#FameNoGame
„Are you coming?“ the group leader asked the children, „we want to start.“
„I can’t go to the workshop now,“ a six-year-old girl declared firmly, “I’ve already been to school. I need to take a break.“
„Okay,“ said the group leader, “I understand.“
„My mom said that if things get too much for me, I need to rest. I should take a break.“ She explained this to all the adults on the team. The other children heard it too, since she said it quite often. A few children thought her approach to resource management was excellent and were inspired by it.
„"Okay, do you perhaps need a break now?" the team asked.
„"Yes!" the children shouted joyfully during recess and hurried to the craft table, because that was where they liked to spend their breaks the longest. They always had so much to talk about. And while they were at it, they also made some props for their stage performances.
„I take lots of breaks, Mom, it’s fun. I’m not tired at all,“ she explained to her mother when she came to pick her up.
Once the older children, the teenagers (the six-year-old thought the teenagers were pretty cool, sometimes also very strange), had recorded a few songs, she and her team moved the breaks to the media workshop or the dance room. At first, the younger children lay on the sandbags and rested. It never took longer than five minutes before they were dancing and singing with great enthusiasm and were part of the whole group.
When an adult said, "Please practice the songs again at home," the children during recess replied, "We don't have to. We already know the songs. Just like that!"„
And that was true. She had listened to the others, from the craft table, while they were lying on the sandbags, or playing on the plateau. Even at dinner and when everyone was together on the playground letting off steam, the group practiced their songs and choreography. All the children, including the younger siblings who always came with their mothers, all knew every song and every dance.
Towards the end of the project, they stood confidently on stage and performed their own songs, which they had previously written and produced together.
The song „BAILA“
You can find the lyrics here:
Four songs and two music videos were written, produced, and filmed by the children and teenagers. They were supported in this by the team.
The song „GERNE“
You can find the lyrics here:
The group arrived at the festival in the rain, it rained all weekend, and the group drove home in the rain.
Everything was wet, absolutely everything! And then money was stolen too!
What a weekend. My emotions went up and down, exploding at times and then briefly settling down.
And the performance in the pouring rain was breathtaking. The group displayed such professionalism that even the lecturers were completely surprised. The team and the parents were in awe.
- The teamwork was excellent; they helped each other and didn't even argue over the microphone.
- the self-confidence with which they sang and danced
- and the empathy with which they independently called other children onto the stage and cheered them on.
The performance at the KeNaKo Africa Festival in Washington Square was also very exciting and remains an unforgettable memory for everyone involved.
The content of this project #FameNoGame lives on: The songs carry the message of respect, empathy and mutual support far beyond the end of the project.
You can find our educational materials from the project here:
#FameNoGame
„Seeing how the participants“ self-confidence grew during the project was the most beautiful thing for me,” reports the group leader.
Here are some pictures from the workshops
#FameNoGame
You can find performance dates here:
