A film by Michael Judge
“For whether a place is a heaven or a hell depends on yourself, those who go with courage and an open mind may find themselves in paradise.”
The film documents an exchange between Gayhurst School in Hackney, London and Nós do Morro School in the favela of Vidigal in Brazil. The exchange was organised by Theatre Centre as part of the development of the play Journey to the River Sea. The writer Carl Miller accompanied the company in their work with both groups of young people and these experiences fed into the writing of the play.
The children in the film are roughly the same age as Maia and Finn in Journey to the River Sea. They make a similar journey of exploration, discovering that strangers and the 'other' are not so scary after all - you only have to take off the 'mask' or look beyond one's first perceptions. The children also ask a question fundamental to the story of Journey to the River Sea, ‘where is home?’
“This short film is full to capacity with a genuine expression of childhood experience: the wonders, dangers and sheer joy of discovering the world. As a creative expression of how lives can be transformed through an imaginative engagement with 'the other' it is exemplary. Above all it's faith lies in that quality which every child has, and which should be encouraged and celebrated as the basis for all learning: curiosity.”
Noel Greig, June 2006
After the Theatre Centre team had taken the project to both schools a final performance of some of the work they created took place on the set of Journey to the River Sea at the Unicorn Theatre. Live performance from the pupils of Gayhurst School was interspersed with film footage of the children in Brazil.
We have developed a set of resources for teachers which use the film as a spring board for exploring the play and its themes creatively in the classroom. Please click on the Teacher Notes link below to view these in PDF format.
If you have any further queries or requests for information regarding the production of Journey to the River Sea please contact Unicorn Education on 020 7645 0570 or e-mail education@unicorntheatre.com.