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I have finally joined Twitter.

I probably could have been more creative with my choice of name:

https://twitter.com/#!/KateMasseyChase

Followers welcome!

I shall now learn to communicate in 140 characters, with @s, #s and everything.

I am a great fan of the occasional haiku, so perhaps I will warm to it...

Creative Approaches to Well-Being - continuing my education in the big wide world

Last week was a bit of a mile-stone for me, as I went to collect my MA results. Although being very pleased with my fancy bit of paper which said I had got a distinction - and being amused that the woman on reception who made my alumni card put that my qualification was in 'MA Applied Theatre (Drama in the cumminty)' [fail!] - it was also a slightly sad moment, as I realised that (for now) I had reached the end of my full-time education. Moping about this to the beautiful Miss Fox, she helpfully reminded me that it marked the end of my formal education, but that I would always keep learning, keep the curiosity burning,* and continue to educate myself, out in the big wide world....

Now, a week has passed and I have been fortunate enough to have already had the opportunity to immerse myself in new ideas and information, new debates, and exciting new practice, as I was able to attend a two-day conference on 'Creative Approaches to Well-Being' entitled: Play's the Thing. Hosted by Escape Artists, this was a stimulating and creative couple of days of workshops, talks and panel debates, all exploring the topic of well-being and the contribution of creative practice and research.

I was able to attend this conference (despite my relative poverty) because I won a free pass after coming second in their 'Speed talk' competition, where they offered the opportunity to pitch an idea for a 5 minute talk, and those voted as most popular would be able to both deliver their short presentation and attend the rest of the conference. My talk was, quite predictably, on the topic of my MA thesis: the use of Drama to build the personal and social skills of young people in the transition between child & adolescent and adult mental health services. Definitely fitted the theme of creativity and well-being, but I think I under-estimated the challenge of condensing my 12,000-odd word thesis into a coherent 5 minute speech...

For me, highlights of the conference were:
 - Prof. Felicia Huppert's erudite keynote speech on well-being on an international and personal scale, including where the UK sits in the levels of well-being across Europe (not so good, we should definitely start looking to Denmark for tips! If nothing else they produced lego, The Killing and Sandi Toksvig...) and how positive mental states broaden and build cognitive processes
 - Ansuman Biswas' fantastic physical, vocal and mental warm-up (and for providing some amazing hugs) at the start of the conference, and Briony Greenhill's gorgeous group singing session to end it
 - Alex Fradera's improvisation workshop - stole some exercises I've already used with one of my Drama groups
 - Hearing more about international prison theatre
- And, of course, the opportunity to meet so many interesting, creative people who give a shit.

And here is me and my friend Natasha laughing....an honest example of creativity spawning well-being.
(Photograph by Christine Cellier)

So, I can safely say the well-being agenda is on my agenda. For anyone interested, I would certainly recommend Pat Kane's article in the Guardian, arguing that 'a real diversity of input is essential to thinking and feeling our way beyond the cyclical hysterics of capitalism' (although it would be even better if you could hear it in his lovely Scottish accent...).

My education can and shall continue beyond the university walls; it is a life-long process - and I'm prepared to approach it creatively...

*a couple of years ago my inebriated housemate identified 'curiosity', along with empathy and one particular aspect of my physical appearance, as one of my top qualities:

Explaining Applied Theatre at the Job Centre....

Advisor: So, you're a Drama teacher?

Me: No, not exactly. I'm not a qualified teacher.

Advisor: Have you thought about any further education or training? A PGCE is just one year.

Me: I know. But I just finished my Masters about a month ago. I don't really want to do a PGCE just now. I mean, maybe in the future, or in a few years I'd perhaps like to go into lecturing... I don't know.

Advisor: So are you looking for university lecturing jobs?

Me: No. No, certainly not right now.

Advisor: And you're not a Drama teacher?

Me: No, it's more like...entering into a dialogue with different community groups, not exactly teaching them... Using Drama to build personal and social skills, or for social change.... or.......[tails off, over compensating with arm gestures]

Advisor: Right [sounding either dubious or confused - or both].
So it's quite specific then...

Me: Yes.

Advisor: OK. Well, I'll do a job search for you [turns to computer....a minute later]. So, we've got a senior lecturing job at UCL, in Philosophy.

Me: On £45k? I don't think I'm really trained for that...

Advisor: Or something to do with programming systems at LSE.

Me: Economics? That's not really my field...

Advisor: Or you could be a Youth Worker?

