Great Caper News

2011

2011 ended with Kim Woodward being awarded Life Membership of Open Morris for her continuous work with young people in Morris.

Calling young dancers aged 16 -25yrs from any dance background. The Great Caper has been commissioned to create a new Cotswold Morris style dance to be performed on the evening of Friday 7th September 2012 in the ICCI 360 Dome in Weymouth, as part of “…an hop about like fleas!” a Cultural Olympiad concert. Practices will start in the New Year. Practice venue and dates tbc. Dancers should be based in the South West, with priority being given to Dorset based dancers. Places are limited so please sign up now to take part. Give Kim a ring on 0117 9401566 or email greatcapermorris@aol.com for more information. www.thegreatcaper.co.uk

“…an hop about like fleas!”
A unique opportunity for young South West based acoustic musicians to take part in the Cultural Olympiad in Weymouth on Friday 7th September 2012. “…an hop about like fleas!” starts with a one day workshop with Tim Laycock and Colin Thompson and ends in a multi-media concert that same evening. A concert, a performance, a new dance, some very old stories, shadow puppetry and 360 degree video dance footage taken at Dinosaurs Not Allowed 2011 - the traditional and the ultra modern come together in the ICCI 360 Dome. Free to participants and audience. Workshop open to young musicians aged 12 – 25yrs with ability to sight read / quickly learn by ear. To book your workshop/concert place, reserve your seat or for more information please contact John on 0777 9257096 or email Caperbag@aol.com

The accordion given to the Great Caper to pass on to a young musician has a new home with Lisa, a first year student at Sheffield University. Lisa was very pleased to receive the accordion and expects to be playing in a ceilidh band and for Morris dancing very soon.

2010

The Great Caper is pleased to announce that we have been accepted onto the Hampshire School Sports partnership database.  We look forward to working in the area.


The Great Caper is pleased to have been asked to provide the tutors for the school workshop aspect of the Dinosaurs Not Allowed 2010 event in Weymouth on Sat 25th September.  Work has started with 2 schools in Sedgemoor, Somerset and 4 schools in Dorset.

The Great Caper's co-ordinator, John Clifford, was nominated for an award following the success of the Dinosaurs Not Allowed event in Weymouth Sept 2009.  John was acting independently of the Great Caper in his voluntary role as Olympics Representative for Open Morris.  He co-ordinated the Dinosaurs Not Allowed event on behalf of the Joint Morris Organisations - Open Morris, the Morris Federation and the Morris Ring.  The Dinosaurs Not Allowed event is planned to run again next year and it is hoped that local schools will be able to take advantage of workshops provided by the Great Caper in 2010.  Further information about the award can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/8316159.stm

2009

A Day of English Country dancing for Bristol Primary Schools could be back on the agenda.  Waitrose in Henleaze has agreed to support the project in it's Henleaze store during November, on behalf of the Great Caper, a not for profit organisation aimed at reintroducing English traditional dance and customs back into the mainstream community.  Kim Woodward, Dance Director for the Great Caper said ' The Children's Day of Dance is an important and unique part of our culture and it should run again.  It is an opportunity for Bristol's primary school children to dance together to a live folk band and caller in the open air.'  The likely venue is Blaise Castle.

Swindon and Dorset have taken up the Morris challenge in 2009.  Great Caper tutors worked with children and adults at Bishopstone Primary School in Swindon with a 6 week project leading to displays at school and in the local area.  In Dorset Great Caper tutors were able to teach a Wild Hunt dance called Maiden Castle to children living locally to Maiden Castle.

2008

The Great Caper has once again worked with South Gloucestershire Council during 2008. Seven schools took part in the Rural Schools project and two schools took part in a Morris and Mumming project. We look forward to further participation with South Gloucestershire Council.

2007

The first Creating the Leaders workshop was held in Christchurch, Dorset in 2007 and was very successful. Course attendees included musicians, Beaver and Guide leaders, a primary school teacher and dance tutors. All from the same area, most people were coming together for the first time. Initial feedback shows that a junior dance side now has access to more musicians, the primary school has linked in with dance tutors and musicians and Beavers will be having fun with sticks very soon!

For more information on any of the above tel 07813 346819 or 0117 940-1566 or email greatcapermorris@aol.com