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RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS 2014 Still Awake Still! Jump Leads and Jessica Wilson

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RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS

2014

Still Awake StillJump Leads and Jessica Wilson

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

2 3

CONTENTS

This resource has been prepared for Regional Arts Victoria by Emily Atkins using stimulus material conceived by Jessica Wilson and Elizabeth Honey (as well as material developed by the New Victory Theater in New York) It is intended as a starting point for planning and thus remains very generally pitched so that teachers may differentiate to their classrsquo diverse ability and learning level

STILL AWAKE STILLJump Leads and Jessica WilsonPresented by Regional Arts Victoriarsquos Performing Arts Touring program

The performance runs for approximately 50 minutes without an interval and is available with a variety of companion workshops

2014 TOUR DATES29-30 May Theatre Royal Hobart TAS3 June Devonport Entertainment amp Convention Centre TAS7 June Portland Arts Centre VIC11 June Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre Mt Gambier SA14-15 June Adelaide Festival Centre SA30 June Kingston Arts CentreMoorabbin VIC3 July Drum Theatre Dandenong VIC5 July Wyndham Cultural Centre Werribee VIC8 August Mandurah Performing Arts Centre WA12 August Esperance Civic Centre WA15 August Margaret River Cultural Centre WA19 August Matt Dann Cultural Centre South Hedland WA22 August Darwin Entertainment Centre NT26 August Riverway Arts Centre Thuringowa QLD29 August Cairns Civic Theatre QLD5 September Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre NSW8 September Capitol Theatre Tamworth NSW16 September Civic Theatre Newcastle NSW19-20 September Riverside Theatres Parramatta NSW23-27 September Seymour Centre Sydney NSW1 October Darebin Arts Centre Preston VIC3 October Whitehorse Centre Nunawading VIC8-9 October Colac Otway Performing Arts amp Cultural Centre VIC11 October Geelong Performing Arts Centre VIC

Please contact individual venues for booking enquiries

BASIC INFORMATION

BASIC INFORMATION 3

BIOGRAPHIES 4

SYNOPSIS 9

CURRICULUM LINKS 10

BACKGROUND 12

PRE PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES 16

POST PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES 20

APPENDIX 24

FURTHER READING 25

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA 26

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

4 5

CREATIVE TEAM

Devised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artists Inspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson published by Allen amp Unwin DIRECTOR AND DEVISOR JESSICA WILSONMUSICAL DIRECTOR AND COMPOSER SUE JOHNSONLYRICIST ELIZABETH HONEYDESIGNER JONATHON OXLADELIGHTING DESIGNER PHIL LETHLEANCOLLABORATING WRITER JIM LASKODRAMATURG JULIANNE OBRIEN

PERFORMER DEVISERSMISS TINKLEFINGER CAROLYN CONNORS BASS BOY DAN WITTON RHYTHM BOY RENATO VACIRCA

2014 TOURS PRODUCED BY JESSICA WILSONEXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROSALIND PRICE

2011 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON PRODUCED BY ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYD

JUMP LEADS DIRECTORS ELIZABETH HONEY KEVIN PIERCE ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYDTOUR MANAGER STEPH COXTECHNICAL MANAGER SAM DOYLESET CONSTRUCTION MICHAEL BAXTER COSTUME CONSTRUCTION DAVID ANDERSONPROPS CONSTRUCTION TAMARA REWSE and DAVID MURPHYRIGGING DESIGN DARYLL JOHNVOICE OVER PHILIP NORMAN

BIOGRAPHIES

PRODUCERS Jump Leads is the engine behind Still Awake Still Wersquore a not-for-profit arts development company and this is our first show for young people We sparked the idea drove the project and supported this talented team to bring the work to your theatre After the excitement of premiere seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne this show simply wouldnrsquot go to bed ndash its been to New York and across the USA and now is with you as part of a big Australian tour We hope you all have a funny wide-awake time and head home singing and dreaming jumpleadsnet or stillawakestilltoursnet

DIRECTOR CO-PRODUCER TOUR MANAGER Jessica Wilson I direct and produce theatre shows with rich visual stories strong ideas and a mix of art forms (but not many words) My works range from large open-air spectacles and dark intimate theatre to participatory theatre in public places My award-winning Dr Egg And The Man With No Ear also toured North America in 2010 and my most recent How High The Sky is an interactive theatre piece for babies created with Polyglot Theatre jessicawilsoncomaulsquoTo get to sleep I think about breathing in and outrsquo

COMPOSER MUSICAL DIRECTOR Sue Johnson Irsquom the composer and musical director Years ago I helped form Cocorsquos Lunch a singing group pioneering original vocal music for adults and children Wersquove toured Australia Canada Europe and Asia and recorded 7 CDs Irsquove worked with Musica Viva Sydney Opera House and Playhouse Disney lectured at Victorian College of the Arts and toured with many of Australiarsquos great musicians Choirs around the world sing my songs wwwsuejohnsoncomaulsquoIf I canrsquot sleep I count beatsrsquo

LYRICIST BOOK AUTHOR JUMP LEADS DIRECTOR Elizabeth Honey I wrote the words to the songs I write childrenrsquos poetry picture books plays and novels including Not A Nibble The Cherry Dress Ten Blue Wrens Thatrsquos Not A Daffodil Donrsquot Pat The Wombat and 45 amp 47 Stella Street My books lead very exciting lives some win awards and are translated and now the songs from Irsquom Still Awake Still are in this show wwwelizabethhoneycomlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I imagine my body is a featherrsquo

DESIGNER Jonathon Oxlade I studied iIlustration and sculpture at Queensland College of Art and learned puppetry with Kid Praha in the Czech Republic My design tends to be funny and poetic Irsquove worked for theatre companies across Australia including Circa Windmill La Boite Queensland Theatre Company and Arena on shows for kids and adults Irsquove created installations and illustrated picture books I was Festival Designer for the 2010 Out of the Box Festival and designed a new look for Windmill Theatre wwwjonathonoxladecomlsquoI never canrsquot sleeprsquo

LIGHTING DESIGNER Philip Lethlean For over 25 years Irsquove lit up theatres circus tents buildings and spectacles around the world Recent projects include Australian Operarsquos La Fanciulla Del West by Puccini English National Ballet in China Australian and British National Day celebrations at EXPO Shanghai and DreamWorksrsquo USA tour of How To Train Your Dragon Irsquove received a Creative Fellowship from Australia Council for the Arts and several Helpmann and Green Room award nominations wwwlightdesignscomaulsquoGetting to sleep Well first I turn off the lightrsquo

PERFORMER (MISS TINKLEFINGER) Carolyn Connors Irsquom Miss T Singer instrumentalist performer composer teacher Irsquom always experimenting with my voice For over 20 years Irsquove worked in contemporary music improvisation cabaret and theatre in festivals nationally and internationally and been part of projects created for public spaces People have even written works especially for me to highlight my vocal and performance skills lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I have two hot cups of Bonox and put my head on my possum pillowrsquo

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

6 7

PERFORMER (BASS BOY) Dan Witton Hullo from Bass Boy Irsquom an actor physical performer musician composer sound designer and web developer Irsquove worked with all kinds of theatre companies State Theatre of South Australia Belvoir St Magpie Urban Dream Capsule Strange Fruit And I play bass in several bands the Ennio Morricone Experience Cosmo Cosmolino and the Wikimen In 1990 I co-founded Desoxy Theatre with Teresa Blake creating original performances that toured the worldlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I snore very loudly till my mouth is tired then I ask my nose to just be quiet so that my face can think about nothing so that some of us can get some rest around here and then therersquos a fight but itrsquos ok because there are some eyebrows to settle everything downrsquo

PERFORMER (RHYTHM BOY) Renato Vacirca Ciao Percussion Boy here Irsquom a singer musician painter and sculptor wrestler storyteller and performer I tour Australia and Europe as percussionist and instrumentalist with several bands VulgarGrad Croque Monsieur the Wikimen Tek Tek Ensemble and Johnny and the Johnny Johnnies Irsquove collaborated with many theatre companies and performance groups including Polyglot Snuff Puppets Aphids 5 Angry Men and Well Theatre CompanylsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I wrestle with my polar bearrsquo

