Tikhtak

A farewell to CMS

31st October was always going to be an important date in my mind as it was my last official day working for CMS. I have had a good 7 and half years working with both young people and old in the context of Youth and Children's work. I remember the first 3 or so years was mainly characterised by visiting churches to run youth events where most of the participants were not youth. We always had a good time though and often I would do the programme I had planned for the young people. On one occasion a lady had a heart attack during a movement session and as she exited the room on the stretcher she looked at me and said "I'm awfully sorry". A spirited bunch! I must add the heart condition was brought on by climbing the stairs to the room not by my workshop...honest!

The second half of my time with CMS became more focused on running creative projects that switched   my work from a regional focus to a national one. Over 4 years we ran two major projects Free For All and World to Rights. We worked with hundreds of young people and managed to get local news media coverage all over Britain. This was a real adventure, creating a play and workshops and then delivering them on a big scale. Our plans for next year, to expand from working with just schools to working with churches, can no longer materialise, but we are hoping to do a scaled down version in schools called "Down to Earth". We will work representing CMS in partnership with Arocha and look to book around 10 venues between January and April 2010. Greenbelt has also been an important part of my time at CMS and I have literally watched children grow up over the last  7 years as they have returned to our drama workshop/performances each year.

When I returned from working in The Czech Republic with Ifes in 2002 my aim was to do some drama training and Paul Thaxter saw the potential in this for CMS too. I was able to study Mime at Desmond Jones School funded by my part time post at CMS as a youth worker. I later went on to study acting at Morley College for a year and do a two year Masters part-time in Applied Drama at Goldsmiths. I completed my dissertation in September and have just discovered that I passed. You can see my essays and dissertation on this link. In some ways my dissertation now reflects the direction I want to explore, looking at the use of drama and creative arts in Christian Mission. However perhaps the biggest influence CMS had on my life was in arranging for me to work in Oxfordshire on a youth project with a certain Irfana Riffat. Jill Poole was the instigator as she excitedly announced to me, "I have a really pretty Pakistani Christian girl for you to work with". The rest is history.

Redundancy was never my plan for how I would move on from CMS and it has been a bit like having the carpet pulled from under my feet. However I am grateful for the many opportunities CMS has given me and I look forward to the next adventure. Another new chapter opened for my family on 31st October 09 with the birth of Zane. What a blessing! God's timing! I will miss many people at CMS. Some have also moved on and some are still there. To single out just a few It has been great working with Jonny Baker with his laid back but empowering approach, and of course my team of Anita Matthews and Mike North. We have been a great team, complimenting each other with very different skills and we have had an amazing working relationship. Anita will stay on at CMS and I am sure will do a great job heading up the community work, While Mike and myself now look for what next. All that is left to say is, watch this space!

World to Rights & Manila DVD Books

Thanks to the hard work of my colleague Mike North, we have two books available to view on line and even buy from our 2009 World To Rights tour. The World to Rights Book shows pictures and comments from all the venues we visited throughout the year and the Manila Dvd Book shows the process we went through in making a DVD about Street Children in Manila, with no small help from Jigsaw. Either click on the links in this post to view them or click on the badges in the side bar. Once you are on the site you click on the front cover to turn the page and you can click a button to make the picture full screen.  Although Mike and I will be leaving CMS as employed staff at the end of this month we are continuing with a CMS project next year 2010 on the environment in partnership with Arocha UK. More will be revealed.

Cockney Cash Machines on the tidy n Neat!

Would you "Adam and Eve" it but finally the "Rabbit" they do on the "Tidy and neat" in the East End is  being given a literary status. A number of cash machines, according to a Timesonlione article(Thanks to Katherine Elizabeth for picking this up in the States), are dishing out "Moolah" with on-screen instructions in Cockney. “Readin’ your bladder of lard”, read the message on the screen. It asked for his “Huckleberry Finn”. Then more bewildering questions: did he want to see his balance on the Charlie Sheen? Did he wish to change his Huckleberry Finn or did he simply require sausage and mash, with or without a receipt?

