World Theatres Performances: What a success!!

Dear Mindful Humans,

The performances of the World Theatres with Young Refugees were an absolute success!! 🎭🪘👌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Thank you so much, to the Ensemble of musicians, Christian and Méremba, my son, for both accompanying me with the drums and the percussions; your presences were wholeheartedly appreciated 🪘👌🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

The World Theatres project could not have taken place without the authorisation and the support of my ESOL managers for allowing me and my group to express ourselves so creatively.

We've had so much help!! We were so blessed!!  From Fairfield Halls, Talawa Theatre Company, the Activities Team for allowing us to rehearse in the Common Room, Goldsmiths University to authorise my World Theatres Research Practice Project in ESOL With Drama, the School of Arts to have allowed us to perform in their performance space for Refugee Week; the Safeguarding & Wellbeing Team to allow our final performances to be produced in the Wellbeing Centre, Miss Hellen the Fabulous Librarian for her kindness, support and for printing in colours the posters (and for literally everything), Derya our Team Assistant for her kindness, support and encouragement, all the technicians, the invisible and visible Mindful presences who have been helping, assisting and supporting with this project which could not have taken place if the students had poor attendance, so I am so grateful the Family, Foster Carers and Social Workers were so involved. We started with 20 students and completed the project with 17, that is such an amazing achievement especially on their very last day of school (and Drama workshop with MOI!)- this has shown how dedicated and committed they were into the project.  I am so proud of the Ensemble who have made our Young Performers feel so welcomed- just the way they are... 

What was it about? I staged one of the oldest West African storytelling, Sundiata is a classic but instead of keeping the classical African style, I transformed into a World Theatres as I was unable to pay for African Drummers, I decided I would be using my Sound Healing instruments on top of the djembés and percussions in an African Diaspora storytelling and Theatre format...

Thank you so much again for your interest, for your support and for believing in the project. 

FYI: My MA Research Practice Project in World Theatres has come to an end. The Ensemble deserves a well- deserved "break." We have been offered to continue from September the World Theatres projects at Croydon College with me as the Theatre Practitioner (a dream coming true) 🎭🤗

Unlike Primary and Secondary school teachers, College Lecturers still have to come to college and work over the summer; I have to also prep to submit my MA dissertation and last but not least, I've just started today my Belly Dancing Teacher Training; so I'll be focusing on these over the summer. 

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Wishing you to stay safe...

With Peace & Harmony,

AWA!

Movement & Theatre Practitioner 

College Lecturer 

Founder of The Ojas Centre

www.theojascentre.com