Business mentor

All The Skills has a new business mentor!

As some of you will know earlier this year All The Skills successfully applied for a grant from the LIPA Business Development fund for graduates. As well as getting a well appreciated cash injection of 1,100 pounds we also get the advice of a business mentor.

We have finally found out who our mentor is going to be and it’s very exciting. Mark Featherstone-Witty, Founding Principal and CEO of The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. A person with the experience to help us with our questions about breaking into the corporate sector as well as someone with knowledge of the arts industry. Hooray!

We are meeting mid-December to discuss how All The Skills can start 2010 IN STYLE!!!

Also back when Naomi was a poor student, Mark Featherstone-Witty made a generous personal donation towards a mission trip to Cambodia.

However, just in case our other business adviser is feeling ignored, a HUGE THANK YOU to Martyn Walsh from Blue Orchid who has been absolutely instrumental in taking All The Skills from a dream written on 3 bits of paper to the business it is today where we have regular work for 7 artists.

And yes just in case you are wondering it is the Martyn Walsh from Inspiral Carpets!!!

Circus skills at Signpost-Wythenshaw

18th March 2009

Working with a small group of 16-19 year olds not in education or employment. The group responded really positively and we were impressed with their focus.

One participant picked up juggling very easily while another was able to spin, throw and catch poi.

Everyone seemed to enjoy having a go on the unicycle.

Not having qualifications or a job can have a negative effect on these young people’s confidence and self esteem. Some would see them as drop outs or losers which is why I felt really privileged  today to see them achieve small things, feel proud of themselves and celebrate these successes.

Naomi attends training with Playback Theatre Manchester

31^st January 2009

Naomi in an attempt to have All The Skills went to learn about Playback Theatre today. Basically it involves an audience sharing stories with the actors then having them played back to them in one of many different stylised ways.

The emphasis is on listening and it’s a really unselfish process for actors to engage in. I’d like to use it with boisterous, star struck, fame academy style groups to get them working on listening skills, sharing and co-operation.

As an artist I think it is very important to constantly learn new skills which you can incorporate into your own practice.
Never stop learning, never forget what it is like to participate and be led.

Naomi plans to use some of the group machine ideas in future choral speaking sessions with 3^rd Stage.

Fire in the Sky-the fun begins

7th October 2008

First rehearsal for Fire in The Sky  Kirklees Council’s annual fireworks event. Following on from last year’s professional fire show provided by ?….it was decided that this year’s fire show would involve local performers. The performers come from two different groups, Kaotik Arts and Imbolc Fire Artistes.

Today was spent learning about each performer’s skills which include poi spinning, club swinging, hula hoop, staff and juggling.

Naomi taught some simple choreography to the club swingers.

Test 1

Testing post 1

Stuff what we have did.

Possibly Links etc.

The dates are changeable to allow us to blog back to when we started.