More than Arty-Farty

This isn't just an opportunity to learn about the arts.

Even as a permanent job, I can see how working at Manchester International Festival would be a constant learning experience. Over the past three weeks I've realised just how effective the arts can be as a pathway into learning about the rest of the world... And it's our job to make our audiences see that.

This week I've learnt about the fascinating and inspiring stories the people of Manchester have, through reading about MIF Creative's 2009 commission Procession, by Jeremy Deller. The book which was published after Deller's procession of Manchester groups through the city centre and after the exhibition which ran throughout the 2009 festival, outlines some eye-opening and heart-warming tales. One of these stories speaks of a Manchester family who hired a Jewish au pair before the second world war. Many years later, when the family found out that the young woman they had known and loved had been killed in the Holocaust, they did all they could to help the family she had left behind.

I've read a new report by the Association of British Orchestras which documents the impact of school music workshops on children and their creativity, and can lead to professional music careers in later life. The report is located here: http://abo.org.uk/user_files/ABO Publication Downloads/ABOUnlockingPotential.pdf (you'll have to copy and paste it into your browser as it's some kind of funny link with spaces in it, sorry guys!)

I've learnt that dance is now uniting with politics - the DanceVote2010 website has been launched to allow dancers to email their local MPs and invite them to events, with the long term aim of getting dance to be recognised and considered by MPs nationwide. (http://www.dancevote2010.com/)I've learn about philosophy, Plato in particular:

Leaders should appear to do very little and delegate ruthlessly; they should
listen, think and spend time dreaming about their organisations. Plato
considered contemplation to be the highest form of human activity, the aim of
life being to see life rightly, not to change the world. In our 'busy' age we
should constantly question what we are busy doing.

- Tony Heaton, Chief Executive, Shape Arts

I've learnt a lot more about science and religion too, but for various reasons I cannot yet reveal that information! All in due course bloggers, all in due course.

Much Love, loving it.
CC.

The Sam Haine

Earth Vegan Cafe in Manchester, being closely associated with the Buddist community, was the perfect venue for an intimate and very chilled out gig with Sam Haine and his band.

I've seen these guys once before, at the Rock and Respite show, and it's clear that they give their all in their performances. The emotion which they inject into their live gigs allows for a very raw performance. A quality which, in my opinion, is becoming far too rare in the music business these says. The highlight of their show has to be the song "Great Expectations", whose lyrics always completely floor you, no matter how many times you hear them.

A touching and technically brilliant show, despite being interrupted by some guy who thought it was appropriate to talk loudly on his phone and knock over his chair in the middle of one of their best songs... some people... *rolls eyes*

I truly reccomend these guys to everyone. Check out:
www.twitter.com/thesamhaine
www.myspace.com/thesamhaine

Much musical love.
CC.

My Beautifully Broken Rose

You may have heard me refer to Broken Rose in past blog posts. For those unclear on what this is, Broken Rose is my very own performing arts company, that is currently trying to stir up some interest on the internet.

Impatience is a virtue. It always gets things done quicker; getting them done better is not the issue, at least you’re flying along by the seat of your pants in a slipstream somewhere, and probably having a delightful time doing it.

So that’s me. Miss Impatient. I’m the kind of girl who’s already reaching for the button on her jeans before she’s closed the cubicle door because I’m having far too much fun bumbling along to waste extra seconds in the loo.

And that’s Broken Rose; performance that wants to show off now, and not later when it could be more practiced. No. That would ruin the aesthetic. We’re here to teach something primal. Here to tell a story of love, hatred, and someone who never made it by others’ standards, but by some other warped one, one day you’ll see their name in ‘effing lights.

Aiming to smash through every preconception and convention the performing arts world has ever held, Broken Rose is a performing arts company which combines all forms of performance in their work. Currently putting together a performing arts crew of alternative lovelies. Remember, you’re a Rockstar.

The above should give you a flavour for what we do at Broken Rose, and the below video should add to that. Similar videos can be found on our YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/brokenrosearts



We have various projects in the running at the moment, one of which is a Music Drawing project with Artist Naomi Kendrick. Naomi is currently working on a mass music drawing project, which will take place in Manchester next year. She was interested in working with Broken Rose because dancers hear music in strikingly different ways. I recently spent an afternoon doing some music drawing with Naomi. Her innovative idea of music drawing involves letting music flow through you, drawing what you feel onto the paper whilst a piece of music is being played. We tried out various different styles of music during the afternoon, and noted the difference in the drawings with each genre.

