Kynren. What is Kynren? Kynren is an open air live show, that takes it's audience through 2000 years of history. It is an amazing show produced by Eleven Arches - "a registered charity with the objective to produce a world class night show, underpinned by a bold, innovative and engaging arts, education and community development programme", and 1500 'Archer's' - the people who volunteer to be a part of this spectacular event. What/who is Eleven Arches? Eleven Arches is a charity established by Johnathan Ruffer, "Eleven Arches is one of two charities he has established in Bishop Auckland, the other being Auckland Castle Trust . Together, the aim of the charities is to establish Bishop Auckland as an international tourist destination, attracting visitors and investment which will contribute to the betterment of the area and empower the community."
So, why am I talking about this, well I am proud to call myself an Archer...
So, why am I talking about this, well I am proud to call myself an Archer...
Yes, that's right. Last year, after coming to watch the show, I signed up to volunteer. And I am so glad I did.
The first thing I did on my way to becoming an Archer, was to participate in a Mix and Match session. In these sessions you take part in many different activities, some of them assessing your co-ordination skills, your acting ability, and what skills you already have. Whilst doing these activities, you are assessed to see where you will fit in within the Kynren family - where is the best place for you?
I must admit, when I first came I was unsure if I wanted to do this as I was on my own, other people had brought friends and family along with them. However, as the night went on I found myself having fun, and when speaking to one of the trainers there on the night - telling them what I was interested in, and why I was doing this - I reminded myself of why I wanted to do this in the first place. I wanted to be a part of something spectacular, that brought about a real sense of community and pride.
We were told that we would find out within a few months which team we would be placed in, and towards the end of January, I received an email informing me that I had made it onto the Technical Team! I was so happy! When I first went to my mix and match session, I wasn't quite sure on which team I wanted to be on. I was leaning towards being on the show team, however when I got there, I was looking at the information for each team and decided to step even more out of my comfort zone and go for the Tech Team. And I do not regret it one bit. It fits well with what I am studying, and it has given me many life skills and a lot of good experience.
Shortly after, we had to participate in something called 'Camp Kynren'. This is a 2 hour session that covers the basics that all Archers need to know before moving forwards. It covers things from health and safety to the vision of Eleven Arches and what their goals are for the coming years.
From this, we were able to progress to specific team training - for me this meant understanding how everything behind the scenes work, where all of the tech rooms are - what each of these do, and what roles I would be expected to play. Following this I went thought show control training, as well as being taught how to look after and make sure the projectors run smoothly throughout the show.
My job on the tech team is to look after the video projectors and to make sure nothing goes wrong with the projections though the show.
As well as doing this I have also helped out wherever I am needed -that's how we work as a team, we help each other out whenever and wherever help is needed.
Volunteering to be a part of this, it is a lot of hard work, dedication, and effort, sometimes you can even get doubts - why am I doing this, why am I putting all of my time into this? But when you see the show, when you see it all come together, those doubts vanish, you remember why you wanted to do this in the first place. All of that time and effort you put into it, it's all worth it. Kynren is amazing, it is inspiring, it is hope and joy. So many people have chosen to take time out of their lives and come together to create something spectacular. It is quite simply amazing, I am so proud of myself and every single person who has come together to create this. I cannot wait for the first show to start!
Come and join us! Book your tickets here, the price is worth it - you will not regret it. And who knows, maybe you'll be volunteering next year.
The first thing I did on my way to becoming an Archer, was to participate in a Mix and Match session. In these sessions you take part in many different activities, some of them assessing your co-ordination skills, your acting ability, and what skills you already have. Whilst doing these activities, you are assessed to see where you will fit in within the Kynren family - where is the best place for you?
I must admit, when I first came I was unsure if I wanted to do this as I was on my own, other people had brought friends and family along with them. However, as the night went on I found myself having fun, and when speaking to one of the trainers there on the night - telling them what I was interested in, and why I was doing this - I reminded myself of why I wanted to do this in the first place. I wanted to be a part of something spectacular, that brought about a real sense of community and pride.
We were told that we would find out within a few months which team we would be placed in, and towards the end of January, I received an email informing me that I had made it onto the Technical Team! I was so happy! When I first went to my mix and match session, I wasn't quite sure on which team I wanted to be on. I was leaning towards being on the show team, however when I got there, I was looking at the information for each team and decided to step even more out of my comfort zone and go for the Tech Team. And I do not regret it one bit. It fits well with what I am studying, and it has given me many life skills and a lot of good experience.
Shortly after, we had to participate in something called 'Camp Kynren'. This is a 2 hour session that covers the basics that all Archers need to know before moving forwards. It covers things from health and safety to the vision of Eleven Arches and what their goals are for the coming years.
From this, we were able to progress to specific team training - for me this meant understanding how everything behind the scenes work, where all of the tech rooms are - what each of these do, and what roles I would be expected to play. Following this I went thought show control training, as well as being taught how to look after and make sure the projectors run smoothly throughout the show.
My job on the tech team is to look after the video projectors and to make sure nothing goes wrong with the projections though the show.
As well as doing this I have also helped out wherever I am needed -that's how we work as a team, we help each other out whenever and wherever help is needed.
Volunteering to be a part of this, it is a lot of hard work, dedication, and effort, sometimes you can even get doubts - why am I doing this, why am I putting all of my time into this? But when you see the show, when you see it all come together, those doubts vanish, you remember why you wanted to do this in the first place. All of that time and effort you put into it, it's all worth it. Kynren is amazing, it is inspiring, it is hope and joy. So many people have chosen to take time out of their lives and come together to create something spectacular. It is quite simply amazing, I am so proud of myself and every single person who has come together to create this. I cannot wait for the first show to start!
Come and join us! Book your tickets here, the price is worth it - you will not regret it. And who knows, maybe you'll be volunteering next year.