Forums > Social Discussion > play workshops for 7000 kids
Login/Join to ParticipateBRONZE Member
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
Posted:
Just thought I would get some more input on one of the projects I am working on in Thailand... circus workshops and play days for refugee kids...
I want to get ideas that I may not have thought of, so I am asking your suggestions on the following challenge:
We have four days in , and twelve teacher/performers. We have 7000 kids. yes, that is 7000... yikes. they dont speak english, or even thai( mostly) We speak five different languages, none of us speak burmese or hill tribe dialects though.
So, four days, twelve people,some toys--- what can you do?
We have face painting, balloons, balls, bubbles for the masses, and intend to offer play workshops, mostly just fun ones, in things like poi, juggling, hula hoop, acro balance and break dance...
We will have toys to donate,some art supply kits( these get left with the schools to divvy up) hula hoops, and silly things like hair clips, sparkles,and stickers... The small things will be given out one for each kids, so everyone gets something... even if it is just a hair bobble. Keep in mind they dont have these things at all!
What is realistic in such a short time frame with so many? Intention just to bring joy and entertainment, keep in mind some of these kids literally have nothing. Nothing. Never seen white folk, no toys to use, never heard of a circus. So they will be quite overwhelmed, as will we.
So how would you handle this to bring the most pleasure and most brilliant expereince to the most kids? How to keep seven thousand excited kids under some sort of control?
Practical tips needed. Like for example, we may need to do a draw or a lottery to determine who gets into some workshops, while others are open activities... Some get divided by age group. others by interest...How to arrange this? how to structure face painting, so you dont get trampled? What paints best for that kind of massive amount?
We have done some of this before, but I am just process how extremely challenging this bit of the activities will be...All the other locations are organized, when I deal with a few hundred kids at a time. It is just the number 7000- 10000 of so extremely disadvantaged kids that I find a tad overwhelming!
Any help would be great!
Andrea
You can find out more specifics under the events thread... thai circus
Just thought I would get some more input on one of the projects I am working on in Thailand... circus workshops and play days for refugee kids...
I want to get ideas that I may not have thought of, so I am asking your suggestions on the following challenge:
We have four days in , and twelve teacher/performers. We have 7000 kids. yes, that is 7000... yikes. they dont speak english, or even thai( mostly) We speak five different languages, none of us speak burmese or hill tribe dialects though.
So, four days, twelve people,some toys--- what can you do?
We have face painting, balloons, balls, bubbles for the masses, and intend to offer play workshops, mostly just fun ones, in things like poi, juggling, hula hoop, acro balance and break dance...
We will have toys to donate,some art supply kits( these get left with the schools to divvy up) hula hoops, and silly things like hair clips, sparkles,and stickers... The small things will be given out one for each kids, so everyone gets something... even if it is just a hair bobble. Keep in mind they dont have these things at all!
What is realistic in such a short time frame with so many? Intention just to bring joy and entertainment, keep in mind some of these kids literally have nothing. Nothing. Never seen white folk, no toys to use, never heard of a circus. So they will be quite overwhelmed, as will we.
So how would you handle this to bring the most pleasure and most brilliant expereince to the most kids? How to keep seven thousand excited kids under some sort of control?
Practical tips needed. Like for example, we may need to do a draw or a lottery to determine who gets into some workshops, while others are open activities... Some get divided by age group. others by interest...How to arrange this? how to structure face painting, so you dont get trampled? What paints best for that kind of massive amount?
We have done some of this before, but I am just process how extremely challenging this bit of the activities will be...All the other locations are organized, when I deal with a few hundred kids at a time. It is just the number 7000- 10000 of so extremely disadvantaged kids that I find a tad overwhelming!
Any help would be great!
Andrea
You can find out more specifics under the events thread... thai circus
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
BRONZE Member
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
Posted:
Well, the workshops with the small groups of a hundred or so, are going really well... we are having a blast, and so are the kids. The team is amazing, and we are finding a real brilliant groove after an exhausting start.
In fact I am still exhausted, dancing on two broken toes, lack of sleep, a serious cold..... and a massive amount of JOY! Tonight our performance was amazing, at a little village of Akha tribe. They were blown away. Best audience I ever had, responded aloud to every little thing, you knew they were right there with you every step of the way. These old old women, born before time began, laughing their heads off and applauding the partner acro balance, coming up to me after and saying with mouths dripping red betel" we LIKE" and the kids, giggle monsters, ohhhhing and awing, loving every minute.
All the performers, beaming, shining, radiant, high off the love of this crowd, who had never seen anything like this before. wild.
The day of workshops was also a high, but man, what energy it takes. we all collapsed to sleep after. poi, hoop, breakdance, staff, juggling and devil sticks today, and some group games like a hoop obstacle course.
