We’ve been having a really great time getting to know everyone over the last few weeks at our
workshop series at Southway Library with Plymouth Libraries. There’s a good regular crowd along with new comers each week
and it’s been thrilling to see what they can create. Last week we looked at creating and engaging with
different environments: the city, the coast, and the jungle. We even built a pretend rockpool full of
card cut-out marine creatures which the children helped us to fish out and discover.
This week’s session was a bit more crafty. Inspired by our Under the Sea theme, we helped our tiny tots
to make jelly fish puppets out of paper plates, ribbon and wool. It was lovely to see how they chose to
decorate and embellish these puppets, each with their own unique style. Then, using chalk and a long
piece of black paper we tried to create an underwater world full of creatures and plantlife. All together
we were then able to make a short performance piece about the daily life of a jelly fish drifting around
the ocean.
Working with this age group continues to be so rewarding. All the feedback we’ve received so far
suggests that our participants are enjoying the sessions, but so are we! It’s amazing to see a group of
children (some as young as 2!) Engaging with their imaginations and expressing themselves without filter – even if that sometimes means out workshop plan takes a detour.
So far we have explored narrative, environment and craft and next up is sound! After next week’s
session we will start to reflect on what activities and tasks have worked best across this sessions and
begin to formulate the finished interactive show for early years audiences. It will be great to bring the
show back to the audiences who have helped us make it and we can’t wait to get into the rehearsal
room and start making!