BIG CLASS

We Are the House of Stories

carriechappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:10:01 -0400

Once we built the frame of the house, we began to explore interior and exterior details. Today, we finished writing some stories from the perspective of different interior household structures.

Week One, House of Stories

carriechappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:02:53 -0400

In our first week of House of Stories, we unpacked our most basic ideas of the house. In discussion, we identified the house as a place to rest in peace, to dream, to eat and use the bathroom, and as a space to be with family. Rotating among several stations each day, we learned about the foundation and frame of a house by beginning construction on our own cardboard structures. In writing we began to build our first book which tells the story of how we define a house and what it is to us and our world as a means of shelter.

Call for Volunteers- House of Stories Summer Workshop

dougkeller — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:00:23 -0400

Please read on for an exciting volunteer opportunity with Big Class!

House of Stories Summer Workshop

June 2013

Class Overview: In the House of Stories class, students will work both together and independently to write, illustrate, design and build their own structure that reflects and houses their stories. Students will explore the physical and emotional spaces of the house by constructing a structure to hold tiny book-like objects filled with their own stories of home, house, and heart.

Artist Jacques Duffourc will supervise house-building, as poet Carrie Chappell works to connect the ideas of house and story, promoting the creation of stories based on the rooms, space, memories, furnishings, and nooks and crannies of a house, be it actual or imagined. By addressing through art and writing our human need to create physical and emotional shelters, students will gain a greater understanding of identity as concerned with the idea of home.

This class exists in conjunction with the Community Works Summer Camp at ARISE Academy. Students will be walking across the street to the Big Class headquarters at 3718 St. Claude for the workshop. We will need volunteers for each day, as we are expecting daily 14-17 students with need for story feedback and house-building tips. Please see the following schedule for days and times when volunteers will be needed, and e-mail ourbigclass@gmail.com if you’re interested in volunteering.

First week:

6/12 (Wed.): 9:30-11:30am

6/13 (Thurs.): 9:30-10:45am

Second week:

6/18 (Tues.): 9:30-11:30am

6/19 (Wed.): 9:30-11:30am

6/20 (Thurs.): 9:30-10:45am

Third week:

6/25 (Tues.): 9:30-11:30am

6/26 (Wed.): 9:30-11:30am

6/27 (Thurs.): 9:30-10:45am

(via Big Class #4 | elizabeth draws!)

dougkeller — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:37:51 -0400

(via Big Class #4 | elizabeth draws!)

(via In the St. Claude Arts District: BIG CLASS | St. Claude...

dougkeller — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:52:49 -0400

(via In the St. Claude Arts District: BIG CLASS | St. Claude Main Street)

Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday for Back to Summer...

dougkeller — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:19:47 -0400

Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday for Back to Summer Fest. Some passionate odes to pizza were written, finger puppets were brought into the world, Back to Summer zines were concocted, and made-up summer movie heroes were imagined. A special shout-out to the writers from Big Class’s after school programs who read some of their soon-to-be published work to a rapt audience.

Big Class- Back to Summer Fest + Spring Programs Wrap-Up

dougkeller — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:27:57 -0400

Big Class- Back to Summer Fest + Spring Programs Wrap-Up

The proud staff, editors, and “interns” (volunteers and parents)...

dougkeller — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:54:00 -0400

The proud staff, editors, and “interns” (volunteers and parents) of The Riverside Port-Reveler/The Newspaper, Big Class’s community newspaper project, outside Big Class’s headquarters. We are excited to be releasing this publication (along with several others) this August. Come get a sneak peak of these publications June 2 at 3 PM during our “Back to Summer” fest, when our young writers will be reading their work.

Big Class is an organization that facilitates creative...

dougkeller — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:45:26 -0400

Big Class is an organization that facilitates creative collaborations to support the creative and expository writing skills of New Orleans students. We run a writing center on Saint Claude Ave. below Antenna Gallery that hosts free after-school workshops and homework help, and create in-school projects in collaboration with teachers that enrich writing experiences through artistic collaborations. On Sunday, June 2nd from 12-5 we will be hosting a festival to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer. ”Back to Summer Fest” will feature writing and art activities, educational tours of Antenna Gallery’s “My Mom Says My Work Has Really Improved Too” art show on the hour, a reading by young writers at 3, and free food. If you have any questions, call Doug Keller at 561.716.1454 or e-mail ourbigclass@gmail.com.