TOUR MANAGER Steph Cox Irsquom a multi-tasking tour and stage manager extraordinaire from Perth After realising that theatre was more than a hobby I did a Diploma of Live Production Theatre and Events at Box Hill Institute The arts festival circuit is fun and a good challenge Now Irsquove joined a circus school in Melbourne and I can practise hula hoops whilst looking after acrobats trapeze artists and clowns lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I tick things off listsrsquo TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Sam Doyle Irsquove worked in Melbourne across a wide range of mediums from live music to physical theatre and circus mostly in Marinerrsquos big venues but also at Malthouse Theatre for dance and theatre works Since my first work experience at National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in 2008 Irsquove gone from lighting operator to head electrician and now production manager Recently Irsquove worked with Steph at festivals across Australia and overseas lsquoTo fall sleep I name all the tools in my tool boxrsquo

BIOGRAPHIES

Still Awake StillA Production by Jump Leads and Jessica WilsonDevised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artistsInspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson

Still Awake Still is a funny anarchic musical theatre work with irresistible child-appeal and a sophistication that delights adults and children alike Itrsquos gloriously unpredictable and voluptuous with the glamour of a big night out

Part-concert part-theatre the entire show emerges like magic from beneath the lid of a grand piano Featuring superb acoustic music comic acting and a rich visual world of surprises Still Awake Still is a unique experience

The show features the legendary Miss Ivory Tinklefinger Queen of Sleep whose absurd task is to sing the audience to sleep On a magnificent grand piano she proudly performs her lullabies But not only does she fail to put a single child to sleep she also conjures two mischievous musical boys from the heart of the piano Whatrsquos happening Who is in control here And can she resist the temptation to join in

Inspired by parentsrsquo daily challenge of putting their little ones to bed Still Awake Still explores the tussle between order and chaos rest and play reason and intuition in a drama that celebrates the process of creativity

To view highlights go to httpvimeocom37639582 (NOTE we advise you to not show the children this video before they see the live performance as it might spoil the surprises) httpvimeocom37639582

SYNOPSIS

Image Credit Elizabeth Honey

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

8 9

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKSNB Links are given for Level 1 amp 2 but similar links could certainly be made for Levels F 3 and 4 within this resource

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Reading and Viewing Languagebull Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453)bull Identify visual representations of charactersrsquo actions reactions speech and thought processes in narratives and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words (ACELA1469)Literaturebull Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)Literacy bull Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events ideas and information in texts that they listen to view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context text structures and language features (ACELY1660)bull Discuss different texts on a similar topic identifying similarities and differences between the texts (ACELY1665)

Writing Languagebull Understand patterns of repetition and contrast in simple texts (ACELA1448)Literaturebull Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing writing performance and digital forms of communication (ACELT1586)bull Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593)Literacybull Construct texts featuring print visual and audio elements using software including word processing programs (ACELY1674)

CURRICULUM LINKS

9

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Speaking and Listening Languagebull Understand that language is used

in combination with other means of communication for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)

bull Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Literaturebull Express preferences for specific texts and

authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583)

bull Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts making connections with studentsrsquo own experiences (ACELT1582)

bull Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)

bull Compare opinions about characters events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

bull Identify reproduce and experiment with rhythmic sound and word patterns in poems chants rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)

Literacybull Make short presentations using some

introduced text structures and language for example opening statements (ACELY1657)

CURRICULUM LINKS

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

2 3

CONTENTS

This resource has been prepared for Regional Arts Victoria by Emily Atkins using stimulus material conceived by Jessica Wilson and Elizabeth Honey (as well as material developed by the New Victory Theater in New York) It is intended as a starting point for planning and thus remains very generally pitched so that teachers may differentiate to their classrsquo diverse ability and learning level

STILL AWAKE STILLJump Leads and Jessica WilsonPresented by Regional Arts Victoriarsquos Performing Arts Touring program

The performance runs for approximately 50 minutes without an interval and is available with a variety of companion workshops

2014 TOUR DATES29-30 May Theatre Royal Hobart TAS3 June Devonport Entertainment amp Convention Centre TAS7 June Portland Arts Centre VIC11 June Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre Mt Gambier SA14-15 June Adelaide Festival Centre SA30 June Kingston Arts CentreMoorabbin VIC3 July Drum Theatre Dandenong VIC5 July Wyndham Cultural Centre Werribee VIC8 August Mandurah Performing Arts Centre WA12 August Esperance Civic Centre WA15 August Margaret River Cultural Centre WA19 August Matt Dann Cultural Centre South Hedland WA22 August Darwin Entertainment Centre NT26 August Riverway Arts Centre Thuringowa QLD29 August Cairns Civic Theatre QLD5 September Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre NSW8 September Capitol Theatre Tamworth NSW16 September Civic Theatre Newcastle NSW19-20 September Riverside Theatres Parramatta NSW23-27 September Seymour Centre Sydney NSW1 October Darebin Arts Centre Preston VIC3 October Whitehorse Centre Nunawading VIC8-9 October Colac Otway Performing Arts amp Cultural Centre VIC11 October Geelong Performing Arts Centre VIC

Please contact individual venues for booking enquiries

BASIC INFORMATION

BASIC INFORMATION 3

BIOGRAPHIES 4

SYNOPSIS 9

CURRICULUM LINKS 10

BACKGROUND 12

PRE PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES 16

POST PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES 20

APPENDIX 24

FURTHER READING 25

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA 26

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

4 5

CREATIVE TEAM

Devised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artists Inspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson published by Allen amp Unwin DIRECTOR AND DEVISOR JESSICA WILSONMUSICAL DIRECTOR AND COMPOSER SUE JOHNSONLYRICIST ELIZABETH HONEYDESIGNER JONATHON OXLADELIGHTING DESIGNER PHIL LETHLEANCOLLABORATING WRITER JIM LASKODRAMATURG JULIANNE OBRIEN

PERFORMER DEVISERSMISS TINKLEFINGER CAROLYN CONNORS BASS BOY DAN WITTON RHYTHM BOY RENATO VACIRCA

2014 TOURS PRODUCED BY JESSICA WILSONEXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROSALIND PRICE

2011 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON PRODUCED BY ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYD

JUMP LEADS DIRECTORS ELIZABETH HONEY KEVIN PIERCE ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYDTOUR MANAGER STEPH COXTECHNICAL MANAGER SAM DOYLESET CONSTRUCTION MICHAEL BAXTER COSTUME CONSTRUCTION DAVID ANDERSONPROPS CONSTRUCTION TAMARA REWSE and DAVID MURPHYRIGGING DESIGN DARYLL JOHNVOICE OVER PHILIP NORMAN

BIOGRAPHIES

PRODUCERS Jump Leads is the engine behind Still Awake Still Wersquore a not-for-profit arts development company and this is our first show for young people We sparked the idea drove the project and supported this talented team to bring the work to your theatre After the excitement of premiere seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne this show simply wouldnrsquot go to bed ndash its been to New York and across the USA and now is with you as part of a big Australian tour We hope you all have a funny wide-awake time and head home singing and dreaming jumpleadsnet or stillawakestilltoursnet

DIRECTOR CO-PRODUCER TOUR MANAGER Jessica Wilson I direct and produce theatre shows with rich visual stories strong ideas and a mix of art forms (but not many words) My works range from large open-air spectacles and dark intimate theatre to participatory theatre in public places My award-winning Dr Egg And The Man With No Ear also toured North America in 2010 and my most recent How High The Sky is an interactive theatre piece for babies created with Polyglot Theatre jessicawilsoncomaulsquoTo get to sleep I think about breathing in and outrsquo

