Down To Earth

Down to Earth in Macaulay School, Clapham

Our Down to Earth  environmental drama project went to Clapham this week. It was nice to work with a smaller group of just 30 (Year 6) and get to know the children better than if there were 60 to 100. Macaulay School has had every production we have done since 2007 and often we use them as a place to trial our new material. It was nice that this time Down to Earth came having been well and truly run in. At every school we go to there is always something that is memorable. For Macaulay it was the way they worked on creating a rap to find "solutions to stop the pollution" and their delivery of it in the performance. I think it helped that they had already produced raps last year on the subject so they had material to work with. The final group performed their rap and on their last word we all put out our hand to the audience and said "Stop!" In a word we challenged the audience to rethink how they are living on the planet. Our A Rocha team also challenged the children and school to engage with their local environment and encourage wildlife to grow and prosper. They shared with us about an A Rocha project being run in Camberwell where they are creating wildlife friendly gardens in and around an urban estate.

Down to Earth in Blair Peach Primary School, Southall

We arrived at the school in good time and was grateful that we didn't need to set up our own projector and screen. More time in the morning is always a bonus! Today we worked with year 2 and 3 and then presented our play to the whole school at the end of the day. The children threw themselves into the Down to Earth  play and enjoyed creating the physical images of a polluting factory in China and an Indian village terrorised by a herd of Indian elephants. While normally with years 5 and 6 we encourage and engage in discussion, with year 2 and 3 their learning seemed to be more engaged by entering the actual story. Children couldn't wait to do their part and the challenge for us was trying to focus their energy and enthusiasm  when they weren't  performing. It was a thoroughly rewarding day for us all and the children were not daunted one bit by performing in front of 400 of their peers.  Our next project is on Wednesday in Macaulay School, Clapham.

Down to Earth in North Primary School, Southall

Today we worked in North Road School, Southall where the children have already been involved in the local Minet Park project. In spite of this the school was still very keen to recruit new members from the year 3 audience to enlist in their after school environmental club. This sense of purpose gave us a focus to make the final performance as good as possible and I don’t think the audience was disappointed.  The finale of the play gives the children in the play a chance to explore practical steps they can take to care for the planet. This is presented to the audience in rap form and it always manages to bring out some Stella individual performances. North Primary school did not disappoint! The chorus of the rap is chanted out: “We have a solution to stop the pollution” and then the children share their various solutions. Our next performance goes to Blair Peach Primary school in Southall on Monday 22nd November.

Down to Earth in Featerstone Primary School, Hayes.

The SCTC/A Rocha team opened the Down to Earth project in Featherstone primary school, Hayes, West London. The format of the day is working with the children on the scenes of the play through workshops and times of discussion. One group shows the contrast in China between, on the one hand its natural beauty and on the other pollution, caused by industrial development. The second group explores the challenge faced by a south Indian village living with the constant threat of elephant raids. This land is actually part of an A Rocha project in India, whose workers discovered that Indian elephants (an endangered species) do not like chili. Soaked chili ropes have helped to keep humans and elephants at a safe distance lessening the risk of elephants destroying crops and people having to kill elephants. Finally the third group creates a museum of extinct and endangered animals with the final exhibit, to the surprise of everyone, being human beings. The Featherstone pupils put on a really good performance, which was made especially memorable, by the gang of four who, in Dickensian fashion, are taken on a journey to visit these 3 scenes in order to decide if they will be grateful in their actions to the planet or wasteful. These children were probably the best we have had all year and made the lines their own. In the end they decide to care for the planet and everyone finishes rapping out ways to care for the planet. Photos will be added in due course. The next project is on Nov 17th in North School, Southall.

Scene Change Theatre, A Rocha UK & London schools team up to regenerate communities in London

Over the last year Scene Change theatre has worked in cathedrals countrywide to explore environmental issues through drama and to find simple and creative ways to care for the planet. This project has given us the opportunity to profile the work of A Rocha UK, based in Southall, who have championed an environmental park called the Minet Park, by regenerating an area of derelict land.
This term we have teamed up with A Rocha workshop leaders to take  Down to Earth to schools in two areas where A Rocha are running regeneration projects, One in Southall and the other in Camberwell. While, in the play the schools learn about environmental issues from around the world, this term they will also be challenged to connect locally to A Rocha regeneration projects on their doorstep.
This project will go to 8 schools, four in Southall and four in Lambeth over the next few months. It has been funded by Westhill Endowment, with the support of CMS and will give A Rocha the opportunity to follow up and give young people the tools to be agents of regeneration in their community. To see photos and follow this project click on our Down to Earth blog.