Ray Brown's launch of 'In All Beginnings'

Challenging yet exciting

Serene Leong writes:

Serene Leong

Heading to my first event at The New Headingley Club, I was mixed with emotions of excitement, anxiety and nervousness. That was the first time I was meeting the literature and arts lovers of the Headingley LitFest community. 

I checked the bus timings again and made sure I wouldn't be late for the show. Within minutes of getting there, I was greeted with smiley faces and was immediately welcomed by the committee. I helped out with leaflets, feedback forms, collected tickets by the door and even got the chance to talk to the director and actors! 

Throughout the next month, I attended various events and got to know people and listen to their stories. Working with the committee was challenging yet exciting. I was given freedom to organise my work schedule and voice out my opinions for input. Headingley LitFest is made up of volunteers passionate for the arts and promoting it within their community. This small and intimate setting allowed me to realise my potential for initiatives and at the same time starting up something on my own, the LitFest Instagram.  

I am grateful for this opportunity to work with a group of talented and dedicated individuals. I made friends and I experienced new things. I’ve been to Headingley before, but Headingley LitFest brought me to places I didn’t know existed. Thank you for welcoming me into the Headingley LitFest community with loving arms. It’s been a fun ride and I can’t wait to get involved next year again!

(Serene was our student intern this year)

Thinking about next year already...

Dates for the next LitFest are 7 - 23 March 2016, but there will be 'Between the Lines' events before then. 

The theme will be INTRIGUES.

Poetry at Ralph Thoresby

Sally Bavage writes:
Thanks to funding from the Outer North West area management committee of Leeds City Council, managed by Headingley LitFest, a poetry ‘slam’ was held at Ralph Thoresby on the last evening of term.  The audience of 100+ clapped, whooped and hollered as young people bared their souls in original words both spoken and sung.  And two dance teams from the school left us even more impressed with the energy and talent that today’s youngsters can generate. 

The audience comments at the end of this report tell most of the story: the quotes that follow are those of the young poets themselves when interviewed just before the performance began.

I got experience of performing in settings with proper audiences; it was a chance to get involved.

You mingle with other talented people, especially those from Leeds City Academy.

We get real feedback from other students and our teachers.

Slamming – so enjoyed it!

I have really enjoyed the workshops, as they focused on different things each session.  I have gained good skills in writing poetry.

It was fun!  Everyone got really involved.

“Teamwork”  I made a good group of friends, so easier to perform in front of each audience.

It boosted my confidence and I now can read out poetry to an audience without feeling too shy.

[Michelle] made me feel like a proper writer.

It helped improve my confidence and writing skills – and I have noticed this in other subjects too.

No-one had a bad word for anyone in the group, so refreshing.  Michelle was really inspiring.

The workshops were well designed as we gave feedback to each other each week.

We all got on really well, and I made a new group of friends.  All of us have started writing and/or reading for pleasure now; it wasn’t like that before.

It was a ‘safe’ zone where you could work with different year groups to share a love of creative writing that wasn’t frowned upon.

And, not least, headteacher Will Carr commented that “this sort of work is vital.  It offers an opportunity for self-expression in a safe environment to children of all abilities. Writing and creativity just for fun – so different from much of what children get offered at this age.  It is recognised by Ofsted  that enhancement opportunities such as this offer students a chance to create an ethos where it’s OK to be creative and excel at literary pursuits.  It gives them a chance to explore their leadership qualities too."

As Michelle said at the start of the evening: “We expect children to be soooo much, so many things.  Writing introspectively can help them find themselves.” 

Many poetic themes were covered: loneliness, nature (even mud), bullying, happiness, shadows and the monsters that hide there, letters to younger selves or daughters of the future, explanations of dark events, even the flirting of middle-aged women.  A real mix of emotions, genres, rhythms and ideas.  Something Else indeed.

Thanks to the young poets involved: Alex, Amber, Emma B, Emma R, Casey, Daniel, Faye, Freya, Hannah, Mya, Nida, Lucas, Lucy and Una. 

Thanks too to the skilful and mesmerising dancers Alice, Becky and Freya from year 11, and the body-popping ‘Rough Diamonds’ new group from year 7 as well as Megan and Phoebe who volunteered to organise and sell refreshments in the interval.

Thanks for the easy jazz riffs and funky tones are also due to two young musicians, Tom and Owen – one of whom said that it had been “just the best night, just fantastic.”  The audience felt the same way too, as you can read below.

