How to keep creative during Covid-19. A novel approach.

– Keeping Creative during Lockdown –

Can you imagine trying to engage in theatre and performance activities when you cannot be in the same room as other people?

We can, and we have.

Read on to learn about some of our rather clever ideas.

Win R1000 with our

1 – Minute Monologue Competition

Welcome to a brand-new exciting opportunity for young people to explore their creativity.

Lunchbox Theatre presents an online monologue competition for under 18s. Family, friends and fans vote for their favorite video on Lunchbox Theatre’s website.

Wikipedia describes a monologue as “a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their mental thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience”

The competition is open to all under 18s and calls on them to write and film a 1-minute monologue on any age appropriate topic they choose.

Entries open from 10th July and close on 22nd July.

ENTER HERE

Voting opens on 27th July when all videos will be live. All the entrants will have the chance to share the video link from Lunchbox Theatre’s website to their friends and family. The video with the most votes at 8pm on the 16th August will be declared the winner and receive R1000 in prize money. Each person that votes will enter a draw for a R500 prize.

LEARN MORE

Creative expression via WhatsApp

How are we keeping the youth creatively engaged when we can’t hold our classes?

Every week before Lockdown 120 kids would hurry into 1 of 6 classes to enthusiastically share their creativity and explore their imaginations through dance, drama and art.

Remember this great video of their 2019 showcase: SHOWCASE VIDEO.

But for the last 12 weeks they have had to sit at home, alone. With schools open again we hoped we could provide this safe space for the kids again.  But the new regulations state that no extracurricular activities may take place, so we will have to wait longer, probably until 2021, before we can all get together again. The kids are missing us and we are missing them.

We want to engage with our kids again. We want to send them reassurances that we are here for them. We want to teach some new dance moves, send some drama exercises and set art work projects.

The best way to do this is through WhatsApp. But as we all know data is a huge challenge, especially for the communities where our classes are held.

So we are running RECONNECT ASAP campaign to raise some funds so we can send data to the kids, or their parents’ phones so that they can reconnect with their much loved facilitators.

To make a donation of any size for data and play your part in keeping art alive please follow this link: RECONNECT ASAP

This is what our facilitators are feeling at the moment:

AMANDA (Dance at Kwanokuthula Primary):

I miss my work. I miss teaching after school but mostly I miss my kids. I miss the noise.

I hate how all of this has made the world stand still.

 

ANTONIO (Hip Hop at Crags Primary):

Not being able to teach my classes has taken its toll on me. I miss my kids and I miss working with them. I try to keep myself busy with dancing but it’s almost like the life has been sucked out of me.

 

NOMZAMO (Drama at Kwanokuthula Primary):

I’m stuck at home doing nothing, no work. I miss to play with the kids doing some stories and building trust together sharing. I miss my work so much💔 I wish this may end soon

 

ZODWA (Dance at Phakamisani Primary):

I feel so lonely without my kids. I really miss them. They are everything  to  me.

 

NKO (Gumboot dance at Phakamisani):

It’s a very sad feeling, seeing a kid who used to do certain activities developing his /her creativity being frozen and ending up being lost for recovering their skills.

 

DONNE (Art at Formosa Primary):

I wonder how hungry they are. I wonder if some of the kids are still alive. This might sound dramatic but this can be a reality for some of kids who live in extreme poverty and very abusive environments.

 

Thank you for always believing in us and the work we do. We look forward to getting out to the schools as soon as it is safe to do so.

CARING FOR OUR TEAM

 

Lunchbox Theatre continues to pay our staff their salaries during these difficult times and offer asistance where ever needed.

We are hard at work finding new and innovative ways to reach the kids and their communities.

 

YOU CAN HELP BY CLICKING HERE

 

By supporting Lunchbox Theatre you will be:

  • Helping us to keep this unique, Plett organisation alive
  • Playing a part in educating children about important social and environmental issues
  • Contributing towards creating sustainable employment for our amazing actors
  • Doing your bit to change the mindsets of our youth
  • Influencing the future of our country around the way people live their lives and interact with animals

Make a positive difference now by donating to us VIA THIS LINK.

Thank you in advance!

 

Stuart Palmer

 

Director of Lunchbox Theatre