If you have just a couple of minutes could you please complete this,

it’s just 10 short, easy questions, ta x   Party survey

Help needed!

Hi : )

I need your help. One of my oldest and cheekiest friends just wrote a comment on my application for the Enterprise Nation Fund.

He wrote: ” Frankly, if it keeps you off the streets it has to be a good idea… “

he has a point…

but he put it here!!  http://www.enterprisenation.com/funding-applications/acting-the-party/

I need a brilliant quip to post back – up for the challenge?

Cheers Claire x

PS …. and if you can help me by voting, then you really are stars, each vote is worth £1 to me – but only if I reach my target – anyway, first things first – what can I retaliate with?

 … not sure if that’s working!

Writing

When I first came up with the idea for Acting the Party I never considered what my daily routine would consist of. All I knew was, I loved the idea and wondered whether I could make it into a reality.

After carefully working out the format for the party, I began to write. Now, I did ok-ish at school in English lessons, but my love at the time was Art and I headed off in a direction that rarely required lifting a pencil for anything that wasn’t drawing.

A bit later, I went on to work in Special Effects at the BBC.  For over 12 years I was making things with my hands, so when it came to sitting down with a pen it seemed quite a step, and odd having to concentrate – making props you can drift off into a day dream, but with writing I had to open a box that had been closed for a very long time.

Three children and later still, I began to write the first party play. It was a very different experience from anything I’d tackled before. But it didn’t seem to matter – I was pushed along by the thought of whether the outcome would actually work. My first writing attempt was for the girls’ party, I thought this would be easier to handle as I could remember back to and write all the things I remembered doing as a child. Then abruptly stopped realising that it would have to be trialled, who would I get to do it?  Low and behold as my twin sons’ 8th birthday was coming up fast, I changed tack.

Having the boys’ party play finished felt amazing. But looking back on it I’m amazed at how little I really thought about it – the script had just flowed and seemed ‘right’. But I hadn’t considered a lot of the aspects, such as, how long it was! Once we had recorded, edited, added sound effects, we thought, ‘to hell with it let’s give it a go’.

Fortunately and with huge relief it worked a treat (please look at http://www.actingtheparty.co.uk/party-for-boys)  all the kids had a great time and I was on cloud nine. Although perhaps a little exhausted – it had lasted for over 3 hours – just a little longer than required! Edit, edit, and edit some more.

This was all some time ago now and I am in the process of writing a third, unisex party. It has taken me yonks to find the theme. Having gone through the process twice before I realise that there is a lot more to consider than I’d taken into account with the first two.

This plays havoc with the ‘flow’. I can sit and procrastinate pretty well now. Twitter is the devil! Looking back, the first two scripts came naturally, I never thought a third would be so tough. I feel like I’ve been in a boxing ring, circling around my opponent, but finally – finally!! I am getting stuck in and I love it!

It won’t be ready any time soon – well not unless twitter is shut down for a couple of months, but at least I know where its heading and that little box in my head has exploded – better than any pyrotechnic I have ever set up!

 Some little guys who helped sort out the latest characters and my favourite pen, a Frixion .

Some days are just nice, aren’t they?

Big thank you to all those who nominated me- very much appreciated x

Pass the Parcel

One of the all time favourite children’s party games has to be Pass the Parcel. It’s the expectation followed by a surprise that every child enjoys. As a child I don’t think I ever won, but that didn’t take away any of the pleasure I got from playing.

Being born at a time when we used a vinyl record player (look it up) or the radio, and when it wasn’t the form to add sweets or chocolate (I’ve even known people to add books/toys into each wrap) I still found it great fun.

Also, and I could be wrong here, the old memory bank does tend to blur things a little, I can’t remember adults checking and making sure that each child got their fair share and making sure that the birthday boy or girl (or their best friend) got the top prize. I always thought the parents turned their heads away when the music was cut so no-one knew where the parcel was going to land. To me, that was fair.

Nowadays, and I have done this myself, many mums and dads add treats to each wrap and keep an eye out so each kid gets a turn to unwrap. I’m not a fan though. Kids are bright, they know when they are duped, and I have seen kids actually looking bored after they’ve had their turn as they know it won’t be their turn again. Anticipation is key!

With Acting the Party we have tried to address this a little, so when we, or rather the nifty CD, gets to the part of pass the parcel, it does the music. This is not specially easy as we also have to guess how long each child needs to unwrap the layer, but at least we know- and importantly – they know – that it could land anywhere.

