Nottingham HS - “The Layering Project”

“The Layering Project” is a cross-curricular collaboration between Nottingham High School, Syracuse Stage and Syracuse University Fiber Artist Ann Clarke. Students in Art and English have been exploring text, performance and image and their connection to Syracuse Stage’s production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.

This is a unique group of forty students who are gathered to investigate their own cultural connections. At least half of the students originate from other countries, including Ghana, Jamaica, The Congo, Barbados, Colombia, Austria, and Bosnia.

At a first meeting with Syracuse Stage's Director of Education, Lauren Unbekant, students were asked to bring in an object that had culural signifigance to them. Some of the items brought in were costume jewelry from a grandmother, a head wrap, recipes, photo albums, drum sticks, etc. The students were asked about the object's significance, and then asked to give that object an action as a physical description; the action was given an emotional impulse as well. The students then taught their movements to the larger group. "It became a beautiful movement metaphor for their cultural diversity".

The “role-playing” of the objects helped each student to catch a glimpse into each other’s lives. One student said that he couldn’t understand why a turban from a fellow student’s birthplace, Jamaica, would he so significant to his life. But, after seeing the pride in his face as he “put on the turban”, he understood why it meant a great deal to the other boy.

The idea of role-playing using each item and tying it in with a human emotion and feeling connected the students together even though they all brought in different objects. “The showing of emotion is a reflection of memory - sometimes we forget what we experience. Sometimes it helps us identify with other people.” 

During subsequent sessions, students created written performance pieces. They then
worked with Ms. Clarke to create visual interpretations of their texts. Their work was installed in the lobby at Syracuse Stage for the run of Intimate Apparel. 

Student work hanging in the lobby at Syracuse Stage

Project abstract: In "The Layering Project," students in Advanced Art and English will explore the meshing of text and image and its connection to Syracuse Stage's production of Intimate Apparel. After reading the script, students kinesthetically analyze scenes, focusing on the cultural context of the work. They do improvisations exploring culture, status and metaphor, and create written performance pieces. They then work with the fiber artist to create visual interpretations of their texts. Art work will be installed in the Syracuse Stage lobby during the play's run. This project is the beginning of an ongoing partnership; each year students will be introduced to a play which poses a challenge through a multi-arts approach. This project is a model for the Creative Arts Academy at Nottingham HS.