Apparently 'Bank Machine', which runs 2,500 ATMs across the country, are thinking of extending this to cover Geordies, Brummies, Scouse and Scots. One comment was made that, The Yorkshire version is similar, but doesn't have an option to withdraw cash. I think they should do this on our local new channels too. So when Hugh Johns hands us over to our regional news  Riz Latif comes on saying "Alright me ol China's, did ya "Steak and Kidney pies" get a Butchers  hook" at this today?

Apart from feeling the freedom of having finished my MA, I have been moved to blog about this because I use to use Cockney rhyming slang to teach English. I would get Japanese students to learn some Cockney  slang phrases and then give them a piece of "written English" to translate into Cockney. They would then attempt to read it out authentically and we would even act out little scenes of using cockney speak... Just think that if ever those students come across those machines today, those lessons some 10 years ago would have been worth it!

Farewell to Goldsmiths

After finally handing in my dissertation at Goldsmiths college, I took my last walk back from the college to get the train from New Cross gate home. Suddenly I started to take in sights around me that I had taken for granted before. The good old Goldsmiths cafe that has become a good breakfast stop for me over the last year. Deptford townhall, where in my first year we had a number of lectures in a tiny underground room and the jagged sculpture on the Goldsmiths building which comes into view as you walk from the train station. I have really enjoyed the feeling of being a student again with lectures, library and coffee breaks and I hope to be back again next year forgraduation, but I know then I will return only as a visitor.

Special Greenbelt 09

This years festival was special for a number of reasons. First of all it was the first time that we have been at Greenbelt with a group of people from our church, Holy Trinity Clapham. We had a scare on the Friday evening, due to the landlady of our accommodation not having us booked in to her cottages and at 2 30pm on Friday I had to ring around B & B's in Cheltenham to try and find space for 4 couples and 3 children. Amazingly I did find a place, and only a mile away from where we eventually stayed on Saturday. It was also special as we were performing our drama schools project World to Rights as part of the festival programme and in the Big Top venue. We worked with around 70 children and I believe we got an audience of around the 400 mark. Finally it was special as at this Greenbelt we recorded our last trax16. Thanks to Phil Simpson for writing a short article about it on his blog which can fill you in on the details (no pun intended!) and well done to Mike North for all his hard work putting this pod cast together over the last 3 and a half years. He got some good interviews with Gene Robinson, Rob Bell and I believe Athlete. Check out this months trax16 by clicking on the link. It is a strange feeling to think I may not be back at Greenbelt next year and in some ways my time at CMS has been defined by being at Greenbelt each year. If it was my last it has been a good fairwell Check out more pics on flicker too.

Retracing Olympic steps in Wenlock

This weekend gone we managed to get away to Much Wenlock in Shropshire, where Zara was able to spend time with her Nanna Marg and play with Elsa doggy and Tatty doggy. In fact every morning the first thing to come from her lips was just that! It was great to spend time just relaxing in the garden and as you can see doing some serious stretching out in the hammock. Much Wenlock was also commemorating the bicentenary of the birth of William Penny Brookes and on Sunday shopping in a crafts market under the Guildhall we stumbled across a tree planting ceremony in memory of his name. As 2012 approaches I expect his name will become more familiar as the co-founder of the modern Olympic games. On our walk back home we actually retraced part of what was the Olympian trail. My old secondary comprehensive school which shares his name, is also being completely rebuilt and is being replaced by a specialist arts school. The original vision for the Olympics included the arts as well. A school focusing on the arts and sports! Oh well I guess I went there 20 or so years too early. Maybe the spirit of Penny Brookes was there even then!

To Deface or not to deface the bible, that is the question!

I was a little disappointed to hear that the now defaced bible at the Glasgow Art Gallery has been locked up in a glass case. Jane Clarke, herself a Christian designed this art installation as a chance for ordinary people to deface the bible. She saw it as an opportunity for the marginalized to write themselves back onto the pages. I think this is a little ironic as much of the bible is about the stories of the marginalized, from Moses the murderer, Rahab the prostitute to John the baptist the hermit and of course Jesus a criminal on the cross. Perhaps the current idea of adding pages of contemporary marginalized stories is better. However that being said to lock up the bible kind of blocks the intention of the exhibition to deface it! Why not go with the flow and rip out the pages and spread them out on the floor! or how about give people boots, like at a bowling hall, and get them to trample on the bible!! Or even nail the pages to a cross. The bible isn't a sacrosanct book to be deified in a glass case. That has been the churches default button for the last 2 thousand years. It is full of earthy and dirty stories and belongs in the gutter with all of us. Defacing the bible is a dangerous thing, because you might end up reading it and be changed forever! Isn't that the point? 

