Tuesday 28 October 2014

Get Buzzing with Buzz – Drama, Dance and Singing

Supernova chatted to Hanneke Rauch, the founder and managing director of Buzz – Drama, Dance and Singing, in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. All Buzz custom designed workshops help children between the ages of 5 and 9 to develop confidence and creativity, which can be applied to all aspects of life.


What made you decide that you want to teach drama to children?

I trained at the University of Cape Town and qualified with a degree in Theatre and Performance. After finishing my studies, I soon realised that I would like to use drama to make a positive change and a difference in my country. What better way to do that than with children? I have always loved being around children. They are open and keen on learning and developing as much as they can every day. Drama (and other performing arts like dance and singing) helps build children’s all-important confidence and social skills. These are so valuable and important for kids. Doing drama with children is also super fun! All kids have vivid, creative, amazingly alive imaginations.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

To see the results we have in the lives of individual children. So many kids first arrive terribly shy or with poor social skills. Many need a platform to use their excess energy or just to show off their many talents and perform! No matter whether they are introverted or extroverted, struggle to concentrate or make friends – whoever they are: each child grows and develops into a stronger, more confident version of themselves as a direct result of the exposure to the performing arts. To see the direct, visible results in the lives of each little individual child, is so rewarding. They have fun while growing and developing!

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

We have many product lines – drama, dance and singing workshops, birthday parties, holiday courses, workshops for schools and many others. We have a huge staff and client base and it is often hard to juggle the big and growing Buzz family!

What makes Buzz stand out from other drama schools in the country?

We are fresh, modern, new and different. Drama, dance and singing like you have never experienced it before! Instead of being old fashioned and traditional, Buzz truly is for every type of child, from the introverted, to the loud and bubbly. All children who buzz, benefit from it. We do not impose something on to the child, but rather find who they are and encourage that little individual to shine brightly and confidently!

Unlike other drama schools, Buzz has original music, written for Buzz, that kids get access to when they join. This is themed to the adventures we go on in the Buzz sessions. There are characters and stories to fit the theme of each adventure. We learn through fun!


What can children expect from a workshop session?

We dance then we sing and then we do drama at our workshops, and it goes like this:

Move, shake, jump!
Workshops begin with a high energy warm-up to funky music. Children are then led through a variety of fun physical games promoting coordination, posture and focus. This section concludes with theme-based dance choreography taught in a dynamic and animated style.

Laugh, listen, speak!
The dance section of the workshop is followed by the calmer singing section. Here vocal projection and eye contact feed into the development of confidence. These aims are woven into circle games, which always leave children roaring with laughter. Children are taught original Buzz songs in a fun and friendly style.

Stories, characters, adventure!
As children are led through a magical weekly adventure, this section is surely the highlight of the Buzz workshop. All children take part in the story as it unfolds through improvisational games and creative play. This interactive adventure is especially themed!

How do you decide on the themes you use in your workshops?

We try to think about imaginary worlds and places that kids enjoy, what they know and what is current. We choose topics from which they can learn something new. We choose topics like: Under the Sea, Outer Space and Around the World. Kids are transported into a fun world while they learn new and wonderful things, and information along the way.

How does drama form an important part in a child’s development?

It gives a child the gift of confidence! Through character play and improvisation, children are given a platform where they can think outside of the box and develop creative thinking, which is so important in problem solving as children become the adults of a tomorrow we are yet to imagine! Children learn vital social and communication skills through exposure to creative play and drama.

Can any child be a performer?

Any child WHO WANTS TO BE can be a performer, but certainly not every child needs to be a performer. It is more about being confident as whoever or whatever they dream of being. Some kids who come to Buzz, will one day be performers with their name in lights, and we will be glad to have ignited that journey and given them a platform when they were young. Some kids who come to Buzz will one day perhaps be more self-assured accountants or lawyers who are able to work more confidently in groups. Whichever way they go, I believe that being exposed to drama, will give them the tools they need to achieve success in life.


Why do you think drama is very much overlooked in the school curriculum?

School systems are unfortunately built to favour mathematics, sciences and language. Although these are very important, one cannot overlook the importance of developing the right brain, which is stimulated and developed through the arts. I believe most schools feel overwhelmed with pressure to meet the demands of the curriculum. Drama might seem a distraction and an add-on. I believe it is a wonderful tool to use as part of education!

Do you have any advice for educators who wish to promote drama in schools?

Be in touch with Buzz. We will come in and train your teachers and educators so everyone will learn how to use drama in the classroom, to enrich learning and make it more fun!


For more information about Buzz - Drama, Dance and Singing, visit http://buzzdrama.com/ or contact +27 (0)11 025 2525.


Look out for a review on Buzz - Drama, Dance and Singing in Supernova vol. 4.2!


Wednesday 22 October 2014

Postman Pat: The Movie

We're excited to see the world's most famous postman star in his very own movie!

The much loved Postman Pat is lured away from his home town of Greendale by the chance to find success on a national talent show. Meanwhile, the village is under threat from robot copies of the famous postman. Can Pat stop this mayhem and make the choice between fame and loyalty? 

An all-star cast provides the voices, including Stephen Mangan (Postman Pat), Jim Broadbent (CEO), Rupert Grint (Josh), Jane Carr (Mrs Goggins), Susan Durnden (Sara), Peter Woodward (Edwin Carbunkle) and David Tennant (Wilf). Pop star Ronan Keating performs Postman Pat’s musical numbers.


