15 May 2011
Gregory goes live...
19/May/11 15:52 Filed in: Quest
Great news from Ali - he offered to create a Facebook account for Gregory. Have sent some pics and invited lads to comment, give a profile and invite others to respond too... I wonder where the rabbit will be spotted next?
The Great Outdoors
18/May/11 14:48 Filed in: Quest
The lads are great and so are people we met along the way who are up for being involved. Quest 1, having decided on 'Rabbit finds its way home' and taking the rabbit (Gregory) and clown into different town/work environs around the town have been setting up little theatrical exchanges and photodocumenting. Today we reviewed images and talked progress and planning, there was much buzz about the visit to the butchers and how the butcher gouged out the eyeball of a pig and chucked it against the wall. Seriously, Damien Hirst move over.
Quest 2 discussed before setting off for the great escape some references for them to research. The Goodies, The Great Escape, The Monkies, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and (Chris's auntie too) to name just a few. I asked them for ideas about what they wanted to do with the morning session - "Bratton Woods" was the cry and so they directed Bev in the mini bus and off we set.... So they were are, finding ourselves in the greatdoors in the beautiful rural landscape talking ancient history and wearing sheep's heads, taking risks (gulp) and frollicking around, with the added props of certain people's guns and my mirror and a flip video camera. Once the heads are on they can't see where they are going, so I treated them to the gift of an adventure rescue whistle which I thought might come in handy. Bev muttered something about first aid. I said they had to rely on each other in getting about in the challenging terrain. They looked brilliant, with Eden being the old sheep of the flock with walking stick and stooped posture. It was really hard to photograph as I couldn't stop laughing. The boys are collective genius, and with Jacob now joining our sheep (who has been sworn to silence from the other group) they work out the ideas for themselves about what needs to happen next in the challenging terrain. The lambs leap about whilst Bev and I gingerly feel our way out of the first part of the woods, and through a small hamlet to a hidden spring pool. It is like the underworld, plus a visiting terrier dog, the mirror and being invaded to wade into the freezing water. On the way back from the stream/pool and rope swing I got in a tricky situation on a slippery slope and Chris was a knight in shining armour, kind and helpful in assisting me. We were late for lunch and needed to film them standing quietly in the rape field, which we did but it didn't quite go to plan, as Eden who was then on camera sagely commented "Far too noisy". On the way back in the tiny hamlet we noticed again this amazing interesting engineering set of workshops, with the gate now open, and out came an a lovely mad professor invented, fixer, maker, called Chris, who was a once upon a time engineer. He invited us all in...was so open, welcoming and generous and allowed us into his amazing workshops full of inventive stuff. In the lovely oily gloom were old cars. In a flash, I said "I haven't got time to explain, but would you mind if 5 sheep sat in the cars?" "Of course" he kindly replied. The workshop was a H & S nightmare, burstingly full of so many possibilities. Earlier on a way to the woods we had previously noticed a lovely old Black Daimler outside the garage and the sheep hitched a lift.
Quest 1 back at school the afternoon session involved being round a table discussing ideas of how to take the project forward as innovation funding of £1,000 had been sourced. Suddenly the lads were dividing the money between them. Hmmm. A brain storming session gave me a headache with allowing free space for creative thoughts to stew and swirl about 'what to do next'. More hmmming on my part, as I feel Quest 1 are not being exposed to the bigger picture and I need to use my adventure whistle with them. So, on the way home, at the end of the day I visited the local cement works which everyone had told me had been closed, but the nice security guard let me in and ushered me into a nice office to meet Simon, an old Matravers lad, who is the boss and whilst sipping a mug of tea found out loads about need for health and safety,risk assessments, protective clothing, paperwork, guidelines, safety procedures etc. Tricky we agreed to bring a group of lads into a "mothball" factory, still he said, write to him and he would try to arrange a visit - thing is I may have to prove competence- gulp - put perhaps we could place rabbit in the kiln or something. Phew.
Quest Group 1 today, when asked what they are getting from this activity:
Teamwork, knowledge about Westbury & the community, learning about photography, confidence, communication skills, opening our minds to new ideas.
Quest Group 2 said
"I thought you were mad at the beginning Jill, but now I am so happy, we have had a brilliant morning and I am so happy".
