Debrief & lessons learned from the inaugural FreeHorse Arts Songwriters Series concert regarding pre-production, rehearsals and performances

The ensemble prepared for the final rehearsals by running through the show content in the classroom space at the top of the month, then transitioning to the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen during the week leading up to the performance. Rehearsals began to incorporate live musicians, family members joined the chorus, and production elements were applied from all that we have learned about the live performance experience, with continual refocusing on the herd to ensure a fun and consciously successful experience.

As part of the FreeHorse Arts Songwriters Series featuring the music of Paul Williams, participants will be working on the repertoire for the show along with dance & choreography, building and using props, playing unique instruments such as wash boards, jugs, spoons and staging the show.

Participants will engage in choosing content for the FreeHorse Arts Songwriters Series concert featuring the music of Paul Williams.

Artists will participate in light building and creation of puppet(s) that will be used in the upcoming production. An emphasis will be on the isolated movement of body parts…arms, legs, head neck and how we utilize our muscles to create movement and bring to life the feelings of the character. How a simple turn of the head or nod can communicate a clear thought. The puppet(s) will be used to remind us of our youth, the joy of childlike imagination and how holding onto hope can make the world a better place.

FreeHorse Arts participants explored the myriad aspects of production during the month of May and then had the opportunity to see them in action LIVE at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards in New York City.

FreeHorse Arts LIVE continued with an immersive study of performance and production. In March and April participants developed new show content, and learned about the creative process in developing a script, set lists and working with supporting artists for the FreeHorse Arts Songwriters Series concert in December featuring the music of Paul Williams.

Foundational elements for the theater include character development, costumes, props (to include puppets) and set creation from recycled materials, music integration and movement culminating in an original performance piece to include the principles of The Healthy Herd: Alignment, Balance, Exploration & Play, Honesty & Congruency, Individual Responsibility & Accountability, Presence, Safety, and Shared Leadership.

This 11-week session combined visual art making, drumming and movement with technology while discussing how we collaborate with each other as artists, think beyond ourselves to better serve others, and work together as an ensemble as we move towards more performance opportunities in our community. The final class on December 21 included a time of sharing a meal and a community presentation & celebration.

This extended class session will culminate in participants joining in a live concert at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center in Richmond, VA. Performance elements will include many of the skills we have experienced thus far in class sessions including movement, visual art, spoken word, sign language and song.

FreeHorse Arts LIVE in person participants will hone their photographic skills, taking photos as they explore nature. Creative Collaborator Susan Wermus will teach us about the foundational photographic elements to include the use of light and shadows and composition as we develop an understanding and practice of photographic expression through class discussion and taking photos.

In this session participants will explore the elements of storytelling in script creation, with an emphasis on communication through all of its elements: dialogue, set, sound, staging, light and the spaces in between.

Building on January’s class session, participants will continue working with the concept of light, with a focus on its interconnection and benefits towards nurturing the collective light of the Herd. Participants will reflect this prism of light out into the world, through the creation of a multi-modal performance piece (including movement, music and visual art,) that will share Herd Principles, radiating the vision and values of conscious, creative, harmonious and regenerative community through creative expression.

In this class session, the Herd will explore LIGHT through movement and sound. Participants will identify, care for and kindle their own light while sharing it with others in joyful exploration; tending and nurturing our collective light that will shine bright into this new year.

In this session participants planned a gathering in collaboration with one of our community partners, The Westover Hills United Methodist Church, in celebration of conscious community and partnership as we move into the new year. Thoughtful conversations included the reasons for gathering and the importance and benefits in so doing. Participants identified and planned logistics with thoughtful consideration to our guests. Roles and responsibilities were identified and distributed among participants as they planned and facilitated an event. Together with other community partner and Creative Collaborator, Jody Conway of Dandelion Springs Apiary, participants created table centerpieces made of natural materials gathered from the farm. They also created a hand crafted collaborative invitation with Creative Collaborator, Molly McFadden.

Participants practiced the skills of deep listening, reflection, connection and curiosity through song creation. In mutual interviews, participants listened deeply to one another, gathering information through words, tone, body language and transforming the sharing into song through the art of symbol, sound and metaphor.

Participants learned about the varied palette of comedy and practiced the skills of improvisation to include idea initiation, collaboration, and content creation through comedic play.

Artist and Creative Collaborator Jaime Weinstein guided and supported participants in visual art mural design and creation around the themes of planetary regeneration, renewal and the principles of a healthy herd. Online FHA participants focused on mural design which was created within the space of the FreeHorse Arts Community Garden.

In this session led by Heather Bruneau, participants explored the abundance of the natural world through fiber arts and sculpture creation. Art pieces were included in the culminating performance project entitled “Bounty!”

Guest artist Samson Trinh joined the in person Herd for creative sound creation.

Brendan Kennedy, Alex Ginsberg and Herd participants were delighted in reconnecting with one another in person through an immersive arts experience including movement and sound making. We explored and experienced play and creativity, connecting us one to the other, and to the natural world, which prepared us for deeper exploration, centered around regeneration, and renewal.

Participants screen printed their very own FreeHorse Arts shirts and totes at Studio Two Three, a community arts space that offers studios, classes, workshops and artist residency.