And, of course, what wonderful leadership from young Nida as mentor and compere for the evening, Michelle Scally Clarke (poet, performance coach, writer and director) herself, with Stella Litras on keyboards to accompany the singers. Other staff were there to give their technical and moral support, a lovely thing on the evening at the end of a very long term.

Especial thanks to English teacher Kate Wolstenholme who made the poetry flow.  Really a team effort, this time the words unspoken in the body language of the young people who inhabited the stage with such professional aplomb. Final word to the headteacher: “Wow.  Amazing, inspiring, uplifting, extraordinary. Wish I had been able to do that at their age!”  So where might it lead our performers?  Poet Laureate indeed.

The poems that were read were titled:  I talk Back, To My Five year Old Self, Mud, Beautiful, Octopus Revolution, Moss on the Rocks, Watching Grass Grow, Hand in Hand, It's Over, I Just Thought That You Should Know, My Home, Advice to My Daughter, Daughter of the Railway, ... and That's What the Life Sentence is For.

Audience comments:

                                                   Photo:  Sally Bavage

Showcasing new talent with plenty of ability.  A very good production with a nice warm compere.  Excellent.  Let’s do it again!

An excellent event, representing a really good selection of emerging and established talent.  It was a very inspirational set of performers to see!

Fantastic, very enjoyable – tremendous talent

My son is writing and performing poetry which is something I did not think would ever happen!  I am 100% certain it is down to the incredible inspiration that the writing group has provided along with tireless energy, hard work and support from his English teacher and the visiting author.  Thank you so much for helping him to find his voice and progress into owning it.

Very good entertaining evening

Fantastic allowing the children to express their thoughts

Really high standard of talent and creativity

We liked Nida because she was confident, spoke clearly and showed emotion when saying her amazing poem

Great to see children enjoying these things, being encouraged to express themselves and have the confidence to do it

Really enjoyed the evening

Fantastic show.

It was great to see all the kids’ work and creativity and for them to have this chance to perform their work.  Thank you!

This was a brilliant show of talent – keep it up.

Great platform to showcase young creativity and talent

Fantastic evening, showcasing Ralph Thoresby’s talented hard-working students.  Thank you.

Great venue.  Really nice to see the kids grow in confidence.

First half = AMAZING.  Second half = EVEN MORE AMAZING!!!

What a wonderful opportunity and delight to experience.  Thank you.

Again, fantastic.  What great talent.

Very very enjoyable.  Recommend everyone to see it.

I really liked Tom and Owen’s music. I also liked Stella’s music.  I really enjoyed tonight.

The Yerney Project by Ray Brown

L-R  Dick Downing, Stephen Anderson, Jem Dobbs, Everal A Walsh, Jamie Smelt, Derrick "Digger" Holt                          Photos: Richard Wilcocks

CAST

Yerney  Derrick “Digger” Holt

Jurincic, Andrew, Thief, Bosnian  Dick Downing

Judge, Jailer, Inkeeper, Mayor   Jem Dobbs

Gostach   Stephen Anderson

Italian father, Spy, Costic, Micho   Everal A. Walsh

Young Sitar, Tony, Koshir, Prison Cart Driver   Jamie Smelt

Stage manager and script writer    Ray Brown

Roberta Stabilini writes:

Yerney is an old farmer and former bailiff. He has been working near his hometown, earning the respect of the local community. The story begins when a new young bailiff takes Yerney’s place when his partner dies.  Even though he is the son of Yerney’s old master, with whom Yerney worked for forty years, he bullies him, telling him that he is old, and that he should find some other place to stay (“Time flows. All things must end”). Yerney tries to reason with him, telling him that he and Sitar built that master house together when they were young. But when he realises that he cannot convince Young Sitar, he decides to go look for justice by himself.

     Ray Brown      

Thus, failing to get justice from the local Mayor, Yerney goes to Ljubljana to discuss his situation in court. However, the judges do not take him seriously because of his clothes, his countryside manners and his repeated and agitated requests to “put this on paper.”  As a result of his talk with the judges, Yerney gets very upset and thus is sent to prison. However, despite the hostile circumstances, he keeps asking for “justice for those who deserve it, and mercy for those who don’t.”

He is aware of the rightfulness of his behaviour and he is determined to be treated according to his rights “When justice is done, they will be ashamed. They will regret their behaviour.”

