"Elementals"

Carnival Procession - 10th March 2005
Arnos Park, London

Masks & Costumes Making Workshops for Children -
7-9th March 2005
Garfield, Bowes and OLOL Primary Schools, Arnos Grove, London

OPALA GROUP:
Ada Gadomski, Barbara Fuchs, Magdalena Canals-Halewijn

The Elementals is a collaboration between Opala Group - Theatre, The Light & Colour Workshop - Sculpture, and Suborg - Sound & Music, with the Enfield Council.

We came together to create a journey of learning and exploration for children through these three art disciplines. The outcome of the journey was The Elementals procession in the Arnos Park in London where everything we created came together in a joyful celebration and invocation of Spring.

The Elementals was based on an old Mexican story called The Ladies of Corn (click to read full story).

• In different parts of the world people made up stories like the one of The Ladies of Corn, stories that explain the mysteries of nature and the changing of seasons.
• These stories help people understand why there is sun, rain, thunder, wind, fire, volcanic eruptions.
• These stories helped people carry on their everyday tasks more easily.
• As a mark of respect to nature, during the year man celebrates the natural forces through dances, songs, and art.
• These celebrations usually take place at the time of the changing of the seasons.

Three Primary Schools in the Arnos Grove Area were three natural forces that, when combined, bring about the coming of Spring and the growing of plants.

We have performed the coming together of Sun, Wind and Rain with a carnival procession in masks and costumes, singing dancing, making music and building scultpures in the park.

Garfield Primary School- Rain Element

Blue, green & white - the colours of Rain

Bowes primary School-Wind Element

White, silver & grey- the colours of Wind

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School-Sun Element

Yellow, orange & red - the colours of Sun