Inter-faith facilitation

So, I haven’t quite managed to enter the world of Twitter since my last post, but I have done something else or the first time, which is facilitate for the Three Faiths Forum’s education programme.  I’ve worked for the 3FF a few times over the last year, running Drama workshops for their School Linking ‘Shared Futures’ projects, where they pair up two schools (they work with both faith and non-denominational schools), and the students get to know each other through joint activities throughout the year, giving pupils from different cultural and faith backgrounds opportunities to learn more about student who have beliefs and backgrounds different to their own.  The first workshop I ran for students on this programme (I had previously worked with their teachers) was for ten 15 year old girls, five from a Muslim school and five from a Christian school.  I remember vividly that when I arrived they were all sitting in a circle in painfully shy silence, in two distinct groups, and that by the time I left after lunch they were all sitting eating as one group, talking and laughing.  It was amazing to see such a difference in such a small amount of time.  I remember being struck by it, as although I have often seen how working together in the performing arts has broken down barriers, built confidence and inspired many different groups in a variety of projects – most notably working in HMP Winchester with Playing for Time Theatre Company, staging plays in the prison on nine week projects – it was the short amount of time this change in atmosphere had taken place in, and how dramatic the difference was in the girls' interactions with each other which was striking.  My most recent workshop for young people taking part in a Shared Futures programme had a very different atmosphere; however this was because it was with 43 Yr.2s (6-7 year ols)!  This time I was taken aback by how much they wanted to contribute (a lot!), and also how when I asked them to get into a circle they all held hands and walked backwards – which I can’t see happening with any of the other groups I work with!

Yesterday, however, I was not working for the Shared Futures programme, but for another section of the education department at the 3FF, and this time without my Drama hat on, but as one of their interfaith facilitators.  I’d had a training day for this in September and observed a couple of sessions in different schools in the last few weeks in preparation, but these were the first 2 classes I had facilitated myself.  The sessions I ran yesterday were called ‘Encountering Faiths and Beliefs’, and the format was that there were a panel of speakers – this time a Catholic, a Jewish, and a Humanist speaker – and they each spoke briefly about their own beliefs, and then I chaired a discussion with the audience.  Although they were a bit Monday morning-y (that well-known adjective) at the start of the day, I think most of the students were really engaged, and they asked some really interesting and thoughtful questions.  For me, the best thing was that I was learning lots too.  I come from a non-religious background and, although I did do Religious Studies GCSE (although my over-riding memory of that was that in the exam they asked questions to which the answers could mostly be found in Christmas carols, like ‘Where was Jesus born?’, and that to ‘Who baptised Jesus?’ one of my very intelligent friends wrote Moses, another wrote Abraham, and another just wrote The Baptist) and learnt quite a lot about different religions at primary school, my knowledge of religion is very patchy.  I was particularly interested to learn more about Humanism, and will definitely go away and read some more about it.

On another note, I also had my first Krispy Kreme doughnut, erected my first shower rail (once we’d been back to Homebase and asked the man there to show us how – stupid, vague instructions), did a yoga DVD with my housemate, and watched my first London firework display which wasn’t on Jools Holland.   

First things first

This week I started two new jobs, running my first workshops for both Outside Edge Theatre Company and Attic Theatre Company.

Outside Edge Theatre Company work with diverse groups affected by substance misuse, and the group I run is a ‘drop-in’ group, held once a month at Munster Road Substance Misuse Day Programme. I had been once before, last month, for a ‘hand-over’ session with the existing facilitator (the wonderful Jamie Wilcox, who has sadly returned to the US), and again found everyone very welcoming and willing to participate; we had (I hope) a really positive session – both thoughtful and fun. In fact, there were some really insightful contributions, and we worked at quite a reflective pace. I’m looking forward to next month, and only sad I won’t be seeing them more often.

Then yesterday I had my first session working for Attic Theatre Company on their ‘Many Voices – The Refugee Project’.  I am co-running (with the wonderful John Morales) a drama group at The Link Centre at Bishopsford School in Merton for young migrants, mostly unaccompanied minors.  The first session yesterday went really well, with just a small group of 13-15 year old boys (we’ll hopefully have more next week, perhaps including some girls), who are from a mix of ethnic backgrounds and nationalities and mostly have very low levels of English.  I’m really looking forward to these workshops, and was particularly heartened by one of the boys at the end of the session (who had initially been very reserved) saying he didn’t want to go to lunch as he wanted to keep doing Drama!

With both of those under my belt, I wonder what else I can do for the first time this week… Perhaps I'll join the masses and lose my Twitter virginity...