Alice: Why July 7, 2012
Oxford, England’s historic city, and the surrounding area will be the great stage for considerably curious goings-on this July 7, 2012.
Why July 7, 2012?
“All in a summer’s afternoon full leisurely we glide; for both our oars, with little skill, by little hands are plied…” — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
July 7, 2012 is the beginning of a weekend of Alice-related events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first telling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Alice Liddell and her sisters. The Alice story begins at Christ Church, Oxford.
Why Christ Church in Oxford?
“And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
It was at Christ Church, Oxford that Charles Dodgson (pen name Lewis Carroll) first met the children of then-Dean Henry Liddell (head of the College). Their names were Harry, Alice, Lorina and Edith. Dodgson was photographing the College Cathedral from the Deanery garden. While in the process, he was approached by Alice and her two sisters who wanted to be photographed. A friendship blossomed and they became regular visitors to his rooms, and Dodgson to their nursery. During the long process of sitting to have their photographs taken, Dodgson would tell the children stories to keep them entertained. He was inspired by familiar things and people in the surrounding town when telling these stories. Hence, Christ Church College and other parts Oxford played a very important part in the creation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Since 2008, the Story Museum of Oxford has produced Alice’s Day to celebrate Carroll’s famous stories. “This year being the 150th anniversary, we have some special events lined up to make the weekend extra special,” said The Story Museum’s Marketing and Communications Director, Cath Nightingale. Special events such as performances by Curious Company.
Why Curious Company?
“Every time I perform I am inspired by the encounters I have with complete strangers, privileged encounters allowed only by the rules of fantasy and the imagination.”
— Louise Rennie, producer/performer/owner of Curious Company.
My daughter Gabriella and I first experienced Curious Company in 2008. And if you come to our book signing at Waterstone’s in Oxford on July 7, you will discover why we featured them in our book, The Real Alice in Wonderland. On Alice’s Day, Curious Company will be staging another one of its now famously innovative Alice in Wonderland themed performances on the streets and in other public spaces around the city of Oxford. This gem of a theatrical organization revels in bringing something magical and memorable to each presentation that guarantees to take everyone down the rabbit hole and show him a really good time. “We are gatekeepers to Wonderland,” explains Louise Rennie. “We make theater that wraps itself around the audience; they stop being audience if they even ever thought they were in the first place.” On July 7, performances are built around the themes of Cards and Croquet.
Why the Cards?
“Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find out, we should all have our heads cut off.”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The Cards have a simple but important job to do in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and that is to paint the roses RED! The penalty for failure is fatal, so their motivation is strong. What can we expect from Curious Company’s 5-handed card game?
“Being cards as well as soldiers,” explains Louise, “they perform complex and seemingly pointless marching routines all prompted by the language of card games, such as ‘cut’, ‘split’ and ‘shuffle’, and offer up card tricks to order. With healthy doses of slapstick, acrobatics, clowning and contemporary dance, the Cards animate all manner of spaces and will amuse all kinds of audiences.”
The Cards will be dealt at The Story Museum in Oxford. All bids are raised as they split through the town to the Ashmolean Museum before shuffling across to the Museum of Natural History to play a game of Croquet with the Queen.
Why Croquet?
“The Queen! The Queen!” — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
On Alice’s Day when the Queen barks, “You DO play croquet!” members of the audience need to say “Yes!” and give her their best curtsey or bow. You will already know if you are a hoop or a hedgehog, so it is just a matter of whose team you are on. Either way, be prepared to keep the Queen happy. And if the Queen is in one of her moods (which is more than likely), you need to do what she tells you. Remember, the Queen likes to be flattered. Presents are good too.
The Rules of the Game?
“Rules? What rules?” says Louise. “Alice doesn’t have a chance!”
Why July 8, 2012?
“What is a Caucus Race?” asked Alice. — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
On Sunday, July 8, the day before the Olympic flame passes through Oxford, the organizers of Alice’s Day are turning convention on its head with their own eccentric forerunner to the Olympic Games. In the spirit of the original story, the Caucus Race is a…
“No room, No room!” cried the Editor.
Find out more about Alice’s Day in upcoming articles…
Photos courtesy of Curious Company.
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
Alice — Meet Alice
“Without Alice there would be no Wonderland.” — Ian Turner
“Magic, beauty, color, amusement, character, intrigue, questions, excitement, puzzlement, amazement, fear, suspense, fun and a happy ending” are the reasons why Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland is still a classic today, according to Ian Turner, celebrity host of Llandudno, Wales’ Alice Day on May 4, 2012.
