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| Strategy for Dreams in Space workshop | | Strategy for Dreams in Space workshop |
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| ===DREAMS IN SPACE and related happenings - A workshop by: Hamish John Appleby=== | | ===DREAMS IN SPACE - A workshop by: Hamish John Appleby=== |
| Location: International School Weimar. | | Location: Waldorf Schüle Weimar |
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| Workshop duration: x4 - two to three hour - weekly meetings during the month of Feburary - in participation with the resident art teacher during class time, or run as an after school activity program, depending on what suits the School Director (Russel Marino) as well as the other teacher's schedules.
| | “I shut my eyes in order to see”. |
| | --Paul Gauguin |
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| The general outline/synopsis of the workshops will be involve:
| | …and so finally, after much delay and organisation, I was finally given permission to begin the 'space' workshops, but not at the International School as was planned, but instead the Waldorf Schüle also here in Weimar. |
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| Workshop one: Introduction of myself and the theme and what ideas will explored during the four workshops, (listed below) as well as get to know the class a bit as well, with a couple of warm up games.
| | A couple of compromises had to be made, one of them being that I was only given permission to work with older students, however the experience has been so far really good and the impressions and comments I have been given are that the workshops have been really inspirational and 'eye opening' |
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| Talking to the children about dreams in general - showing some basic background information with visual aids on dreams.
| | The structure of the workshops have also had to have been condensed as class time is both precious and it has been quite a challenge to even organise the time that I have been given due to the all the other time constrains of both overseeing teachers, class times and students etc... Therefore, I will continue to update the progress as it happens... |
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| Getting them to think about an interesting recent dream that they have had and share their experiences.
| | The first assignment we have worked on in this series of workshops is exploring the idea of inner space and more succinctly the idea of boundlessness. Through meditation and then silent drawing with blindfolds, the participants have been able to explore a new type of space and one that has previously been undiscovered. The results of the drawing thus far have been both remarkable and even outstanding - as the participants spend 28 minutes of their life in this brave new world of inner space… |
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| Showing a power point presentation of different images connected to the theme 'dreams in space' (similar to what I showed in Max's thursday class for my presentation - but a bit more "child friendly" in terms of comprehension)
| | The follow-up group discussions have also been interesting, with students talking about how they felt and how their approach to this type of visual communication was altered. We have also looked at the artist - Yves Klein's idea of the void and how that relates to this process on the idea of infinite space… |
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| Asking the children what the idea of 'space' means to them: Identifying the different spaces: i.e: the space between objects and ourselves, the space that lies beyond our earth 'out there' and the space we see when we close our eyes.
| | Workshop classes will continue over the next couple of weeks with more ideas - one of which will be the execution of a communal blindfold Action Painting/Drawing… |
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| A series of questions will be asked and explored about space and distance and then this will be further communicated by drawing or painting.
| | For reasons of privacy, I have only been able to upload images that focus on the work, avoiding showing people's faces, but I am hoping to get permission to include more images soon… |
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| (This will then, hopefully lead to a series of painting and drawing explorations.)
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| Workshop two: Students will be asked to imagine what an astronaut might dream about when they are in space. This will be followed up afterwards by the the Greg Chamitoff Astronaut You-Tube video where he talks about how ordinary dreams are when he is in space.
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| A follow up discussion will then follow and then students will talk about the idea of going to space and who dreams about going into space - and identifying the differences of dreaming about literally going to space - and dreaming that you are in space and dreaming that takes place while in space!
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| Another part of all the workshops set out from day one, will be to ask the students to keep a visual or written or both - type of diary of what they dream about every night - and encourage a friendly competition to see who can have a dream about being 'up there' in space or flying or about space related situations. This possibility will hopefully be enhanced by the participation and engagement of drawing and discussions during the workshops.
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| Parents will also be give a short letter explaining what the workshop is and to perhaps help with the recording of nightly dreams - should there be any.
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| Workshop three: Another part of the workshop will be to explore the inner mind of space - and get students to draw what they see when they close their eyes. This will be done under supervision in groups and the students will be blindfolded and given materials to draw freely what shapes colours and objects they see when their eyes are closed, hopeful producing some interesting images. A homework assignment will be given out on this day, where the children have to make a mask out of found/household objects like egg containers - and build a mask that represents their idea of what alien/animals would look like in deep space.
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| Workshop four: Presentation of masks, with a photo-shooting (by me) and a coming together and finalising of all idea and images - writings etc -
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| The workshop goals: for the students/children will be: to participate in a workshop designed to expand the concept of 'space', encourage creativity, build trust in a group situation, excite and stimulate their imagination, be exploratory with open ended possibilities, introduce new and interesting ways of seeing, finding connections between how images and discussions can carry on into the subconscious - and therefore enabling a logical line of after events to happen i.e: dreaming about being in space. Added to this, to work with a person from Australia and get to know a little bit about someone form another land or 'space'
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| Final outcome:
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| * to produce a series of drawing and possible writings that will then be exhibited at the International school or possibly somewhere in the Bauhaus if it can be organised - to be further discussed with Max.
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| * In addition to this, a booklet could be produced with a selection of drawings writing and ideas from the children - (perhaps made possible by a small financial donation from the International School - in exchange for the teaching of the workshops on my time - without pay… something to be further discussed with Russell Marino)
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| * and or: a PPP of students images with their own narration overlaid of what the images are about
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| * Another idea is to overlay the children's images on a PPP with the voices of adults - thus combining the idea of crossing generation perspective and this could also be an interesting way to present the works for the work as well as to the children - to give their work a 'big person' voice.
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| Teaching Merit and credentials:
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| Hamish John Appleby - Resident of Weimar
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| English teacher for the last three years in Germany
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| Bachelor degree in Fine Art
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| Technical Diploma in Photography
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| Currently Studying Masters in Media Art
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| Confident and proficient in working with groups
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| My requirements from the school: Access to drawing and painting materials, a beamer, internet.
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| Age group: 9 - 12 | | Age group: 9 - 12 |
