Tikhtak

The Junior Apprentice 09

Inspired by Amie Buhari an Actor/Youth Worker from South London, The Junior Apprentice (5th - 21st August) is a competition to find the best Junior Apprentice in London, based on biblical roles of leadership. The young people aged 12 – 21yrs will battle it out through a series of team challenges that will develop, teach, inspire each individual and bring out the talents each one has. Lots of quality prizes to be won and lots of knowledge to be gained. To see how they got on last year then check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuzJgZe_dH8. For more information or to sign up email  info@thehebefoundation.org

Young people can only lead tomorrow if we teach them today.

The LIFT Living Archive Opened! - A lesson for the church

This week I attended the official opening of the Lift Living Archive at Goldsmiths college. The archive moved from Lifts offices over the summer to be housed at Goldsmiths college, who have been encouraging various groups to explore it. The archive covers the work of Lift (London International Theatre Festival) from 1981 to 2001. My own involvement in the archive has been as a researcher for about 6 months as part of my MA placement. That meant delving into boxes, reading reviews and eventually creating an on-line trail on the Lift living archive website called Foreign theatre in a foreign land. (Pic above is Al Kasaba's  "Alive from Palestine,")

Lifts work in bringing top international theatre companies who perform in non traditional settings and with a whole range of creative approaches appealed to me because I could see how the vision of Lift could be applied to the church. Just as Lift celebrate different expressions of theatre both in and outside of the building so the church needs to learn how to flex the same muscle. Read Jonny Bakers take on preaching  "Throwing a grenade into the fruit bowl" for a bit of inspiration on this.

The evening itself was done in a very creative way. There was a room full of tables with people from Lift past and present as well as representatives from the various user groups. I sat with The Magic Me contingency. Magic me is an inter-generational arts organisation which had facilitated a creative writing project called penfriends among pensioners. In the middle of the table was a box from the archive and having put on white glove's we were encourage to explore and talk about the archive. There was a mic on each table to record our conversations. It really felt like a feast of Lifts history. To round things off we were then provided with a real feast and wine to boot.  A thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring evening.

Michael Jackson - Whose Bad!

I guess we may never know the real truth behind all the accusations that hounded Michael Jackson, but whatever suspicions remain, he was an incredible performer. I remember staying up late as a teenager in the early 80's to see the TV premier of Thriller on The Tube ...Wow it was a video that was made like a mini film! And what about Billie Jean and those squares that lit up as he walked. Then there was my debut into flirting with dance at St Mary's College performing Michael Jackson "Bad" to a whooping audience for an end of term cabaret. He kind of made dance cool for the male species. And I even went on to use "Black or White" to teach dance to a bunch of year 8's on my teaching practice in the early 90's at Cullompton secondary school, Devon.

Clapham Common Fayre

Today was Holy Trinity Churches annual Clapham Common Fayre. It is held in the grounds of the church and is the only time throughout the year where people from the common flood onto the premises of the church. There are, as always, all kinds of side stalls from white elephant to arts and crafts as well as ye old faithful bouncy castle. This year we had a visible local police presence with two bobbies on horses, as well as an ambulance, which took the fire engines place. It really is a typically English event and is almost Trumptonesque, with the local trades all represented. Two things that stuck out this year perhaps reflects what happens when the church reaches out to the community in this way. First of all there was the video stall. It shows a church innocence which can cause great amusement to a streetwise world. On one hand it is 'Vicar of Dibley' and endearing, but on the other hand reflects the challenge the church has to be relevant. Having said that my highlight of this years fayre had to be a sing song inside the church, which our 'Church band' orchestrated at certain times throughout the day. It was a new experiment and although the PA was not working properly and some songs were under rehearsed, there was an informality and inclusiveness about the 'Worship' which I seldom feel on a Sunday. So another year of the Common fayre has gone by, If only we could find ways to utilise this ingenuity and passion with one another and the community in other ways throughout the year. I suppose we still have 6 months more!

The 3 Yorkshire Peaks Conquered in a day

We set off at 5 30am in the morning when normally most people are sleeping. Not today! There were scores of walkers everywhere walking for various charities. There were 400 BT walkers alone on a team building day. We scaled the first peak within the first few hours but straight away the legs were feeling heavy. Burning up the hills and feeling like jelly going down. The second peak was quite a walk from the first and this seemed to last forever but the scenery was amazing and the morning mist had cleared to be a beautiful day. Peak 2 was conquered some 8 hours after setting off. The journey down was steep and cruel on the knees but we all made it down. At this stage Merlin, (a friend of Mikes) decided 2 was enough and the rest of us continued on. As we scaled the final peak Anita started to struggle too with a blister and reluctantly we had to leave Anita to try and continue at a blister sensitive pace. So the rest of us got to the third peak and celebrated taking pictures from the top. As we began to descend to our amazement Anita appeared over the brow....she had made it too. Check out more pics on my flicker. If you still want to give some many towards CMS youth projects in the UK it is not too late. Just log on to our just giving web page.

Off to walk 3 hills in Yorkshire for charity

Tomorrow morning we plan to set off at 5 am to complete the Yorkshire 3 Peaks walk within 12 hours. The reward for doing this is apparently a medal and a tie, as well as raising over £1000 for CMS youth work in the UK.  Check out our just giving page if you would like to give something still. The walk takes in the 3 summits of Pen-y-ghent (694 metres - 2,276 feet), Whernside (736 metres - 2,415 feet) and Ingleborough (723 metres  2,372 feet) all in one circular route. The aim is to do it by 5pm so I can then get back to Derby to catch my train back to London. It may be actually more of a walking challenge to get back to Brixton from St Pancras!! There is a lot of press and publicity cruelly saying that I will not make it. All I have to say is, to borrow the words of the much maligned Prince Hal from Henry iv part 1.

