These day long workshops began with a tour of the Mythmachine exhibit and a discussion about Sahej’s work.
Next using the Little Inventors model of challenging children to come up with their own invention the kids were asked to pair up and invent their own creature inspired by those in Sahej’s video works and the sculptures in the exhibition.

We asked them to think about different elements of their creature beyond just the visual.

How do they move?
What sounds do they make?
WHat texture they have/how to they feel?

They proceeded to draw and write about their creatures within the exhibition space allowing the works and sounds to inspire their direction while working.

Workshops inspired by Mythmachine by Sahej Rahal at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, UK.
Developed and delivered on behalf of Little Inventors.

The pairs then split with one half working with myself on beginning to make costume elements to bring the visual of their designs to life while their partners worked with Igor Taveres in movement workshops designed to explore how their creature would move and sound in the world.

Before lunch we came back together for the pairs to share what each other had done and in the afternoon the children swapped over before coming back together for a final performance at the end of the day.

The structure of the day allowed the kids to experience both making and performing workshops and build a much more detailed costume in the time we had than had they been working alone. The resulting costumes were made of different elements which meant they could be split for those pairings where both children wanted to perform at the end of the day but also allowed for shyer kids who enjoy the making but not the performing to not be held back from creating something mad for the fear of having to wear it in the end performance. Conversely those perhaps less confidant making could be supported by their peers and take the lead instead on the performance side.

It felt like this structure really allowed all the kids to find a part of the day where they could contribute to the whole in a way they felt confident and proud of.