St. Jakobi Lutheran School
St. Jakobi Lutheran School is a primary school located in the Barossa region of South Australia. With an enrolment of 160 students, the student body includes students from Anglo-Saxon and German heritage, some of whom are from families that have long been established in the Barossa region. Many students are from farming families and travel from the nearby towns of Williamstown, Kersbrook, Sandy Creek and Lyndoch to come to the school.
The school receives strong community support, with parents and extended families demonstrating strong interest and involvement in all facets of the students’ development. Students are encouraged to look after each other and there is a strong sense of community amongst students, particularly between senior and junior classes.
PROJECT COORDINATOR: Jacqui Edwards
ARTIST: Ruben De Waal
PROJECT: Under the Big Top
Aims:
The project aims were to develop the students’ performance skills, enthusiasm, and love of performing arts by providing genuine first hand experience of working alongside a professional artist. The project sought to build on the students’ current experiences and knowledge of the performing arts, gained through the schools’ existing drama and dance curriculum, by providing opportunities for skills development in the circus arts.
The project objectives were to provide students with the opportunity to:
- Build confidence in the performing arts through rehearsal, skills development and performance with the support of a professional artist and teaching staff.
- Share their learning with their peers, to give encouragement and build a sense of community.
- Create routines in conjunction with the artist and develop group work and individual skills.
- Present their skills as part of a performance for the school community.
The Artist:
Ruben de Waal commenced working as a circus artist in 1998. Since then his juggling, stilt walking and performance skills have taken him across Australia as well as Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, Denmark and Scotland. From conducting school workshops to performing at international festivals, Ruben has a range of circus arts experience and has entertained young and old alike with his blend of circus skills and comedy. Ruben views circus and performance as a great way for children to learn co-operation with others, confidence in themselves and gain personal fitness in a fun and stimulating way.
The Process:
Before starting the project, Ruben met with the school project coordinator, Jacqui Edwards to plan what would happen week by week. This planning process included a mud map that identified the following:
- Strategy for complete school involvement
Ruben was resident at the school 2 days per week over a period of 6 weeks (12 days in total). During this time 4 classes participated in hour-long circus skill sessions that focused on the introduction, practice, and presentation of the following skills:
- Week 1 - Juggling & Diabolo
- Week 3 - Circus routine development
- Week 4 - Acrobalance for Yrs 5 - 7
- Week 5 - Performance group rehearsals
As the project progressed, Ruben and Jacqui maintained a flexible attitude and altered their planning of the final performance to suit the students' needs and skill level.
Outcomes:
The workshop sessions culminated in two circus performances that took place on Thursday, 22 June and Friday, 23 June at The Lyndoch Institute Hall, Lyndoch. The performances featured clown routines, spinning plate and diabolo routines, balancing clubs, rhythm sticks, juggling, acrobalance, dance and gymnastic tricks. Feedback from the audience was resoundingly positive, with most commenting about how confidently the students performed and how polished the performances were considering the duration of the project.
Two classes from Lyndoch Primary attended our Thursday performance, and family and friends of the students attended the Friday performance. Since the performances, the school has been approached by a Kindy in Gawler for some students to share their skills, and the school is also considering offering their skills to a Carols by Candlelight in Nuriootpa run by Redeemer Lutheran Primary.
As a result of this project, students have had the opportunity to learn a specific range of circus and performance skills and have learned what is expected in terms of “good audience” behaviour and how to genuinely encourage their peers. On performance days, students were often heard encouraging one another and the project has built a greater sense of confidence and collaboration amongst students.
The project was received enthusiastically by students. Staff have since been surprised by the breadth of interest in circus skills and how many students have been keen enough to go out and purchase their own equipment to keep their skills up. The school has now purchased 8 diabolo sets, all of which are being used at play times by keen ‘spinners’. Teachers have found that students who are not very ‘sporty’ are also taking up diabolo, and that some of these students have shown great persistence with their skills and also found it to be helping them socially. There has also been a wave of interest with the younger siblings of those involved in the sessions, some of them out-shining their elder brothers or sisters!
Highlights:
'As much as the performance was a resounding success, it was the process that I see as the highlight. Often the product produced is the most important, and students will remember our performance for a long time, but I was privileged to witness the growth of individuals over the course of this project and that was fantastic. The effect within each child that experienced this project cannot be quantified. We will never know the long lasting effects that Ruben and this project has had on these kids, but I do know that the experience was positive for all and that each child will take something different from the time shared.'
'This project was certainly a very intense time for our school community and for our whole school timetable, but the positives that I see in our community far outweigh any negatives. I see children learning new skills, trying new things, being more confident in front of an audience and I see groups of children working together. I see enthusiasm and a buzz throughout the school that only a project like this can start. It was so important to have Ruben, an outsider, to come into our community to share his skills. It brought fresh ideas and skills into our community and has started a wave that will continue for who knows how long.' Project Coordinator
'We have learnt lots of tricks and skills.... The thing I’m enjoying most is juggling... I want to do circus skills for the rest of my life. I remember thinking I was really bad at circus stuff, but by about the third week I found something I could do. I feel good about what I did at the performance… I think Ruben is the best person I’ve ever met. I wish he didn’t have to go... This term is the most exciting term ever... I loved performing in front of people and I loved getting applause'. Students
80 students were involved in this project.
