Workshops at The Edge:
The group were introduced to the concept of internal & external islands and about the ideas behind the project.
The group were given boxes of various objects & props to create their personal idea of an island, using the items sybolically. The installation was done in silence to allow the young people to focus on the nature of their islands.
Once completed everyone explored each others island & shared thoughts on what they thought was happening on the islands. Each member then described what their island was about & what the objects symbolized.
The group practise some of the stories collected by the 641 young people. They begin by reading the stories to get to know the character through the feel of the text. Bev and Simon use various techniques to help the young people to sound more believable. Using voice projection excersises & drama games the group become more comfortable in their roles.
As Pete nears completion of the Boat installation the group use it as a stage to deliver and practise their stories. The young people film one another & get the chance to review their performances. They discuss how they can use gestures to further enhance the performance & how slowing down and using pauses generates emotional responses from the audience.
The young people visit Birmingham Central Library where Izzy Mohammed talks to the group about oral history projects. The group get to look at old photographs from around Birmingham and listen to interviews from the libraries archive.