I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humour of your idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish'd for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.

Watch this space!

Charmed by Ibiza

We went to Ibiza  a little in trepidation about the clubbing scene and how Zara might cope! No worries, in fact apart from Santa Antonio, the island is a place of tranquility and beauty. Zara absolutely loved the sea and with a hotel bang on the beach she woke up every morning chanting the same refrain, "Lets go Sea, Lets go Sea."  Check out more pictures at my flicker page.

Wembley Woes Again! Shrewsbury lose to Gillingham in 90th minute...

Today we had yet another agonising trip to Wembley to see Shrewsbury Town in the league 2 playoff final. Two years ago Shrewsbury lost to Bristol Rovers,which was kind of bearable as it was our first trip to the new Wembley, surely it wouldn't happen again! Well it did!this time against Gillingham and in the last minute of the game. As you can see we had a great view of the pitch, although this picture was taken as the Shrewbury players were literally down and out in the background. A funny moment happened before the game with a bunch of Shrewsbury fans singing "Salop" (Which is the old name for Shropshire) A really loud mouthed Gillingham women turned round and shouted out "What Salop, Don't you mean Wallop." It was a 'woody Allen plant' moment as no one was sure how to respond. That is the problem when your team loses. You start to look at other things in the day to make the memory bearable.

Walking The 3 Yorkshire Peaks for Youth & Children.

Yes it is true! I am 41 and a half years old and have decided if I don't get this walk in now I may never do one. I will be walking 24.5 miles over three Yorkshire peaks to raise money for CMS Youth and Children's work in the UK. If you would like to sponsor me then just click on the donate button in my side bar on this Tikhtak blog or click on this just giving link. You can read more about the walk there too.

Green Pigeons

In response to global warming the pigeons of Clapham Common are making a stand.

   

Books - My Poison, I mean Passion!

Reading has never been the greatest passion of my life although I wish it was. The problem is I just find it so tiring and would much rather get up and do something. I think I have probably read more books over the last 2 years for my MA studies than in the whole of my life. Because I have had to do it I have been disciplined and I have really enjoyed it. Today I laid out on the bed just a sample of my reading list for my dissertation in August. My question (I think) is "How can Applied Drama be used effectively in Christian Mission engagement around the world?" Here we go...

Hail Hail the Simms are here! - St Mary's old boys Reunion

Last weekend saw a gathering of middle aged men for a 3 way football tournament in Dover. Unbelievably we managed to win both games although by the second game the squad of 16 had whittled down to barely 11 with injuries. (Me included.) Whenever we meet it is as if no time has elapsed since we were together at college and the banter in the changing rooms both before and after the game had not changed in 20 years. I don't take for granted this special community of which I am a part. There are a number of Fathers amongst us now and to some the years have been more favourable  than others but once together we are a strong, loyal bunch and I see it staying that way for another 20 years to come. Check out  my flicker for more photos and the you-tube link for some vintage moments.

Up the bus lane!

I have just got a ticket for driving in a bus lane on a Sunday! A few years ago I had the opportunity to do an AA advanced driving test and was advised by the instructor that I should always use the bus lane when the restrictions didn't apply. (as the other lane becomes an overtaking lane). The trouble is there are a thousand different variants for every stretch of bus lane in London and if you happen to miss the one tiny blue sign that states the restrictions in the smallest writing possible then you are scuppered. I missed the blue sign that actually had no written instruction on it which means apparently it is "car prohibited" at all times. Why can't London councils make the whole thing a lot easier by having one rule for all? The cynical side of me says that that wouldn't make as much money for them off drivers like me who are trying to obey the law. I am bitter and twisted! Check out this ticket fighter website that helps other law abiding drivers to challenge the many mistakes London council's make.

Back from another part of Europe

I arrived back from a sunny and Eastery Mission Net in Oldenburg to a cold, and season-less London. In all about 3000 young people came together from across Europe to study and engage with the theme of Mission . I was reminded on more than one occasion that Britain is part of Europe and it is important we join with our neighbours in God's Mission. Having lived in Prague for around 10 years I do have a sense of how every country has its own national identity and Britain is not alone in this. My highlights were leading a seminar with Jill Ford from All nationscollege on mission and Creative arts. It was great to finally work together and it was well received by all. I was also really glad to meet again Mime/Actor Carlos Martinez who performed on the main stage. I first came across him 10 years ago on n IFES conference and was so impressed by him that I went on a summer school he ran in Germany.  I interviewed him fro trax16 and talked about the possibility of bringing him to the UK...Watch this space. Perhaps the final highlight was being able to network with people from all over Europe and get a perspective on what is going on both there and in the UK  Check out my pics on Flicker

Joining a Mission Net in Germany

Over Easter I will be attending a conference in Germany bringing together young people from all over Europe to look at the theme of Mission. I will be leading a workshop with Jill Ford from All Nations college on Mission and Creative Arts. At the beginning of our workshop we will set up some stations around the room showcasing some missional creative arts projects from round the world. I will be talking about World to Rights and trax16 but will also share about a version of The Apprentice run last year in South London to champion models of biblical leadership. Ammie, an Actor from Battersea came up with the idea as an antidote to all the bad press about youth and gun and knife crime. After an interview process 24 young people were selected and competed in two teams in exactly the same way as the TV version. The project was so successful that this summer she will be running a London wide version. I will also share about the work of Neema Crafts in Tanzania. With both of these projects and many more nothing could have been achieved without collaboration and drawing on different peoples skills and abilities. That will be one of the main objectives of our workshop as we work with youngpeople from all across Europe. Especially in  working together across borders.