48 minutes of just talking

Quest 1 and Quest 2 came out of REAL LESSONS for the project, together we would work out a plan of when to meet and how frequently.  It was decided to take alternate turns of 3 hour morning sessions, with 2 hour afternoons with the two groups, 7 & 5 students, x 5 days of artist's time for the first stage, 5 days second stage.  This second stage involved a lot of organisation and maybe not enough making art time.  The boys would take out their planners and book me in, weeks apart, to let change happen, ideas to cook.  I would ask the students what they were missing, Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, P.E., Maths, Science and Dance were mentioned. I fretted a bit, was keen that their teachers wouldn't feel they were missing out on their education.  The whole process became a journey of discovery.  I had done lots of social engagement projects, but never done anything like this before, nor had the school and nor had the students.  It was all about having faith!


After being out and about, in different environs, doing completely different journeys, meeting folk, working on separate story lines, it became time for the two groups come together in the art room since first meeting, to share their separate responses to the Quest.  This was risky, we all try not to look at each other, twelve 13 year old lads, one big table and a very small artist.  After working in separate 'teams' will they trust sharing information and ideas. I explain that I only intended to work with 8/10 students, and that with 16 of them, I had to divide them into two groups. (Note to self: take time out to ponder on this decision).... But now we need to come together.  I wait. I gulp. Suddenly, there is loads of talking and we enter the second stages with a mad whirl, organising thoughts, ideas, creative responses and ownership of the outcomes of the journey - the key point is about how we will share the story.  Who would be interested I ask, they reply confidently, parents, our teachers, other teachers, young children, people who like photography and film. 

Ali remarks, "Jill, we have one boring podcast
called 48 Minutes of Just Talking".

I place an audio recording device to record the think tank process, the tiny machine sits gleaming on the table which focuses their attention.  I hope I have remembered to press the right red button to record.  Quest 2 says to Quest 1, your photographic images need a commentary.  Quest 1 to Quest 2, your film needs a storyline.  Crikes, I think, why didn't I have a teacher's lesson plan?  Why didn't we carefully project, plan and document along the way and leave things tidy?  Instead, the lads have generated masses of creative ideas & documented with dig cameras & flip video, captured sound and made amazing comic drawings, written children's story and stuff galore in fab fast and furious journal entries? But how to edit!!!

Alternatively, will the lads become a LEGEND...be like a local attraction..their names printed high on one of those visitor roadsign boards.  Hmm.  Food for thought.  Meanwhile, life in the media suite with every single questarian doing a different individual student led task - eeeeeeeeeek - my brain goes into wobble.  Then I notice the boys are cracking on by themselves.  Andrew starts to make a iPhoto album with Charlie, Henry is showing the others how to find digital files to sort our image directories, George and Harry are working on a performance, James is pulling together their film clips, Chris researching NSPCC, Eden & Jacob are drawing, Will writing up a reflective diary.  In the midst of all this sorting out, Ali has recorded his solo piano playing in the music room and is now sorting out audio files.