This year we were privileged to have regular updates from the field, giving us an immediate
look at how the combined efforts of our donors, volunteers, and educational professionals can have a direct impact on the lives of young people.
These daily diary entries put you in the center of why our teaching artists and staff give so much to be with these children each summer.
Enjoy!
Kanga Cloth
We have all come back to the Lodge, eager to swap stories about our day and the students. It seems that each group is on the brink of establishing
the big idea or a major theme or storytelling device that will be a backbone of the student play. I am partnered with the amazing Amanda Lichtenstein
from Urban Gateways in Chicago. Last night we were speaking about how these days — the 3rd, 4th and 5th days — are in some ways, the most challenging,
because we want to find a skeleton or a seed of the play that is genuinely born of the students' interests, that also stretches them and will allow room
for a variety of their ideas to come to life on stage.
Photo by Robert Poole
Our days are broken into two parts — an hour and a half in the morning which is followed by a chai tea break, and then 4 hours in the afternoon which is followed by lunch. Amanda and I have been using the mornings to experiment with different storytelling tools, and in the afternoons, building scenes and applying our tools from the morning to story-telling.
Today we did this totally infectious exercise — the students were divided into two groups and each group is given a Kanga cloth (a big piece of colorful fabric that most women wear in a variety of styles), and has to come up with as many different ways of using that cloth as they can — to create props or scenery or objects. The students were really receptive to the idea that they could create all their props for their play by transforming this flexible object. Who knew a Kanga cloth could also be a spoon?
A Circle Poem
I thought I would pass this piece of student work along. Bryson is a real leader, extremely creative and bright.
It seemed like a great opportunity to share his work -- he is very passionate about theater and he was thrilled when I asked his permission to share his poem. Amanda Lichtenstein led a great writing
exercise where the students wrote Circle Poems -- also known as Pantoums. Here is his!
A CIRCLE POEM,
One day where shall I go?
I want to teach the whole world through plays!
Removing the lonely feeling through poems
Create the world of happiness through music.
I want to teach the whole world through plays
Plays that really focus on the problem
Create the world of happiness through music
How and when can I do that?
Plays that really focus on the problem
Removing all the differences among people
How and when can I do that?
I know that people will understand what I mean.
Removing all the differences between people
Removing the lonely feeling through poems
I know that people will understand what I mean.
I know I can! One day where shall i go?
It's All Fantastic!
It's almost impossible to report all that is happening with ITLP here.
The plays will be performed at the schools tomorrow and the kids are
so excited and I wager will lose sleep tonight. The shows are full of
comic moments and shrewd commentary on TZ today: issue of AIDS and all
the questions kids have about that, corrupt politicians, fathers who
favor their sons over their daughters, a wife who wants to go to the
club and play in a band rather than make dinner every night. Great
homemade costumes. Wonderful singing. A local tailor sewed together
seven huge kanga cloths for the backdrop--which we will bring back to
USA and string up at the fall event at Judson.
[This year, ITLP produced a special performance of an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" -- ed.]
Photo by Robert Poole
The MIDSUMMER would melt your heart--it is a jewel--the kids are 11 and 12 years old and their acting is broad, funny & loving--so adorable. Nancy & Rebecca and Bangoo, their musician, have choreographed traditional TZ dances and songs -- to keep the "magical" end of MIDSUMMER alive---it is a remarkable ---a MIDSUMMER like no other!
And I have distributed the "Textbooks for Tanzania" to all three schools we are working with this summer--as well as the two schools we worked with last year but were not able to work with them again this year. TFT is a gift from ITLP of $500 for the school to purchase desperately needed textbooks for their student population. I give the money to a colleague here who then administers the program for ITLP once we leave. It is profoundly appreciated by the schools.
Babu Returns to School
One very special unique happening for this summer is that one of our
favorite graduates, Calvin Michael, has been Bobby Poole, the
filmmaker's, assistant.
For the last two days Bobby has mentored Calvin in a making his own original 3 minute film--a story about a babu (grandfather) who is illiterate and decides to go to primary school to learn to read--so he cuts his pants at the knees so he has short pants like all the other first graders--and shows up on the first day of school with all the other 5 and 6 year olds. Calvin wrote the script, cast the show with a friend's babu in the lead role--and went through all the agony of directing a group of people. But boy is Calvin proud of himself--we will show you the rough cut soon. So great.
I have also run into at least seven of the original 21 kids Stephen & I worked with in 2005--every one of them still remember their lines and absolutely glow when they talk about the ITLP experience.
Photos from Leigh Curran
Robert Poole is a New York-based filmmaker, and has accompanied the ITLP team to Tengaru to produce
an original documentary of their experiences. He has sent back wonderful pictures from ITLP Teaching Artist Leigh Curran --
some early glimpses of ITLP and Tengaru.
Support ITLP
Programs like this depend entirely on your generous contributions. Please make a tax-deductible gift today.
"This kind of arts programming has the potential to revolutionize education in Tanzania."
Augustine Mahiga
Tanzanian Ambassador to the United Nations & ITLP Board Member
"After my parents saw me in the play they were impressed with my English and we discussed things and even changed some of our work roles at home. We began to ask, 'May I help you with your burden?' - just the way we did in the play."
Elirehema
student in 2005 workshop
"Tanzania is in dire need of educated young people who will be future leaders, doctors and teachers. English is the language of commerce in so much of the world - especially Africa - and mastering it will allow this generation to work their way out of poverty and into productive careers and lives."
Deborah Kelly
Community Service Advocate in Tanzania