i am a woodwose
schools' outreach project, summer-autumn 2019
‘I think today was one of the best days I ever had at school.’
-- EARL SOHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT
woodwose, n. A wild man of the woods; a satyr, faun; a person dressed to represent such a being in a pageant. (Oxford English Dictionary)
'I Am a Woodwose' was a local historical, environmental and theatrical project in partnership with the Association for Suffolk Museums (AfSM) for children from eight rural Suffolk state schools (seven primaries, one secondary). It involved churches and museums focusing on the medieval woodwose carvings on Suffolk church fonts. Aimed at upper KS2 and KS3 pupils, the project was inspired by Wonderful Beast’s 2019 play, The Last Woodwose.
The ambitious project involved poetry and drama workshops, inspired by church visits to see the woodwose carvings. Volunteer historians provided exciting tours, pointing out the many architectural and historical wonders established across the centuries, including the Norman ruins at Orford, the Tudor tombs at Framlingham, the mediaeval piscinas in Saxmundham and the prison cell in Halesworth.
Each school's day included a visit to the local museum in the same town, to put the woodwoses into medieval context, with volunteers leading the sessions. The children also met a ‘real-life’ storytelling woodwose, who transfixed them with tales of his dangerous encounters with wyverns (legendary bipedal dragons) deep in enchanted woods.
A further phase of the project, linking directly to the theme of the play, was the guided woodland walks with forestry experts in Kenton Hills, Sizewell; Staverton Thicks, Wantisden; Kali Wood, Holton; and White House Farm, Great Glemham. As with the church and museum visits, children's were encouraged to draw something that particularly attracted their attention. Screen-printing sessions followed, based on the children’s drawings inspired by the trees, birds, flora and fauna that they had discovered. The printed fabrics were made into the beautiful banners for the production, which hung from trees in the touring woodland performances, or from pillars in churches and beams in a medieval barn, as Wonderful Beast toured the different performance venues.
The culmination of the outreach project was the children's attendance of free performances of The Last Woodwose, in two schools’ matinees held in Saxmundham and Framlingham churches, as part of Wonderful Beast’s touring production in September 2019.
'I Am a Woodwose' was a local historical, environmental and theatrical project in partnership with the Association for Suffolk Museums (AfSM) for children from eight rural Suffolk state schools (seven primaries, one secondary). It involved churches and museums focusing on the medieval woodwose carvings on Suffolk church fonts. Aimed at upper KS2 and KS3 pupils, the project was inspired by Wonderful Beast’s 2019 play, The Last Woodwose.
The ambitious project involved poetry and drama workshops, inspired by church visits to see the woodwose carvings. Volunteer historians provided exciting tours, pointing out the many architectural and historical wonders established across the centuries, including the Norman ruins at Orford, the Tudor tombs at Framlingham, the mediaeval piscinas in Saxmundham and the prison cell in Halesworth.
Each school's day included a visit to the local museum in the same town, to put the woodwoses into medieval context, with volunteers leading the sessions. The children also met a ‘real-life’ storytelling woodwose, who transfixed them with tales of his dangerous encounters with wyverns (legendary bipedal dragons) deep in enchanted woods.
A further phase of the project, linking directly to the theme of the play, was the guided woodland walks with forestry experts in Kenton Hills, Sizewell; Staverton Thicks, Wantisden; Kali Wood, Holton; and White House Farm, Great Glemham. As with the church and museum visits, children's were encouraged to draw something that particularly attracted their attention. Screen-printing sessions followed, based on the children’s drawings inspired by the trees, birds, flora and fauna that they had discovered. The printed fabrics were made into the beautiful banners for the production, which hung from trees in the touring woodland performances, or from pillars in churches and beams in a medieval barn, as Wonderful Beast toured the different performance venues.
The culmination of the outreach project was the children's attendance of free performances of The Last Woodwose, in two schools’ matinees held in Saxmundham and Framlingham churches, as part of Wonderful Beast’s touring production in September 2019.
FEEDBACK FROM CHILD PARTICIPANTS IN THE 'I AM A WOODWOSE' PROJECT:
‘I liked smelling the herbs and stuff.’
