Bamboozle fundraiser 2013.  Three Peaks Challenge

Calling all Bamboozle supporters…how do you fancy being a Bamboozle Hiker?  Hot on the heels of last year’s Land’s End to Leicester Bamboozle Bikers cycling challenge we are putting together a team of volunteers to take part in the National 3 Peaks challenge.  So here are the things you might need to know:

• The National 3 Peaks challenge is a 24 hour hike and drive expedition starting in Fort William, hikers climb Ben Nevis, drive south and climb Scafell Pike then head west finish by climbing Snowdon.
• We think it’ll be important we all get together as group at least twice before the actual event so it is a requirement that you’re available for at least 2 of the practice walks  (see below for dates).
• The expectation is that through the Bamboozle fundraising web page participants are able to raise sponsorship for the event – we’re looking raise at least £20,000 between us. [and in our wildest dreams £50,000 – that’s 50 participants raising £1,000 sponsorship each …]
• We will hire minibuses from Leicester for the whole expedition.
• There will be an entrance fee of £75 per person which covers the cost of minibus hire and diesel:  Cheques should be made payable to ‘Bamboozle Theatre Company’ and sent to: Bamboozle Theatre Company, Unit 10 St Mary’s Works, 115 Burnmoor Street, Leicester, LE2 7JL, the closing date is 31 March 2013. This is a non-refundable contribution towards the cost of minibus hire and diesel
• You will need to book accommodation in Fort William although we can suggest places covering a range of prices
• You’ll need to provide your own equipment (contact us for suggested list)
• There’s a very good website www.thethreepeakschallenge.co.uk/ which has more details about the challenge
• We will walk in teams of 6ish, each team of 6 will have a map-reader/mountain guide.  If anyone has any experience of map reading, mountain hiking, doing the 3 Peaks or mountain guiding please could they let us know
• We’re also looking for a support team members to drive the minibuses and prepare the ice baths (!), so if scaling a mountain isn’t quite your thing then you could always volunteer to join us as part of our pit team.
• We’ll try and organise a group meal out on the Friday night in Fort William
• There’s a meeting for all walkers on 21st March at 6pm at Bamboozle Studios Unit 10 St Mary’s Works, 115 Burnmoor Street, Leicester, LE2 7JL.

So the next thing you need to do is decide if you definitely want to give this a go and if you do…send your cheque to Bamboozle and you’re on the team!  Any questions or queries do get in touch.

Sam Ireson: slireson@yahoo

DATES:

our Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/Bamboozletheatre?ref=hl#!/events/397699586966361/

“Crazy Hair” was adapted from Neil Gaiman’s delightful children’s book and has been touring schools in the UK over the past couple of years.  Ziguzagj is a wonderfully well organised festival and we are thrilled to be going back after taking Jelly Fish last year.

* Champagne flight on a Lear Jet

* Tickets to see Alan Bennett’s new play at the National Theatre and to have tea with Alan

after the show.

Contact Christopher on 07779 248978 to bid for one of these.

Click here to see full list of auction lots and prizes

Click here for details and how to order your copy.

Sue Warner, Birkett House.

Crazy Hair is adaptation of Neil Gayman’s enchanting and imaginative children’s story and is generously funded by The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation which also funded last year’s acclaimed tour of “Where The Wild Things Are”

Some of the feedback received from the tour of Where the Wild Things Are Spring 2010:

Enthralling, totally entertaining, absolutely brilliant.  It involved all of the students, the joy and excitement on the children’s faces was a real treat to see. M. Timberlake, Breakspeare School 

Absolutely Fabulous. Really good. Brilliant for reaching PMLD pupils which few people get right..  Gill Williamson, Breakspeare School.

Fantastic sensory story – very visual and stimulating.  All students in our room (many have challenging behaviours) all sat and were utterly engrossed. Staff members for Ashgate Croft School

I’ve been involved with the school for 27 years and it is the best thing I’ve ever seen. Teacher, Wren Spinney School.

