Click here to read all about the latest Creative Beans project with Clowns Without Borders South Africa - creating a brand, spanking new clown show for a tour of communities in crisis in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
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The theme for this year's World Storytelling Day was trees. So for the last week, Creative Beans classes at the International Montessori pre-school in Mbabane have been working with a story from the Himalayas that I adapted to take place in Swaziland. The story is called, Themba and the Trees.
It is a beautiful story about a young girl who learns to love the forest and the trees as her brothers and sisters. So when some men from the city threaten to chop them down, she gathers her village to stop them with an act of non-violence: tree-hugging! The children explored the world of trees in different ways: by being the monkeys that play in the trees, the fruit that grows in the tree, even the men that want to chop the trees down. Through drama, music and movement we explored the world of the story and the lessons it can teach us.Together we even discovered new parts of the story (especially about the forest party that happened once the humans had fallen asleep!). I believe that children understand the world through story and play, and that is why Creative Beans classes and workshops are packed full of both. And not just children, but adults too. Watch this space for more info about workshops for adults using story and creative arts! Last Thurs 13 Oct, CWBSA and the People's Educational Theatre collaborated with UNICEF Swaziland on Global Handwashing Day, spreading the message about handwashing with soap in a playful and fun way. The Swazi team was Annabel Morgan, Nicholas Mamba and Musa Zikalala - YAYA!
"Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths" With song, dance and stories as our weapons of mass instruction, and armed with bubbles and bright umbrellas, the clowns encouraged the use of handwashing with soap in a child-friendly way! A fresh spring breeze greeted Sibongile and I on our return to Matatiele last week to facilitate the Njabulo ten day arts-based intervention programme.
Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable. |
AuthorAnnabel is a clown, storyteller, facilitating artist and juggler of creative projects Archives
February 2018
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