Yesterday at lunch time, I crossed into another place when I went to this engaging performance which was commissioned by Drake Music and produced in partnership with THAMES, Kazzum and Furtherfield is inspired by the stories and exhibitions at the Ragged School Museum in east London. The creative team Neil Valentine, Olga Panades Massanet and Carissa Hope Lynch worked with children and young people from three Tower Hamlets schools to develop a music and drama-based performance with interactive media installations. The artists collaborated with Gary Day, who used assistive music technology to ensure that all pupils could access and participate fully in the creative process. Gary also worked with the young people to record soundscapes and samples.
It was a spellbinding half hour; the music was beautiful and captured everyone’s attention; the children were involved with intent in their performance, and the audience was still; absorbing the magic! I didn’t want it to stop, it did really take everyone to another place for that space of time. I loved the backdrop, sensor driven lighting images created by a group of children operating the switches and the singing and story telling that wove the story together was simple and clear drawing you in to their narrative. Every child performing was involved and excited, it made me wish I was a kid again.
Thank you to all involved. I want to see it again.