‘I liked learning about the vegetables and throwing them at people!’
‘I enjoyed learning about a wyvern.’
‘I liked how I made new friends in drama, really fun and collaborative.’
‘I enjoyed everything what I have been learning today.’
‘I liked smelling the herbs and stuff.’
‘I liked learning about the vegetables and throwing them at people!’
‘I enjoyed learning about a wyvern.’
‘I liked how I made new friends in drama, really fun and collaborative.’
‘I enjoyed everything what I have been learning today.’
COMMENTS FROM TEACHERS, CHILDREN AND VOLUNTEERS AFTER SEEING THE PLAY
‘Today was fantastic, a great end to a great project. The children absolutely loved it; they came away from the play saying that wasn’t what they had expected. It was amazing!’
-- MARIE JINKS, CLASS TEACHER, LEISTON PRIMARY SCHOOL
‘It was so realistic but not too scary!’ -- SNAPE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT
'It was cool because I don’t see much plays or performances because I am allergic to nuts. But the really cool part is that it was 3 actors, and well done to the music lady for doing all of that with 3 or 4 instruments and a stick.'
*
'I loved the fact that they were showing what is really happening to our woods and forests and how people don’t care.'
*
'I loved the way you used all those amazing words like copsey, griggles and dumble.'
-- EARL SOHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
'I was delighted to meet teachers from local schools and strike up a relationship which I’m sure will continue. It was a great opportunity to welcome young visitors and familiarise them with a building which has served the community for many generations.'
-- ANN WILKINSON, CHURCH HISTORIAN, ST MARY'S HALESWORTH
‘Today was fantastic, a great end to a great project. The children absolutely loved it; they came away from the play saying that wasn’t what they had expected. It was amazing!’
-- MARIE JINKS, CLASS TEACHER, LEISTON PRIMARY SCHOOL
‘It was so realistic but not too scary!’ -- SNAPE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT
'It was cool because I don’t see much plays or performances because I am allergic to nuts. But the really cool part is that it was 3 actors, and well done to the music lady for doing all of that with 3 or 4 instruments and a stick.'
*
'I loved the fact that they were showing what is really happening to our woods and forests and how people don’t care.'
*
'I loved the way you used all those amazing words like copsey, griggles and dumble.'
-- EARL SOHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
'I was delighted to meet teachers from local schools and strike up a relationship which I’m sure will continue. It was a great opportunity to welcome young visitors and familiarise them with a building which has served the community for many generations.'
-- ANN WILKINSON, CHURCH HISTORIAN, ST MARY'S HALESWORTH
project team |
volunteer team |
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Artistic Director: Alys Kihl
Assistant to the Artistic Director: Emma Close-Brooks Schools Project Director: Rebecca Marshall-Potter Museums Director: Jenna Ingamells Tour Manager: Louisa Thorp creativesScreen Printing workshops: Jacky Linney
Poetry workshops: Dean Parkin Storyteller and Drama workshops: Tim FitzHigham Writer: Thea Smiley |
Church Visits:
Sandra Cartwright, Jacki Maslin, Robert Potter, Ann Wilkinson Museum Visits: Brian Howard, Richard Wills Crisp, Pauline Wilcock Woodland Walks: Dayne West, Gary Baddell, Rachel Kellett, Jason Gathorne-Hardy Our thanks to the above volunteers without whom the project couldn’t have happened. Thanks too to Kate Baker at Staverton Park, and all the teachers and helpers involved.
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funders
We are grateful to all our donors, without whom this project would not have been possible:
The Barbara Whatmore, Fitton, Scarfe, Marchus, and Seckford Trusts; The Association for Suffolk Museums; Suffolk County Council (Halesworth and Leiston Locality Budgets); EDF Energy (Sizewell and Leiston Community Fund); and private donors
The Barbara Whatmore, Fitton, Scarfe, Marchus, and Seckford Trusts; The Association for Suffolk Museums; Suffolk County Council (Halesworth and Leiston Locality Budgets); EDF Energy (Sizewell and Leiston Community Fund); and private donors