COMPOSER MUSICAL DIRECTOR Sue Johnson Irsquom the composer and musical director Years ago I helped form Cocorsquos Lunch a singing group pioneering original vocal music for adults and children Wersquove toured Australia Canada Europe and Asia and recorded 7 CDs Irsquove worked with Musica Viva Sydney Opera House and Playhouse Disney lectured at Victorian College of the Arts and toured with many of Australiarsquos great musicians Choirs around the world sing my songs wwwsuejohnsoncomaulsquoIf I canrsquot sleep I count beatsrsquo

LYRICIST BOOK AUTHOR JUMP LEADS DIRECTOR Elizabeth Honey I wrote the words to the songs I write childrenrsquos poetry picture books plays and novels including Not A Nibble The Cherry Dress Ten Blue Wrens Thatrsquos Not A Daffodil Donrsquot Pat The Wombat and 45 amp 47 Stella Street My books lead very exciting lives some win awards and are translated and now the songs from Irsquom Still Awake Still are in this show wwwelizabethhoneycomlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I imagine my body is a featherrsquo

DESIGNER Jonathon Oxlade I studied iIlustration and sculpture at Queensland College of Art and learned puppetry with Kid Praha in the Czech Republic My design tends to be funny and poetic Irsquove worked for theatre companies across Australia including Circa Windmill La Boite Queensland Theatre Company and Arena on shows for kids and adults Irsquove created installations and illustrated picture books I was Festival Designer for the 2010 Out of the Box Festival and designed a new look for Windmill Theatre wwwjonathonoxladecomlsquoI never canrsquot sleeprsquo

LIGHTING DESIGNER Philip Lethlean For over 25 years Irsquove lit up theatres circus tents buildings and spectacles around the world Recent projects include Australian Operarsquos La Fanciulla Del West by Puccini English National Ballet in China Australian and British National Day celebrations at EXPO Shanghai and DreamWorksrsquo USA tour of How To Train Your Dragon Irsquove received a Creative Fellowship from Australia Council for the Arts and several Helpmann and Green Room award nominations wwwlightdesignscomaulsquoGetting to sleep Well first I turn off the lightrsquo

PERFORMER (MISS TINKLEFINGER) Carolyn Connors Irsquom Miss T Singer instrumentalist performer composer teacher Irsquom always experimenting with my voice For over 20 years Irsquove worked in contemporary music improvisation cabaret and theatre in festivals nationally and internationally and been part of projects created for public spaces People have even written works especially for me to highlight my vocal and performance skills lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I have two hot cups of Bonox and put my head on my possum pillowrsquo

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

6 7

PERFORMER (BASS BOY) Dan Witton Hullo from Bass Boy Irsquom an actor physical performer musician composer sound designer and web developer Irsquove worked with all kinds of theatre companies State Theatre of South Australia Belvoir St Magpie Urban Dream Capsule Strange Fruit And I play bass in several bands the Ennio Morricone Experience Cosmo Cosmolino and the Wikimen In 1990 I co-founded Desoxy Theatre with Teresa Blake creating original performances that toured the worldlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I snore very loudly till my mouth is tired then I ask my nose to just be quiet so that my face can think about nothing so that some of us can get some rest around here and then therersquos a fight but itrsquos ok because there are some eyebrows to settle everything downrsquo

PERFORMER (RHYTHM BOY) Renato Vacirca Ciao Percussion Boy here Irsquom a singer musician painter and sculptor wrestler storyteller and performer I tour Australia and Europe as percussionist and instrumentalist with several bands VulgarGrad Croque Monsieur the Wikimen Tek Tek Ensemble and Johnny and the Johnny Johnnies Irsquove collaborated with many theatre companies and performance groups including Polyglot Snuff Puppets Aphids 5 Angry Men and Well Theatre CompanylsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I wrestle with my polar bearrsquo

TOUR MANAGER Steph Cox Irsquom a multi-tasking tour and stage manager extraordinaire from Perth After realising that theatre was more than a hobby I did a Diploma of Live Production Theatre and Events at Box Hill Institute The arts festival circuit is fun and a good challenge Now Irsquove joined a circus school in Melbourne and I can practise hula hoops whilst looking after acrobats trapeze artists and clowns lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I tick things off listsrsquo TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Sam Doyle Irsquove worked in Melbourne across a wide range of mediums from live music to physical theatre and circus mostly in Marinerrsquos big venues but also at Malthouse Theatre for dance and theatre works Since my first work experience at National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in 2008 Irsquove gone from lighting operator to head electrician and now production manager Recently Irsquove worked with Steph at festivals across Australia and overseas lsquoTo fall sleep I name all the tools in my tool boxrsquo

BIOGRAPHIES

Still Awake StillA Production by Jump Leads and Jessica WilsonDevised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artistsInspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson

Still Awake Still is a funny anarchic musical theatre work with irresistible child-appeal and a sophistication that delights adults and children alike Itrsquos gloriously unpredictable and voluptuous with the glamour of a big night out

Part-concert part-theatre the entire show emerges like magic from beneath the lid of a grand piano Featuring superb acoustic music comic acting and a rich visual world of surprises Still Awake Still is a unique experience

The show features the legendary Miss Ivory Tinklefinger Queen of Sleep whose absurd task is to sing the audience to sleep On a magnificent grand piano she proudly performs her lullabies But not only does she fail to put a single child to sleep she also conjures two mischievous musical boys from the heart of the piano Whatrsquos happening Who is in control here And can she resist the temptation to join in

Inspired by parentsrsquo daily challenge of putting their little ones to bed Still Awake Still explores the tussle between order and chaos rest and play reason and intuition in a drama that celebrates the process of creativity

To view highlights go to httpvimeocom37639582 (NOTE we advise you to not show the children this video before they see the live performance as it might spoil the surprises) httpvimeocom37639582

SYNOPSIS

Image Credit Elizabeth Honey

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

8 9

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKSNB Links are given for Level 1 amp 2 but similar links could certainly be made for Levels F 3 and 4 within this resource

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Reading and Viewing Languagebull Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453)bull Identify visual representations of charactersrsquo actions reactions speech and thought processes in narratives and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words (ACELA1469)Literaturebull Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)Literacy bull Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events ideas and information in texts that they listen to view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context text structures and language features (ACELY1660)bull Discuss different texts on a similar topic identifying similarities and differences between the texts (ACELY1665)

Writing Languagebull Understand patterns of repetition and contrast in simple texts (ACELA1448)Literaturebull Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing writing performance and digital forms of communication (ACELT1586)bull Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593)Literacybull Construct texts featuring print visual and audio elements using software including word processing programs (ACELY1674)

CURRICULUM LINKS

9

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Speaking and Listening Languagebull Understand that language is used

in combination with other means of communication for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)

bull Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Literaturebull Express preferences for specific texts and

authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583)

bull Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts making connections with studentsrsquo own experiences (ACELT1582)

bull Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)

bull Compare opinions about characters events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

bull Identify reproduce and experiment with rhythmic sound and word patterns in poems chants rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)

Literacybull Make short presentations using some

introduced text structures and language for example opening statements (ACELY1657)

CURRICULUM LINKS

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

4 5

CREATIVE TEAM

Devised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artists Inspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson published by Allen amp Unwin DIRECTOR AND DEVISOR JESSICA WILSONMUSICAL DIRECTOR AND COMPOSER SUE JOHNSONLYRICIST ELIZABETH HONEYDESIGNER JONATHON OXLADELIGHTING DESIGNER PHIL LETHLEANCOLLABORATING WRITER JIM LASKODRAMATURG JULIANNE OBRIEN

PERFORMER DEVISERSMISS TINKLEFINGER CAROLYN CONNORS BASS BOY DAN WITTON RHYTHM BOY RENATO VACIRCA

2014 TOURS PRODUCED BY JESSICA WILSONEXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROSALIND PRICE

2011 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE SEASON PRODUCED BY ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYD

