A show FOR YA: the co-production Makàni – Stories of Wind
The co-creation project I’ve developed with two different groups of children has been directly connected to my work as an actress for the co-production by Elsinor and Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY). Makàni – Stories of Wind, a show for young audiences, from 6 to 8 years old.
FOTO Show
The creation of the show has included three different steps, from July 2023 to March 2024: two artistic exchanges between Hawaiian and Italian artists (July 2023 and February 2024); two workshops for children led in Forlì, Italy (November to December 2023 and February to March 2024); final rehearsals and premiere of the show in Forlì (March 2024).
The “wind” theme of the co-production was mostly linked to the climate changes that we can all see on the coast close to Forlì. However, wind was also chosen as an inspiring metaphorical starting point for conducting artistic research for and with young audiences. This natural element can serve as a gateway to exploring feelings and changes, as well as the relationship between human and nature; and the various ways that the wind is perceived across different cultures and countries.
The co-production process was mainly based on a widespread sharing of memories and stories thanks to the collaboration of different artists around the world. The character we created, Makàni, which means “wind” in Hawaiian, journeys through all these different stories, all of which she knows through her beloved grandfather, to whom she is strongly connected.
During the artistic residencies hosted by Elsinor in Forlì and HTY in Honolulu, we shared personal memories and stories related to wind, focusing on the different ways the wind is perceived in our countries. We read stories collected from all over the world during those months and worked on characters, atmospheres and movements; discovering Hawaiian language, dance, culture, nature and the strong connection of the island with the wind – “makàni” – which became the name of the protagonist of the show. In Honolulu, we also visited a primary school to explore with the children what the wind means to them, what kind of memories, sounds, movements, smells and images it evokes in them.
The whole creative process was rooted in research with the young audience for whom the show was intended, made possible through workshops and the co-creation project developed during the year. Even after the show debuted, it continued to foster a fruitful dialogue with young audiences.
Especially when we performed in local primary schools, the exchange with the children at the end of the show was one of the most important parts of the process: inspired by the stories they had heard, the children immediately got engaged in a conversation about what the wind means to them, and we involved them in a brief post-show activity.
They gathered pieces of paper from the set and used them to create drawings and images reflecting their experience as an audience, giving us their response to the first question of the creative process, integral to the play’s dramaturgy: “What is the shape of the wind?” Foto workshop – kids
The Workshops and the Co-Creation WITH young people around Wind
The co-production of Makàni has been connected to the creative workshops I lead every year in Forlì, with two different groups of children (7-9 years old) and pre-teenagers (11-14 years old), in collaboration with a local cooperative that works with socio-economically and culturally disadvantaged children.
It is important to underline that the groups were composed of children with different backgrounds and origins, some of them with lower language competences and others with learning disabilities or behavioural disorders.
The first challenge was to work creatively while accounting for all the differences, in a flexible co-creation process that is playful, respectful and engaging.
The co-creation aimed to introduce them to YP theatre practices and games as a way to express their ideas, explore new kinds of relationships between themselves and their peers and communicate and share artistic stories related to the wind.
Additionally, the materials and the experimentation were intended to enhance the artistic research for the production Makàni – Stories of Wind.
Is this natural element really inspiring for YA? Can the wind stimulate metaphorical invention and creativity in childhood? Do children have a remarkable connection with the wind?
The main theme of the “wind” was shared in the first meeting, making them part of the work that Elsinor was developing around different “stories of wind”.
The workshops were held in Teatro Testori in two different periods: from November to December 2023, I worked with a group of 11 to 14-years-olds, and from February to March 2024 with a group of 7 to 9-year-olds.
In order to experiment different processes, I chose to work differently with the two groups:
- Ages 11-14: From personal to collective – collecting and sharing personal memories and stories about the wind, to be creatively blended and presented to an audience.
“A force of nature; It’s scary; It pulls; Rain, tempest and hurricanes; Dangerous; Fresh; The trees fall down; Strong, cold and stormy”: Some of the signs used in the first workshop.
- Ages 7-9: from collective to personal – working on a common story taken from a picture book (“The Wind” by A. Riccioni and S. Rea, Il leone verde edition), trying to find a personal connection with the wind as a character and the plot.
The first group, aged 11-14, were asked to write down memories concerning the wind. The anonymous stories became the centre of a study in storytelling techniques, through words, movements and sounds.
After six meetings we opened the workshop to adults by presenting a sort of theatrical riddle from the material collected; welcoming the audience into a mix of stories where the wind served as the main character.
The most challenging aspect was engaging the pre-teens in exploring the wind both as a natural and a metaphorical element. The most effective idea was to create a sort of challenge with them for the adults: by combining chronicles, memories and fictional stories, they asked the adults, “Can you catch what we’re all talking about?”
The second group, aged 7-9, worked on the picture book “The Wind”. The aim was to present the story we read together in a theatrical way, giving a voice to the wind, an angry and bored wind who disrupts a small town and its inhabitants.
The children were asked to imagine some of their daily activities under the effects of a crazy wind, working with the consequences of this unexpected change.
Starting with a story and plot enriched with illustrations helped engage the group. However, the turning point in the process was creating a connection between their own images and daily life, enhanced by blending them with the main central narrative.
At the end of March, we invited the participants to the premiere of Makàni – Stories of Wind, as they had also been part of the creation of the show: some of their stories were part of Makàni’s journey through her grandfather’s memories.
In addition to the stories developed through our work with the children, the whole process allowed us to establish a deeper connection with YA. It provided a valuable artistic experience that involved listening, collaboration, negotiation, improvisation and a broader perspective.
