storytelling with our bodies and voices in celebration of our earth with Diana Tso – www.redsnowcollective.ca pg 1 of 2 Diana Tso is a playwright, storyteller, Dora award-winning performer working in theatre for over 15 years internationally. She’s a graduate of the University of Toronto (honors BA in Literature) and of Ecole Internationale de Théâtre de Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. She’s an artist educator with Ontario Arts Council since 2006 www.arts.on.ca Upcoming: as actor, performing at Stratford Festival’s 2017 season; as storyteller, débuting part II of Monkey Queen, journey to the east at the Ottawa Storytelling Festival January 2017; as playwright, new play, Comfort, honoring the resilience of women in war, premieres Nov 25-Dec 10, 2016 www.redsnowcollective.ca

storytelling with our bodies and voices in celebration of our earth EXPLORE the elements: earth, wind, water, fire, through movement & voice to EXPRESS their transformative beauty and EMPOWER us to celebrate and protect the world we are part of. Movement, music/soundscape and creative writing deepen school curriculum in understanding, appreciating and living in harmony with the environment we are apart of. Examining the elements of fire, wind, earth and water through movement and words participants collaboratively deepen their discovery of nature to respect the precious world we share and must be responsible for as global citizens. Better if you can facilitate workshop outdoors as a physical source of exploration, including rainy days. Pre-Workshop have students find facts, stories, news, mythologies about each element Brainstorm and Share different forms of each element in groups/ as a class: Four (Five) chart papers: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water (Metal) List the different forms of that particular element ie. Fire: lava, lighting, sun, bonfire… Add adjectives and verbs to describe the specific form of an element ie. Fire- Lava-fierce, fast flowing Walk in Nature (if possible) Take a walk outdoors and journal what you see, hear, touch, feel in nature Record on audio, as a photo, words in journal to describe it Movement to explore Elements: Warm up body with movement and music Each group creates and shares a series of 3 movements related to their element

storytellng with our bodies and voices in celebration of our earth with Diana Tso pg 2 of 2 Sound to explore Elements: Warm up of voice Each group creates 3 sounds related to their element Take a text from resource books and read one sentence aloud using rhythm and expression in delivering the text Write a Monologue from a specific form of your element ie. I am lighting…(add a color) I am gold… Exploring your journey as lighting, how you feel, see, hear, what you strike, what you love, what you loathe, what you need, what you do, your desires & secrets It can be any form: poem, prose, spoken word, movement (if character mute) -who am I? -what do I want? -what am I searching for on this journey?/why am I on this journey? -what I found in the journey? -how did this change me? -how to I feel, what do I see, what to I hear? - what if I…. Collaboration in your group create a story of that element: In your group share your monologue and arrange them in a sequence that paints a moving picture or story. Explore if two or more forms of the element met what dialogue or conflict would there be. ie. how the sun would affect the flow of lava Creation may evolve into a series of poems, spoken word, drama play etc. ie. take a piece of text from the students or resource boos and model exploring how to put text into movement and sound Ensemble Creation Teacher, as director, or if there’s a director in the class with a vision to bring the class together as a whole to move and speak the elements story/poem/dance ie. a journey of a pebble through the elements using text, movement, sound, music or perhaps it is 4-5 vignettes of the each element threaded together with sound or movement. You many wish to tie together collaborative statements or poem (depending on your class’ style of creation) about what message you want to leave or question you want audience to dialogue about or move them to their own advocacy for our earth. Resources: “The pebble in my pocket: a history of our earth”, Meredith Hooper “ Earth From Above, for young readers”, Yann Arthus-Bertrand “Trees of the World”, photographer Graeme Matthews