This is the week that 10 Red Hill children travel to Cape Town for first a workshop, and then a performance of War Horse. CBN kicks off the week with a short workshop at 4.00 (after school) at Red Hill container library. This will be given by Jay Heale and will offer them some background to the children’s book that sparked this world-famous production. The Red Hill teenagers are unlikely to have had much (or any) contact with the storyline before, whereas the other children who are going to fill the massive Artscape Theatre on Friday are groups from schools, rather than communities, and will have had preparation at the schools they attend.
This will be followed, on Wednesday by a preparatory workshop hosted by ASSITEJ (The International Association of Theatre for Children and Young Adults). ASSITEJ have facilitated this whole project and thousands of children in Gauteng have already been deeply affected by the production.
Wednesday’s workshop will use games, exercises and experiential play to imagine and recreate this epic tale of love and loss in wartime. It will introduce the children to the characters, story, context and setting through dramatic play, improvisation, creative writing and theatre-making. It is going to be amazing!
The actual performance is at Artscape Theatre on the afternoon of 5th December. Our group will be there by 1.15 for the show start at 2.00 and will have snacks on the bus on the way in. Snacks will also be provided for the workshop days. Community worker, Buyiswa Ponti, will accompany the children and CBN people will be at the theatre to take photographs before and afterwards.
We would like to thank Rotary Cape of Good Hope, who are funding the transport and snacks for the workshop and performance, Denzil Jehoma who is organising the transport and Jay Heale, our dedicated Book Editor, who will be giving the workshop on the book. Rosemary Bangham has been the organiser behind the scenes.
