Category: Workshops

Yesterday we were so happy to be back to Grange Big Local Fun Palace! This year it took place in the beautiful new Tarling Road Community Centre in East Finchley. 

We stayed in a spot surrounded by children activities and many parents came to us to rest a bit while their kids were entertained doing other stuff. 

Anna, Sasha, John, Aiden, Victoria, Hanan, Alma, Matty, Einat, Gabi, Ameila, Alice, Nick and Courtney came to make dolls. We made 10 dolls. There were a couple of team work when parent and child made the same doll together. A beautiful moment happened when a dad and his two kids meditated together while embraced to each other. 

‘It takes approx 30 minutes to fill the doll with dreams + a heart. It would take 73 days non stop (24 hours per day) to fill 3500 dolls.’ 

‘My family lives in Israel. My mum’s mum made me one of these puppets with sticks, playdough, different colours and pen.’ 

‘I had a lovely time making a doll as part of the Dreams and a Heart project run by a lovely lady named Regina. I look forward to seeing the project when it is launched. Lovely kind idea.’

Thank you so much Julia for the invitation and for all the hard work to organize the event, thank you for all the team who helped Julia to make sure everything was running smoothly, and thank you so much for all makers. 

It was first time I was served food while running a workshop. A tray full of different types of sandwiches, we could chose as many as we wanted, and they offered many times during the afternoon. Delicious! 

It is brilliant how Fun Palaces weekend has spread all over UK and abroad. Wonderful Stella, Fun Palaces’ mum, says that it is a weekend of action, it is the community at the heart of culture, it is local people sharing skills and creating tiny revolutions. 

We are honoured to participate for the third time in Fun Palace and can’t wait for the coming one next year. 

Yesterday we did the second D&D event on ‘What can role-play gaming and theatre learn from each other?’ at Omnibus Theatre, London.

It was my second time playing Dungeons and Dragons. My group was five players plus a master. We had big challenges for three hours inside a tavern. I was a gnome. We always helped each other going upstairs and downstairs inside the house trying to resolve scary situations all the time. I felt the urge to go outside in the nature many times but every time I tried to do it something happened that made it not possible, too many weird urgent things happened inside that tavern!

The second half of the event we did Open Space also for three hours. Vivienne made one doll and I made three while listening to conversations about theatre and D&D game.

Thank you so much Adventures Wanted Chloe and Chris for the invitation and Sarah for opening the space for us. We had inspiring conversations and lots of fun!

This week we went to another great D&D event ‘What can we do to support and represent awesome women in the arts?’ at Cambridge Junction in Cambridge UK.

The makers were Lucy, Rachel, Martha, Shereen, Jean, Emily and Cath. We made seven dolls. 

‘I felt empowered because I created with a group of women a creature with a beating heart! It pumped life into me. Thank you! ‘

‘I’m not keen crafts person so wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, and  in some respects I found the discussion flowed more easily within this group then some of the others. There was a quiet intimacy and Regina’s energy was so lovely to be around.’ 

I loved to spend the afternoon in conversation with awesome women. We all gathered together to help each other.  

Nick was the only man in the event because he helped to organise it. I hope next time men will come and have conversation with us.  

Thank you so much Ruth and Hannah for the invitation, Nick and Olivia for holding the space and thank you for all makers. 

Olivia led the introduction for the first time and did it brilliantly! And at the end of the event we had the most magical bell’s ritual ever, thank you all! 

We had a fantastic weekend at Wapping Open Studios. We made dolls at Happiness at Work studio last Friday and Saturday and on Sunday we worked all day at Moorings Hermitage.

The makers were Mary, Julia, Mayou, Helen, Simon, Henry, Jenny, Edith, Nick, Olivia, Tasia, Nina, Krishma Moorthy, Shobha, Kripa, Coco, Tina, James, Fiona, Andreas and Angelos. Henry and Jenny made a doll together, Jenry. 

We made 20 dolls in total, 8 of them are sailors. First time we worked on a floor that rocked over the water. Before we left the moorings they all played at the ship’s wheel.

‘A total inspiration, if only we all had dreams and peace. Thank you Regina.’