We also played around with movement in our session, with me dancing whilst Naomi drew the music. Naomi described my movements as being what was going on in her head as the music was being played.



Apologies - the audio on the final clip went a bit funny, so a different track is over the top. For the full video of that clip, please go to http://vimeo.com/user3350784

An extremely successful session, Naomi and myself will be meeting again soon to perform some more music drawing experiments, so stay tuned for that!

For more information on music drawing, check out Naomi's blog at http://deadrabbit-ablog.blogspot.com/

For more information on Broken Rose, please go to our website at http://www.brokenrose.eu/
For more Broken Rose videos, please go to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/brokenrosearts
And follow Broken Rose on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brokenrosearts

Much Love.
CC.

We few, we happy few...

I've noticed over the past couple of months how your bedroom can tell the story of your life. I first realised this when I returned home from university, and tried desperately to cram all of my new belongings back into my tiny box room in my parents' house. Needless to say, I've still not been completely successful in that task, but as I filled every surface with old and new tophies and medals, certificates, books, DVDs and CDs, I saw how every chapter of my life was represented in some way.

The pictures which grace my walls date back to the year 10 residential trip to France, whilst the new editions to my shelves include various different graduation bears. I don't think there is a section of my life so far that isn't documented in those four walls.

This idea hit home even more, and in a very different way, when my parents recieved a new painting to go on the living room wall. The painting is entitled "Band of Brothers", and I'm told that the Shakespeare reference is intentional. It's a painting of my father and his three best friends, one of which, let's just say, is rather ill.

It's a sobering thought to have this particular part of our lives documented, but an important one, nonetheless.

"We few, we happy few
We band of brothers."

- William Shakespeare.

Much Love.
CC.

"You already look like you're at home!"

Thats what one of the producers at work said to me the other day. It was my second day at the Manchester International Festival, and the comment made me feel all fuzzy inside. I really feel like I'm part of the team already, it's fantastic.

To those of you who are in the process of starting a new job or career, my advice is simply to go for it. Dive in head first. At the begining of the week, I was concentrating mainly on listening and taking notes, knowing that I had so much to learn, but at the same time I was worried that I should be saying more; firing ideas into the ether to prove myself as a producer. Well today I think I may have started doing just that. And it feels fantastic. My ideas were well received and discussed along with the ideas of the rest of my team. I feel really good about this job.

What's fantastic is the fact that, going out for a drink with my MIF girls tonight, I felt as if I was dying to talk more about work, just as much as I wanted to get to know them even better. And last night, meeting friends in the pub and thinking how my world will now literary revolve around the performing arts, travelling and going out with friends. That's exactly what I've always dreamed of.

I've got a feeling this is going to be an absolutely amazing 12 months! I've completely fallen in love with my new life already.

On a completely different note, I've been meaning to tell you guys for a while now about a choir that I saw during my first year of University - The Watoto Children's choir, which is made up of children who have lost their parents to war or disease. They are a stunning performance group, and you should definitely check them out.

Much Love.
CC.



http://www.watoto.com/the-choir

Captain America... in Manchester?

Captain America is currently being filmed in Manchester's Northern Quarter! I walked past the set the other day. It's rather strange; if I hadn't been told by a friend I don't think I would have noticed that it was there.



I would have expected excessive noise... Car chases, hearing fights... things like that. It's a comic book movie after all, but it was completely silent while I was there.

Apparently the Northern Quarter is a fave choice for Marvel-style movies, because of it's tall, and sometimes gothic-style buildings.

Funny that I never knew...

For more info, visit http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1316514_captain_america_comes_to_northern_quarter

Much Marvel Love.
CC.

Life is but a dream...

I have a fantastic blog lined up for you guys... but unfortunately it depends on a package which I have not yet received. It was supposed to come to day, but it hasn't so you're just gonna have to listen to some spiel about my dreams instead!

I've been having some rather fantabulous dreams lately... and by "fantabulous" I mean outrageous as they're not neccessarily nice. The other week I dreamt that I had a massive arguement with my mum and my brother and then all of my teeth fell out rather violently. Half of the inside of my face came with them. Lovely. Apparently teeth falling out in dreams means some sort of loss of control, which makes sense now that I've moved back in with my parents.

Last night I dreamt that we moved into some really creepy haunted house that was also filled with monsters. I tried to escape and no one would help me. I have no idea what that one means.... any suggestions?

Much Love.
CC.