Karcultaby Area School
Karcultaby Area School is located in the Le-Hunte/Streaky Bay region of South Australia. It had an enrolment of 87 students in 2007.
The student body is largely mono-cultural with Anglo-Saxon making up the large majority. Karcultaby Area School is a Category 5 school in terms of disadvantage. It is an Area School, which caters for students from K–12.
The majority of students live on farms or in one of two small rural towns – Poochera or Minnipa. The farming community was affected quite dramatically by the drought last season. The school was built in 1977 and is situated in a paddock.
PROJECT COORDINATOR: Melissa Wendland and Bec Petty
ARTIST: Stephen Noonan
PROJECT: ‘Circus in a Paddock’ – circus/physical theatre project
Aims:
For students to:
- have fun and gain confidence in using a variety of new performing skills and techniques;
- experience working with a professional artist;
- develop team working skills;
- use creative, imaginative and lateral thinking processes through the development of a performance;
- explore experiences, ideas, feelings and understandings through making, interpreting and performing;
- develop new skills and ideas and apply them to a finished product;
- experience the thrill of putting on a presentation; and
- develop an understanding of the possibility of arts as a career option.
For the school to:
- have improved access to rare opportunities for our students;
- involve teachers in a fun and interesting training session with the artist;
- involve the wider community in a fun session with the artist;
- encourage community collaboration;
- improve the reputation of arts within the school;
- put on a presentation showcasing and celebrating our student’s artistic skills; and
- link the performing arts with other curriculum areas, especially Health/PE.
The Artist:
Stephen is a South Australian actor and community arts worker. He is a core member of Unreasonable Adults and Yashchin Ensemble and has performed with para//elo, Restless Dance Company, Dance Exchange, Heliograph Productions, Slack Taxi, kneeHIGH, Safe Chamber, Soft Crash, Poutlet Dance as well as a number of independent SA choreographers. Stephen has performed and taught extensively overseas including an Asialink Residency in Hong Kong in 2003. In 2007 Stephen was selected to be an artist on Carclew Youth Arts’ first CARGO tour in Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla working with a range of primary school students on a physical theatre project, Transformation.
The Process:
- Grant submission was written.
- Parents and Friends were consulted in regards to providing additional funding for artists accommodation, should the submission be successful.
- Submission was successful.
- Staff, students and community members were advised of the project.
- Contact was made with the visiting Artist, Stephen Noonan who informed us of the materials he needed and any preparatory work to be undertaken.
- Required materials were ordered/obtained.
- Year 7 students designed rola-bola planks in ART, incorporating a circus theme.
- Middle School students made juggling balls using birdseed and balloons during Pastoral Care.
- Year 9 Home Ec students cut and edged scarves for juggling.
- A time-table was prepared for all classes to be involved in the project.
- Stephen was introduced to students at a whole school assembly.
- Classes were each time-tabled to spend one lesson per day with Stephen.
- Younger students helped to make more juggling balls.
- Year 9 Home Ec students designed and made another pair of stilt pants.
- A final presentation was planned.
- Parents and community members were invited to the performance in the school Activity Room. This was done via the School Newsletter and on individual invitations promoting the event.
- Stephen was thanked and presented with a gift. Other contributors to the performance were also thanked.
- The performance was planned in conjunction with a 30 year school celebration.
- All families contributed to a pooled luncheon.
- Parents were invited to stay and join in on a “Come and Try Session”.
- Photos and a write up of the event featured in the School Newsletter, Local newspaper – “The West Coast Sentinel” and a youth publication put out by Mid West Health titled “Wired”.
- Evaluation form was completed.
Outcomes:
The majority of the intended aims outlined were achieved.
The most significant one was arguably that the students got to be involved in a different experience. Some students were able to show they were quite skilful in areas such as balancing on rola-bolas, juggling, using diablos, spinning plates, performing “magic”, forming human pyramids, basic theatrics – two students mastered stilt walking and featured as the main presenters.
Highlights:
- Abbey (Year 7) and Bonnie (Year 8) hosted the circus because they had the best vantage point—on stilts!! They did a great job maintaining their balance fro the duration of the performance.
- The R-1 class entertained us with a circus song, followed by some balancing acts.
- The Year 2/3/4 class also did some balancing acts.
- The Year 5/6 class showcased more balancing acts and some juggling.
- The Year 7/8 class did some magic with newspapers along with some entertainment using chairs. Juggling and plate spinning also featured in their act.
- The year 9/10 group did some table sliding, balancing using rola-bolas, and some braved attempts of riding the unicycle, the most difficult act of all to master.
All in all, it was a great hour of circus fun. In between each act audience attention was focussed on a digital presentation put together by some of the senior students. This showcased the rehearsals and the training leading up to the day. Later in the day, parents were given the opportunity to have a go at some of the acts to see just how much the students had progressed.
It was great to see so many parents and community members come along to enjoy the performance.
‘As an artist who works in schools it is essential to have a thorough understanding your artform. This project has given me more confidence in this context and it reminds me that I work as an arts educator because I teach what I need to learn more about. I am an advocate of life long leaning and this AIS program fostered a rich learning opportunity for both the students and myself.’ Artist
‘It was great to see some students, who are not always engaged in the classroom, showing a lot of persistence and enthusiasm… Many students and parents went to see Circus Ole in Adelaide during the School holidays and several commented on how much the school experience inspired them to attend… Some of our students have indicated an interest in circus equipment for Christmas!’ Project Coordinator
85 students participated in this project
