Me Having Decided That I Need To Get Some Practice Myself At Speaking And Trying To Express What I Am

Our #museumhack guides at the American Museum of Natural History yesterday!

July 2016

A few images from the poetry and soundtracks event in what I think could be a great little venue in the station! Bit like a crypt type thing! Oh and finally seen the Paxton plaque - for the crystal palace photo collection!

Its Been a While

April 2017

I can't believe that is has been so long since I last updated this blog. I am still very much working in this field as a freelancer. It sometimes happens that energies need to be transferred away from things like blog writing. In my case it has been the fact that I have been taking on new work and therefore as well as this new work involving new planning and making and practising - it has also been a time of processing and reassessing what I do.

I have been feeling pretty ok about the work I have been doing in this area up until now. However, having taken on several pieces of new work at once I suddenly realised that I felt a bit of anxiety and I felt a bit like I needed to go back to basics.  I guess no-one really likes feeling stress, however, I see this time of reassessment as a positive thing in the long run. It is important to discover what essence new work will take on for example in terms of needing to work out a new sense of flow for sessions and also to have a feeling of humbleness in the light of meeting new people, getting to know them and what they enjoy.

So what work have I taken on? I have started to work at the National Maritime Museum (NMM) as one of the new SEND Facilitators, trailing new sessions for children who attend special schools. It is called 'Sensory Seas' and involves children becoming explorers at the NMM. I have also led a couple of sessions on behalf of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). These sessions have been  short music and storytelling sessions for two groups of children at a special school. The sessions have been based on English folk songs. I have also recently started leading music sessions at two residential homes for adults with learning disabilities. This week I will be joint leading the first of three sessions leading up to a performance of the 'Invisible Palace' 'Boundaries' project in Crystal Palace Park. We will be supporting L'Arche London to take part with other local community groups. Emmie and I are focussing on stories connected to The Great North Wood and Crystal Palace Park. Last but not least - I have been developing ideas for a couple of other local heritage projects! More to follow on those...

#100happydays day 3 not really a noticing something but more happy that I think I've finished another audio trail segment.... Now to wait and see if people are happy with it :)

The Past on Glass: Sutton Archives, Heritage Lottery Funded Project

March 2016

In March 2016 I had the pleasure of being asked to further develop and deliver three accessible sessions for young people with learning disabilities from Sutton Mencap.The Past on Glass project was created by Sutton Archives with Heritage Lottery Funding. The project digitises and uncovers the stories behind the Knight-Whittome glass plate negative collection. I worked alongside Abby Mathews, Project Officer and Kathleen Shawcross, Borough Archivist and Local Stidies Manager.

Here is an extract from the blog post about that Abby wrote:

One highlight on our activity plan – and something that we have been looking forward to for a long time – was a series of pre-arranged workshops with Sutton Mencap, a local charity, established in the 1940’s by parents and carers. The charity supports over 80 children and 200 adults with a learning disability in the Sutton area ‘to have fun, learn new skills, socialise and make friends’.

Throughout March we ran a series of workshops for a small group of visitors from this charity based on the idea of self-image and photography – using our glass plates as a starting point to think about some of the issues surrounding portraiture, both now, and in the historical context.

We were very lucky to have the help of Sarah Glover an heritage education facilitator, in the running of these sessions. Over three weeks, a group of nine participants plus their carers attended both Sutton Central Library and a local historic building, Honeywood Museum, to learn about the collection and be involved in activities designed to explore the collection: what it is; what it represents; and to see if it held any resonance for them, as young people who have grown up in a world ruled by technology and convenience.

Read more here:

The Past on Glass Blog Post

Abbey Mathews wrote the following recommendation:

Sarah worked with us at Sutton Archives throughout March 2016 to deliver a series of workshops to Sutton Mencap. Her professionalism, creativity, delivery style and flexibility to the needs of the group made the sessions a huge success. It was a pleasure to work with her and we would recommend her without reservation to any Heritage projects looking to offer creative and worthwhile learning sessions.

May Day Music Sessions

May 2017

Hello! So having had a break from blogging and sharing of ideas, I decided that it is time to share again! My current sessions are based on the theme of May Day and I and sharing them with groups of adults with learning disabilities.

I have devised three session plans but each with the possibility of being repeated and extended upon. Thanks goes out as always to the people who probably have as much to do with these ideas and plans as I! So firstly to my colleague Emmie Ward - together we led joint sessions with a May Day theme around this time last year. Since then I have had 'Unite and unite, let us all unite!' on my mind! Emmie needs to get her own blog up and going :) Also credit to the English Folk Dance and Song Society - who have a fantastic online resource bank. (I really must add some more links to this website).  For now just type in EFDSS Resource Bank and you'll find a plethora of resources including info on May Day. I used that as my main source of research in terms of the the things that take place on May day.

I found some rhymes in a lovely and very small old book that I have from my family and I have made up simple tunes to them. The Padstow May Song and Hal An Tow (A Helston song!) are both great and very catchy and with interactive possibilities. I couldn't really find a version to listen to of the Mayers Song, (despite googling to the best of my not always the best googler ability.) However, I like it as a rhyme too - as I first found it.

Looking at my plan below I can already see the elements that I have not actually carried out yet. Either because I decided to simply and repeat or to adapt to the different people in the group. I hope it is of some interest/help to you. I am still finding my way in the sessions I lead, especially when newer groups, however, this theme does make me happy :)

Extra songs/activities:

The Trees Grew All Around/We are Beating the Bounds

I can see clearly

Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World

Singing in the Rain/Raindrops keep falling on my head

Story/script ideas

Use a tone chime or similar – this time I used a triangle to set the tone/scene

Explain that the next few sessions are going to be on the theme of May Day and the May Day celebrations that have taken place since a long time ago!

Session 1

-Sing the hello song – allowing people to smell the scent of real blossom/flowers

-Say that it is the evening/morning and House name is getting ready for May Day.

-Say the individual names of people there who are getting ready.

-Introduce the soundscape and any related items.

-Then for session 1 for example, say persons name is collecting flowers/leaves for the May garland. Then go through everyone individually with different items to addand build hoop with them. Say that house name is trying to make the best garland in the whole of town name. (In an excited way!)

-Also prepare the horse with e.g. wooden clapping mouth and decorate with bells

Rhymes and Songs

A May Day Rhyme

{C} Good morning, Missus and Master,

I wish (up) you a happy {G} day;

{C} Please to smell my garland,

Be {G} cause it’s the {F} first of {C} May.

The Mayer’s Song

We’ve been a rambling all this night,

And sometime of this day;

And now returning back again,

We bring a branch of May.

The Mayer’s Song (Final Verse)

The moon shines bright, the stars give a light

A little before it is day,

So God bless you all, both great and small,

And send you a joyful May

The Cuckoo

The cuckoo’s a bonny bird, he whistles as he flies

He brings us good tidings, he tells us no lies;

He drinks the cold water to make his voice clear,

And when he sings cuckoo the summer is near;

Sings cuckoo in April, cuckoo in May;

Cuckoo in June, and then flies away.

May Gosling and ‘May Goslings past and gone. You’re the fool for making me one’! 

Cutty Sark to Greenwich North - listening to 'Dockers' audio trail - part two

On my way to the subway for the cloisters I walked through Harlem and these ppl protesting for Malcolm X's birthday and shutting down the shops on the street for the afternoon

Using #MoMA mobile guide on phone. Great that you can get free audio guide - easy to navigate & runs smoothly - couple of feedback things though - would be good if 'back' button just went back to previous page rather than home page as need to scroll through again to art works and some kind of map navigation tool/map on it would be great....