JUMP LEADS DIRECTORS ELIZABETH HONEY KEVIN PIERCE ROSALIND PRICE and SHARON SEYDTOUR MANAGER STEPH COXTECHNICAL MANAGER SAM DOYLESET CONSTRUCTION MICHAEL BAXTER COSTUME CONSTRUCTION DAVID ANDERSONPROPS CONSTRUCTION TAMARA REWSE and DAVID MURPHYRIGGING DESIGN DARYLL JOHNVOICE OVER PHILIP NORMAN

BIOGRAPHIES

PRODUCERS Jump Leads is the engine behind Still Awake Still Wersquore a not-for-profit arts development company and this is our first show for young people We sparked the idea drove the project and supported this talented team to bring the work to your theatre After the excitement of premiere seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne this show simply wouldnrsquot go to bed ndash its been to New York and across the USA and now is with you as part of a big Australian tour We hope you all have a funny wide-awake time and head home singing and dreaming jumpleadsnet or stillawakestilltoursnet

DIRECTOR CO-PRODUCER TOUR MANAGER Jessica Wilson I direct and produce theatre shows with rich visual stories strong ideas and a mix of art forms (but not many words) My works range from large open-air spectacles and dark intimate theatre to participatory theatre in public places My award-winning Dr Egg And The Man With No Ear also toured North America in 2010 and my most recent How High The Sky is an interactive theatre piece for babies created with Polyglot Theatre jessicawilsoncomaulsquoTo get to sleep I think about breathing in and outrsquo

COMPOSER MUSICAL DIRECTOR Sue Johnson Irsquom the composer and musical director Years ago I helped form Cocorsquos Lunch a singing group pioneering original vocal music for adults and children Wersquove toured Australia Canada Europe and Asia and recorded 7 CDs Irsquove worked with Musica Viva Sydney Opera House and Playhouse Disney lectured at Victorian College of the Arts and toured with many of Australiarsquos great musicians Choirs around the world sing my songs wwwsuejohnsoncomaulsquoIf I canrsquot sleep I count beatsrsquo

LYRICIST BOOK AUTHOR JUMP LEADS DIRECTOR Elizabeth Honey I wrote the words to the songs I write childrenrsquos poetry picture books plays and novels including Not A Nibble The Cherry Dress Ten Blue Wrens Thatrsquos Not A Daffodil Donrsquot Pat The Wombat and 45 amp 47 Stella Street My books lead very exciting lives some win awards and are translated and now the songs from Irsquom Still Awake Still are in this show wwwelizabethhoneycomlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I imagine my body is a featherrsquo

DESIGNER Jonathon Oxlade I studied iIlustration and sculpture at Queensland College of Art and learned puppetry with Kid Praha in the Czech Republic My design tends to be funny and poetic Irsquove worked for theatre companies across Australia including Circa Windmill La Boite Queensland Theatre Company and Arena on shows for kids and adults Irsquove created installations and illustrated picture books I was Festival Designer for the 2010 Out of the Box Festival and designed a new look for Windmill Theatre wwwjonathonoxladecomlsquoI never canrsquot sleeprsquo

LIGHTING DESIGNER Philip Lethlean For over 25 years Irsquove lit up theatres circus tents buildings and spectacles around the world Recent projects include Australian Operarsquos La Fanciulla Del West by Puccini English National Ballet in China Australian and British National Day celebrations at EXPO Shanghai and DreamWorksrsquo USA tour of How To Train Your Dragon Irsquove received a Creative Fellowship from Australia Council for the Arts and several Helpmann and Green Room award nominations wwwlightdesignscomaulsquoGetting to sleep Well first I turn off the lightrsquo

PERFORMER (MISS TINKLEFINGER) Carolyn Connors Irsquom Miss T Singer instrumentalist performer composer teacher Irsquom always experimenting with my voice For over 20 years Irsquove worked in contemporary music improvisation cabaret and theatre in festivals nationally and internationally and been part of projects created for public spaces People have even written works especially for me to highlight my vocal and performance skills lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I have two hot cups of Bonox and put my head on my possum pillowrsquo

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

6 7

PERFORMER (BASS BOY) Dan Witton Hullo from Bass Boy Irsquom an actor physical performer musician composer sound designer and web developer Irsquove worked with all kinds of theatre companies State Theatre of South Australia Belvoir St Magpie Urban Dream Capsule Strange Fruit And I play bass in several bands the Ennio Morricone Experience Cosmo Cosmolino and the Wikimen In 1990 I co-founded Desoxy Theatre with Teresa Blake creating original performances that toured the worldlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I snore very loudly till my mouth is tired then I ask my nose to just be quiet so that my face can think about nothing so that some of us can get some rest around here and then therersquos a fight but itrsquos ok because there are some eyebrows to settle everything downrsquo

PERFORMER (RHYTHM BOY) Renato Vacirca Ciao Percussion Boy here Irsquom a singer musician painter and sculptor wrestler storyteller and performer I tour Australia and Europe as percussionist and instrumentalist with several bands VulgarGrad Croque Monsieur the Wikimen Tek Tek Ensemble and Johnny and the Johnny Johnnies Irsquove collaborated with many theatre companies and performance groups including Polyglot Snuff Puppets Aphids 5 Angry Men and Well Theatre CompanylsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I wrestle with my polar bearrsquo

TOUR MANAGER Steph Cox Irsquom a multi-tasking tour and stage manager extraordinaire from Perth After realising that theatre was more than a hobby I did a Diploma of Live Production Theatre and Events at Box Hill Institute The arts festival circuit is fun and a good challenge Now Irsquove joined a circus school in Melbourne and I can practise hula hoops whilst looking after acrobats trapeze artists and clowns lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I tick things off listsrsquo TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Sam Doyle Irsquove worked in Melbourne across a wide range of mediums from live music to physical theatre and circus mostly in Marinerrsquos big venues but also at Malthouse Theatre for dance and theatre works Since my first work experience at National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in 2008 Irsquove gone from lighting operator to head electrician and now production manager Recently Irsquove worked with Steph at festivals across Australia and overseas lsquoTo fall sleep I name all the tools in my tool boxrsquo

BIOGRAPHIES

Still Awake StillA Production by Jump Leads and Jessica WilsonDevised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artistsInspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson

Still Awake Still is a funny anarchic musical theatre work with irresistible child-appeal and a sophistication that delights adults and children alike Itrsquos gloriously unpredictable and voluptuous with the glamour of a big night out

Part-concert part-theatre the entire show emerges like magic from beneath the lid of a grand piano Featuring superb acoustic music comic acting and a rich visual world of surprises Still Awake Still is a unique experience

The show features the legendary Miss Ivory Tinklefinger Queen of Sleep whose absurd task is to sing the audience to sleep On a magnificent grand piano she proudly performs her lullabies But not only does she fail to put a single child to sleep she also conjures two mischievous musical boys from the heart of the piano Whatrsquos happening Who is in control here And can she resist the temptation to join in

Inspired by parentsrsquo daily challenge of putting their little ones to bed Still Awake Still explores the tussle between order and chaos rest and play reason and intuition in a drama that celebrates the process of creativity

To view highlights go to httpvimeocom37639582 (NOTE we advise you to not show the children this video before they see the live performance as it might spoil the surprises) httpvimeocom37639582

SYNOPSIS

Image Credit Elizabeth Honey

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

8 9

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKSNB Links are given for Level 1 amp 2 but similar links could certainly be made for Levels F 3 and 4 within this resource

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Reading and Viewing Languagebull Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453)bull Identify visual representations of charactersrsquo actions reactions speech and thought processes in narratives and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words (ACELA1469)Literaturebull Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)Literacy bull Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events ideas and information in texts that they listen to view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context text structures and language features (ACELY1660)bull Discuss different texts on a similar topic identifying similarities and differences between the texts (ACELY1665)

Writing Languagebull Understand patterns of repetition and contrast in simple texts (ACELA1448)Literaturebull Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing writing performance and digital forms of communication (ACELT1586)bull Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593)Literacybull Construct texts featuring print visual and audio elements using software including word processing programs (ACELY1674)