Urban Mission - A lesson in a bit of inculturisation.

Urban Mission has been running in south London and brings young people together to look at their mission in the urban context. The weekend is headed up by Pastor Les Isaac and Youth leaders from the churches involved. This year they ran the weekend at Chatswoth Baptist Church in West Norwood and it brought together both young people and Youth leaders from 7 different churches across south London. Irfana was there representing HTC Clapham. Small groups, a number of speakers, games and some outreach  washing people's cars and gardening on Saturday afternoon may not seem much, but it had a big impact on some of the young people. On Sunday they led the entire service, from the worship band to the prayers and even the preacher - a young 17 year old from St Marks Kennington. But what I really liked was the fact that Pastor Les Issac (Founder of Street Pastors) then got up and preached to the adults. It wasn't undermining the younger preacher at all but rather making the point that the young people are best situated to apply the bible to their context just as the older preacher is to his. The young guy, also Isaac, challenged the young people to be salt and light in their world, While Les challenged the older generation to be family to young people and reach out to them with encouragement and friendship. I think I gpt fed by both as I sit somewhere in the middle :)

Lost Dreams - A site specific drama at a Community house festival

 On Sunday I found myself in north London attending a Jewish community festival; called . A big yellow house in Willesdon Green turned itself over to a theatre and concert space. In the big garden a main stage was erected and local bandsplayed throughout the day. The whole of the downstairs was converted into a Morrocan tea tent with other rooms being used for Poetry recitals and theatre. I had got together with Joel Stanley, a buddy from my Applied Drama MA, who belongs to this community house. We wanted todo a site specific drama using his bedroom. It had a great alcove and a step ladder into the attic. The idea of lost dreams came to us out of many others. Joel spoke about his own lost dreams for 10 minutes or so and I wrote down everything he said. This then made up the basis of our script. Joel played my sub-conscious and we wrestled with the idea of being able to earth our dreams. I wake up from a night mare to find Joel sitting in the alcove answering my thoughts and words. The duologue ensues that brings me to my senses that I can really earth my dreams. All this seemed a bit prophetic with all the drama happening at CMS at the moment. All in all it was a great way to celebrate being a community and reach out to the locality around.

The Junior Apprentice 09

Inspired by Amie Buhari an Actor/Youth Worker from South London, The Junior Apprentice (5th - 21st August) is a competition to find the best Junior Apprentice in London, based on biblical roles of leadership. The young people aged 12 – 21yrs will battle it out through a series of team challenges that will develop, teach, inspire each individual and bring out the talents each one has. Lots of quality prizes to be won and lots of knowledge to be gained. To see how they got on last year then check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuzJgZe_dH8. For more information or to sign up email  info@thehebefoundation.org

Young people can only lead tomorrow if we teach them today.

The LIFT Living Archive Opened! - A lesson for the church

This week I attended the official opening of the Lift Living Archive at Goldsmiths college. The archive moved from Lifts offices over the summer to be housed at Goldsmiths college, who have been encouraging various groups to explore it. The archive covers the work of Lift (London International Theatre Festival) from 1981 to 2001. My own involvement in the archive has been as a researcher for about 6 months as part of my MA placement. That meant delving into boxes, reading reviews and eventually creating an on-line trail on the Lift living archive website called Foreign theatre in a foreign land. (Pic above is Al Kasaba's  "Alive from Palestine,")

Lifts work in bringing top international theatre companies who perform in non traditional settings and with a whole range of creative approaches appealed to me because I could see how the vision of Lift could be applied to the church. Just as Lift celebrate different expressions of theatre both in and outside of the building so the church needs to learn how to flex the same muscle. Read Jonny Bakers take on preaching  "Throwing a grenade into the fruit bowl" for a bit of inspiration on this.

