Regional
Schools Festival

with Billy Langa

This session is 67 minutes

Start your Future Arts Programme with Billy, warming up the body and using movement, breath and stillness to create character. You will need to be in a room where each participant has enough space around them to swing arms without bumping into each other, and walk around the room without bumping into anything. From the start of the workshop be sure to be up on your feet, ready to go through the exercises Billy will lead you through. At the end of the workshop, after having created a character, explored that character's physicality and their daily ritual, you should have a character and a way of creating character for the rest of the upcoming workshops.

with Daniel Buckland

This session is 73 minutes

A workshop packed with activities making use of your smartphone to film. Learners swap roles throughout getting to be both cinematographer and actor, exploring placement of camera, different angles and shots, and transitions. Some of the exercises are detailed with lots of information, so participants might want to have a pen and paper handy to take notes. The final component of this workshop includes putting shots together using the InShot app. You will need to have this app preloaded to your smartphone. If you are using a NAF smart-kit, this app is preloaded. Download instructions are on the next page.

with Jemma Kahn

This session is 66 minutes

For this workshop learners will need the following items: a stack of paper or any variety, possibly newspaper or cartridge paper, 1 pack of marker pens per group to share, 1 to 2 rolls of masking tape per group to share. The workshop will incorporate furniture and items already in the classroom or the library, for example, moving around desks and chairs, or books and other furniture, no need to clear the room before!

with Liezl DeKock and Rob Murray

This session is 64 minutes

The last workshop for the day is with power duo Liezl and Rob who explore the life, breath, character and tragedy of objects. This exercise centers around puppetry and imbuing objects with life, so participants will need access to whatever objects they can get their hands on. Luckily, there are no restrictions on these objects, whatever is available and fun to play with. Participants will also need some paper for Exercise One, some chairs, and a table (on it's side) to create a performance space for the latter exercises.

with Nhlanhla Mahlangu

This session is 65 minutes

Nhalanha’s workshop is the first for the second day, and it will require participants to warm up their bodies, access breath and voice. Ensure that each participant has enough space around them to stretch without bumping into each other. As the emphasis is on the body as instrument and voice, ensure that your room is well ventilated. For one of the exercises, Nthlanthla asks the participants to grab some books. These can be any books with anything written in them, so make sure there are some available. If facilitators are able, they should record some of the later exercises to play back for the participants. Dive in and access the breath and the voice to create amazing and magical soundscapes.

with MoMo Matsunyane

This session is 65 minutes

MoMo brings her high-energy and charisma to this workshop on Devising. Helping participants find a topic and giving guidance on how to explore it, MoMo takes us on a deep dive into the development of script, and the construction of relevant material as a group. Participants will need a pen and paper to write down the script as it develops, and a willingness to play. Start up on your feet, ready to throw yourself into the drama.

with Ameera Patel

This session is 70 minutes

Our final workshop before the participants begin to make their own piece of digital storytelling, is Narrative with Ameera Patel. Ameera shows how story exists in every one of us, and gives us exercises allowing us to release it. Participants will definitely need a pen and paper in this workshop to mess around with structure and write down great narrative ideas as they arise.

This session is 60 minutes

The irrepressible Prof. Crackle now puts the ball in the participants' court. He challenges you to use this final hour to bring any and all of the skills and techniques that you have discovered over the last two days to create your own digital story in your working groups. There is no workshop video for this session, rather this is your time to create! Participants should gravitate to any specific area they feel most comfortable with, if someone felt most comfortable playing a character, then they should lean into that, if someone felt most passionate about being behind the camera then that is what they should focus on. It's most important to work as a team, create and have fun. Each group has an hour to discuss, create, rehearse and shoot their digital artwork.