A kids' bookshop that speaks your language
In the light of public health advice, the term had unexpected interruption due to COVID-19. We are looking forward to continue our creative work with schools when health advice changes.
Closing photo.jpg
W6b.jpg
Today was fun and relaxed... we gave the kids "getting to know you" sheets and they enjoyed them. It was particularly good for the literacy and confidence of the more newly arrived kids.
W6a.jpg
Some kids really took their time on it with detailed drawings and cartoons too. Others got more into colouring.
Today was the last day of recording in the other room.
W6c.jpg
W5a.jpg
This week I went to the quiet room next door and took kids 2 or 3 at a time to record the story narration and some music. This took a lot longer than expected but they loved it! Afaf said everyone was very happy in the normal room too, the mums were having a huge chat and were all really inclusive, and the kids were chatting and colouring in.
The kids would come and read the story, well, parts of the story. Most of the kids that came so far (we didn’t get through all the kids and will have to finish next week) were strong readers.
W5b.jpg
We have decided that I will make a sheet for next week, a Get To Know You sheet that has some info about me and then the kids can fill out a bit about themselves. This is a literacy exercise as well as social connection. I’m sure the kids will want to show and tell to everyone else!
I’m also going to put some words to some of our songs.
W5c.jpg
Today I tried splitting the kids into groups - so one group doing music while another coloured in, then swapping.
I had planned to use my laptop with midi keyboard to use a bunch of different instruments and loops which I had prepared, plus bringing a mic to record, but although my laptop speakers are loud, they were almost inaudible in that room! So I had to change my plan a bit...
The colouring sheets were a hit, I tried to find characters that could be the characters in the story. I found a bunch of black women and children colouring in sheets, as well as African huts and patterns, and the kids and mums loved the sheets.
Musically, the kids are progressing well. More calm every week and focusing on how to play the songs. Its good to repeat the same songs, and some of the kids had memorised one of them already which was great.
W4 a.jpg
Next week I am going to go to the room next door and record narration and the kids playing the songs one by one into my computer either midi or recording them with a mic. I am going to get them to imagine different scenes of the story and try to make music that fits that.
I'm worried that the engagement isn't as good as previous terms, as kids are getting overwhelmed by the noise and not wanting to participate as much as usual. Hopefully this will be remedied a bit.
W4 c.jpg
W3 a.jpg
Today was an extremely hot day and we had 10 extra people than last week so it was fairly crazy! The mums are really grouping together which is nice.
The kids are getting better at controlling themselves with the glockenspiels though it still feels like a bit of chaos control!
Today we worked on following the conductor, reading music (which they did so so well on) and then played a song from last week. I could already see the improvement! Then we separated, some outside, some inside to write our own songs.
The kids are obsessed with the keyboard and it's a bit difficult to manage because they fight over it and get upset. I initially had the keyboard there so I could accompany them but I only got to do that once today!
W3 b.jpg
I had asked the kids to write down their songs and then we all came inside and did a mini concert for the parents.
Thus far I think music is good but I think the film process provides more variety, is easier to manage and is overall more engaging.
There's no doubt the kids love music and learning about music but I feel they get so riled up that that team spirit isn't as strong and that relaxed feeling isn't really there. Still trying to find ways to bring that energy into the room but there is a lot to manage.
W3 c.jpg
Today we read through the story again, just in English this time, though Afaf went and helped some kids with incidental Arabic translation. I explained that we aren't making a movie but are focusing on music and making a soundtrack to this story.
We then played three songs on the glockenspiels which I first conducted and then accompanied on piano. The kids are very interested in the piano/keyboard so I let them play on it as well.
It was a noisy session but they did well. We tried to implement a "hands up" policy. Whenever I put my hands up, they would put their hands and mallets up to. It worked to reward them for good behaviour and see who could get their hands up first. Overall the behaviour was really good, especially when Afaf was roaming the space to make sure everyone was focusing and not just crazily hitting the instruments!
