PART ONE: BIRD MAKING

Act-Belong-Commit // Connect Program

A hands-on creative project for fledglings.

Within this section, students will create a single black bird made from their own piece of black clothing (suitable for beginner sewers). These black birds will be collected from your school to become part of the set for Artistic Director, Raewyn Hill’s new production, ARCHIVES OF HUMANITY in 2021.  

To support your students in creating their bird, you will have access to:

• Online resources including instructional video tutorials and a bird-making instruction guide.
• A live ‘Tips and Advice’ session (in-person or online) with our Atmospheric Coordinator and expert bird-maker Paul Rowe aka “Paully”.

Birds can be constructed by students as either an in-class activity or at home, across approximately 2-3 lessons (depending on experience level). 

Follow the step-by-step guide below to begin your bird-making journey!

STEP 1: Contact Co3 Contemporary Dance’s Youth and Engagement Associate, Jessica Lewis via education@co3.org.au to book your live ‘Tips and Advice’ workshop session with Paul “Paully” Rowe. 

STEP 2: Check out the What You Will Need Guide and gather all required materials. Notify students in advance about bringing in their own black garment (and coat hangers if wire at school is not available).  

STEP 3: Browse through the Bird Making Instruction Guide to get familiar with the construction process. PLEASE NOTE: This guide is just for reference; the “Instructional Videos” in STEP 7 will be your main resource for how to create your birds. 

STEP 4: Print and assemble the Small Bird Pattern – one for each student. (Refer to STEP 1: PATTERN of the Bird Making Instruction Guide for tips on this step).

STEP 5: Show students the Introduction to the Program video with Artistic Director, Raewyn Hill.

STEP 6: Read the program Terms and Conditions to your students.

STEP 7: Take your students through the following Instructional Videos to create the birds at your own class’ pace – and away you fly! 

Soaring into storytelling.

Congratulations! You have now completed PART ONE: BIRD MAKING. Now that your birds and students have taken flight, it is time to soar into PART TWO: STORYTELLING.