Activity: Home Truths Haiku
2021/22
Home Truths Haiku
HOME TRUTHS is Vincent Dance Theatre’s most recent multi-screen film installation and community listening project.
Drawing from VDT’s productions IN LOCO PARENTIS (2020) and ART OF ATTACHMENT (2018), HOME TRUTHS is the result of Vincent’s collaboration with care-experienced young people and the adults in their lives, and with women in recovery from substance misuse and domestic violence. HOME TRUTHS explores notions of home, family and belonging and considers the impact of trauma on women’s and young people’s lives.
We invite you to get involved and join us in exploring these notions through participating in these craft-based activities.
What you’ll need: timer (phone/watch), paper & pen.
1. Watch the above clip.
2. After watching the clip close your eyes and sit still. Notice what thoughts flow into your mind. Sit with these thoughts for two minutes.
3. Open your eyes and write a word burst of the thoughts and feelings you had in response to this clip. A word burst is a brain dump onto the page scribbled down in whatever shape you want.
4. We’re going to write a haiku from your word burst. A haiku is a very short poem, has three lines and doesn’t rhyme
5. The first line has 5 syllables (beats) / the second has 7 syllables / the third line has 5 syllables.
Here is an example of a Haiku, from Sonia Sanchez, called Haiku (for you)
you are amazing,
your strength astounds me always
keep going keep on.
Write your own haiku. It could be addressed to the girl, the birth mother or the situation you have just witnessed.
If you would like to share what you have made/written please take a picture using your phone and post it using the #VDTHomeTruths using Instagram: @VincentDanceTheatreuk or Twitter: @VincentDT
If you would like to share what you have made/written with the VDT team please email admin@vincentdt.com