Despite all the previous vexations, Yerney decides to go to Vienna, the capital of the empire, to speak with the Emperor himself.  Once again, he is not taken seriously; he is jailed, mistreated  and then shipped back to his hometown.  The play ends when Yerney goes back to Sitar’s house to get his pipe and the house is set on fire.

The story of Yerney is told very realistically and movingly in The Yerney Project. The play perfectly portrays the indifference of powerful, corrupt men in front of the requests of an old, poor, hard-working countryman.  The Yerney Project is a quest for justice, in which Yerney bravely strives to find the meaning of his life, of all those years spent working, only to discover he would lose his place in the community once old.

The play was beautifully staged by the actors, who succeeded in mesmerising the audience throughout the performance.  A wonderful opportunity to see a Slovene classic with so many echoes for today.

Ray Brown based his play on a novel by Ivan Cankar (d1918) - you can find out about him by clicking HERE.

Audience comments:

Wonderful.  Very moving!  Superb actors.

So good to have the opportunity to see new work.  Thank you.

Very interesting play – the innocent who believes in justice and still retains his dignity despite his maltreatment.  Very good performances and moving too.

Very engaging.  Well performed and imagined for a confined space.  Lots of energy and interesting adaptation.

Enjoyed ‘intimate’ presentation in a small space.  Actors appeared to be speaking to us individually.  In turn therefore possible to follow the ‘plot’ because every actor could represent a number of players, so it was enabled to enlarge the political system against the individual.

Felt the piece was very intense and the inevitability somewhat crushing/saddening.  Found it had great universal  truth and therefore engaging.  Greatly enjoyed the work of the cast.

Ideal venue for performance.  Well acted, great clear characterisations.  Poignant story well told.

A moral and affecting piece.  Excellent performances all round.  A very worthwhile evening.

Very interesting – good to have a play from a different cultural background.  Well performed.

This was my first time at LitFest and I came because I am Slovene.  I was interested in this particular event because I know the original short novel this play is based on.  I was very impressed and enjoyed the play very much.  It was cleverly written and very well performed.  I would be interested in coming to more events organised by LitFest in the future.

A brilliant piece of writing, powerful and timeless (unfortunately!)

A very good opportunity to see a new (I think) and v interesting piece of work without the cost or hassle of going to the theatre in town.  Thank you.  Well worth seeing and well done.

Very good, suitable venue.  Very thought-provoking play.  Well done.

A gripping play – very glad I came.

I thoroughly enjoyed the play.  It was engrossing, credible and took me wholly along with the story of Yerney.  The author captured the despair of a dispossessed simple man.

Excellent and moving tale of injustice.  Well researched and well performed.

A very enjoyable, well acted and well written performance worth the trip out.

Well written, acted and a comfortable venue.

A real heartfelt play. Full of soul during time of hardship!

Very powerful play.  Excellent writing and construction – very poignant.  Well acted, and spoken – deserves a wider audience and prestigious venue.

Interesting project.  Good acting.  Perhaps next year we can have some sporting interest, hopefully cricket!

I found the play gripping and the plot very plausible.  One felt sympathy for Yerney – we should be grateful for Legal Aid and Citizens Advice Bureaux!  Well acted – each character was well defined. 

Bravo a tutti

It was amazing play that I’ve ever seen before.  The script (story) and actors have carried the audience to another dimension.  Thank you for arranging this play and the unexpected night.

Very well acted.  Moving, depressing but worthwhile. A good adaptation.  Thank you!

Excellent. Atmospheric, funny, poignant and powerful.  Very punchy, well acted.

Unusual subject and period of interesting mix of accents to bring the characters to life.  Well executed play

Powerful drama, well acted by excellent cast. 

Excellent!

Excellent acting.  Ending was too fast to follow.

Really enjoyed it.

Great to see a ‘read’ performance.  V enjoyable storytelling that echoed so much present injustice!  Let’s have more.

Very moving play, very well performed by company.  Lots of food for thought.

Very powerful and moving radio play

Thought-provoking original new work.

Really vivid portrayal.  Moving and real.

Very impressive performance of a fascinating play.

Debate on censorship at Ralph Thoresby School

The two teams. In the middle - Paul Thomas

Sheila Chapman writes:

The tricky subject of censorship in art was tackled at Ralph Thoresby school tonight. The motion was ‘Artistic expression should never be censored’ and two teams from the school respectively supported and opposed the motion.