W2 a.jpg
We learnt about counting crotchets, semibreves and rests, repeats and final bar lines and played songs with a variety of notes and simple rhythms. We learnt about mallet technique and the kids found it hilarious when I would show them the wrong way to do things!
We played a song where they played slowly and gently and it was great!
No one wanted to leave today and they were all lining up to play on the keyboard.
W2 b.jpg
I look forward to seeing how everyone develops this term!
W1 a.jpg
This week we read the new story in English and Arabic. The story is by Ifeyinwa Okoroafor.
The kids loved having the story in Arabic. I could see that the majority of the kids were listening more intently to the Arabic version. It was great!
The mums were listening too. It took a fair while but the kids enjoyed helping to translate which was cool.
W1 b.jpg
We did a tiny bit of music at the end. I played the kids some bits of music on the keyboard and got them to use descriptive words for what it sounded like. Some of the words they used were: exciting, depressing, sad, disappointed, happy, super happy, spooky, joyful, uplifting and annoying.
The kids then took turns playing on the keyboard while we packed up.
W1 c.jpg
This term at Wandering Books at Liverpool Public School we are making music together.
Wandering Books' artists, students from Liverpool Public School and their families are writing and playing music for a soundtrack for a story written by Ifeyinwa Okoroafor.
The challenge has been to imagine the sounds of the story, and to bring them to life. The students have used keyboards, drumsticks and a tonne of glockenspiels to devise and to play the music.
This term, we will create a recording of the students narrating the story, and performing the soundtrack they have created to bring it to life.
To see the story for yourself or the previous creative outcomes by Wandering Books, please Subscribe to the LOST IN BOOKS YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunGZ9DKz-FiAw15eH7YpPw
Opening pic.jpg
Last week! The film has come together well, and I was very excited to share it with the group.
Unfortunately, the volume on the sound couldn’t go up very high but the kids will get a chance to watch it at home anyway, hopefully as loud as they like.
IMG_0998.jpg
I brought in a giant bag of popcorn and some watermelon and the room certainly looked like it was a wild party at the end.
It was great to have parents there, and I enjoyed watching them watch the film.
IMG_1007.jpg
It was also great to hang with the kids without the pressure of needing to get a lot of stuff done in a short amount of time, it was relaxed and an exciting time as it was their last few days of school.
IMG_1024.jpg
IMG_0985.jpg
Narration session! I had planned out a script with kids having particular parts based on their characters and evenly distributing the narration text, but of course this went out the window very quickly as it became clear that the real life factors took us of another path.
IMG_0986.jpg
But despite the chaos, it was very fun, though I tried to keep it one at a time, more and more kids wanted to come into the room to hang out.
IMG_0992.JPG
We did the rest of the filming today. It was very fun, the kids had lots of energy and wanted to jump right in, getting their costumes on as soon as they arrived.
W7 I1.jpg
There was lots of costume swapping which was hilarious, the characters will be pretty fluid in the final product!
W7 I2.jpg
Some of the kids were helping direct and stage things too which was a great way for them to be involved when they weren’t in front of the camera.
W7 I3.jpg
We have some last minute character additions too. We also made some artwork.
W7 I4.jpg
First day of filming! I received a handover and was able to source a nice collection of costumes in preparation for this week.
W6 I1.jpg
Things got quite wild and we ended up having a lot of fun just rolling the camera and capturing the kids dressed up in various costumes having fun, dancing about and being silly. The kids had lots of ideas about how to shoot the footage and it was great to follow their lead.
W6 I2.jpg
The aim for next week is to jump straight in and finish filming.
W6 I3.jpg
We had a great session today. I was so stoked to see the kids again and they all gathered around me outside, which we ate afternoon on the grass and chatted away! New kids were excited to meet me and the kids I already knew had lots to fill me in on! It was a really lovely moment of connection and catching up.
Week 5 Img 1.jpg
I had printed off copies of the story and we took time reading through it as a group outside. At first, we went one by one but it was taking so long, so we then read all together.
