Cheeky Events’ Post

We hope you will enjoy the trailers for this thoughtful film called "The Ride Ahead." From the movie website, "Samuel Habib is a typical 21-year-old, itching to move out, start a career and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability. Can a community of disability activists help him follow his dreams?" Learn more about this film at https://lnkd.in/d-bwFeZw.

https://lnkd.in/gDYGppW7 Connection to Culture in the child protection sector is more then a flag in a placement, it’s more then acknowledging their cultural heritage on child story, it’s more then a basic cultural care plan. Culture is identity and belonging it is to be nurtured and embedded with family, community their day to day lives. Our children lose themselves, everything has been taken from them that they know. Culture in CPS needs to be more then a token gesture. While our children might pull away as their world and families have been blown apart, care is not for life. Making connections and staying connected is imperative, so when our kids do leave care they have those connections that are life long. Culture is identity, belonging, healing and home. 🇫🇯 “Identity is not negotiable”

Why is it, whenever they talk about art or performance, some people resort to ridicule? Artists are stereotyped, the creative process trivialised. There’s a deeply ingrained tendency to trivialise the craft of acting - to mock what actors do. The powerful repeatedly trivialise or openly attack artists, seek to suppress the wisdom of our craft. The powerful co-opt those they can, make them the allies of power, give them patronage, influence and celebrity. Those who can’t be tamed, are neutralised. It’s a feature of every period of radical political change. Actors who are not co-opted into the power-structure are neutralised, redefined as 'just' entertainers. Performance is treated as no more than a temporary relief from reality, separate from the important business of life. It’s as if the powerful want to deny access to the deep-level benefit that comes from participating - as performer or audience - in creativity. The value of participating in drama, especially in schools, is ignored. Why study drama when you’ll not be an actor? Behind this, superficially rational attitude, is an implication that what someone learns through performing, has no intrinsic value, and is only useful when it lead to marketable product. We know this isn’t true. The evidence from research is clear. When children participate in acting and performance, the outcomes are transformational. Yet performance is squeezed from the curriculum. Actually that’s not true. Performance is not squeezed from the curriculum of schools attended by the children of the rich and powerful. Eton College’s website has a whole suite of pages dedicated to its Drama Provision. It proudly announces: ‘There are three different theatre spaces, staffed by professional theatre practitioners. The powerful recognise that performance delivers a significant technology of learning. Evidenced by relentless cuts to arts provision in the schools most children attend, it seems it’s a technology reserved for the children of the elite. Why? ‘What Actors Know’, is how to be more fully human. The deep-level mystery of acting is awareness of our interconnected humanity. Actors connect - inwardly, with their bodies, thoughts and imagination, outwardly with their fellow-performers and audience. To learn to act is to learn to connect. Here’s the core of the democratising threat in ‘What Actors Know’: we're all actors. We can all connect. Connection empowers. Interconnection is a threat to those who would control others. ‘What Actors Know’ heals disconnection and reminds us of our collectivity. On Tuesday 20th at 7.30pm, John is running a FREE online session at School of Human Kind called: ‘Being Authentic: What Actors Know About Playing Your Role in Life.’ In it he’ll be exploring some of the fundamentals of What Actors Know. You can register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/eSUaSsXb

Why is it, whenever they talk about art or performance, some people resort to ridicule? Artists are stereotyped, the creative process trivialised. There’s a deeply ingrained tendency to trivialise the craft of acting - to mock what actors do. The powerful repeatedly trivialise or openly attack artists, seek to suppress the wisdom of our craft. The powerful co-opt those they can, make them the allies of power, give them patronage, influence and celebrity. Those who can’t be tamed, are neutralised. It’s a feature of every period of radical political change. Actors who are not co-opted into the power-structure are neutralised, redefined as 'just' entertainers. Performance is treated as no more than a temporary relief from reality, separate from the important business of life. It’s as if the powerful want to deny access to the deep-level benefit that comes from participating - as performer or audience - in creativity. The value of participating in drama, especially in schools, is ignored. Why study drama when you’ll not be an actor? Behind this, superficially rational attitude, is an implication that what someone learns through performing, has no intrinsic value, and is only useful when it lead to marketable product. We know this isn’t true. The evidence from research is clear. When children participate in acting and performance, the outcomes are transformational. Yet performance is squeezed from the curriculum. Actually that’s not true. Performance is not squeezed from the curriculum of schools attended by the children of the rich and powerful. Eton College’s website has a whole suite of pages dedicated to its Drama Provision. It proudly announces: ‘There are three different theatre spaces, staffed by professional theatre practitioners. The powerful recognise that performance delivers a significant technology of learning. Evidenced by relentless cuts to arts provision in the schools most children attend, it seems it’s a technology reserved for the children of the elite. Why? ‘What Actors Know’, is how to be more fully human. The deep-level mystery of acting is awareness of our interconnected humanity. Actors connect - inwardly, with their bodies, thoughts and imagination, outwardly with their fellow-performers and audience. To learn to act is to learn to connect. Here’s the core of the democratising threat in ‘What Actors Know’: we're all actors. We can all connect. Connection empowers. Interconnection is a threat to those who would control others. ‘What Actors Know’ heals disconnection and reminds us of our collectivity. On Tuesday 20th at 7.30pm, I’m running a FREE online session at School of Human Kind called: ‘Being Authentic: What Actors Know About Playing Your Role in Life.’ In it I’ll be exploring some of the fundamentals of What Actors Know. You can register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/eNAyk_iC

