11:27pm Tuesday 30th June 2009
After helping organise an evening named “Ad Lib” – where pupils and teachers alike were encouraged to devise and perform sketches and songs – I was amazed at the quality of some of the material produced. In particular, one group of year 7 children, none of them older than twelve, stood out in that their sketch was particularly well written. Although in terms of acting they were very young, the quality of the piece they had written shone. You can honestly imagine that, when presented by a group of more mature actors who had developed a better sense of comic timing, the piece would be a stunning and scathing piece of satire. Do we overlook young talent? Or simply the people behind it? There are plenty of awards in place to recognise the talent of young musicians and actors but what about the script writers? Those who write more popular music? Fictional writers? There is still a vast amount of talent that is slipping through the net unnoticed. You are never more creative than you are in you teenage years and you spend so much of your day doing mundane school work that when you are finally given a chance to shine creatively, the results are often both amazing and surprising as well as incredibly liberating.
Perhaps it is the Holly Steele’s of the world have ruined it for the genuinely talented who have not been forced into the limelight by over-bearing parents. The naturally gifted out there may perhaps not appear on Britain’s Got Talent but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve recognition and success; it probably says something in their favour. The undisputed king of guitar at Kingston Grammar School is only fifteen but has understated natural talent and stage presence. Why is it understated? Because he doesn’t have the attitude that usually accompanies a talent like that. The problem with the young talent that is held up for us all to stare at in wonderment is that it tends to be just that, talent, lacking in other things, like personality. If you watch shows like Britain’s Got Talent or X Factor, you almost start to believe that with talent comes either a lack of personality or simply a brat-ish attitude. Perhaps we need to un-glue our noses from the reality TV shows seeking talent and look around us, there is a wealth of talent to be found in every school. An evening of small sketches and songs proved to be a fantastically entertaining and interesting night. A small, mousey child you would perhaps have not given a second glance to in the corridor suddenly reveals themselves to be a surprisingly good singer and you can't help but smile.
Fear not, I’m not about to claim that all these children are little angels, they’re not; and yes, a lot of the time, when left to their own devices, a devised sketch will end up simply being toilet humour but I think in general we are too quick to dismiss them all in this same category. I’m starting to come round to the idea that, every once in a while, we all need a bit of creative freedom and a chance to do something outside of the very structured school day. It takes a leap of faith on the part of the organiser to allow eleven to seventeen year olds to be the only entertainment for a paying audience but it does pay off because here is a new generation who, in many ways, are still capable of genuinely original ideas.
By Joanna Robottom
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