Stan's Cafe: Training
Support Us
THE CLEANSING OF CONSTANCE BROWN presented by STAN'S CAFE
@ A E Harris, 1st - 19th March, 18.30 & 20.30 (running time 70min)
(no perfs. Sundays or Mondays)
TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS ARE NOW AVAILABLE VIA THE MAC BOX OFFICE
In late 2002 Stan's Cafe were commissioned by Creative Partnership to devise a
training day for teachers. The day was intended to encourage participants to
take risks as an essential element of creativity.
The result was A City Adventure in which, a few days before the
day itself, a series of mysterious envelopes arrive through the
post for the participants. They contain: instructions to meet a
partner in the Town or City centre, a spy camera (used to take
the images here), a mini-map of the city and second large envelope
to be opened on the day itself.
The second envelope contains a creative challenge and two further
envelopes. These envelopes promise differing risks and rewards.
Once a choice has been made the rejected envelope is discarded,
the chosen envelope opened, this contains a further task plus
two envelopes. This process is repeated until five creative tasks have been completed.
Participants gather for lunch and debrief on their adventures
- the choices they made and what they achieved. The rest of
the afternoon is taken up with discussions and theoretical
exercises. At the end of the day participants hear the text
they generated through the morning transformed into a poem
and the images they took on their cameras edited and projected for everyone to see.
Such was the success of the first City Adventure that further
editions have been created regularly in Birmingham and Nottingham,
for Creative Partnerships, The Arts Council, Connexions and
individual schools. Participant numbers have ranged from 16 to 90.
Desperate Men have produced two City Adventures under licence in
Bristol with Third Angel producing a further version in Sheffield.
A documentation CD-ROM has been created as an optional extra
- a way of keeping memories of the day fresh.
The Original 'Risk Day' was commissioned by Rob Elkington
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham (latterly Bright Space (now reborn as Arts Connect))
Concept: James Yarker
Orignal & Most Versions: Craig Stephens and James Yarker
Additional Versions by: Jake Oldershaw
Regular Guest Artists Have Included:
Benny Semp (Mr.Origami/Harmoninca), Chris Dugrenier (Hand Massage), Mat Beckett (Sounds),
Graeme Rose (Various), Ana Rutter (Various), Johnny O'Hanlon (Various), Kerrie Reading (Various)
Karen Stafford (Various), Jack Trow (Various)
We Have Also Had The Indulgence Of Various People Organisations:
Mission Print (Screen Printing), Blissbody (pyros), Brian Duffy (origami),
The Town Hall, The Pen Museum, The Framers,
St.Paul's Gallery, Made.
We would also like to thank all the Creative Agents, Teachers and Headteachers who
have put their faith in us over the years.
Diary
- December, 2002
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 24th June, 2003
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 18th July, 2003
for Mayfield School, Birmingham
- 5th December, 2003
Bristol (by The Desperate Men) - 26th March, 2004
for Creative Partnerships, Nottingham - 23rd June, 2004
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 4th March, 2005
for Creative Partnerships, Nottingham - 24th March, 2005
for Forestdale School, Birmingham - 11th April, 2005
for Raeside School, Birmingham - 9th June, 2005
for Greenwood Junior School, Nottingham - 18th July, 2005
for Creative Partnerships, Nottingham - 5th September, 2005
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 6th September, 2005
for Frankley Community High School, Birmingham - 31st October, 2005
Iron Bridge - 6th - 8th December 2005
for Creative Partnerships, S.W.London - 4th January, 2006
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 26th May, 2006
for St.Albans School, Birmingham - 9th June, 2006
for Woodbridge School, Nottingham - 28th September, 2006
for Creative Partnerships, Birmingham - 20th October, 2006
for Creative Partnerships, Stoke - 3rd October, 2007
for Loughborough University Students Guild - 28th February, 2008
for Brightspace, Birmingham - 1st May, 2008
for Christ The King Primary, Birmingham - 25th February, 2009
for Bordesley Green Primary, Birmingham - 23rd September, 2010
for Virtual College, Birmingham - 14th September, 2011
for Lindsworth School, Birmingham - 15th November, 2012
for Billesley Primary School, Birmingham - 2nd September, 2014
for Rowley Park Primary Academy, Stafford - 19th November, 2014
for Arts Council England, Birmingham - 14th July, 2015
for Arts Council England, Manchester - 2nd September, 2015
for Central England Teacher Training, Birmingham - 4th September, 2015
for Tiverton Primary School, Birmingham - 14th September, 2016
for Central England Teacher Training, Birmingham - 4th September, 2017
for Billesley Primary School, Birmingham