Since our last blog in March, the practical element of the Pretzel process has been on pause. As each country went into lockdown it was not possible for rehearsals and reflections to continue. Even though this Pretzel Pause caused frustration, the proof of concept had been established. Our Pretzel pupils were fully engaged within the process, enjoyed sharing their work but were intrigued by the interpretation sparked by their performances. The listening and responding skills were fundamental to the value of our process. The opportunity to react and respond to peers from across the world has been an invaluable experience.
Read moreFrozen Pretzels: Responding to Youth Concerns During a Global Pandemic
When asked about their own concerns, the students focused on friendships and self-image. However the subject matter, when asked about global concerns, were far harder hitting; climate change, global pandemics, extremism, body image and social media.
Read moreThese PreNZels are making me thirsty!
“They’ll probably say we have lots of sheep” and “Do they even know where we are?”. “I bet they think we’re part of Australia”. These were among the responses given when I asked the PreNZelers (Pretzel NZ) what they thought the ‘others’ would say about them. None of the preconceptions were to be revealed until after we had made our intro video - so my next question was ‘Well then, what do you want to say about you and about New Zealand? By ‘others’ I mean the young theatre makers in the other four pilot pretzel countries - Abu Dhabi, Canada, England and China. On this, they were sure. Sustainability, sport, food, scenery, weather, earthquakes and mythbusting!
Read moreWe Go Together Like… Pretzels and Theatre?
Across the globe, groups of students, led by passionate educators are creating their own pieces of theatre that will connected to ours. As the project grows, so will the theatre pieces. It is our hope that each country will be able to create unique theatre experiences that include digital, or perhaps live streamed performances from other countries. As this new project unfolds I know all of the founders are excited to see how the connection between our students’ grow and how we can all learn more about each other as the journey continues.
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