’Nice peaceful experience.’

‘An amazing experience, journey really, that begins with a simple exercise and ends with an unexpected awareness of what is created, felt and embraced through the mind and soul.’

‘Let the world be at peace all times.’

’An experience that grows on you as you create a body that lives with a heart, and maybe a liver too! A calming and warm session.’

‘I’m hoping this will help people look outward. A great project.’ 

‘This was an unique experience and a labour of love to make a doll rich with symbolism. It was a fantastic ice breaker in a new community, to take time out of the day to day and to focus on creating, while being gently and lovingly guided by Regina.’ 

‘Lovely to meet you, your project really warmed my heart.’

Thank you so much Mayou for inviting us to the WOS19 and for organizing all the event with such amount of care and love. I had the most beautiful birthday ever, an unique experience at the moorings and a weekend surrounded by adorable people. I am really honoured and grateful, thank you! 
       
                                             

Yesterday we were all together in another Emergency D&D. The first one was in July 2016 just after Brexit referendum.

The event yesterday was an invitation by Ben, he asked us ‘What action can we take as the arts sector in response to the proroguing of parliament?’

Jo, Kelsie and Rachel came to make dolls, we made 6 dolls and we meditated.

The dolls answered to Ben – they want to queue to the sky. They are going to get help. 

A huge thank you to Ben for inviting us to an essential event, thank you so much Phelim, Nick, Olivia, Sarah and all D&D team who organised everything in just one week, to BAC for the wonderful space and thank you so much for all makers who helped us to be nearer the sky.

We are going to reach the stars together. 

We will learn how to live in our beautiful blue planet. 

The queue is getting higher and higher…  

We were at The Great Fête Summer Festival at Ally Pally yesterday. We received less people than last year. Why? I guess it was because the bunting Dreams and a Heart was hidden between trees behind us and nobody could see it. People probably thought we were another group making picnic as most of people around. 

We changed the bunting and put them right in front of our spot. Few minutes later a family came to join us. Last year we were at the same spot but the bunting was more visible in between a tree and a beautiful totem pole that is not there anymore.

The makers Gabi, Sheila, Joe, Fiona, Kibi, Branwen, Leo and Sebastian made 9 dolls. Fiona brought her pillow full of dreams, thank you Fiona!  

‘This is a truly amazing project, a beautiful initiative. I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.’

‘What a touching and wonderful project. I really enjoyed meeting Regina and hearing about her project. Can’t wait to see it in exhibition!’

‘I felt great because I felt free and excited about this project. I loved it and I hope you can keep on with your work.’ 

‘I think this was good, it was a nice thing to do.’

‘I absolutely love the Dreams and a Heart project. I think it has such a special message showing that although we are all different we all have dreams + a heart and are all connected in that way. It is such a positive idea that I believe it will go worldwide.’ 

Thank so much Marine for inviting us again for the festival, a huge thank you to Gabi who came to help me, and a special thank you for all the makers. It was a pleasant calm session in a wonderful environment, thank you everyone! 

This week we had fantastic three days at Tête à Tête The Opera Festival at The Place in London. 

Eliana, Ethan, Riley, Courtney, Alexa, Denise, Tracy-Gein, Katarine, Sasha, Bill, Anna, David, Louise, Rebecca, Aron, Karen, Neyire, Matthew, Arthur, Jenny, Sarah, Sarah, Hannah and Jared were our makers. 

We made 25 dolls, five of them I finished at home. 

Bill meditated with his doll in two different evenings- a double meditation that has never happened before! He wondered if doing so he would give Gerald, his doll, super powers. Gerard was born with a swollen left leg at the bottom but after few hours it was totally fine. I am convinced that double meditation works, Gerald has already revealed he has a super power to heal quickly.

There were three different shows every evening and most makers wanted to watch all of them so they came back in between shows to keep working on their dolls. I hid makers’ names inside their dolls just to be sure whose they were. However it was very easy for them to identify their dolls despite they are all very similar. It always happens like this, makers always recognise them. 

A huge thank you for Bill, Anna and all team who took care of us, and for all makers, we were happy together during three days, it was wonderful, Thank You!