And Turner’s favorite character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? “Why Alice of course. Without Alice there would be no Wonderland, no White Rabbit, no Mad Hatter, no Queen of Hearts, no Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, no March Hare and no Tea Party,” he comments.
Counselor Greg Robbins, Llandudno’s Mayor, explains that “the Town Council has kept the role of Miss Alice in a very special place.” The annual Miss Alice competition is an historical and distinguished Llandudno tradition. Girls aged between 8 and 10 years, who live in one of the 5 Llandudno wards — Craig-y-Don, Gogarth, Mostyn, Penrhyn, and Tudno — are all eligible to enter. Five judges preside over the entrants to the contest and the criteria for selection of the winner is based on the contestants’ knowledge of the Alice in Wonderland books, presentation and appearance on the day of the competition.
Once Miss Alice is appointed to this most prestigious of positions, her duties are fairly extensive. They include public appearances at the town’s most important events alongside the Mayor of Llandudno. This is after all the town where Alice Liddell, Lewis Carroll’s original inspiration, spent her summer vacations. “Miss Alice not only reminds everyone of the link that Llandudno has to Alice Liddell but also to the Victorian heritage of our town,” explains Mayor Robbins.
Alice Day organizers at Alice in Wonderland Ltd. are planning to bring together all the Miss Alice’s from 1982 to the present day for a very special reunion tea party which shall take place during a Victoriana Extravaganza weekend immediately following Alice Day. May 4, 2012 itself, which would have been Alice Liddell’s 160th birthday, will have the spotlight firmly focused on the current Miss Alice.
So how does 9 year old Nicol Thompson feel about the most important day in her year? I was curious to meet Miss Alice and find out.
“The Town Council has kept the role of Miss Alice in a very special place.” — Mayor Greg Robbins
When did you first discover the book Alice in Wonderland?
Mummy used to read it to me when I was tiny. It’s always been there. I must have about half a dozen different book versions (as I’ve handed on my baby versions now) plus about 4 different DVD versions. I prefer reading it to watching the films.
Why do you think the story is still so popular with children today?
Because it’s an adventure and children like to use their imaginations. It’s very popular with adults too and Johnny Depp has made it cool to like Alice!
Can you tell us what we can expect at your Mad Hatter’s tea party on Friday, May 4, 2012?
Lots of fun. The Town Band will be playing, there will be music, actors, street entertainers, birds of prey, art competitions, the Mad Hatter, Lewis Carroll (I mean Charles Dodgson, of course), Mayors and Mayoresses from all over the place, and 100s and 100s of guests. There will even be a Victorian fun fair in the town that weekend! And lots of cakes and jam tarts! I have even invited the Queen of Hearts - as long as she promises not to cut off anyone’s head! And the White Rabbit has promised not to be late for this very important date.
“The event I will remember forever is meeting the children from Chernobyl.”— Miss Alice, Nicol Thompson
What are you most looking forward to on this special Llandudno day?
That’s a tough one. There are lots of things but probably most of all is to see everyone having fun.
Which event in your Alice year so far was your favorite and why?
Another tough one, as there have been so many things. It was great fun being arrested by the cards, and amazing getting a VIP tour of Christ Church in Oxford and seeing the Jabberwocky. Closer to home, my fear of dogs was cured when I had to judge 6 dog shows. The event I will remember forever is meeting the children from Chernobyl. They have been through so much, have so little and are so poor - but yet they remain so happy.
“My advice to the next Miss Alice is to enjoy every moment as it is a dream and that dream won’t last forever.” — Miss Alice, Nicol Thompson
What has being Miss Alice and representing Llandudno meant to you? What have you learned during your year?
Llandudno is a beautiful place to live. I have always known this but being Alice has made it even clearer and has allowed me to share this with other people. Being Alice has also shown me that the things my Mummy and Dad have taught me, like good manners, politeness and speaking nicely are really important. How much nicer the world would be if everybody was like this! We’re lucky in Llandudno. Not only is it the Queen of Welsh resorts and the Daffodil Capital of Wales, it has also recently been voted the happiest place to live in Wales.
So being Miss Alice has meant the world to me - I was chosen to represent the town I love so much.
What advice will you give to the next Miss Alice who is to be appointed on May 26?
