This review was written by Alastair, who attended the ‘Back yourself’ drama sessions organised at the museum for local young people and run by Becky Crawley (photographed below) of the Helen O’Grady drama school.
First Entry
After first being introduced to Becky, who stated she was going to have us go through a drama exercise. The exercises included:
Throwing a ball around, when you passed the ball the person who caught it had to say a word beginning with letter that was stated at the beginning
Also did “state a fact” is the best name I have, where you turn to the person or your right. You say two things about you and they say two things about themselves, then you both say what you have just heard to the wider group
Breathing exercises and basic body language were included
The last part of the actives was role-playing. First you would role-play either a person selling a bad (total rubbish) car or you were the one buying it.
Also there was a situation where we predated that we were at a expensive French restaurant and that one of us has cockroach in their soup at which point someone had to be a waiter who was nice or more confrontational.
Personal note: Alright here is where I talk to you or a computer screen in this instance, well I found the session rather interesting the role-playing was rather quite enjoyable as I haven’t done that without a teacher before.
Second Entry
The second session comprised many activities from the first session, include steady breathing exercises, saying single words as you go around the circle and working on body language. But the exercises were taken to the second stage as…..
Breathing actions had counting to ten (really) loudly and then trying to count in a very presentable way
The single words were no longer random but had to be woven into a cohesive sentence, which did go down a odd route. The short of the story is that Wolverine needed mental help, but it was all in his head or was it?
The new role-play exercise being that me and Harriet both sat in front of Becky and act like we were both employed by her and competing for a promotion. It started so well but there was money on the line (image money but still) as such the incrimination were soon flying, I said she would stop talking about scones and how great she made them, but wait for this, she accused me of leaving the safe open when the shop was shut (total out of nowhere but effective). In the end neither of us got anywhere as Becky couldn’t stop laughing
The final part of the session involved presenting a little talk to the group. My was all about Spider-wick the characters, plot, ending and why I like it so much even now. Harriet was all about a horror movie with a lot (we talking like 5 to 6) sequels all staring Freddy Kruger.
Personal note: The session was actual efficient, for the first time in a while I didn’t think of every word I was saying, or looking around for problems or analysis (yes I do that). Lastly as this is a personal note I did get a good group, Harriet is a really interesting person and nice to go through the exercises with. Coming up with a short talk for next time with be interesting have to decide either go for a rant on the dark tower or a long talk on something historical, decisions.
P.S I know there are a lot of brackets in these just my thing
Last Entry
So how was the final session?
Well it was very heavy on the creating a front or putting on a performance of someone your not.
First we played two truths and a lie, well that didn’t end well for me Harriet worked it all out, all from the little bits of information I had given during our conversions, (dam it) still pretty clever. I was also the only one that got found out.
Next me and Harriet enacted three silent scenes that consisted of us playing a video games, being tourists somewhere(my guess is Paris I could pull of my French waiter) and lastly we posed as two people arguing over the directions on a map, though Becky thought we looked my like a couple bickering, that was my fault should have gestured with my hand more.
Then it was on to role-playing (again I know drama duh) so what was it this time, well it was the two of us creating conflict and then finding resolution’s. In this case Harriet played a person fed up with a group member over a assignment and I get to play her friend but I’m also a friend to the girl she is upset, by the end we had pretty much got into a conflict but hadn’t got out, yeah the acting and the argument I guess got a bit to real (but serious what kind of crazy person gets in the middle of two girls fighting uhhh). After that exercise was concluded the next scene to created was two interviews one good and one bad, in this case someone who wanted the post of librarian but was loud, flirty and came across as sneaky. In the other case a vet who feared dogs and was very nervous, stressed and figed. Then we both did normal interviews as ourselves or the straight back “I am very professional” selves.
Well that’s it we didn’t get to do are second presentations as we ran out of time. We were given out certifies saying we had completed the drama course “Back yourself” and Becky mentioned our full assessments had been sent out to our work coaches.
Thanks to Alastair for writing this report (and for letting us take his photo as well!)
Our ‘Mammoth’ museum hunt will also be launched next week for young visitors and those young at heart to help them explore the museum. Watch out for an exciting post about our Kids in Museum Mammoth hunt next week as our Summer of Fun gets underway.
About Peter Nicholson
The project was started in 1998 to develop tourism and economic development with the cooperation of Carlisle, Cumbria Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland local authorities. An ordnance survey map, gazetteer and car trails were created and I created a website and multimedia CD. The intention was to theme the area similar to the clan names of the highlands.
I developed information systems in education and businesses, eventually creating multimedia “books” that bring information alive. I accumulated a huge repository of information about Border Reivers some of which became part of the millennium project for SCRAN [Scottish Resource Access Network]. Unfortunately technology moves on and the original CDs and online items are out of date. Fortunately copyright is either mine or I have permission to give use and I now want anyone to use all the information that I have so that they can develop interests, develop businesses, promote tourism and continue “In Search of The Border Reivers”
A talk about G. Bramwell Evens, a Methodist minister who was in Gretna during World War One by David Barnaby.
April 24th 2019
7pm
£3 per person payable on the door.
David has recently published a new book about Bramwell Evens called ‘The Sky is as Blue as a Hedge-Sparrow’s Egg: Reading Romany’
George Bramwell Evens, (1884-1943) was one of the most loved broadcasters of his day.
He was Methodist minister but in the 1930s he was known by everyone as Romany of the BBC. He had an intimate knowledge of the natural world and a gift for vivid communication. His natural history programmes led thousands of children to love of the wonders of the countryside.
In this talk, David Barnaby will explore the world Romany created. David has written over a dozen books. He is an amateur naturalist, a jazz drummer, a saxophone quartet player and a circus enthusiast.
On Tuesday March 5th, the Devil’s Porridge Museum welcomed 60 students from Dalry Primary, Carsphairn Primary and Kells Primary (Glenkins partnership). They had been studying World War Two in lessons and came to the museum to experience some objects making the past that bit more tangible.
They had two different sessions in the morning: one session looked at air raids including the role of ARP wardens and the bombing of Gretna in 1941 while the other session considered all different types of rationing including the rationing of food, petrol and clothing.
In the afternoon, the students explored the museum itself by going inside an air raid shelter, tasting rationed foods, trying on World War Two era clothing, visiting a 1940s house and handling different historical objects. The group also took a tour of the Ground Floor of the museum which is dedicated to the history of HM Factory Gretna in World War One.
One of their teachers emailed the museum to say: “Thank you so much for a wonderful day! A massive thank you to everyone that helped at the museum! The pupils enjoyed it very much.”
Thanks especially to Sheila G and Eleanor for their work and to Steven for being so helpful on his second day! To discuss your school visit email info@devilsporridge.org.uk.
The talk will touch on:
Aircraft incidents
Details of the aircrew
Trainee aircrews
The story of the Airfields
The fearless RNLI and Air Sea Rescue Units who plucked the ditched airmen from the Solway, Clyde and Irish Sea
Ian will be selling and signing copies of his book on the evening of the talk.
Ian Tyler has won three Lakeland Book of the year awards. He established “Keswick Mining Museum” which survived 30 years until his retirement. Has worked on TV with “Baldrick” Tony Robinson, Julia Bradbury, Eric Robson, Rob Bell.
Digital Marketing by Local SEO UK : 360 Degree VR Imagery by 360 New Media