CURRICULUM LINKS

9

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Speaking and Listening Languagebull Understand that language is used

in combination with other means of communication for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)

bull Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Literaturebull Express preferences for specific texts and

authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583)

bull Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts making connections with studentsrsquo own experiences (ACELT1582)

bull Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)

bull Compare opinions about characters events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

bull Identify reproduce and experiment with rhythmic sound and word patterns in poems chants rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)

Literacybull Make short presentations using some

introduced text structures and language for example opening statements (ACELY1657)

CURRICULUM LINKS

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

6 7

PERFORMER (BASS BOY) Dan Witton Hullo from Bass Boy Irsquom an actor physical performer musician composer sound designer and web developer Irsquove worked with all kinds of theatre companies State Theatre of South Australia Belvoir St Magpie Urban Dream Capsule Strange Fruit And I play bass in several bands the Ennio Morricone Experience Cosmo Cosmolino and the Wikimen In 1990 I co-founded Desoxy Theatre with Teresa Blake creating original performances that toured the worldlsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I snore very loudly till my mouth is tired then I ask my nose to just be quiet so that my face can think about nothing so that some of us can get some rest around here and then therersquos a fight but itrsquos ok because there are some eyebrows to settle everything downrsquo

PERFORMER (RHYTHM BOY) Renato Vacirca Ciao Percussion Boy here Irsquom a singer musician painter and sculptor wrestler storyteller and performer I tour Australia and Europe as percussionist and instrumentalist with several bands VulgarGrad Croque Monsieur the Wikimen Tek Tek Ensemble and Johnny and the Johnny Johnnies Irsquove collaborated with many theatre companies and performance groups including Polyglot Snuff Puppets Aphids 5 Angry Men and Well Theatre CompanylsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I wrestle with my polar bearrsquo

TOUR MANAGER Steph Cox Irsquom a multi-tasking tour and stage manager extraordinaire from Perth After realising that theatre was more than a hobby I did a Diploma of Live Production Theatre and Events at Box Hill Institute The arts festival circuit is fun and a good challenge Now Irsquove joined a circus school in Melbourne and I can practise hula hoops whilst looking after acrobats trapeze artists and clowns lsquoWhen I canrsquot sleep I tick things off listsrsquo TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Sam Doyle Irsquove worked in Melbourne across a wide range of mediums from live music to physical theatre and circus mostly in Marinerrsquos big venues but also at Malthouse Theatre for dance and theatre works Since my first work experience at National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in 2008 Irsquove gone from lighting operator to head electrician and now production manager Recently Irsquove worked with Steph at festivals across Australia and overseas lsquoTo fall sleep I name all the tools in my tool boxrsquo

BIOGRAPHIES

Still Awake StillA Production by Jump Leads and Jessica WilsonDevised by Jessica Wilson with the collaborating artistsInspired by songs from the book Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson

Still Awake Still is a funny anarchic musical theatre work with irresistible child-appeal and a sophistication that delights adults and children alike Itrsquos gloriously unpredictable and voluptuous with the glamour of a big night out

Part-concert part-theatre the entire show emerges like magic from beneath the lid of a grand piano Featuring superb acoustic music comic acting and a rich visual world of surprises Still Awake Still is a unique experience

The show features the legendary Miss Ivory Tinklefinger Queen of Sleep whose absurd task is to sing the audience to sleep On a magnificent grand piano she proudly performs her lullabies But not only does she fail to put a single child to sleep she also conjures two mischievous musical boys from the heart of the piano Whatrsquos happening Who is in control here And can she resist the temptation to join in

Inspired by parentsrsquo daily challenge of putting their little ones to bed Still Awake Still explores the tussle between order and chaos rest and play reason and intuition in a drama that celebrates the process of creativity

To view highlights go to httpvimeocom37639582 (NOTE we advise you to not show the children this video before they see the live performance as it might spoil the surprises) httpvimeocom37639582

SYNOPSIS

Image Credit Elizabeth Honey

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

8 9

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKSNB Links are given for Level 1 amp 2 but similar links could certainly be made for Levels F 3 and 4 within this resource

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Reading and Viewing Languagebull Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453)bull Identify visual representations of charactersrsquo actions reactions speech and thought processes in narratives and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words (ACELA1469)Literaturebull Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)Literacy bull Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events ideas and information in texts that they listen to view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context text structures and language features (ACELY1660)bull Discuss different texts on a similar topic identifying similarities and differences between the texts (ACELY1665)

Writing Languagebull Understand patterns of repetition and contrast in simple texts (ACELA1448)Literaturebull Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing writing performance and digital forms of communication (ACELT1586)bull Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593)Literacybull Construct texts featuring print visual and audio elements using software including word processing programs (ACELY1674)

CURRICULUM LINKS

9

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Speaking and Listening Languagebull Understand that language is used

in combination with other means of communication for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)

bull Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Literaturebull Express preferences for specific texts and

authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583)

bull Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts making connections with studentsrsquo own experiences (ACELT1582)

bull Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)

bull Compare opinions about characters events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

bull Identify reproduce and experiment with rhythmic sound and word patterns in poems chants rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)

Literacybull Make short presentations using some

introduced text structures and language for example opening statements (ACELY1657)

CURRICULUM LINKS

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

8 9

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKSNB Links are given for Level 1 amp 2 but similar links could certainly be made for Levels F 3 and 4 within this resource

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Reading and Viewing Languagebull Compare different kinds of images in narrative and informative texts and discuss how they contribute to meaning (ACELA1453)bull Identify visual representations of charactersrsquo actions reactions speech and thought processes in narratives and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words (ACELA1469)Literaturebull Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)Literacy bull Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning about key events ideas and information in texts that they listen to view and read by drawing on growing knowledge of context text structures and language features (ACELY1660)bull Discuss different texts on a similar topic identifying similarities and differences between the texts (ACELY1665)

Writing Languagebull Understand patterns of repetition and contrast in simple texts (ACELA1448)Literaturebull Recreate texts imaginatively using drawing writing performance and digital forms of communication (ACELT1586)bull Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593)Literacybull Construct texts featuring print visual and audio elements using software including word processing programs (ACELY1674)

CURRICULUM LINKS

9

SUBJECT MODE DESCRIPTION

English

Speaking and Listening Languagebull Understand that language is used

in combination with other means of communication for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)

bull Identify language that can be used for appreciating texts and the qualities of people and things (ACELA1462)

Literaturebull Express preferences for specific texts and

authors and listen to the opinions of others (ACELT1583)

bull Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts making connections with studentsrsquo own experiences (ACELT1582)

bull Discuss how authors create characters using language and images (ACELT1581)

bull Compare opinions about characters events and settings in and between texts (ACELT1589)

bull Identify reproduce and experiment with rhythmic sound and word patterns in poems chants rhymes and songs (ACELT1592)

Literacybull Make short presentations using some

introduced text structures and language for example opening statements (ACELY1657)

CURRICULUM LINKS

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

10 11

BACKGROUND

THE STORY BEHIND THE SHOW

Still Awake Still is based on the songs which accompany a book called Irsquom Still Awake Still Herersquos how it all came about

One day over 8 years ago Allen amp Unwin Publisher Rosalind Price heard an editor singing sweetly in the office kitchen and she thought ldquoLetrsquos start a workplace choirrdquo After that editors authors illustrators designers and friends at Allen amp Unwin publishing house met weekly in their East Melbourne office to sing They were led by singer-songwriter Sue Johnson from the incomparable Cocorsquos Lunch vocal and percussion group

Then Rosalind had the idea to produce a bedtime story book with lullabies for young children Elizabeth Honey started playing with the story lyrics and pictures and swapped ideas for songs with Sue It was tricky to work out a story with songs woven through it Elizabeth wrote and doodled revised and refined until the text sounded just right (A picture book text is like a poem ndash every word counts ndash and the pictures do some of the work)

