The first of a series of roadshows that will tour the valleys over the next month drumming up support and recruits for their exciting project leading up the London Olympics in 2012.

The whole centre became a warren of creative activity with our inspirational tutors giving master classes in silkscreen printing, willow weaving, African drumming and dancing, singing, rapping, photography and break dancing – each one catered and tailor made for young and old and every level of ability.

One of the project’s prime aims is to be intergenerational and this was exemplified in the rapping with Clayton George and the drumming with Oumar from Tribal Vibes. Contrasting in their demeanours, Clayton quiet and unassuming, Oumar, colourful and outgoing, they both brought together two generations in infectious demonstrations of their art.

In the morning, a group of teenagers and a brace of senior citizens had produced a rap that was a vibrant blend of rhyme and rhythm that grooved along to a funky backbeat. In the afternoon a whole bevyy of older members of the choir had got down and serious with a batch of youngsters for the African drumming and finished this by shaking their booties and cutting some deadly shapes with a spot of tribal dancing.

This easy and fluid mix of the ages was echoed in every session throughout the building with memorable pieces of art and startling performances produced around every corner.

Though every session was well attended we could always do with more singers for our ever growing community choir and while our ingenious musical director Paula Gardiner can make magic and produce music out of nothing – which she did – she would prefer instrumentalists to actually bring their instruments with them.

There’s always something to bang or shake but an instrument of choice would be all the more satisfying. Like all our tutors, Paula will make everyone, whatever their ability, proud of their achievements by the end of the session. We look forward to more of the same in Ferndale, Ynysboeth and Pontypridd.

The next road show will be on Tuesday 30th March in the Arts Factory in Trerhondda.

We didn’t have 4000 thousand Zulus, Stanley Baker, Michael Caine or even Ivor Emanuel but what we did have in the Pop Factory, Porth on Saturday night were a choir of valley angels, an acting ensemble as tight and tuned as an African drum and a couple of Welsh thespians who lit up the stage like a pair of stars. More encouragingly for the future of the project, the first public phase of Operation Zulu packed the Pop factory to the gunwales with standing room only and a standing ovation to finish.

It was an evening that was set up with an introduction to the Valleys Kids website by Emma Woodfield, who was effortless charm in her presentation. This paved the way for a showing of a gem of a short film, THE MAGIC BOX which while promoting the generous sponsorship of Hutchings HQ, in the shape of a transit van delivered to Valleys Kids Play Team, also pinpointed a rare acting talent in Chairman, John Hutchings as a Welsh Genie. Even he will concede that his magic was stolen by Valleys Kids prodigy nine year old, Jake Farnham, though both were magnanimous enough to share the honours at end of the showing.

All of this was orchestrated by Roy Noble OBE with consummate wit and enough polish for every boot in the Welsh Guards. Which led us on to the showcase performance of Operation Zulu, a snapshot and preview of the bigger picture, which is growing and developing towards its full scale conclusion as part of Wales’ plans for the Cultural Olympiad in 2012.

Its three constituents had remained separate until this week. The choir had been wrapping their tongues around the unfamiliar vowels of an African song, Shosholosa and the rearranged harmonies of a Beatles number; the Rhydyfelin Youth Theatre had been grappling with a trilogy of scenes that I had specially written for them and our pair of professional actors, who had never met, Suzanne Packer and Nathan Sussex, had been privately poring over a series of letters that I had written, imagining the correspondence between our young lovers, Thembisile and Gerwyn. This, I hoped to be the glue, that held the piece together.

In just three sessions, Musical Director, Paula Gardiner and myself, somehow had to patch these elements together into a coherent and cogent piece of theatre. By Saturday at six o’clock through a completely unscientific mix of improvisation, organisation and inspiration the cast and choir were ready to go. So fired up with their own self belief, our absolute trust and several bags of chips we released them onto the stage.

For me, crouched behind the choir, it was over in a heartbeat and so utterly gratifying that I even joined in the final rendition of Shozolosa. Every single member of the cast and choir rode a surf of emotion with conviction and panache that, I think, gave the audience an uplifting and moving experience.

Behind the scenes, recent graduates, Bronnie Kenny-Jones and Sam Bentham, refused to be beaten by a lighting board that must have been used in the original Globe Theatre lit up the show with atmosphere and composure.

I cannot thank them all enough, they each played their part to perfection.

As did the army of offstage volunteers who were the salvation of the day. Emma, Abi, Ed, Heather and Jamie were a tireless troop of chair movers, tea makers, wine pourers and even toilet cleaners. Always on hand over the last few weeks to give me support and advice were the Valleys Kids’ Artworks team, who gave me the freedom and licence to pursue my vision; I couldn’t have done it without them. But special mention in all this giant operation goes to Project Co-ordinator, the ubiquitous Denise Lord, who pulls all the invisible strings, keeps all the balls in the air. and fairly soon will be keeping us all in the time when she joins the Operation Zulu Band on bass guitar.

Which of course, bring us to the next phase, which at the moment is an imponderable and as yet, unexplored possibility. Watch this space

Laurence Allan – Writer / Artistic Co-ordinator

July 2009