We went inside and I tried to get the kids to make things that would be good for the movie - we have castles, a dragon, fire balls, a bomb, spider webs, spiders, all kinds of things!
We voted on a name for the movie and came up with “Saving the School”. We really struggled to come up with a moral to the story that sounded cohesive so we may just have to make one up ourselves!
Week 5 Img 2.jpg
Week 5 Img 3.jpg
The group was very excited today! The aim was to finish the script, I had drafted some ideas so I planned to read them to the group, make whatever changes they wanted and cast everyone in their role and even start filming.
It became tricky as the kids were all trying to be heard and so all speaking and shouting at once and on top of each other and me.
Week_4_Image_1.jpg
Week_4_Image_2.jpg
The other difficulty was casting, a number of kids wanted to be certain characters, so we did variations on ‘fair’ ways to cast it, for example rock paper scissors and holding a contest so the group could vote.
Week_4_Image_3.jpg
The kids were very keen to continue with creating the film script. We began by reading what I had typed up from their ideas the week before. They wanted to get stuck into the details but I was trying to get them to think about creating the rest of the plot. They had fun going around the circle and reading it out, some of the older kids helped the younger kids with their reading.
Week_3_Image_1.jpg
They also wanted to write their new ideas on script printout too, which was great - very enthusiastic about their reading and writing!
We didn’t get too much farther in the script but they did enjoy the art activities I suggested as a part of the development – like creating an old dusty ‘crunchy’ map the kids in the film will use to go on their adventure.
Week_3_Image_2.jpg
The kids came in and began colouring in, and then we began with the ‘story making’.
Week_2_Image_1.jpg
I asked them for broad ideas of what the film should be about or include and wrote them up on the white board. In the last 20 minutes we used a piece of butcher’s paper to sketch out more specific ideas, and 6 or 7 the very keen kids came to the front and sat with me and we brainstormed ideas.
Week 2 Image 2.jpg
We’ve loosely come up with a ‘funny horror’ movie set in a vampire’s castle. We had fun thinking of scary things to include like bats and spiders webs, and scary noises we’ll make for the sound design.
Week_2_Image_3.jpg
It was a great turn out. All the students from last term have showed up, very excited and extremely motivated for a whole new term with Wandering Books.
The students and the parents enjoyed colouring in using the new collection LIB provided while socializing with each other and thinking what they would like to do this term.
We spent the other half of the workshop, brainstorming what the group want to produce this term.
Week_1_Image_1.jpg
On a piece of paper they were asked to put their ideas in responding to the following questions:
What do you want your next movie to be about?
Where do you want it to be? in the jungle, outer space? In a magic cupboard? A castle?
Draw a picture of this place?
What animal do you want in the movie?Cows?, Puppies?
Lions?, Goldfish?, Dinosaurs?, Sharks?, Unicorns?, Aliens?
The students had a great time putting down their ideas on papers, ready for next week to develop those ideas.
Week 1 Image 2 new.JPG
This term at Wandering Books we're making a movie! The group will write, direct, shoot and star in a short film that will be screened at the end of year assembly.
Term_4.jpg
This week was our final week and it was sad to say goodbye (for now) to the kids. They loved watching the movie on the big screen and were in absolute stitches laughing! We watched it a few times.
Week 9 img 1.JPG
Some of them coloured in the invitations I had made but most of them enjoyed just hanging out and lots of them wrote on the board. They were writing their names in their own languages .
week 9 img 2.jpg
Week 9 Img 3.JPG
They were so happy and there was lots of laughter.
One of the mums, said how wonderful the program has been and how good it is for the kids and their creativity, happiness and socialization.
week 9 img 4.JPG
week 9 img 5.jpg
Today was our final filming day. The kids enjoyed trying on different dress ups and then we got to work! The kids took turns filming with my new (sturdy) handycam. I tried to teach them how to use it properly but it was cute seeing how some of them really didn’t think about where the camera was really facing!
Week 8 Image 1.jpg
The kids were laughing so much today acting out the movie. We all had a fantastic (and very dramatic) time!
Week 8 Image 2.JPG