 Just fantastic – a magical experience. I have rarely seen our children so engaged and responsive.  Thanks for a truly memorable day.  Peter Skingley, Hillcrest School. 

Title – “Crazy Hair”

Ability Range – SLD/MLD

Age range – 7 – 14 [but likely to be suitable for a wider age range]

Performances – two during the day – with the option of booking an additional half hour pmld workshop on the same day

Dates –  28 February – 15 April 2010

Cost – £550 [with a small additional charge to cover extra petrol for schools more than 55 miles from Leicester]

Please indicate your interest by email to gina@bamboozletheatre.co.uk and we will confirm your chosen date if available and invoice you in the new year

One of the interesting outcomes of these revelations [supported as they are with video recordings of what appear to be conversations arranging the fix] is that it has changed how we now see things. Matthew Syed pointed this out in an excellent article in the Times today. He explains that last year t;;he Pakistani wicket keeper dropped an Australian batsman 3 times during an innings which turned the match from what looked like an easy win for Pakistan to an amazing victory for Australia. Before these NOTW revelations it was thought that he was nervously responding to the dramatic tension of the match. But now we are all wondering if the betting syndicates had persuaded him to let the Australians win. Now we know that betting syndicates bet on the outcome of a particular ball we begin to see things differently.

What we look for effects how we see things in the classroom too. If we look for what a child is achieving we find achievement whereas if we look for his failings we will see failing. Mmmmm ….Very interesting!

What we worked on during the time I was there was how to adapt the session to special needs and how to engage SEN students in the artifacts. Often students with learning difficulties need more time to feel comfortable enough to take advantage of opportunities – particularly when on a visit with a finite amount of time before leaving to go back to school. Time constraints are often evident in school or at home too. Knowing that our session has to end in a few minutes because of break time or lunch or whatever else is on the time table can make us, the facilitators, want the students to get on with it – we can be in “hurry up” mode and this can work against what we want to achieve – i.e. give our students a good experience.

There are time constraints at The Ragged School sessions too – the students have to catch the bus back to school. Paradoxically in order to allow students to engage with a drama, or in this case the museum artifacts, at their own pace we first need to remove our desire for them to engage with them. If we are really keen for students to take advantage of the opportunities we place before them we can seem needy which has the opposite effect. If we place the opportunity in front of them and then relax as to what engagement takes place amazing things can happen.

What we did at the Ragged School was to spread the artifacts around the room – cooking utensils in one place, a dolly tub, washboard and other washing materials in another and so on. The actor then took her place in the washing corner rubbing clothes on the washboard, focusing on her own task and taking no interest in the students – she was not trying to get them to take notice, she was just getting on with her job. The students were then invited to sit on the floor or wander round the exhibits as and when they chose. It was ok for them to sit and not engage and what usually happens is that when they are comfortable in their surroundings they go and look at whatever captures their interest or they go and speak to the washer woman about what she is doing.

Sometimes if we put a stimulus in front of students and then just wait and see what happens they take much more interest than when we encourage them to take part. This is one of the strategies we explore during our Drama Trainings. We have two drama courses coming up.
Drama for SEN on 2 November
Drama for Challenging Behaviours on 3 November

As a bonus for Bites Reader we are giving anyone who books one of these training courses a free copy of our teacher pack “Jingwei, The Pirate and The Treasure” which contains 6 detailed lesson plans for a drama project. Simply quote “BITES SEPTEMBER” when you book and we will send you out your F*REE copy.

Click Here now for how you book.

And one way to make it portable is to use a clothes rail – the sort that market traders have – then we can wheel it out when needed or pack it away and reassemble it on a future occasion. You could theme what hangs from the rail around one of the senses. For example:

A sound rail could be for the sound effects for a haunted house. Hang small instruments, cutlery, metal tubes, or any small objects that jangle when knocked together.

A tactile rail with different textured fabrics attached …..

A scented rail with bundles or herbs, scented soaps, a net with hay in …..

A light rail with fibre optics, pen torches …..