Come by the Big Class table at the French Quarter festival...

dougkeller — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:18:41 -0400

Come by the Big Class table at the French Quarter festival today! we’ll be at the Historic Hermann-Grima House at 820 St Louis Street between 12 and 5. Young writers and artists are creating work about love for a zine we are putting together for the New Orleans Loving Festival.

Big Class @ The French Quarter Fest

dougkeller — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 09:02:54 -0400

Big Class is at the French Quarter Fest today! We’ll be in the kid’s area at the Historic Hermann-Grima House at 820 St Louis Street (just off Bourbon St) making a poetry and art zine for the upcoming Loving Festival. Stop by and say hi!

Another Big Class call for artists! You need to be in New...

dougkeller — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:27:59 -0400

Another Big Class call for artists! You need to be in New Orleans for this one…

Playing pastels and water colors like instruments in...

dougkeller — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:01:03 -0400

Playing pastels and water colors like instruments in yesterday’s jazz workshop.

Two weeks filled with jazz, journaling, and travelers

dougkeller — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:00:30 -0400

Here’s Tuesdays update! So far the students have-

-Listened to Miles Davis to start the week, using his music as inspiration for writing and visual art. Local writer and educator Jason Hampton led the students through some of the basic tenets of jazz music. There will be much more to come from this particular workshop.

-also, artist Heather Muntzer led the students through a visual arts project, combining jazz and speed drawing.

Last week at Big Class was also incredible!

-On Tuesday, three of our new students participated in a poetry discussion, asking questions about the poetry and practicing how to think theoretically.

-Big Class had a group of visiting travelers on Wednesday. They came from San Jose, California, and they sat with the students discussing different types of food! Thanks again, folks, for stopping through.

Quindeja put this outside after homework help yesterday.

dougkeller — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:25:13 -0400

Quindeja put this outside after homework help yesterday.

The particulars of the jazz program have changed and we want to...

dougkeller — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:18:46 -0400

The particulars of the jazz program have changed and we want to make sure kids know about this opportunity.

The program will now run from 4-6 on Tuesdays and be offered to students 10-16. If students are able to stay, we will offer homework and writing help, as well as a safe space to read, write, and make art from 6-7:30.

Please pass on the flyer wherever you can and let us know if we can help in any way.

A quick, thrilling, breathless update

dougkeller — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:42:52 -0400

Big Class has kicked into high gear! This week we:

-Have started our food writing and newspaper workshops. Students have tasted broccoli raab, pancetta, and kale (on pizza), reported happenings on St. Claude Avenue and in the Antenna Gallery, made collages with the help of Kolaj Magazine, explored different kinds of food writing, and learned how to keep a journal to lead to larger pieces of writing.

-Started receiving INCREDIBLE art for Big Class No. 4, a book of fairy tales by ARISE Academy students, paired with partially colored illustrations.

-Continued our after school fantastical dirt bike project at Akili and our in-school magazine project at Dibert.

Thanks to all the writers, reporters, parents, and volunteers who made it happen. And join us this Sunday for our first drop-in workshop, a writing and music workshop with Icelandic musician Kria Brekkan, to explore what it means to be a girl in the 21st century. Open to girls ages 8-14.

If you know a creative girl between the ages of 8 and 14, let...

dougkeller — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:22:27 -0400

If you know a creative girl between the ages of 8 and 14, let them know about our awesome FREE Sunday workshop.

Big Class is in session starting today.

dougkeller — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:57:42 -0400

Two years and a few months after we started this little blog for our 1st grade class, Big Class is now a place. We open the doors of our writing and publishing center (3718 St. Claude) at 4 today for our jazz workshop. Thanks to everyone who has made this possible.

Another Open House/Volunteer Info Session

dougkeller — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:15:34 -0500

Today: stop by Big Class HQ (3718 Saint Claude) between 11-4 to sign up your kids for our dynamic, creative after school programs and to learn more about Big Class. Volunteers: we will be holding an information session and training from 12-2. Hot dogs will be served. Come on by!