For Sue each lyric from Elizabeth was a puzzle to be solved How to match the spirit of the words She drew inspiration from many styles of musicldquoAs a child Irsquod fall asleep listening to my family playing violin piano and double bass downstairs Very comforting I chose piano as the central instrument for these songs so we recorded the piano track first Then I added layers of colour with other instruments and rich vocal harmonies from Nicola Eveleigh and Gabe McGregor (Cocorsquos Lunch singers)rdquo

CDs passed back and forth with rough versions of the songs Up until the final recording Sue played and sang all the parts And then TA DA Eight beautiful lullabies and a story on the final CD Sue and Elizabeth promoted the book with small performances in schools and bookshops and an improvised concert at The Boite Everyone came in pyjamas with pillows and teddies and they loved the songs So the idea for an off-beat musical theatre show took hold

The first step was to form Jump Leads - a non-profit arts company dedicated to producing bold new projects with independent artists Directors Sharon Seyd Kevin Pierce Rosalind Price Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson pooled their experience of theatre literature and music and set to work in the offices of Theatre Arts Export The first break was a commission from the Sydney Opera House Trust and an introduction to Director Jessica Wilson and Designer Jonathon Oxlade both acclaimed for their innovative theatre work for children

In figuring-out how to translate the book from page to stage Jessica felt that the whole show should spring out of a grand piano A new character called Miss Ivory Tinklefinger - pianist and dream whisperer - could sing the lullabies and the audience could take the part of Fiddy the sleepless boy

ldquoIt was difficult to find a lead performer who could sing wonderfully play piano masterfully act and have the right qualities to be our Miss Tinklefingerrdquo says Jessica ldquoThere were many auditions where we weighed-up the strengths of each performer We were lucky to find Carolyn Connors with Dan Witton and Renato Vacirca as her hilarious musical conspiratorsrdquo

All the artists worked with Jessica to shape a new story around the songs The workshop was an intense and playful time exploring musical physical and comical ideas It ended with a work- in-progress performance (called a lsquoshowingrsquo) for theatre people and families Everyone laughed and laughed The performers whorsquod had to learn lots of music very quickly were chuffed by the response

Jessica combined the best ideas from the workshop and showing and collaborated with dramaturges Jim Lasko and Julianne OrsquoBrien to create a scenario (A lsquodramaturgrsquo is like a doctor for plays A lsquoscenariorsquo describes the action and images to guide the artists during rehearsals)

MAKING THE SET PROPS AND COSTUMES

Jonathon Oxlade the designer says lsquoThe book was the first inspiration Wersquove used similar colours and shapes to those in the book Also the music has some great visuals that are not in the book but imagined by the listener Itrsquos fun to make up pictures to music Usually when designing a theatre show I start with sketches of the place the performers will play in In most cases this is some kind of set or stage In Still Awake Still it is a grand pianorsquo

lsquoSo our set is an instrumentrsquo Jonathon continues lsquoMore sketches of what goes on in our set follow and then we decide what we would like to keep in the show make mock ups of things to test and then draw up the final plans Then we make everythingrsquo

Jonathon had a model maker construct a tiny piano to help imagine what the piano might sit on A huge blue rostrum Using Jonathonrsquos careful plans Michael Baxter built the piano Jonathonrsquos talent and experience showed in the strong graceful design

Jonathonrsquos design for Miss Trsquos dress was the same Matisse red used in the illustrations in the book For the showing Miss Tinklefinger wore a gown made of black plastic sheet (Carolyn can make a roll of black plastic from the directorrsquos shed look good) David Anderson was the right person to make the real costumes because he designs for ballet where outfits must look spectacular but be easy to move in Miss T looked divine for the publicity photosbut can she sing with enormous hair Questions like these needed to be answered

A suit hire business was selling old stock David found two sets of tails exactly the right size for Dan and Renato He altered the tails to match Jonathonrsquos drawing

As for props lsquomaking lots of different things of varying sizes come out of a piano can be trickyrsquo says Jonathan lsquoEverything has to fit inside it mind you it is a magic pianorsquo Tamara Rewse and Morwenna Schenck turned Jonathonrsquos sketches into reality Strange objects and curious contraptions began to take shape

And then David Murphy came along He is an inventor who makes things for theatre that need engineering of some sort David worked out how to make the final image come out of the piano He invented objects that are like telescopes and that pack inside themselves and then can be pulled up to make the high white objects Each one is covered with fabric and lots of decoration so you donrsquot see how its being operated

BACKGROUND cont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

12 13

PRACTICING

Rosina Dorm 2 at the Abbotsford Convent became the rehearsal home First the freshly painted piano was delivered The room was large and packing blankets were hung around the walls to absorb the sound The convent was a haven away from the world Good coffee too

The rehearsal schedule was the master plan with each rehearsal detailed eg Character rehearsal Music rehearsal Prop rehearsal physical workshopping and blocking music morn theatre arvo It was all coming together Now the music and action could be performed in the right space with the real piano

The director Jessica sometimes showed how she wanted it to be but mostly asked the actors tp workshop ideas during rehearsal (thatrsquos where they try things out in front of the director) There was a lot for the actors to absorb

New props arrived daily and were artfully woven in The props were very playful and had to be kept under control They were also very technically challenging and presented problemsEveryone experimented contributing to the sound the look and humour of the show It was funny Jonathon wanted to stay and watch but he had to go and find props

and thatrsquos it We wonrsquot tell you any more or it will spoil the fun You must see the show

The text used for this BACKGROUND section is adapted from an exhibition that you may see in the theatre foyers when you attend the show make sure to look at the pictures and examples if you see it

BACKGROUND cont

ALL ABOUT SLEEP

1 What makes me sleepyIn groups ask students to write down their usual pre-bedtime routine It could be lsquobath then pyjamas then a story then listening to music in bedrsquo or lsquopyjamas then watch my favourite program then get into bed and fall straight to sleeprsquoAs a class write down as many steps and suggestions as possiblebull Which steps are the most and least common in the classbull If the whole classrsquo suggestions were put in a logical order as one big lsquoultimate sleep routinersquo what would the order be Do you think it would work in making Would it make someone sleepy Or would it be too confusing and wake them up againbull Write an imaginative funny sleep routine for an unusual character eg Mr Bean

2 What if I canrsquot sleepAsk students to list things that may stop them from sleeping (ie loud noises too much light too hot etc) Most of these things will be lsquofixablersquo (ie earplugs turn the light down put the fan on etc) Ask students to think about the things that arenrsquot immediately fixable (ie nightmares thinking too much feeling lsquowide awakersquo etc) Letrsquos call these lsquoawakenersrsquoDivide students into groups and assign them one awakener per group Ask them to come up with as many solutions to their awakener as they can and present to the rest of the class Encourage them to seek creative and inventive solutions as well as serious and practical ones

You may wish to divide the class into two halves and stand them facing each other lsquochorusrsquo style Make one side the lsquoAwakenersrsquo and the other the lsquoSolversrsquo Students should either step forward and mime an awakener (eg loud noises) or perform a brief improvised vignette as a group This could happen after a brief lsquohuddlersquo or with a more confident class could be entirely improvised The Solvers should then answer in a similar way with a solution - again a huddle may be necessary but keep it briefYou may wish to swap the Awakeners and the Solvers half way through the exercise

3 I donrsquot want to go to sleep In the poetry book Mongrel Doggerel Elizabeth Honey wrote several poems about bed and sleep The poem Get up Is a list of excuses for not getting up Using it as an example write the same sort of poem about going to sleep In pairs act out parent (amused exasperated determined resigned) and child coming up with ever-wilder excuses why they arenrsquot in bed asleep

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

14 15

SING ME A LULLABY

1 What is a lullabyAsk students lsquoWhat is a lullaby What makes a song a lullabyDid someone sing you to sleep when you were little What songs What lullabies can you think of Listen to the following famous lullabiesBrahms Lullaby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song - httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmosbull What do these songs have in commonbull How would you describe the music What instruments or sounds did you noticebull What instruments or sounds were deliberately not used left out