It was interesting to see the rules of debate ( explained most carefully by the Chair, Paul Thomas from Leeds Salon) applied to the proceedings because they enabled each side to expound their reasoning without either unduly dominating proceedings (all the presentations were time limited) or being interrupted by the other side.

Some of the arguments in favour of the motion were:

‘You cannot keep things in the dark – people have to make their decisions about issues with full information.’

‘Who are the censors? Do they have an agenda?’

‘You cannot police censorship’

Some of the arguments against the motion were:

‘There are standards of morality and decency. The right to offend cannot override the right not to be offended.’

‘Who is creating art? – often white, straight men coming from privilege – they don’t risk much’.

‘The world is not safe and art cannot ignore this.’

‘Much of life is censored – e.g you don’t swear in front of a toddler. We self-censor all the time. Why should art be different?’

After careful questioning of the teams the judges retired to make their decision and during this interval Trio Literati performed Censored!  - a wonderfully  interactive dramatic exposition of censorship through the ages.

On their return the judges complimented the two teams  and judged that the motion be carried! The audience agreed!

It was great to see the topic being examined through both debate and dramatic performance – each genre brought its own strengths and we, the audience, benefitted greatly.

Comments from young people involved:

I enjoyed the session and liked debating even though I was put on the spot.

An excellent discussion and an excellent performance!

 It was really wonderful to see two teams debating. That’s made me think about the censorship in art. And the performance by Trio literati is AMAZING! Thank you for this opportunity.

Organiser comments:

A debate on the nature of censorship in art was enhanced by a special customised performance by Trio Lit of the show they had performed for LitFest a couple of weeks earlier.

“I thought that it was a really nice little event last night and I would certainly like to continue working to raise the profile of these kind of events. “  said teacher Thomas Stubbs of a collaboration between Headingley LitFest, the Leeds Salon and Ralph Thoresby school. 

“Just a quick note to say the debate and performance all went off as planned -- in the end we did the entertainment while the judges were out of the room, making the decision, so the audience had that nice element of suspense to add a spark to their attention. They seemed to really enjoy Censored! and even became an enthusiastic crowd shouting at the end (Weavers Out!)…   He (the teacher who organised it) was brilliant -- a great good thing all round, for positive input and unflagging energy!”  Jane Oakshott, one third of Trio Lit.

“Though having a teacher on each side meant that there was too little of the pupils really – though they both did well and showed their potential as debaters, and the teachers were also able to set a good example of debating. But it should also still add to the knowledge and experience of those who took part and those in the audience towards the future – and I hope you’ll take part again in the qualifying rounds for next year’s Festival school debating competition.” Paul Thomas, Leeds Salon organiser

A quote and a poem from Censored! performance:

“Assassination is the extreme form of censorship” from The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet  by George Bernard Shaw, 1911
 

           Atrocities, by Siegfried Sassoon

?       Did Sassoon’s publisher reject this version in 1917 because it was not up to Sassoon’s usual standard, or because he thought the content was subversive for wartime?

           Original version, written 1917

           You bragged how once your men in savage mood

           Butchered some Saxon prisoners. That was good.

           I trust you felt no pity when they stood

           Patient and cowed and scared as prisoners should.

           How did you kill them? Speak and don't be shy.

           You know I love to hear how Germans die.

           Downstairs in dugouts "Kamarad" they cry

           And squeal like stoats when bombs begin to fly.

           I'm proud of you. Perhaps you'll feel as brave

           Alone in no-man's-land where none can save

           Or shield you from the horror of the night.

           There's blood upon your hands - go out and fight.

           I hope those Huns will haunt you with their screams

           And make you gulp their blood in ghoulish dreams.

           You're good at murder. Tell me, can you fight?

    Revised version, pub 1983 in The War Poems ed.Rupert Hart-Davies

You told me, in your drunken-boasting mood,

How once you butchered prisoners. That was good!

I'm sure you felt no pity while they stood

Patient and cowed and scared, as prisoners should.

How did you do them in? Come, don't be shy:

You know I love to hear how Germans die,

Downstairs in dug-outs. "Camerad!" they cry;

Then squeal like stoats when bombs begin to fly.

And you? I know your record. You went sick

When orders looked unwholesome: then, with trick

And lie, you wangled home. And here you are,

Still talking big and boozing in a bar.