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ABOUT FLIPPIN' ECK

Its objects are:

• To awaken the imagination and inspire a passion for the performing arts in children and young people from different cultural backgrounds.

• To promote self-esteem and confidence through performance.

• To provide low-cost musical productions for schools and drama clubs.

• To use Trading surpluses to benefit HIV/AIDS & development projects for children, particularly in Africa.

• To improve awareness in schools of the problems facing children with HIV/Aids in Africa.

• To link schools directly to projects in Africa so that they can develop relationships with those communities, directly.

Flippin' Eck has links with Aids orphan projects in Africa through the Jesuit Missions, that has an excellent track record of delivering projects on the ground in Africa. All funds for Mashambanzou will be channelled through Jesuit Missions who will arrange an appropriate transfer.

Flippin’ Eck Children’s Musicals was set up by Linda Kirby, ex primary school special needs co-ordinator and local councillor. All the materials, with the exception of Curriculum Links, were written by her.

Linda Kirby decided to take the musicals that she had written over the last 20 years as a teacher and share them with other schools and drama clubs. She also wanted to support financially, children orphaned by HIV/Aids in Africa. Linda says:  “Self-esteem and confidence can improve dramatically when children are given the chance to perform.  That special moment, when a child gets a chance to shine, will be remembered by them for the rest of their lives. That’s how important it is. My first musical – Our Daily Bread - was written for my daughter and her friends for a puppet show. We had such a good time with it that I got a bit bolder and wrote one for my school.  Since then I have written 11 children’s musicals and three adult shows, two that have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and one at Abbeyfest, Merton.

In 2005, I wrote Nelson’s Paradise Merton for nine schools in Merton to perform at the New Wimbledon Theatre to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Nelson’s death. The project included Wimbledon School of Art doing the scenery, the Merton Music Foundation directing the choir of 200 children and Polka Children’s Theatre Directing the drama. The musical was a terrific success. Inspired by all this and having written all this material, it seemed a shame not to share it. So I took early retirement from teaching to set up a Community Interest Company. This is a non-commercial community organisation, with inexpensive, user friendly, no jargon materials. In 2008 in Zimbabwe alone 1 in 3 people have HIV/AIDS and over 1,000,000 children are orphans. All performance licence fee monies are donated to African HIV/Aids children’s charities. Hundreds of children have enjoyed taking part in these musicals. My aims are: to share the pleasure I have had working with these materials with other teachers so that their children can blossom as well; to raise awareness of the problems facing children with HIV/Aids in Africa; and to encourage schools to link to projects in Africa and develop relationships with these communities, directly.”

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR HELP WITH THE PRODUCTION

Artwork

Michael Wilding - Character website buttons www.michaelwildingcouture.com

Cover designs: Leah Johnson, Richard Roberts & Joe Morgan,

Gary Farmer – LOGO

Curriculum Links: Geraldine Stanford

Links with AIDS orphans: Tim Curtis and Ashleigh Callow of the Jesuits Mission, Wimbledon www.jesuitmissions.org.uk.

Musical Scores: Transcribing – Paul Campbell www.musicetc.org

Printing: Gary Farmer Merton Print Service

Unity Bank

Website & moral support: Lee Kirby

Moral support and a constant listening ear: Andrew Judge