Learning and Participation and the Inside Out Festival

I spoke with my colleague, Wendy Petitdemange, (who managed the overall learning and participation work for Inside Out) as she took some time out of a workshop that was taking place during the Inside Out festival.  I thought it might be interesting to write up our conversation and to let you know a little bit more about all the work we ran with communities, school groups and artists. So I’ve included this short interview with her about what happened!

Wendy, you’ve overseen the Learning and Participation work for the Inside Out Festival, can you tell me a bit more about it?

I think that one of the strengths of this year’s festival is that the learning and participation work has been really firmly embedded right from outset. I think this is partly down to the artistic programming. For example, bringing in NoFit State, whose whole ethos is about involving the community means that participation is planted securely at the heart of what they do. NoFit State’s aim is essentially (to paraphrase) that they “want everyone to run away and join the circus”. From my point of view, even on their first meeting I too wanted to run away and join the circus!

So tell me more about the week-long residency with NoFit State…

They worked really closely with Dorchester Arts on getting in community groups – including local Bellydancers, Taikwondo groups, bmx-ers, majorettes, cheerleaders, capoiera, gymnastics, free runners and contemporary dancers. Plus we worked with three schools, secondary, middle and primary and there were open house taster workshops for the public. Within the open tasters there was a talent spot where they might use you in the show itself! They also ran open rehearsals for the general public to come and watch.

And what went on in Poole?

On Monday 13 September, we worked with the French Company Quidams with Carter Community. They were one of the keenest and most motivated groups I’ve seen for a long time. They worked brilliantly and by the end of the session we’d all mastered something - I even learnt how to plate spin! The company were kind and patient and took people through the work really gently – it was a brilliant experience and incredibly rewarding.  It left me really looking forward to the workshop with Poole High the following day. 

Also part of the learning and participation programme were a series of talks – tell me more about that.

Yes, there was a talk on the dance weekend in Bournemouth with representatives from each of the dance companies (notes or video excerpts from all of the talks are on the blog site).

There was also a public meeting where Orit from NoFit State explained all about the piece and took us through the creative process. The company were very excited about performing at Maumbury Rings as it is such a different space to all of  the others places they’ve performed.  Usually other sites have been in transitory places, but at Maumbury rings the audience looked down on the work which allowed the company to do more work on the ground level. They really tailor their work to the location in which they’re sited.

There was also a talk led by Lorna Rees with Kimmo Pohjonen and Nick Rawling from Paper Cinema in Worth Matravers Village Hall before the Rock Charmer performance, and another with Jean Baptiste from Quidams after the show at Poole Museum.

And there have been masterclasses and workshops for communities and professional artists too?

Yes, here were two fully booked workshops for children and adults over the summer holidays making gorgeous Jurassic Creatures to be part of the Winspit Show ‘The Rock Charmer’.  And, as part of the dance weekend, StopGAP ran a workshop at 10am at the Dance Pavilion for artists, teachers and facilitators for anyone who wanted to work in an integrated way in dance. Seven artists took part in the opportunity – and we had fantastic feedback “we learnt how to set up workshops for all abilities… a totally inspiring workshop.”

Quidams also worked on masterclasses every night in the week leading up to the main show with five locally-based artists who participated in the show as stilt-walkers - a terrific opportunity.

So, every element of the artistic programme had some learning and participation going on around it?

Yes, we worked really hard to ensure that every part of the programme had a really entrenched education or participative element to it. It’s absolutely core to Inside Out’s work.