Last week, our Thursday Project was lucky enough to receive a visit from The Bluebirds Theatre Company. @thebluebirdstheatre
Armed only with several sheets of black card, some cutting implements, a screen and a strong lamp, Amy, Creative Producer with The Bluebirds, invited our members to join her in creating a series of shadow puppets that would later be used to perform stories gathered from those taking part.
Despite some lacking faith in their creative ability at first, everyone got involved and confidence levels grew as the session progressed. By the end of the morning, our art table was filled with an eclectic array of cut-out characters, ranging from birds, horses, pigs and dragons to buildings and trees to be used as props.
As everyone laid down their scissors and the snipping ceased, the storytelling portion of the day got underway. Using the brilliant puppets that had been created earlier, Amy got the ball rolling with a tale of her own – a fantastic song about a three-legged sheepdog. As she finished, it was the turn of our members to take to the stage, and together they spent the afternoon performing each other’s stories with much gusto and laughter.
There is growing evidence to suggest that engaging in the creative process can have a positive impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing. We’re very grateful to the Bluebirds for allowing our members the opportunity to participate in such a lively, imaginative, fun activity, and for lending a voice to those who might otherwise struggle to verbalise their thoughts, ideas and experiences.
You can find out more about The Bluebirds Theatre Company CIC at their website: https://thebluebirds.org.uk/
