) and working together in teams. We will be working with the group from Lauriston…and it will be fun (I’m running it!).

from nickcan | Comment (1) | Feb 10, 2010

Hi all, can I nag a little bit? I realise that the whole of the ABC project is quite a commitment (I know this because Peter and I have committed quite a time on it!) but if you can't make a session please can you let me know BEFORE the event? At least then if we have tickets we can get other families involved: I know none of this is costing anything to you but the schools have invested a lot of time and money into the project and for it to really work it is important that both you and your child (or you and your parent - depending on who's reading this!) come along to the sessions together- or let us know before! ANd , of course, its not all of you and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who keep on coming!
Thank you...nagging over! Now let's get back to having fun and learning together and filling in the blog!

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Feb 8, 2010

Thank you to those who came along on Saturday. My parents thought you were all amazing and mum went on and on about how polite and interesting all the children were. She was stunned by how you were all so willing to chat to her (clearly more willing than I am!!!). Living out in the wilds of Devon I think she has been reading too many newspaper reports and listening to the telly all of which say that the children of Hackney are wild! Well done for showing her that the newspapers get it wrong!!! You are all amazing! I hope you were inspired by what you saw at the Gallery, I've certainly decided to focus on making my subjects look happy! Thanks to Ronnie and Kay for going to the National Gallery - sorry we were round the corner in the PORTRAIT gallery but I hope you had a good time anyway. There's a blogging sesion at Jubilee on Wednesday 10th so you can write up all your thoughts and try to get some pictures on the blog? Hope to see you there. Thanks again for Saturday.

from nickcan | Comment (1) | Feb 3, 2010

Thanks to all who came last night - sorry if you didn't make it! Hope you all had fun clicking away...I'm very keen to get some portraits done myself, but also want to have ago at doing something with shadows and light. Of course I may have to charge my camera first!!! Please look after the cameras everybody...remember to keep the strap round your necks! See you all at the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday at 11 a.m. Really looking forward to seing what you have all taken! What themes/subjects have you all decided upon? Take inspiration from the Gallery on Saturday and then go and explore taking pictures as you go...Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden market....
See you on Saturday

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Feb 1, 2010

Thanks everybody! Really enjoyed last night...tho' the high point has to be, for me, my salsa with Alison! Thank you...you got the moves too!
I liked the breakers - a lot, tho' Keon if you can choreograph better, then the Christmas show is in YOUR hands next year! I felt sorry for the ballet dancers following on from the breakers because their techinque is different it sort of lost the wow appeal of the guys.
I liked the comp winners tho' there were moments when I thought, "Ok, enough is enough - just get on with it!"; but equally there were beautiful moments - when they were just standing and the fan lifted their hair gently, like some sort of mexican hair wave! And the dancing was like playground games - childlike in it's simplicity yet complicated too. Some elegant arms movement as well.
Not sure if I understood the 'story' of some of them, but then we don't worry about the story of the Breakers do we? So perhaps we just enjoy things for what they are.
Anyway, see you at the photography thing tomorrwo at Lauriston - bring cameras if you got them and a photo that you really like.
Thanks again Alison!

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Jan 29, 2010

Well, tonight I'm off to the Opera! Dunni's favourite experience  - the Royal Opera House (SOOOO posh!). I'm going to see Cosi Fan Tutti...not quite sure why; I've read the plot synopsis and find it all very odd - a lot of larking about in disguises from people with very long names. Oh well, there may be some good tunes and I'll get a good dinner - so can't complain! Tomorrow I was going to see Red at the Donmar Theatre but then we're off to Sampled at Sadlers Wells on Sunday...and..well, I think a fella can only take so much culture in a weekend so I passed the Red tickets on to a friend. Hope she has fun!

Really glad that everyone seems to have enjoyed Nation and we had a great time at the Dance Workshop - Cheryl is brilliant, isn't she?! This is looking like its a great group - Dunni's mum says that you are all bonding on the bus . I'm really pleased. See you all on Sunday!

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Jan 19, 2010

Thank you all for coming last night. I was concerned when the play started that it might be a bit patronising, that the 'Natives' were savages and 'The White Man' would svae the day but was pleased that that tuned out to be not the case at all. I was thrilled to see the group absolutley lapping it up and for a generation brought up on the sophistication of computer games and Avatar and the cinema - I was delighted to see the children so engrossed in the story and the staging. Total suspension of belief.
Ah the staging! Brilliant; the drowning, the boat scene, the storm - all amazing! Now, how can I work all that into the next Christmas Production???
If theatre is to entertain and make you think (and I think its supposed to) then this ticked all the boxes. I went home and turned on the news and saw the devastation in Haiti and thought how they will struggle to rebuild their Nation...can we learn from the mistakes of the past or will society just carry on building itself anew with all the errors of before? Mau tried...lessons should be learned. Listen to me getting all deep and its only 8.20 in the morning and I'm full of cold and very little sleep...I blame the lemsip! Looking forward to hearing everyone's views...on theplay - not my cold!

from nickcan | Comment (0) | Jan 18, 2010

What a weekend I have had...two performances in three days and then another tonight!
On Friday I went to see La Clique at the Roundhouse - just one word to say...GO!
It was BRILLIANT! Very funny and extraordinary display of circus skills - trapeze, roller skating (that defied belief and very nearly could have been a disaster), cabaret singing, a very daring act (hmm....too risque to mention here!) and a hula hooping genius were just a few of the acts. It was like an old fashioned vaudeville act - but with a VERY modern twist. A really great evening out. And although I said, GO...it has actually finished its run but if you get the chance to go, ever - then seize it with both hands. But check out the Roundhouse website,www.roundhouse.org.uk, they often have performances like it - ands its an incredible space!
Yesterday, I went to see Cirque De Soleil at the Albert Hall...and that is still running so GO SEE!!! http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/cirque-du-soleil/default.aspx
Extraordinary feats of breath taking stunts - acrobats flinging themselves from great heights and contorting themselves into worryingly painful shapes. Incredible costumes, stunning staging - visually beautiful.
There were times when I winced and cursed myself for being SO flabby and old and other times when I thought.."Oh, they'll regret that in the morning!" AMAZING! I even laughed at the 'clowns' - now, normally I'm with Johnny Depp on this one (we're very alike in oh so many ways!!!!) and loathe clowns (they're just not funny are they? not scarey...just irritating!) - but these ones were slick and made me giggle (and there wasn't a wonky horn, spraying flower or falling apart car to be seen - thank goodness).
And on top of all that  circus culture we're off to see Nation tonight! See you there at 5.45 for 6? Not feeling 100% (tiny bit of  streaming cold) but hoping that Doctor Theatre will see me through the night - if not I may nodd off in the back row!