2 Making Writing our own lullaby Songs are like poems set to music Look at the words of Brahms Lullaby or the carol Silent nightBrainstorm words that might give a feeling of drowsiness eg silent night sleep star sky dream Words with long vowel sounds work well in a lullaby as they can be sung on long musical notes bull Write a simple line using words that suggest sleep Repeat it Then add a second line Can you sing It Shut your eyes Now sing it again slowly and quietlybull Sit students in a circle and begin by singing your chosen sectionsong at half the speed Does this helpbull Sing it again using hushed voices Does this help

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

Childrenrsquos picture book IrsquoM STILL AWAKE STILL

The story of the theatre show is completely different to the story in the picture book but both share the same songs

1 Reading the book before I see the showAs a class read Irsquom Still Awake Still by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnsonbull In what ways do you think Fiddy is like youbull Which character besides Fiddy is your favourite Whybull Which character do you think is the most helpful to him WhyIn groups choose a character and list as many ways as possible that they tried to help Fiddy Students may like to create a poster of their character with some key words listed

2 Listening to the lullabiesLie on the floor close your eyes and listen to the CD of the story and songs that comes with the book bull Do you think all the songs are lullabies bull How are they like the famous lullabies you discussed earlierbull How are they differentbull Do you think they still do the job of a lullaby Why or why notbull Which song is your favourite WhyListen to the song Hibernatinrsquo Ask students to move to the music paying attention to the sounds and tempo You may like to model this for them For example they might like to lsquoboprsquo up and down for some of the lsquojazzyrsquo parts or throw their arms out wide for the lsquohaaaaaaaaaiiiirsquo in lsquohaaaaaaaiiibernatinrsquo The idea is for students to think about the lsquoshapesrsquo different sounds may have You could try this exercise with any song on the CD

3 Those wonderful picturesLook at the illustrations in Irsquom Still Awake Stillbull Which is your favouritebull Which has the most excitementbull Which is the sleepiestChoose an illustration from the book and look at it together You may like to scan or photograph it so the class can study an enlargement Try for a clear reproduction of the artwork bull What sort of colours can you see (ie cool colours happy colours etc)bull What sorts of shapes have been used (ie swirly straight square spiky etc)bull How do you think Elizabeth Honey made this picture (ie marker paint computer etc) How can you tell

More detailed Teacher Notes for the book can be found athttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

16 17

GOING TO THE THEATRE

1 What is a theatre

Research the theatre where you will see Still Awake Still Find the answers to these questions in advance and use them as a guessing game bull When was the theatre built bull Who built itbull What sort of things happen there (ie orchestras bands kidrsquos shows weddings etc) bull How many people does it hold bull How many doors does it have bull How many lights bull How long before the show do we need to be there bull Where will we leave our bags bull How many bathrooms does the theatre have bull How many teachers will be coming with us bull How many rooms are there behind that stagebull What are those rooms used forbull What interesting things can you observe that might be part of the history of the theatre building

This game helps prepare students for what can be an overwhelming space for small children Itrsquos also fun to know facts and studying the building makes waiting for the show more interesting The children may find out some of the answers on the day

2 How is a theatre performance different from watching a movie at home

Some of your students may not have been to a live performance before or may not be aware of the etiquette Discuss the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a theatre performance bull Why canrsquot you eat food or slurp drinks in the theatre (Because theatres are precious public buildings that belong to all of us We should look after them) bull Why canrsquot you use your iPod or smartphone (It makes it hard for people around you to concentrate) bull Why should you clap whenever you like something (So performers know yoursquore enjoying their show) bull Why canrsquot you walk around (It distracts the performers and the audience besides in the dark you might trip and hurt yourself)bull Why should you watch the stage (So you donrsquot miss anything and the performers know yoursquore watching the show)

This doesnrsquot mean you must sit like statues in total silence How could you show your appreciation when something is exciting funny interesting or sad

THE SHAPE OF SOUNDS

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIEScont

1 That sound looks like a gumboot

Watch the following video clip from 435 onwards httpvimeocom37639582 Ask students to think about what sorts of sounds went with which objectsbull Do you think there were reasons that certain objects were chosen to go with certain sounds What were theybull What sorts of objects did you see Ask students to describe them in terms of their texture weight size and colour (ie furry heavy tiny pink etc)

You may also like to show students the first few minutes of the film lsquoFantasiarsquo where sounds arerepresented with abstract animation

2 Playing with Onomatopoeia (Say that five times fast)

In the show Still Awake Still the main character is named Miss Ivory TinkleFinger What a funny name ldquoTinklerdquo is an example of onomatopoeia The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (example buzz)

Step One As a group brainstorm words you can come up with that are onomatopoeic (example crackle hiss) Pick your favorite

Step Two Now itrsquos time for you to make up your own word - onomatopoeia style Take turns making noises Use your house as an inspiration Run the water in the sink What does that sound like (example sssppspsps)Have a pillow fight What does that sound likeHit a pot or pan with a spoon What does that sound like

Step Three What other noises can you make After a sound is made come up with an onomatopoeic name for that sound

Step Four Choose your favorite new onomatopoeia you came up with Now itrsquos time for you to come up with a silly character name

Name Generator Formula Pick a favorite color + Pick your favorite onomatopoeia + Pick a body part (example Mr Periwinkle CrackleKnuckle) Which name is the silliest

Bonus Play with silly voices What kind of person would have this name How would they walk How would they talk What would they wear

3 What sounds do I see with my eyes closedPlay students a piece of music rich in different sounds such as Mobyrsquos lsquoPorcelainrsquo or lsquoThe Planetsrsquo by

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

18 19

Holszt Ask students to listen with their eyes closed and think of what texture weight colour and or size the sounds they are hearing are

Choose three particularly interesting sounds and ask students what they lsquolookrsquo like As they share ideas try to draw a picture of each sound on the whiteboard with labels If you have an interactive whiteboard you may even like to import some textures and shapes to play with You may like to add personifying features such as eyes and mouth to play with ideas such as lsquoangry soundsrsquo orlsquohappy soundsrsquo

4 Making pet soundsIn small groups present students with a variety of materials for them to use to create one of the sound shapes created as a class or even some of their own They should take into account the making of textures colours and other features

Once complete they should give their sound a name This could be onomatopoeic (such as Bing)or just a name they think suits it (such as Roger)

Keep your pet sounds in the classroom and create an in-class lsquofocus memersquo where you hold up one of your pets and the class has to make the corresponding sound This can be excellent for getting students back on track after group work

WHATrsquoS NOT TO LOVE

1 FavouritesAs a class note all the parts of Still Awake Still that made you laugh made you excited or made you feel amazed Narrow your list down to 3 memorable moments from the show - you may like to put it to a vote

For each of the three class lsquofavouritesrsquo considerbull What it was exactly that made it funny exciting or amazingbull Did it reminded you of anything funny exciting or amazing that you have seen before (you are trying to tease out some associations or links students may have with the piece) bull Did it give you an idea your own musicartworkdramawriting

Draw pictures of your favourite moment and write a sentence using some of the ideas discussed above

2 Being a ReviewerRead some of the film reviews at httpwwwkidspickflickscoMbull What sort of information do they give you (ie main themes what they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the films) bull What sort of information do they leave out (ie anything that would lsquospoilrsquo the ending or anything that isnrsquot relevant to the movie itself)

Watch this video review at Kids First - You may wish to use this as a model for your students to review Still Awake Still

3 Dear Jump LeadsAs you already know the team at Jump Leads have worked very hard on Still Awake Still They love to hear your applause at the end of the show of course but what they love even MORE is receiving letters from their audience Write a letter to them includingbull A short explanation of who you arebull How you found out about Still Awake Stillbull Your favourite moment from the showbull One creative idea that you have had since watching the show (students may need some examples)

Send letters toJump Leads co RAVGPO Box 1799 Melbourne VIC 3001or email them to mnuttravnetau and they will be forwarded on WHAT FITS IN A PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