My advice to the next Miss Alice is to enjoy every moment as it is a dream and that dream won’t last forever. But at the same time, remember that you are representing Llandudno, your school, your family and yourself - make everybody proud!
Thank you Miss Alice Llandudno. You certainly make us curiouser and curiouser………..
For curious people:
www.wonderland.co.uk/wonderland-news
www.facebook.com/AliceinWonderlandLlandudno
Nicol Thompson (Miss Alice) and C. M. Rubin
Photos courtesy of Deborah Thompson.
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read? - The Book Given
The book given by Lewis Carroll to Alice Liddell for Christmas
On November 26, 1864, Lewis Carroll gave my relative, Alice Pleasance Liddell, a book he had written for her. He called the book Alice’s Adventures Underground after considering titles such asAlice’s Golden House, Alice Among the Elves, Alice Among the Goblins, and Alice’s Doings In Wonderland. Carroll had spent over two years writing and illustrating the book for Alice. It consisted of ninety-two pages covered with his print like writing as well as thirty-seven of his own pen and ink drawings. The book given to Alice Liddell would change her life forever.
It all began (as Carroll reminded his followers on a number of occasions) because of a 10 year-old girl who had encouraged Carroll’s storytelling for years, and in particular a story he told about Alice in Wonderland during a summer day’s picnic on July 4, 1862. Alice was continuously insistent that Carroll write the story down for her, which he eventually did and ultimately presented to her as an early Christmas gift. The book would also change Carroll’s life forever, but it might never have happened if a young girl had not inspired the previously unpublished children’s book author to write the greatest children’s book of all time.
There are over 20,000 books, films, operas, plays and video games based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. It is estimated that over 8 billion people have read or seen presentations of the “Alice” books. Lewis Carroll is behind only the Bible and Shakespeare in the number of quotations from the “Alice” books that appear in published discourse. In addition to the new adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll’s and Liddell’s lives continue to inspire numerous new books, works of art, and film projects. And all because of “a book given.”
If the book given to Alice in 1864 was given today, just imagine the variety of different ways a creative chap like Lewis Carroll might have presented it to his Alice. Quantum leaps in technology have completely changed the way we write, illustrate, publish, market, promote and consume books. I find myself (like Alice) constantly curious and excited about discovering all the new products in the digital books wonderland, while at the same time overwhelmed by all the new found freedoms the technology revolution promises to offer me. Is the device simple stupid enough for me to connect with quickly in my already complicated life? Is it time to buy this tablet or this e-reader? Will I look out of date to my bridge pals when the new updated version is released in 6 months time? I also wonder whether any of us will recognize the content of yesterday’s “book” once the revolution settles down. Will writing for Google become such an integral part of the book marketing culture that creative processes are dramatically changed?
Amazon’s Kindle Fire
Between you and me, I yearn for some form of consolidation in all the craziness that would enable me to feel I can comment intelligently on what appears to be the longer term trends in the publishing model. One thing I know for sure: An entertainment business career which kept me moving through the theatrical, television, video, DVD, pay on demand and pay television formats taught me that we don’t stop watching great movies. As a passionate movie lover, I would argue that the changing technology enabled me to watch more great and even not so great movies than ever before, since I was able to do it more often thanks to a variety of formats that accommodated my ever-changing hectic lifestyle. In addition, those great movies that made that unforgettable connection and changed my life forever, I not only watched again and again, but I insisted on owning them in every possible format I could fit onto the living room shelf.
And so I don’t believe that passionate readers, like passionate movie lovers, will ever disappear. The way readers read will of course continue to evolve and change, but certain things about the cultural experience will not. For example, everything will still begin with the written word, and if that written word is to survive the test of time and change lives forever (like the book given to my relative in 1864), it will happen because of rare talent and creativity and innovative thinking in an age that is redefining how we shall read.
C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Amazon.com, Inc. and Henmead Enterprises, Inc.)
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
For the Children by C. M. Rubin
Brooke Jackman Foundation 10th Anniversary Read-a-thon is at the World Financial Center (Photo courtesy of Brooke Jackman Foundation)
September 13, 2001
In the playroom outside the doctor’s office, my six-year-old son was maneuvering a toy airplane through Lego constructed twin towers. The doctor explained his stomach pains were a symptom of post traumatic stress. In the midst of the insanity, I had failed to notice the impact on our own child of relentless media coverage of the worst domestic attack in American history. I remember hugging him close while writing this explanation for him on the back of a Chemical Bank envelope…….