The evening itself was done in a very creative way. There was a room full of tables with people from Lift past and present as well as representatives from the various user groups. I sat with The Magic Me contingency. Magic me is an inter-generational arts organisation which had facilitated a creative writing project called penfriends among pensioners. In the middle of the table was a box from the archive and having put on white glove's we were encourage to explore and talk about the archive. There was a mic on each table to record our conversations. It really felt like a feast of Lifts history. To round things off we were then provided with a real feast and wine to boot.  A thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring evening.

Michael Jackson - Whose Bad!

I guess we may never know the real truth behind all the accusations that hounded Michael Jackson, but whatever suspicions remain, he was an incredible performer. I remember staying up late as a teenager in the early 80's to see the TV premier of Thriller on The Tube ...Wow it was a video that was made like a mini film! And what about Billie Jean and those squares that lit up as he walked. Then there was my debut into flirting with dance at St Mary's College performing Michael Jackson "Bad" to a whooping audience for an end of term cabaret. He kind of made dance cool for the male species. And I even went on to use "Black or White" to teach dance to a bunch of year 8's on my teaching practice in the early 90's at Cullompton secondary school, Devon.

Clapham Common Fayre

Today was Holy Trinity Churches annual Clapham Common Fayre. It is held in the grounds of the church and is the only time throughout the year where people from the common flood onto the premises of the church. There are, as always, all kinds of side stalls from white elephant to arts and crafts as well as ye old faithful bouncy castle. This year we had a visible local police presence with two bobbies on horses, as well as an ambulance, which took the fire engines place. It really is a typically English event and is almost Trumptonesque, with the local trades all represented. Two things that stuck out this year perhaps reflects what happens when the church reaches out to the community in this way. First of all there was the video stall. It shows a church innocence which can cause great amusement to a streetwise world. On one hand it is 'Vicar of Dibley' and endearing, but on the other hand reflects the challenge the church has to be relevant. Having said that my highlight of this years fayre had to be a sing song inside the church, which our 'Church band' orchestrated at certain times throughout the day. It was a new experiment and although the PA was not working properly and some songs were under rehearsed, there was an informality and inclusiveness about the 'Worship' which I seldom feel on a Sunday. So another year of the Common fayre has gone by, If only we could find ways to utilise this ingenuity and passion with one another and the community in other ways throughout the year. I suppose we still have 6 months more!

The 3 Yorkshire Peaks Conquered in a day

We set off at 5 30am in the morning when normally most people are sleeping. Not today! There were scores of walkers everywhere walking for various charities. There were 400 BT walkers alone on a team building day. We scaled the first peak within the first few hours but straight away the legs were feeling heavy. Burning up the hills and feeling like jelly going down. The second peak was quite a walk from the first and this seemed to last forever but the scenery was amazing and the morning mist had cleared to be a beautiful day. Peak 2 was conquered some 8 hours after setting off. The journey down was steep and cruel on the knees but we all made it down. At this stage Merlin, (a friend of Mikes) decided 2 was enough and the rest of us continued on. As we scaled the final peak Anita started to struggle too with a blister and reluctantly we had to leave Anita to try and continue at a blister sensitive pace. So the rest of us got to the third peak and celebrated taking pictures from the top. As we began to descend to our amazement Anita appeared over the brow....she had made it too. Check out more pics on my flicker. If you still want to give some many towards CMS youth projects in the UK it is not too late. Just log on to our just giving web page.

Off to walk 3 hills in Yorkshire for charity

Tomorrow morning we plan to set off at 5 am to complete the Yorkshire 3 Peaks walk within 12 hours. The reward for doing this is apparently a medal and a tie, as well as raising over £1000 for CMS youth work in the UK.  Check out our just giving page if you would like to give something still. The walk takes in the 3 summits of Pen-y-ghent (694 metres - 2,276 feet), Whernside (736 metres - 2,415 feet) and Ingleborough (723 metres  2,372 feet) all in one circular route. The aim is to do it by 5pm so I can then get back to Derby to catch my train back to London. It may be actually more of a walking challenge to get back to Brixton from St Pancras!! There is a lot of press and publicity cruelly saying that I will not make it. All I have to say is, to borrow the words of the much maligned Prince Hal from Henry iv part 1.

I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humour of your idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish'd for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.

Watch this space!