The Makers are group of like-minded creatives with and without learning disability. The Makers involves a wide variety of creative workshops inspired by creative interests. It’s about working with others to learn something new, develop a skill, make something, or make something happen together and to have a whole heap of fun at the same time.
During 2021 The Makers have kept connected and creative with online sessions and joyful in person workshops when restrictions eased. Over the next six weeks we’ll be bringing you a series of three updates about what they’ve been up to.
Theatre for the Fabulous with Suzi Morrice & Keith McNeil
Theatre for The Fabulous came about because one of the Makers, Keith McNeill, and other Makers are passionate about acting and drama. Keith likes to make people laugh, he’s a showman and naturally puts people at ease. He loves drama and wants to develop his own skills whilst helping others to enhance their acting skills. He has been working in collaboration drama professional Suzi Morrice to learn and develop the skills to co-facilitate a series of Zoom and in person drama workshops with The Makers. Keith & Suzi brain storm workshop ideas together, and support each other to run the sessions. Theatre for The Fabulous workshops have involved improvisation, drama games, creating monologues and making people laugh. When restrictions lifted this year Suzi & Keith were able to bring the whole group together for the first time for a series of in person drama workshops at The Steading in Rosewell. We’re hoping with the help of additional funding that this can become a more regular workshop.
“Totally buzzing after the workshops, loved it”
Keith McNeill
Dance with indepen-dance
Cheryl, Sophie, Morvern, Ben, Leanne, Emma, Marc, Amanda, Sam, David, Nicola, Audrey and Michaela love to dance. When lockdown hit we all stopped moving as much, and were stuck at home most of the time so we asked dancers Wils & Aimee from Glasgow based Indepen-dance to help get us moving again on Zoom. We posted out a series of dance props to everyone. It was so sort after we added more dates, then more after that, people didn’t want it to end so it happened every Monday morning at 11am to see us through the darkest days of lockdown from January – April 2021. Last month, we eventually all met up in person in Dalkeith Country park for a really amazing socially distanced boogie to the beats together in the park with Wils & Aimme.
“Loved it, Monday mornings were great, Wils is very funny, he makes us laugh as well as dance!”
Morvern Robb“Dancing in the park was amazing”
Robert Kocaba
Due to the popularity of these dance workshops we’re working in collaboration with more local Dalkeith based KIC Dance to offer more in person dance workshops over the autumn.
Next up: The Makers in 2021 Part 2 – Music Making