Outside the Box
The renovation at Brightworks this month led to some changes – our video booth has been deconstructed and pieces from it are now holding up the students’ work spaces. It’s an illustration of how we like to take things apart and put them back together in new ways. It’s also an opportunity to move our recording operation out of the box.
Because the students are talking about their projects it’s helpful to catch them in their studios and study areas where they can express themselves naturally and have room to demonstrate what they are planning.
Justine mentioned in an earlier post that this round of proposals is Brightworks’ best yet. Judging from what the kids describe, we would add: and the most ambitious!
Max, for example, is planning with Henry to open a restaurant!
Natasha and Audrey and Mason are going to perform a dance showing how salt is made. Natasha describes to us how they plan to choreograph their dance:
Connor is making fireworks — one ingredient of which is salt:
Connor will be sharing a studio space with Coke, who is also making fireworks. Both pyro-technicians are looking to mix up a brew that will make a big bang! Here Coke explains how it’s done:
These creative teams — whether culinary, choreographic or concussive—have one thing in common (besides salt). All of them are producing projects we can’t wait to see!
experiments
Among the dozens of experiments currently taking place at Brightworks, the Coyotes’ was the most well-documented today. They tested the pH of salt water and the calcium sulfate they found at the salt flats.
Meanwhile everyone else continued their work!
community and market day
Community Friday!
Flying robots and handstands.
Hot lunch: enchiladas and cabbage salad with blondies and grapes, from Coke’s mom Marian.
Thea visited her old art teacher who taught her some things about salt and paint for her project.
Isaac met with filmmaker Mimi Cave as part of the research for his expression phase film project.
We closed the day out with Market Day!
And closing circle!
small things, big things
I feel like I’m beginning to be redundant when I talk about all the hard work that’s happening at Brightworks these days, but it’s true! The kids have been working incredibly hard and have been learning to manage their time with setting realistic goals for themselves to accomplish. And the work changes every day. The Brightworks kids face new challenges and new obstacles every morning and leave exhausted with things done in the evening.
Some moments from today:
Henry and Max continue testing in the kitchen.
Amidst the exciting work, the youngest kids were faced with a small sadness that they dealt with in gorgeous fashion today. Yesterday, one of the button quail got sick and died. This morning Coyotes wrote notes and made a casket for the bird to memorialize it.
At our corner park, our park maintenance friend Tyler helped the Coyotes dig a grave and bury the quail. The Coyotes held a small service to appreciate its life.
Meanwhile the Phantoms and Sand Leopards were hard at work. Nicky and Bruno worked on some infrastructure for Nicky’s pulley system.
Connor, Ben, and Coke experimented with burning salt to see what kinds of colors it makes as part of their research in their project to make fireworks.
Audrey and Natasha sanded lengths of PVC pipes to serve as electron staff props in their salt dance performance.
The Rubber Band wrote goal sheets, reflections, notes…
Gever took photos of some of the aftercare kids to create small animations. Fun!
expression continues
Expression continues…
with Coffee Bar meetings,
with music and rhythm,
goal sheets and project managing,
meetings with adults,
more notes,
lost teeth,
a finished explosive-proof oven,
final declaration approvals,
research,
more research,
salt crystal making,
drama,
more and more notes,
recording results,
salt art experiments,
and end-of-day circle.
changing space
Hooray for changing spaces that lend themselves to hard work and focus in an otherwise distracting environment! The studios are just begging for hard-working kids to occupy them, and after a weekend clean-up day, the art studio, lab, and workshop (amongst other spaces in the school) are shinier and more accessible for Expression. With the introduction of the kanban board for some and more chances to use a focused space, the kids are getting moving quickly on their projects.
