Odyssey. Riverside SEND project

Artists Marc Woodhead and Musician Luke Crookes have been visiting Riverside SEN School, and collaborating with an extraordinary teacher Owen Smith, to develop a drama sensory story with props (including a cardboard boat big enough to sail in) and soundscapes.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775 – 1851 Margate (?), from the Sea about 1835-40 Oil on canvas, 91.2 x 122.2 cm Turner Bequest, 1856 NG1984 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG1984

Salomon van Ruysdael, 1600/3? – 1670 A View of Deventer seen from the North-West 1657 Oil on wood, 51.8 x 76.5 cm Presented by William Edward Brandt, Henry Augustus Brandt, Walter Augustus Brandt and Alice Mary Bleecker in memory of Rudolph Ernst Brandt, 1962 NG6338 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG6338

Willem van de Velde, 1633 – 1707 A Dutch Vessel in a Strong Breeze about 1670 Oil on canvas, 23.2 x 33.2 cm Bequeathed by Lord Farnborough, 1838 NG150 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG150

Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775 – 1851 Sun rising through Vapour: Fishermen cleaning and selling Fish before 1807 Oil on canvas, 134 x 179.5 cm Turner Bequest, 1856 NG479 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG479

Probably by Zanobi Strozzi, 1412 – 1468 The Abduction of Helen about 1450-5 Egg tempera on wood, 51 x 60.8 cm Bought, 1857 NG591 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG591

Ludolf Bakhuizen, 1630/1 – 1708 An English Vessel and a Man-of-war in a Rough Sea off a Coast with Tall Cliffs probably 1680s Oil on canvas, 98.5 x 132 cm Bought, 1871 NG819 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG819

Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775 – 1851 The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838 1839 Oil on canvas, 90.7 x 121.6 cm Turner Bequest, 1856 NG524 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG524

Salomon van Ruysdael, 1600/3? – 1670 A View of Rhenen seen from the West 1648 Oil on wood, 30.5 x 41.3 cm Bequeathed by Nicholas A. Argenti with a life interest to Mrs Argenti, 1963 NG6348 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG6348

Document 1

Is a transcript of a zoom meeting Marc, Owen and I had. I’ve been though the document drawing out key points that I think could be used in the development of our practice and transformed into concepts, tools and training for the National Gallery SEND education team. (24 pages)

Document 2

Is a document of all the session plans, transcripts and notes from all the sessions. From this I think we could develop content and tools for cross-arts SEN practice. The document needs lots of work but it is all there in chronological order so its well on its way.(60 pages)

Document 3

Is the least developed. It is an outline of things that may go into a presentation or report about the pre-project planing, collaboration, methodology and leadership etc. It needs lots of work but I’ve taken all the relevant information we have created so far and put it all in sections. (24 pages)

Document 1

Riverside Project – reflections (version: 1pm 5th April) Zoom Conversation with Luke Crookes, Owen Smith, Marc Woodhead

Key themes drawn from the transcript that could be developed

Two spaces: The open space and the focus space.
Structure & ritual.
Giving students the time to process not in minutes as mainstream learners do and not even in one session but over many sessions. The hidden workings of the individual system.
The phenomena of the now. Three levels meaning, phenomena, fractal. Creating climates where complexity can emerge.
Repetition and taking time to build connections.
The need for several session. Otherwise it can be too distressing.
The students show us the wonder of being in the moment. William Blake: eternity in a grain of sand, universe of the flower.
This work can raise the bar for all. It’s not the traditional model of the knowledgeable teacher were in it together learning together.
So many different strategies to be found in the transcriptions of the sessions.
It can be difficult to remember what happened in the moment. Using photographs to trigger memories of how students are experiencing the work.

Use of the room and activity.

The ride model: students felt able to get on the ride and off the ride and stay on the ride as they wished, that was very important.
A maker or a be-er. Being able to be a maker of the story or being in the story ‘in the boat and out of the boat”
The room becomes a space in which the session happens, that includes the chillout room, that whole space is a space in which the session is happening.

Leadership

Keeping students in the session atmosphere: respectfully or authentically, you are keeping x included in the story by reading his actions as part of the story.
Making the space a space where make-believe can always happen.
Setting up a relationship: proposition, invitation, agency, empowerment. Active versus passive.
Finding the right language: very short, sharply delivered instructions, words. (for some students)
The ripple effect of flow from the start of the session through each activity.
Following the students lead. Where are they taking it.
There is a thread of atmosphere, magic that runs through the session. Being careful not to break it.
Creating a space and exercises to establish what the play is going to be about and then gradually extending it until we are in play space.
Its not a 2 dimensional story, its a 3 dimensional story: creating a three-dimensional space. If you’re just going with the idea of telling a story of a narrative, that sort of two-dimensional.

Being present

Greek tragedy and the use of repeated phrases to create an atmosphere. But the importance of creating phrases from the now of the group or really being in the zone to deliver a prescript phrase if thats all that is possible due to time-frame.
Holding the atmosphere to create a pathway to the atmosphere.
The importance of embodying the material (in the planing phases) so you can be in the room and your body, your imagination and the essence.

Safety for students become familiar with the session

Creating simple phrases that will lodge, hopefully in their mind, in their consciousness, so that when you do the session again, that becomes a familiar landmark.

Training

National Gallery ended up creating content that’s off the shelf, so all can access it’s benefit.
Online training for parents.

Soundscapes

Soundscapes to create a mood or live soundscapes to respond to the mood in the room
Flexible soundscapes that have simple layers to do off the shelf sessions for gallery staff.

Creating spaces

My students need, they need lots of space, so there is not too much to process, so they don’t become overloaded. So there is this space of the story, the room, the sound, the music, the art, the pictures.
The quantum inner space of fractal geometry.

The Body

Bringing the body into the session though the use of music and art, taking the essence of energies so we can begin to find a connection within that includes the body. Somatic.
The abstract use of energies of the seascape with Bakhuizen began to explore this blended world of body art and music.

Mapping energies