Postman Pat: The Movie
Postman Pat: The Movie is set to be screened in South Africa from 31 October 2014. In the meantime, watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDWIADYVGW8.



Information and image provided by Black Sheep Films.

Thursday 16 October 2014

The perfect gift: a robotic pet!

The Supernova team is very excited about this technological innovation that will make the perfect gift for any child (or adult disguised as a child!).

Which one is your favourite? We want them all!
 
*Click on the images below to enlarge.


 

 
 
Press release by Red Flag Design and Marketing.



Supernova introduces volume 4!

Supernova vol. 4.1
We are excited to announce that the October/November issue will be the first of our fourth volume of Supernova. As with anything new, we have made some changes and a few exciting additions.

'Andy’s Atlas', our travel feature, focusses on north Africa and explores the countries in that region. Instead of focussing on all the days within the two months of each issue, 'Al Manac' now pays attention to specific dates in the past, present and future, giving more interesting facts about each date. Our readers will also be thrilled to know that a few new questions have been added to our 'I wanna be' feature, so they will gain even more information on different career paths.

Supernova continues to bring exciting and interesting information which enhances our readers’ knowledge bases. Our main feature gives details about the Earth’s characteristics, such as the atmosphere, oceans and volcanoes, as well as history on why our Earth is the way it is. This links well with climate change and our article on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

We also introduce our curious readers to child prodigies across the world. In this way, we encourage our readers to acknowledge the greatness within them, remembering that only they can put in the hard work necessary to be successful.

Friday 10 October 2014

Supernova at Eskom Expo for Young Scientists!

The Supernova team visited the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists which is held from the 7th to the 10th of October. We had the opportunity to meet some very clever, curious kids as they showed off their scientific talents, which were very interesting to see.

Raihaan Bhyat, who is in Grade 7 and is from Johannesburg, made a working wireless iPhone charger, while Heidi Böttcher in Grade 8 from Cape Town explained the age old question “What really attracts boys to girls?” This was extremely enlightening! Sinethemba Latha, in Grade 10 from KwaZulu-Natal, told us how colours in our bedrooms affect our moods. For example, how warm and cool colours can influence our general perception towards reality. Nolene Viljoen in Grade 10 from northern Gauteng has already developed a vaccine for Cowdriosis, also known as ‘Heartwater’ which is a bacterial disease, originating in ticks, which affect all species of antelope, excluding Springboks who are naturally immune.

The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is a non-profit organisation which strives to promote an interest within the fields of science and technology in order to promote careers that are orientated around these specific areas. This is an expo for young scientists from all over the country in which they are able to discuss their projects with teachers and judges, as well as learners from other schools. Their awareness of scientific wonders is increased as well as their scientific horizons broadened.

Sinethemba Latha
The event takes place annually at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, Gauteng. The students who are selected as finalists receive international exposure to various career opportunities associated with technology, engineering, science, innovation and mathematics. They also stand the chance to receive mobile science kits, laptops, bursaries to various universities, electronic equipment and money.

The prize giving ceremony will take place on Friday the 10th of October.
Best of luck to all the talented young-scientists currently, taking part in this expo. We at Supernova are holding thumbs for you!



Wednesday 8 October 2014

BK Publishing at Frankfurt Book Fair!




BK Publishing stand at Frankfurt Book Fair
Publisher Benoit Knox is currently representing BK Publishing at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. This is the annual meeting place for experts in the publishing industry, as well as a very important marketplace for books, as well as various media-orientated establishments.

We are located in Hall 8, Stand 023. The Frankfurt Book Fair runs from the 8th to the 12th of October and is open to the public during the weekend (11th and 12 October).


Thursday 2 October 2014

Science fiction at Sci-Bono

Between 4 and 12 October Sci-Bono Discovery Centre will host an amazing holiday programme called The Science Fiction Festival.
The past decade has seen the impossible and improbable feats and wonders of science fiction movies and books become a reality in our daily lives. We can do things today that left us in awe a couple of years ago. Travelling into space and having all the knowledge of the world at your fingertips is a reality and no longer just a fantasy meant to entertain.

Sci-Bono Discovery Centre will explore this wonderful world during a programme that will leave all visitors inspired, informed and entertained. Kids get to make their own alien slime while learning about polymers. After a trip through the cosmos, a number of programmes await all willing explorers where they can learn about our solar system and also build their own cosmic kaleidoscopes. The Fiction Busters Science Show will explain exactly what is fact and what is fiction in the movies we watch. For schools there will also be science fiction writing competitions, art expos and exhibitions with amazing prizes to be won like Kindles.

If the holiday programme is still not enough to keep kids and parents alike entertained for hours, there are more than 350 interactive science exhibits that can also be explored. 'Don’t touch!' are words that don’t exist at Sci-Bono and visitors are encouraged to touch, push and wind up the hundreds of exhibits that were built exactly for that purpose. After hours of fun stimulating young minds, feeding hungry tummies will be a priority, but that’s easy to do at the coffee shop offering tasty snacks and light meals.

Some of the daily programmes are free and included in the entrance price. For more details and bookings please contact Cynthia Sithole on 011 639 8491 or email cynthia.sithole@sci-bono.co.za/bookings@sci-bono.co.za. Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is open Monday to Friday between 9h00 – 17h00 and Saturday & Sunday between 9h30 – 16h30. For more information contact +27 11 639 8400 or email info@sci-bono.co.za or visit our website on www.sci-bono.co.za

Click on the programme below to enlarge:



Press release issued by Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.