Papa built two towers
with a thousand other men.
Papa says that things went wrong
time and time again.
But yet they just kept going
because they felt real pride
that someday folks from every land
would make new friends inside.
One day their great creation
stood boldly in its place.
Papa says that day he felt
warm tears roll down his face.
And as he had predicted,
his towers in the sky
became a special place to be
as years went by and by —
until some evil people
tore those towers apart.
Papa says that day he felt
a bad pain in his heart.
But as the Towers were burning,
friends from everywhere
came to help each other
to comfort and to care.
And as the Towers were breaking
and tumbling to the ground,
friends gave their lives for other friends —
friends saved
and friends not found.
And I think Papa’s towers,
in a special way,
will keep those friends together
forever from that day.
But what about my Papa
and the thousand other men?
He says they’ll build their towers
one more time again.
Turning tragedy into hope with this little poem helped my son to heal.
Uniformed heroes of 9/11 will read to families on Sept. 10, 2011 (Photo courtesy of Brooke Jackman Foundation)
On September 11, 2001, 23 year old Brooke Jackman lost her life. Her family created the Brooke Jackman foundation to honor Brooke and her commitment to children’s literacy. To date, the Foundation has created new libraries and school literacy programs as well as donating over 100,000 children’s books and nearly 15,000 filled backpacks to children in need. I asked children’s literary legends — Harry Bliss, R. Gregory Christie, Lizzy Rockwell and Jane Yolen — to donate their books along with me, and share their thoughts for the children.
Harry Bliss writes:
I chose Bailey, A Fine Fine School, and Diary Of A Fly for the Brooke Jackman Foundation because kids laugh at these more than any of my books. I believe laughter is such a wonderful way for kids to work through tough emotions. The topic of September 11th can be a difficult one to work through; perhaps it’s beyond what we are capable of understanding. Still, I’ve always felt the often unresolved path we travel following great loss is more easily navigated if laughter accompanies us on the journey. Throughout my own life, laughter has been a deceptively powerful anecdote for pain. My hope is that these books will help lessen the emotional struggle of each and every child who reads them.
R. Gregory Christie writes:
The book I chose to donate is Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal. This true western tale written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is a story that chronicles the life of Bass Reeves, the first US deputy Marshal of color (1838-1910). This American hero aided in securing the territory for Oklahoma’s statehood. Although the book’s foundation is rooted in one man’s extraordinary biography, it burgeons beyond that into a story of America’s westward expansion and pre-Oklahoma history. I was very impressed with the author’s attention to detail, including a bibliography, western word glossary and her attempt to relay the dynamics of post civil war culture, ethnicity and history to her young audience. The writing is playful and informative, always a combination that helps me to do my best artwork. It was my hope that this book would help to create balance in our schools’ curriculum, that it would bring to life the figures of the 1800’s beyond a five dollar bill or a good western matinee.
Lizzy Rockwell writes:
My mother, Anne Rockwell, and I are honored to donate 100 School Days and First Day of School to the Brooke Jackman Foundation.
In 100 School Days, Jessica and her classmates count with a penny dropped in a jar each morning till they reach the 100th day of school. Every ten days a classmate brings in a collection of something from home. Evan brings twenty toy cars, Eveline, 50 seashells, and Charlie a puzzle with 90 pieces. On day 100, all ten students bring in a bag with 100 of something good to eat for the party bowl. Then all the classrooms from Jessica’s town donate their jar of pennies to help “the island where the hurricane hit.” Counting and sorting are a way to learn important math skills. They are also a way for children to gain mastery over the sometimes overwhelming randomness of the universe.
First Day of School is our most recent book from the same series. On the last day of summer, Nicholas meets his friends at the park and they share their nervousness and excitement about returning to school. As they compare haircuts, new backpacks and memories of last year, the friends eagerly anticipate this all important transition.
As an adult who grew up in New York City and Connecticut, the brilliant skies, crisp air, and long shadows of September will always suggest the possibility of a new beginning.
Jane Yolen writes:
I selected two books for the Brooke Jackman Foundation that are about genocidal times — one somewhat accidental and one entirely organized, orchestrated, and programmed.
The almost (but not quite) accidental one is called Encounter, a children’s storybook about what happened when Columbus came to the Americas, from the point of view of a young Taino boy. Columbus thought he was there to find a new trade route to India, but carried with him three things that nearly wiped out a peaceful people. First, he brought a lust for gold. Second, European diseases that the isolated Taino people could not fight off. And third, a disdain for cultures that were not European.
