Maison Foo are back!

Supported by Arts Council England and responding to the challenge of creating some light moments to aid the wellbeing of patients, visitors and staff at Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, theatre company Maison Foo will spend time as “The Nannas” in a series of optional activities, events and performances across the two hospital sites.

Click the link for them to tell you about it  http://vimeo.com/user5198812/nannagramms 

 The Spring 2012 Nannagrams project is set to encouraged the celebration of the people we love and are grateful for.

The Pen Friend:

Maison Foo’s in character as The Nannas will be visiting wards, waiting rooms and public corridors encouraging people to write well wishes on a postcard to someone in the hospital they don’t know. The Nanas will then deliver this postcard to someone elsewhere in the hospital , then asking this person to pass on their well wishes to another patient or visitor.  Over the course of a few weeks this will create a wave of good wishes around the hospital.

The Knitathon:

The Nannas will ask people they meet to assist in the knitting a series of mini jumpers, knit a row and take a moment to chat, share a story, a fascinating fact or joke.  The jumpers knitted will be collected together and exhibited in all their various shapes and sizes. The exhibition will include some of the fascinating facts, jokes’ and stories from the people who have created them.

Wear Your Heart on your Jumper:

The Nannas will ask people to take a moment to think about who they are thankful for, then turning that thought into a badge saying who they’d like to celebrate; this can be serious or fun. The Nanas will also be collecting song dedications for the event …

Nannagrams Go Live :

The Nannas will be bringing all the elements of the project together at Easter with a performance day, creating a spoof hospital radio with a NANAGRAM broadcast.  On this day the Nanas will be reading out celebratory messages and song dedications they have collected. Work is being done to get this performance broadcasted so that anyone could tune their radio in and listen to the show.

If you think patients, visitors and staff in your area might enjoy a visit from the Nannas please contact the Arts Coordinator Juliet Cooper on Cooper@hcp.co.uk or Tel. 01332 786203

Feedback from Mason Foo`s reminiscence project “Memoirs of a Biscuit Tin” at Derby Hospitals in 2009

‘Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me it has made me realise that my brain is still fully functioning.’ patient, Ward 7 Derbyshire Royal Infirmary  (DRI) now London Road Community Hospital (LRCH)

‘It has been great speaking to you and Mr Pegg…so many memories came flooding back’ patient Ward 409 Royal Derby Hospital.

‘It’s been lovely to meet you and spend time with you’ patient Ward 401 Royal Derby Hospital.

‘I really enjoyed the experience and that we were sitting in a circle…it’s made me realise how important it is to talk about the past and share stories’ patient,  Ward 2a Stroke Unit Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (now LRCH)

The Great Shakespearean Workouts

1623 Theatre Company London 2012 Inspire Mark project The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 launched on Friday 23 April at Derby Hospitals where they encouraged patients, staff and visitors in movement to the Shakespeare beat.

Shakespeare himself was there to celebrate his 446th birthday, along with characters from Troilus and Cressida and a team of associate artists who took part in two sessions of the 60-minute fitness programme based on the play.

The launch started at 12pm at London Road Community Hospital. once the  the warm-up, workout and warm-down were complete, the team caught the Derby Hospitals Link Bus from London Road Community Hospital to the Royal Derby Hospital. Reactions from people on the bus ranged from mild panic to high amusement, as Shakespeare took his seat followed by Greek and Trojan warriors, Helen of Troy and the Greek servant Thersites.

The second part of the launch took place at 3pm at the Royal Derby Hospital, where we all took to the plaza outside Main Reception for another fun aerobics class.

Now that The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 is launched, it will take place at a number of arts festivals throughout the summer and autumn, before moving into schools and colleges in the autumn term. For more information, www.1623theatre.co.uk/workout

Supported by Derbyshire County Council, Legacy Trust UK and East Midlands Development Agency, The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 is part of Igniting Ambition, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands.

Doses of Shakespeare

“Just a word of thanks to the actors and staff who organised the  Shakespeare snippets yesterday. Happened across them by chance performing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in the Children’s – very entertaining and nice to know the Bard’s work is still appreciated by young and old alike.”

Talkabout – Trust E-message board