After the discussion with Julian at Mosaik, we decided to offer a short course (it has to be short; I’m running out of time) in physical comedy: mime, clowning, bits of physical theatre… Julian was keen on it leading towards a performance, and since that’s always been my preferred approach, that’ll be the offer. Just how popular it turns out to be will be put to the test this Friday, when I run an open workshop. It will give people a chance to get to know me, to find out a bit about what the course will offer, and also might act as a bit of an audition, since it will need to be a manageable number if we are working towards a show.
There is a small, unexpected hiccup. It is Mosaik’s policy to offer a free return bus ticket to every refugee who takes one of their classes. It is clearly quite an incentive, for it might otherwise put people off coming, if they had to spend some of their meagre resources on travelling to and from the camp at Moria (especially, perhaps, for something as non-essential as a comedy class.) The problem is that Mosaik is in dire financial straits, and cannot afford to budget for it. If I will offer to pay for them, however… I must say, it is the first time I have ever had to pay people to attend one of my classes, but if needs must…
I have decided, however, to appeal to some of the readers of the blog (i.e. you) to see whether they might be willing to support this venture (and should we manage to raise more than we need, that will go to pay for other classes that they run, such as in Greek, English, some arts activities…) Mosaik have fallen victim to that capricious funding of NGOs that I referred to elsewhere. They had been generously supported, and were open until late in the evening every day, but when the news agenda moved elsewhere, so did the funding, and for a time they had to close. Julian (and his fellow director Chloe) had been two of the founders of the centre, but have returned, as volunteers, to keep the place ticking over. But times are tough.
I hope both the fund-raising and the open class are successful, for I am excited about the possibilities. And I don’t think that comedy is a trivial subject, that laughter is unimportant. After all, when you’re laughing, the sun comes shining through.
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