It's Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Perfect to author my first post and say, "I did a thing!" https://lnkd.in/gdzsUv-x Maybe more accurate to say, "I'm doing a thing!" Both because it's a work in progress and because it's high time to involve others. I've been getting into audio description (AD) increasingly over the years, and I wanted an outlet. After several months of squirrelling away minutes during naptime... it's time to launch! A colleague has encouraged me with the ethos of learning in public. Posting attempts/progress is far more valuable than waiting until it's perfect with trepidation. What's more, AD isn't very good when done in a vacuum. I know I need input! I'm keen to see how iterative releases of AD might change tides. No channel welcome/trailer yet, or calls to action, or a donation pipeline, or [insert the many things I know would help if this were a full time job]. Just a hobby project for now, but happy it's alive. And I feel alive just by posting! And I hope you feel alive just by interacting!

And we are winding down... 1 day to go until the end of #reggaemonth Hopefully you've listened to at least some of the music. I know that I have been stretched and I have grown in the one month. Back to the oldies for a well known Bob Marley mlilitant song "Get up, stand up for your rights". As most of of us know unions are no longer the dominant force that they were and that has empowered many employers. But those employers are facing another challenge - quiet quitting. Employers are facing challenges getting employees to return to offices and even when they do, many are pressuring employers for more flexibility. As we have remarked several times this month millennials and Gen Z employees do not just want a paycheck - they want to enjoy life and they are willing to fight for it and if they don't get it, then they will leave. What they will not do is back down. Ignore them at your peril #quietquitting #resignation #worklifebalance #equity #fairtreatment Get up, stand up Stand up for your right Get up, stand up Don't give up the fight Get up, stand up

How we talk about social emotional development must be contextualized, knowingly. Educators must not run away from the racialized contexts that Black children and their families experience forbidding them from being free in thought, movement, learning, play, and resistance. As we engage at the beginning of an academic year, educator professional knowledge must include discussions of race. This clip is a reflection of the burden and fear of Black families carry in raising children. Life and entertainment co-exist.Engage.

Just like community engagement, a keynote presentation shouldn't be a dreary tick-box exercise. It should be fun. It should be exciting. A spectacular experience filled with learning and laughter. My keynote cabaret, The Highway 12 Upgrade uses satire to pick away at things that aren't working in our industry, with a touch of glamour and humour. I wanted to use jaw dropping musical numbers and melodramatic monologues to dissect the successes and failures of a tumultuous community engagement project. Despite being a ridiculous drag cabaret, I wanted this show to feel real. I wanted it be built on emotion and honesty. You know, case studies don't make me feel anything. They ain't funny, they have no drama, they lack heart. When I look honestly at successful community engagement projects, they're not runny away from heartfelt emotion, drama and feelings. Case studies can be boring, they're as bland as unsalted butter, and let me assure you darling, the Highway 12 Upgrade stars one salty mama! Wednesday 21 February - 7 pm Darlinghurst Theatre Company Book Your Tickets in the Comments below #communityengagement #IAP2 #educationalengagementextravaganza

New video in our stander series! The Rifton Stander promotes social interaction, independence, and educational engagement. Watch the video to find out more. #RiftonStander #rifton #riftonequipment #adaptiveequipment #acccesibility

Creating a Space for Teenagers: Revitalizing Theater Shahr We're excited to be working on a project to transform Theater Shahr into a #welcoming and #engaging space for #teenagers. Our vision is to create an open, vibrant hub where young people can #connect with friends and family, explore their #creativity, and discover the power of #art. We envision a space that: • Fosters Community: Provides a safe and positive environment for teenagers to gather, play games, listen to music, and simply enjoy each other's company. • Ignites Creativity: Offers opportunities to engage with different art forms, sparking their interest in theater and other artistic disciplines. • Brings Back the Heart of Theater Shahr: Reclaims a space that was once a vibrant hub for the community, and transforms it into a dynamic space for the next generation. This project is a collaboration between: Under the guidance of: • Professor Nikoo Sereshti • Together with our team: Rana Mohammadi, Elaheh Omid, Saba Shirdel We believe in the power of young people and are committed to creating a space where they can thrive. #Teenagers #CommunitySpace #Theater #Art #Creativity #SocialEngagement #YouthDevelopment