To liven it up even more – and just because we can – we have used two pieces of music – one to go clockwise and one to go… yes, you’ve guessed it… anti-clockwise! Using two very contrasting pieces, it makes it all the more fun.

Ok, so what if you still want to put treats in between the layers? Wwellll…. we advocate sharing, and say at the start “If one child gets two treats, please share”, funnily enough we found kids are pretty good at this.

Unexpected.

Funny how life is, with all its little twists and turns. Working on Acting the Party has been, and still is, a real journey. I still have no idea how it will end, in success or failure, and some days and weeks are really rough. I still have a goal that I’m heading towards and truly believe that one day I can make a success of it. There are many difficult days however. This is when I feel I am traveling against a current of negativity, by this I mean my support around me, the financial pressure, and me thinking “Oh boy, its all too difficult,  I ought to get a proper job.”

By support, I mean my wonderful family who I put pressure on by not having a steady income, I know I ask a lot from them – giving up holidays and treats. There is one thing they are also aware of though – that I’m as stubborn as an old mule and I have a vision for Acting the Party that is sincere.

They are the bad days, and there are plenty.

But..

just occasionally something or someone will say something that can make me fly.

This weekend just past, Chris, my husband and I were invited to a wedding for the evening do. As I hadn’t met the bride or groom before I felt a little strange about attending. We were invited, I think, because Chris had worked with the bride’s father (when her father was alive) at the Ealing Film studios, quite a few of his other friends and colleagues had also been invited.

We also accepted the invitation, I must be honest, in part, because it was being held at Pinewood Film Studios – an absolutely perfect location. Still, we were a little trepidatious when we arrived.

We needn’t have worried, as soon as we met Frances and Carl we were put at ease. What lovely people, warm and welcoming and both very beautiful.

Chris had told me that Frances very much liked Audrey Hepburn and the styling for the whole occasion veered towards an Audrey look. Being sleek, beautiful and with impeccable taste it was easy for Frances to pull it off.

After warm introductions we didn’t talk to Frances again until later in the evening. We spent a lot of time catching up with old friends, watching delightful children amuse all the adults, dancing (a little) and eating (a lot). There was also a photobooth and popcorn maker – both good ideas and good fun.

Later Chris and I went to sign the guest book where we managed to have a chat with Frances. And here’s the really good bit. Somehow we got talking about twitter and about Acting the Party. I find out that Frances has a blog – LoveAudrey which I had actually come across before – and that she had invited a prolific blogger to the wedding to recall all about it – wow! Fab idea. But the very very best bit is she said she thought Acting the Party was a genius idea and she wished she’d thought of it! Chris had to hold himself upright against a table. I went home grinning from ear to ear.

So some times on this journey I get a boot up the backside from the most unlikeliest of places, and at the most unlikeliest of times. Of course, it doesn’t make me rich or famous, or stop the kids moaning when I, yet again, have to say ‘no’, but it does confirm that maybe, just maybe, I’m on the right track.

Cx

P.S. By the way…      I’m more of a Katharine Hepburn kind of girl myself.

 Frances and Carl’s first dance

Love Audrey can be found here Love Audrey Blog Spot  twitter @Loveaudrey83

The wedding blog will be here Lovemydress   twitter  @LoveMyDressBlog

A few photos of the bride and groom are here Wedding photos   twitter @elizacphoto

 Chris left, me centre and friend Paul having fun in the photo booth.

Lights, camera… but not a lot of action

Yesterday I thought I’d try to do a quick piece to camera showing and explaining the contents of the Acting the Party products. It was only a test and was only meant for me to experiment. But blimey what a faff. As soon as a camera comes on I can not string two words together - why am I so self-concious?

I know my product inside and out, all I’m doing is just sitting in my kitchen chatting about it, its not going to be seen by anyone, it hasn’t got to be perfect, I’m just practicing. So why is it impossible for me?

I have always been shy talking in public, in the last year I have really surprised myself at networking meetings, pushing myself to stand up and say something. I want to do this because I really love my product and know I have to ‘get it out there’ but boy, its nerve-racking.

Once I offered to be an extra on a children’s program I was working on, I was in the back ground with many other people, and still I could hardly breathe! “Why did I offer? What was I thinking?” I kept thinking.

Ordinarily I’m quite confident, in family videos I could happily show off. It’s you, the public, I’m scared of!

I hope, in a small way, Acting the Party can help children be less self-concious. They’re in a home environment, having fun, with their friends watching, from what I’ve seen so far it builds their confidence – because there are no speaking parts there is little pressure.

Perhaps what I need is an adult Acting the Party kit to talk me through!!

Any advice?