The last performance and workshops were way up in the mountain, Meean tribe. They were a good group to start with, well ordered, sweet as can be. They did some traditional dance as a surprise for us... the view was astounding too... if you could tear your eyes away from the laughing happy kids!
We do need to work on our group games, they get better and better each day but we need more for the camps for sure.
What else to say. It was hard putting this together, and continues to be hard. But now we get the pay off, the joy circulating around is palpable. All those little faces grinning beneath the paint and stickers, whipping toys around their heads and attaching themselves to 2 meter high falungs... what a riot.Really, Laughing for Life. So much love here.
Pics will get posted soon, we have some amazing vid and pics from Nao and Thomas who are spectacularly talented at everything they do, including photography.
love ya
a
Well, the workshops with the small groups of a hundred or so, are going really well... we are having a blast, and so are the kids. The team is amazing, and we are finding a real brilliant groove after an exhausting start.
In fact I am still exhausted, dancing on two broken toes, lack of sleep, a serious cold..... and a massive amount of JOY! Tonight our performance was amazing, at a little village of Akha tribe. They were blown away. Best audience I ever had, responded aloud to every little thing, you knew they were right there with you every step of the way. These old old women, born before time began, laughing their heads off and applauding the partner acro balance, coming up to me after and saying with mouths dripping red betel" we LIKE" and the kids, giggle monsters, ohhhhing and awing, loving every minute.
All the performers, beaming, shining, radiant, high off the love of this crowd, who had never seen anything like this before. wild.
The day of workshops was also a high, but man, what energy it takes. we all collapsed to sleep after. poi, hoop, breakdance, staff, juggling and devil sticks today, and some group games like a hoop obstacle course.
The last performance and workshops were way up in the mountain, Meean tribe. They were a good group to start with, well ordered, sweet as can be. They did some traditional dance as a surprise for us... the view was astounding too... if you could tear your eyes away from the laughing happy kids!
We do need to work on our group games, they get better and better each day but we need more for the camps for sure.
What else to say. It was hard putting this together, and continues to be hard. But now we get the pay off, the joy circulating around is palpable. All those little faces grinning beneath the paint and stickers, whipping toys around their heads and attaching themselves to 2 meter high falungs... what a riot.Really, Laughing for Life. So much love here.
Pics will get posted soon, we have some amazing vid and pics from Nao and Thomas who are spectacularly talented at everything they do, including photography.
love ya
a
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
Stargazer
6,650 posts
6,650 posts
Posted:
Photography?
where can we see?
keep it up, Ma'm (whatever your last name is) 
(sighs his way and kicks firefans) 
Photography?
where can we see? keep it up, Ma'm (whatever your last name is) (sighs his way and kicks firefans) the best smiles are the ones you lead to 
SILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia
Posted:
I am so so happy to read this follow up, Andrea. And I concur completely with your observations about the importance pof a support person for you when you are running a big project. 'Key offsider' we call them. Ideally their job is to know what you know and be able to support you to do what you do. Or at least there for you to be just human with when you;re not being superhuman!
And like Scully, I am well happy to be a tiny bit of that online for you even though I can't be there...
I am so so happy to read this follow up, Andrea. And I concur completely with your observations about the importance pof a support person for you when you are running a big project. 'Key offsider' we call them. Ideally their job is to know what you know and be able to support you to do what you do. Or at least there for you to be just human with when you;re not being superhuman!
And like Scully, I am well happy to be a tiny bit of that online for you even though I can't be there...
.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Posted:
Great job Andrea!
Great job Andrea! Because ActiveAngel sounds like a feminine deodorant
Like sex, I'm much more interesting in real life than online.
'Be the change you want to see in the world around you' - Ghandi
GOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales
Posted:
I'm glad that even though it's proving to be hard work that the joy out weights the ouchies!
I'm glad that even though it's proving to be hard work that the joy out weights the ouchies!
Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!
enthusiast
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.
242 posts
Location: L.O.N.D.O.N.
Posted:
Sounds like a blast! Keep up the fab work.
Matt x
Sounds like a blast! Keep up the fab work.
Matt x
BRONZE Member
grumpy poorly froggy
3,999 posts
Location: Nuneaton, United Kingdom
grumpy poorly froggy
3,999 posts
Location: Nuneaton, United Kingdom
Posted:
you really are an inspiration, there should be more people in the world ready to work hard to improve others lives, even if it stressful
you really are an inspiration, there should be more people in the world ready to work hard to improve others lives, even if it stressful
Life's too short to worry about where you put your marshmallows
BRONZE Member
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada
Posted:
thomas's pictures
picasaweb.google.com/fuzzmeister
thomas's pictures
picasaweb.google.com/fuzzmeister
"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."
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