Drama in The Forest Returns for 2024 organised by Moonstruck Astronaut Community Theatre.
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00:00So I'm Hannah De Quincey, I'm Artistic Director of Moose Trogash Adult Community Theatre Company
00:05and we have Arts Council funding to run the Drama in the Forest this year. So we are on the first
00:11day of Summer Drama in the Forest 2024. I do the Forest School side of it but I also help with
00:17doing the food and serving their snacks but I've been working with children now for many years
00:24and being outside is my my whole profession but being here with Hannah and supporting her with
00:30the Drama in the Forest is, so I always look forward to coming to support her and help her.
00:35I'm a volunteer and I originally started off as a participant in 2021 and ever since then
00:41I did follow through and it's just become like a thing teaching people everything that I learned
00:46through Hannah and Becky. We have children come to learn and develop drama but also experience
00:53being outside and their own resilience, their self-confidence but also what the best thing is
00:59as Cody's trying to express is the children arrive not knowing anybody and by the end of the week
01:09you see these beautiful friendships appear and you can just see this development on like a
01:13ladder form. It's just a beautiful experience you know for us all. I mean feedback we've had
01:18from parents from Cody's mum as well so we've got two siblings as well who come back is
01:22it just really has helped as they grow those soft skills but also that confidence
01:27in performing in collaborating and communication translates to school settings other settings it's
01:34these skills are incredible and they really deserve the time and attention to nurture them in every
01:39child. I'm now nearly 44 and I had no idea but I was actually I thought obviously my brain worked
01:45differently but I was only diagnosed six months ago that I am definitely neurodivergent so I've
01:50had an ADHD traits of autism diagnosis and what's interesting is that I actually went to be tested
01:59because I'm attracting so many neurodivergent children, volunteers, staff and it's just this
02:06sense that there needs to be a space where we are absolutely accepting of the complete range
02:13of beautiful brains you know that we have so from I think the terms neurotypical to neurodivergent
02:21but really we've all got our quirks so and that's where I think I really am passionate about creating
02:29spaces that accept individuality and difference and I'm so proud that we've actually achieved it
02:35here over a period you know four years and it is like it is work in between it's navigating
02:41a lot and then it's just so wonderful the community that has continued to grow and support
02:47and be prospered by but also prosper other people by returning so I mean so yeah I mean we've got
02:53children here probably about 70 percent of the cohort have done one drum in the forest before
02:58it's very very popular it's over subscribed and that is because you know you just see the benefit
03:04and it's these you know over the week it's a lovely use of these holidays that are quite long
03:11in the summer where you need child care but you also your child you know is is just a sponge you
03:18know to actually be exposed to excellent practitioners like we've got some arts professionals
03:24as well as forest school professionals and just exposed to this gorgeous setting and the fact
03:29that it is remote I think is a strength because it is it's a fresh start for everybody you don't
03:34take you know the baggage shall we say that you have like you're labeled as a certain person
03:38in another setting even with your even with your family you know you discover a different
03:43relationship so I'm a big believer in you know we are nature put us in nature more and you see the
03:49children when they have been in nature how they develop you know they at the beginning it takes
03:54them a good like morning maybe but you can see these children like some of them are a little
03:59bit anxious about it this morning but you can already see they're coming out and they're
04:04expressing and they're able to they're watching that you know some people like we're saying
04:08everyone's so different you know some people like to observe some people like to talk I
04:12talk a lot when I'm nervous you know I get too fast yeah and it's great though that you
04:19see these children do develop and it's it's a beautiful it's a beautiful feeling