I am next in school on Thurs 9 June, when the official from the Schools Innovation Fund are coming to meet the lads to find out what we have been up to, which will be interesting as it will be the first time the lads are all together at once....How to tell the story. It is all seriously supposed to be about an amazing journey, whilst exploring themes of work and play, letting the lads design, lead, work together, be inventive, discover something about themselves and come up with ideas.
Quest 2 discussed before setting off for the great escape some references for them to research. The Goodies, The Great Escape, The Monkies, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and (Chris's auntie too) to name just a few. I asked them for ideas about what they wanted to do with the morning session - "Bratton Woods" was the cry and so they directed Bev in the mini bus and off we set.... So they were are, finding ourselves in the greatdoors in the beautiful rural landscape talking ancient history and wearing sheep's heads, taking risks (gulp) and frollicking around, with the added props of certain people's guns and my mirror and a flip video camera. Once the heads are on they can't see where they are going, so I treated them to the gift of an adventure rescue whistle which I thought might come in handy. Bev muttered something about first aid. I said they had to rely on each other in getting about in the challenging terrain. They looked brilliant, with Eden being the old sheep of the flock with walking stick and stooped posture. It was really hard to photograph as I couldn't stop laughing. The boys are collective genius, and with Jacob now joining our sheep (who has been sworn to silence from the other group) they work out the ideas for themselves about what needs to happen next in the challenging terrain. The lambs leap about whilst Bev and I gingerly feel our way out of the first part of the woods, and through a small hamlet to a hidden spring pool. It is like the underworld, plus a visiting terrier dog, the mirror and being invaded to wade into the freezing water. On the way back from the stream/pool and rope swing I got in a tricky situation on a slippery slope and Chris was a knight in shining armour, kind and helpful in assisting me. We were late for lunch and needed to film them standing quietly in the rape field, which we did but it didn't quite go to plan, as Eden who was then on camera sagely commented "Far too noisy". On the way back in the tiny hamlet we noticed again this amazing interesting engineering set of workshops, with the gate now open, and out came an a lovely mad professor invented, fixer, maker, called Chris, who was a once upon a time engineer. He invited us all in...was so open, welcoming and generous and allowed us into his amazing workshops full of inventive stuff. In the lovely oily gloom were old cars. In a flash, I said "I haven't got time to explain, but would you mind if 5 sheep sat in the cars?" "Of course" he kindly replied. The workshop was a H & S nightmare, burstingly full of so many possibilities. Earlier on a way to the woods we had previously noticed a lovely old Black Daimler outside the garage and the sheep hitched a lift.
Quest 1 back at school the afternoon session involved being round a table discussing ideas of how to take the project forward as innovation funding of £1,000 had been sourced. Suddenly the lads were dividing the money between them. Hmmm. A brain storming session gave me a headache with allowing free space for creative thoughts to stew and swirl about 'what to do next'. More hmmming on my part, as I feel Quest 1 are not being exposed to the bigger picture and I need to use my adventure whistle with them. So, on the way home, at the end of the day I visited the local cement works which everyone had told me had been closed, but the nice security guard let me in and ushered me into a nice office to meet Simon, an old Matravers lad, who is the boss and whilst sipping a mug of tea found out loads about need for health and safety,risk assessments, protective clothing, paperwork, guidelines, safety procedures etc. Tricky we agreed to bring a group of lads into a "mothball" factory, still he said, write to him and he would try to arrange a visit - thing is I may have to prove competence- gulp - put perhaps we could place rabbit in the kiln or something. Phew.
Quest Group 1 today, when asked what they are getting from this activity:
Teamwork, knowledge about Westbury & the community, learning about photography, confidence, communication skills, opening our minds to new ideas.
Quest Group 2 said
"I thought you were mad at the beginning Jill, but now I am so happy, we have had a brilliant morning and I am so happy".
I am next in school on Thurs 9 June, when the official from the Schools Innovation Fund are coming to meet the lads to find out what we have been up to, which will be interesting as it will be the first time the lads are all together at once....How to tell the story. It is all seriously supposed to be about an amazing journey, whilst exploring themes of work and play, letting the lads design, lead, work together, be inventive, discover something about themselves and come up with ideas.