TEACHER TIP When leading a performance reflection discussion use the following model of critical responseDESCRIBE (I saw or heardhellip)Analyze (I wonderhellip)Interpret (I think feelhellip)Evaluate (I believehellip)

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

20 21

1 Pianos arenrsquot THAT bigAs a class list everything that came out of the piano Write your list on a piece of paper and head outdoors Once in the playground stand students on a patch of plain asphalt and give them a piece of chalk eachGo through the list assigning each student a different item One by one they should draw the item on the asphalt at the approximate size they think it is No drawing should cover another but they should all be clustered as closely as possible Once all items have been drawn in chalk measure the area around cluster You may decide to use centimetres or lsquoGrade 2srsquo as your unit of measurement it is up to youNext take students to look at your schoolrsquos piano if you have one If not look up measurements for a standard grand piano online and use thosebull Ask students whether even without the all important strings inside the piano all of the items on the list could really fit insidebull How many couldbull Would it be a good idea Why or why not

2 How did they do itLooking again at the piano ask students where they think the items were hiding Some of them may have noticed the black fabric hanging below the piano Explain to them that this is a very common lsquotrickrsquo in puppetry and theatrebull What other lsquotricksrsquo did they notice in Still Awake Stillbull Do you think the piano stool really barked How was that donebull Do you think there was a whole bear inside the piano How was that donebull Any other ideas

3 Diorama-ramaShow students the famous lsquocarpet bag scenersquo from Mary Poppins as another example of an itemfitting far more than it should inside itAsk students to work in groups and decide onbull A large hollow item (ie box cupboard fridge washing machine etc)bull 5 things that together would NOT fit inside (ie monsters pot plants lamps etc)Students should work in groups using a variety of materials such as boxes fabric lids etc to create dioramas of their item with parts of their chosen items hanging out The more engineer- minded students may wish to figure out ways that the effect could be created onstage for an audience How does a Jack-in-a-box work

THE MAGICAL PIANO

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1 Discuss what the piano represented in the Still Awake Stillbull What did it dobull When did it do itbull In the story who was making that happenbull Did Miss Tinklefinger make things happenbull Did you - the audience - help her (these questions might be too leading please use as a starting point)

Miss Tinklefingerrsquos piano was full of surprises Some people say itrsquos just her imagination If you had a piano what would come out of it Draw your piano (or teacher prepares outines of piano on photocopy page) then make a collage using pencils paint bits of paper string and any old thing

When you are finished upload your pianoscape onto the Still Awake Still Facebook page so everyone can enjoy it wwwfacebookcomSAStours

Look at Elizabeth Honeyrsquos collage of a piano as an example (if useful)

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

22 23

1 Playing with MaterialsAsk students to bring in a small torch from home - even tiny keyring torches will doDim the lights in your classroom and ask students to work in pairs to investigate the way light looks with a variety of materials - try different types of paper fabric and plastic with a variety of transparency texture and colour Ask students to them to bring in anything that might look interesting with light shining through it or on itAsk students to experiment noting for each itembull the effect of shining light in front of behind from above and from below the itembull the effect of shining light from far away up close and in the middlebull the effect of moving light from side to side up and down or in a circular motion (this is particularly interesting with metallic or textured itemsAsk students to choose their three favourite items and write one sentence explaining what they like about the way it works with light (eg lsquoThe light through the blue cellophane made me feel like I was under waterrsquo or lsquoI liked the way the light changed to green when it shone through the fabricrsquo)

2 Looking at ShapesAsk students to choose three simple shapes (choosing from square circle triangle and diamond) and sketch a sculpture that uses them together They may wish to add frills spikes or swirls but the design should be fairly abstract using the sculptures from the end of Still Awake Still for inspiration More technically-minded students may wish to attempt moving parts in their design

Students should then decide which of their simple shapes will be made from which material and how each section will be lit by their torch

3 Making it WorkSteps to Sculptural Wondermentbull Model how students can make the 4 basic shapes using wooden pop sticksbull Older students may be able to create their shapes in 3D (cube sphere pyramid and diamond prism)bull Once the lsquoframelsquo is complete ask students to glue their fabric plastic or paper tightly onto the wood using PVA glue Allow to drybull Using their sketch as a guide ask students to attach their shapes to each other using computer cable ties or pieces of woolbull Hang sculptures low from the ceiling and allow students to play with lighting them with their torchesYou may even play some music and ask them to create an impromptu light show to accompany it

POST - PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Appendix - My Sleep Routine

Th

en

I

Wh

en

itrsquos

tim

e fo

r b

ed

th

e f

irst

th

ing

I d

o is

By

this

tim

e I

am

fee

ling

Ne

xt I

like

to

F

ina

lly

A

nd

th

en

I fa

ll a

sle

ep

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

STILL AWAKE STILLResource for Teachers

24 25

WEBSITES

Regional Arts Victoria wwwravnetau

Jump Leadshttpwwwjumpleadsnet

FacebookcomSAStours

Highlight Reel for Still Awake Stillhttpvimeocom37639582

HooplaKIDZ TV ndash Why Do We Have to Sleephttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LbyecrbSfO0 Kids Health ndash Why Do I Need to Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidtalkqasleephtml Kids Health ndash What to Do if You Canrsquot Sleephttpkidshealthorgkidstay_healthybodycant_sleephtmltracking=K_RelatedArticle

Brahms Lullaby ndash Hayley Westenrahttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=hvarOXBDkqI Hush Little Baby ndash Kiboomu Kids Songshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=LwdPCWTstBs Skye Boat Song ndash The Corrieshttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=86egt8PDmos

Irsquom Still Awake Still Teacher Resource ndash Allen and Unwinhttpwwwallenandunwincom_uploadsBookPdfTeachersNotes9781741753219pdf

Kids Pick Flicks ndash Film Reviews for and by Childrenhttpwwwkidspickflickscom Kids First - Review of lsquoEpicrsquohttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=f3UpcysL1jwamplist=TLeC_La1DryEYu5mfHYMY7KSBQmYzXdpEl

Mary Poppins - Carpet Bag Scenehttpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=T3-LZx8NF8k

Contact the RAV team at educationravnetau with further questions or even better examples of your work

FURTHER READING

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak Victorian agency resourcing and supporting contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice In the more than 40 years since its establishment RAV has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the concept that art practice is critical to building capacity and self-determination in communities It is proud of its reputation as a contemporary inventive and responsive organisation working with vision passion and a strong understanding of the challenges and aspirations of the communities that form its regional constituency

Regional Arts Victoria initiates facilitates and celebrates the arts in regional Victoria through Creative Communities Victoria Education and Families Performing Arts Touring and Regional Arts Development programs

We do this by

bull Working with artists and regional communities to create high-quality artbull Playing a major role in developing regional arts networks tours projects programs skills development and fundingbull Providing leadership and support to our networks in regional Victoriabull Celebrating the diversity of cultural experience in regional Victoriabull Collaborating with partners in business local state and federal government sponsors and education organisationsbull Striving for excellence through benchmarking and continuous improvement processes

Performing Arts Touring is Regional Arts Victoriarsquos tour coordinating program that works to broker agreements between presenters and producers resulting in tours of a diverse range of performing arts productions

Touring forums such as Long Paddock and Showcase Victoria introduce presenters to a diverse range of producers and their work offering new Australian drama theatre classics childrenrsquos theatre contemporary dance comedy musical theatre physical theatre world music circus opera ballet and classical music

Working side-by-side with PAT is Education and Families Regional Arts Victoriarsquos program for children and young people Each year we take a variety of arts experiences on the road across Victoria from Mallacoota to Murrayville and Heywood to Corryong reaching over 25000 young people

Education and Families tours are AusVELS and VCE linked and include drama music dance literature visual arts and multimedia activities and connect with curriculum areas such as Humanities English and Citizenship

Regional Arts Victoria provides young people across Victoria with the opportunity to experience engage with and participate in high-quality live performing and visual arts Our school incursion program is an inspiring contemporary and educational way to promote the value of the arts to young people within communities

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria

copy 2014