Trips, shows and workshops

Lots going on just now but I thought it would be useful to remember to fill in the blog.

I have two very different trips coming up soon. First up is South Africa! Still can't really believe I'm going somewhere I've always dreamed of going, but indeed I am in mid-October. It's with a children's show The Farmer's Cheese which I have been playing cello in for the last year. So far we have taken the show to Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Southampton. South Africa therefore feels like a whole other kettle of fish! The show has been written for children with hearing impairments who wear cochlear implants, and it tells the story of a poor farmer who has his cheese stolen by a hungry wee mouse. The music was written by Oliver Searle and the other musicians are from the contemporary music ensemble, Symposia. The actors are Clare McGarry and Martin O' Connor. It's great fun and I can't wait!
The other trip I have coming up is to the Takeoff children's theatre festival in Darlington. I'll be heading there with Tony from Imaginate and I think it's going to be a good opportunity for me to market my upcoming show Ditto, and also myself. As my residency is approaching the latter stages (shhhhhhh!) I am beginning to think about what comes next. So this festival should give me an insight into the world of children's theatre outside Scotland.

All of next week I'm working in Bathgate as part of a local music festival. I have been contracted to provide several nursery/early primary music sessions throughout many schools in the area. I'm really looking forward to it and I always enjoy the challenge of working with such young children. They're such a brutally honest audience and you have to keep changing tempo and direction to keep them entertained. Having said that, it should be great fun. I plan to take my cello and melodica and to do some performances of songs whilst also using stories to enable group music-making.

Anmut is approaching very quickly. This is my show for Arches Live. I have been working really hard on it as there are so many elements to the piece. Although it is relatively short - 30 mins - and will have quite a stark aesthetic it is an extremely complex, technical piece. Myself and Katy (the two performers) will be singing live with pre-recorded singing. There is also live and pre-recorded spoken text, projection, lighting, up to 8 different microphones (standing, carried and hung) plus lots of design elements. However it is all coming together. I have recorded all the singing and text, we have found our costumes (after much searching!), and are rehearsing in our space, the playroom, at the weekend. I hope you can all make it.
http://www.thearches.co.uk/Greg-Sinclair-Anmut.htm