As part of some events to tie in with the Alice in Wonderland exhibition at Tate Liverpool, The Development of the Arts in Northwich Community organisation asked me to plan and lead a three hour workshop for children themed around Alice.
I have loved this strange surreal story from childhood, when it used to give me weird dreams but confirmed my faith in logic and being true to oneself. Arguing with over-sized caterpillars and chewing the fat with disappearing cats were regular occurences in my life.
The workshop took place on 22nd December. Great fun was had by all as we wrote alliterating nonsense poems to introduce ourselves, such as:
Creative Kitty tickles and teases kittens
Magnificent Milly gives loud applause at a perfect pantomime
Rosy Roxana munches mince pies
Amazing Angela time travels with Doctor Who
Nibbling Nick groans at grim cracker jokes
etc.
We read the mouse’s tail poem on a handout with a wonderful Alice border, then wrote a range of Christmas Shape poems and then shared our work.
Next we tackled a story inspired by a key and its label, and I guided them through a structure until the first secion was written. Some of the participants promised to email me their work so it may be posted on the DAN blog. If so I will post a link here.
Moving on from writing, we did some role drama based on The Jabberwocky, which strictly speaking is from Alice Through the Looking Glass, but it’s still Wonderland! We had great fun, particularly with the freeze frames to create the setting ’twas brillig and the slithy toves/ did gyre and gimble in the wabe’.
Everyone went home with an ALice in Wonderland character note to write a story about their own encounter with it. We all had fun, there was warm squash and a lot of laughter. And some good work was produced. Thanks everyone.
Angela Topping 