FreeHorse Arts participants will explore the myriad aspects of production during the month of May and then have the opportunity to see them in action LIVE at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards in New York City.

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Artists will participate in light building and creation of puppet(s) that will be used in the upcoming production. An emphasis will be on the isolated movement of body parts…arms, legs, head neck and how we utilize our muscles to create movement and bring to life the feelings of the character. How a simple turn of the head or nod can communicate a clear thought. The puppet(s) will be used to remind us of our youth, the joy of childlike imagination and how holding onto hope can make the world a better place.

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This month we will be working with local musicians and professional singers to learn and join in on group or individual accompaniment during specified songs for the performance. We will discuss and learn about the difference of singing melody versus harmonies and put these skills into practical application. Additional work on volume control, enunciation and breathe will be included.

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Get moving this month with choreographers who will join us to create movement pieces for the upcoming production. Basic dance steps, devised and interpretive movement, movement with props and basic staging will all be incorporated in the weekly LIVE classes. The ensemble will discuss healthy practices such as physical warm ups, stretching, hydration and all of the things that are important to keeping “our dance instrument…our body” ready for performance.

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As part of the Songs and Stories with Paul Williams concert, we will be studying and performing excerpts from some classic muppets movies and shows. Many of these songs involve unique instrumentation such as wash boards, jugs, spoons and more. Joined by guest musicians, we will take a turn playing these instruments, learning about their origin and identify ways we can join in on the songs during the show.

Participants will begin the process of rehearsing show content in order, learning about entrances and exits and stage cues. We will discuss how to adapt from a basic rehearsal space to a full stage space, how the spaces differ and how to orient yourself to a new space as a performer with the same blocking and choreography. We will incorporate a professional stage manager into the ensemble to instruct and teach us about receiving cues and calls during a show and discuss basic stage terminology that will be applicable to live performance.

The ensemble will be preparing for the final rehearsals by running through the show content in the classroom space at the top of the month, then transitioning to the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen during the week leading up to the performance. These rehearsals will begin to incorporate our community choir partners, the professional musicians that will be joining us and a full production team. This is the moment when we apply all that we have studied and learned to actual live performance experiences. We will consciously take time to discuss the “why” of what we are doing and the importance of sharing talents in order to spread joy to others beyond ourselves. A continual focus will be on awareness of the whole production “family”…the HERD… and how everyone works together to ensure safety, successful experiences and fun! Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with all of the amazing artists involved in this experience. A culminating gathering to reflect on the experience and share fun stories will be scheduled at some point after the weekend of the show.

FreeHorse Arts LIVE continued with an immersive study of performance and production. In March and April participants developed new show content, and learned about the creative process in developing a script, set lists and working with supporting artists for the FreeHorse Arts Songwriters Series concert in December featuring the music of Paul Williams.

Foundational elements for the theater include character development, costumes, props (to include puppets) and set creation from recycled materials, music integration and movement culminating in an original performance piece to include the principles of The Healthy Herd: Alignment, Balance, Exploration & Play, Honesty & Congruency, Individual Responsibility & Accountability, Presence, Safety, and Shared Leadership.

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This 11-week session combined visual art making, drumming and movement with technology while discussing how we collaborate with each other as artists, think beyond ourselves to better serve others, and work together as an ensemble as we move towards more performance opportunities in our community. The final class on December 21 included a time of sharing a meal and a community presentation & celebration.

Join creative collaborators Erin Thomas, Brendan Kennedy, Abernathy Bland & Alex Ginsberg in a performance creation and rehearsal process from June-Oct. This extended class session will culminate in participants joining in the live concert “Coming Back Home” at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center in Richmond, VA. Herd participants will add artistic content, supporting RIchmond’s finest acoustic musicians in celebration of hope, nature and love. Performance elements will include many of the skills we have experienced thus far in class sessions including movement, visual art, spoken word, sign language and song.

FreeHorse Arts LIVE in person participants will hone their photographic skills, taking photos as they explore nature. Creative Collaborator Susan Wermus will teach us about the foundational photographic elements to include the use of light and shadows and composition as we develop an understanding and practice of photographic expression through class discussion and taking photos.

In this session participants will explore the elements of storytelling in script creation, with an emphasis on communication through all of its elements: dialogue, set, sound, staging, light and the spaces in between.

In this in-person class session, Creative Collaborator and Co-Founder Erin Thomas will continue leading the Herd in an exploration of LIGHT through movement and sound. Building on January’s class session, participants will continue ponding their own light, with a focus on its interconnection and benefits towards nurturing the collective light of the Herd. Participants will reflect this prism of light out into the world, through the creation of a multi-modal performance piece (including movement, music and visual art,) that will share Herd Principles, radiating the vision and values of conscious, creative, harmonious and regenerative community through creative expression.

In this class session, FreeHorse Arts co-founder Erin Thomas will lead the Herd in an exploration of LIGHT through movement and sound. Participants will identify, care for and kindle their own light while sharing it with others in joyful exploration; tending and nurturing our collective light that will shine bright into this new year.

In this session participants planned a gathering in collaboration with one of our community partners, The Westover Hills United Methodist Church, in celebration of conscious community and partnership as we move into the new year. Thoughtful conversations included the reasons for gathering and the importance and benefits in so doing. Participants identified and planned logistics with thoughtful consideration to our guests. Roles and responsibilities were identified and distributed among participants as they planned and facilitated an event. Together with other community partner and Creative Collaborator, Jody Conway of Dandelion Springs Apiary, participants created table centerpieces made of natural materials gathered from the farm. They also created a hand crafted collaborative invitation with Creative Collaborator, Molly McFadden.

Participants practiced the skills of deep listening, reflection, connection and curiosity through song creation. In mutual interviews, participants listened deeply to one another, gathering information through words, tone, body language and transforming the sharing into song through the art of symbol, sound and metaphor.

Participants learned about the varied palette of comedy and practiced the skills of improvisation to include idea initiation, collaboration, and content creation through comedic play.

Artist and Creative Collaborator Jaime Weinstein guided and supported participants in visual art mural design and creation around the themes of planetary regeneration, renewal and the principles of a healthy herd. Online FHA participants focused on mural design which was created within the space of the FreeHorse Arts Community Garden.

In this session led by Heather Bruneau, participants explored the abundance of the natural world through fiber arts and sculpture creation. Art pieces were included in the culminating performance project entitled “Bounty!”

Guest artist Samson Trinh joined the in person Herd for creative sound creation.

Brendan Kennedy, Alex Ginsberg and Herd participants were delighted in reconnecting with one another in person through an immersive arts experience including movement and sound making. We explored and experienced play and creativity, connecting us one to the other, and to the natural world, which prepared us for deeper exploration, centered around regeneration, and renewal.

Participants screen printed their very own FreeHorse Arts shirts and totes at Studio Two Three, a community arts space that offers studios, classes, workshops and artist residency.