The second book is a novel for children 12 and up about the Holocaust called The Devil’s Arithmetic. The story takes a modern girl back in time to a small shtetl in Poland in the early 1940s, and from there to a concentration camp. The book is about remembering history in order not to repeat it, as well as reminding us that we can all be “small heroes.”
When we think about 9/11, it is important to remember all these things. The golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In Matthew: As you do to the least of my people, so you do unto me. In Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. The Yoruba people of Africa: One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts. Jewish—from Levitus: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Signed copies of all these books, along with my The Real Alice in Wonderland and Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, and Me, will be donated to the Brooke Jackman Foundation Read-a-thon, a Celebration of Literacy and Hope, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, noon to 2pm, Winter Garden at the World Financial Center. To make a donation or find out more.
Harry Bliss, C. M. Rubin, Lizzy Rockwell, R. Gregory Christie, Jane Yolen
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter:www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland. She currently is writing a highly acclaimed series of articles, The Global Search for Education, which appears weekly in the Huffington Post, in Education News, and in Education Views.
The Global Search for Education
Prime Minister John Key and young New Zealanders celebrate 100 Days to Go to Rugby World Cup 2011 (Photo courtesy of RWCNZ 2011)
New Zealand is Ready!
By C. M. Rubin with Harry Rubin and Michael Freeborn
New Zealand’s “Stadium of Four Million” is ready to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup on September 9. In its world cup bid for the championship, this unique multi-cultural nation (with the most highly ranked rugby team in the world) promised to provide optimum world class rugby facilities where players would be inspired to perform at their very best. New Zealand also promised to create an environment where players and fans would be safe and welcomed.
So how does a country which values its sports so highly support and nurture its younger fans and players in their equally important educational paths? It should be noted that New Zealand ranks much higher than the US in the global standardized PISA test (7th in both Science and Reading and 13th in Math). What is New Zealand’s vision for its teachers, its students, its curriculum, and for learning?
I recently got the opportunity to discuss these important questions with Dr. Rosemary Hipkins, the distinguished Chief Researcher of New Zealand’s Council for Educational Research.
What kind of educational system will permit a country to have the people skills needed to compete globally?
A system with a high trust/low stakes model of accountability. If you have a high stakes/low trust model of accountability, then you’re in trouble before you begin because teachers won’t feel safe enough to be innovative. If you don’t believe that your teachers are professionals and can try things out in different ways, then you are never going to change anything. So I put a system with a high trust and low stakes model of accountability at the top of the list.
A system where curriculum and assessment policy are conveyed via flexible frameworks that leave space for local interpretation based on student learning needs. If you have the right model, it will leave space for teachers to interpret and use it based on their learners. The New Zealand Curriculum is a framework that applies some very high level principles that all schools are supposed to use. It specifies why each principle is important but it leaves it to schools to assemble the pieces as they believe they will work for their students. So there are a lot of different models. Each model should be implemented in conjunction with the whole school community so that everybody (parents/teachers/students) understands what the school is trying to achieve. Our secondary school system also has a flexible framework that I think is very unusual around the world. I don’t think many people have been brave enough to do what we’ve done in New Zealand.
For an educational system to achieve, it has to involve the whole community. Parents need to understand why schooling is different from the time they were schooled.
And again, we need to believe that teachers are professionals and create the conditions that make it possible for teachers to work like professionals.
For example, something we’ve been experimenting with in New Zealand is building professional learning networks for teachers, both inside schools and across schools. While this is not yet national (roughly about a third of our teachers in secondary schools are in the program), it’s going very well. Another learning initiative we’ve undertaken in New Zealand is the Te Kotahitanga, which is a Maori phrase. The goal of this is to get teachers to listen to the voices of the Maori children to sense their learning needs better so as to understand what they need to do differently to accommodate their learning needs.
Another initiative that our government has resourced is a numeracy project that aims to strengthen the abilities of primary school teachers, particularly in schools in our low socioeconomic communities, which we’ve targeted first. The goal is to teach numeracy in a way that lays a strong foundation for all students. It’s a problem solving approach, a measured approach of making students very aware of the strategies that they are using.
Teacher and Students at Albany Senior High School NZ (Photo courtesy of ASHS NZ)
What is your view of standardized testing?
I think that if you can give teachers a powerful diagnostic tool to help them get positive insights into what a student’s learning challenges might be, then actually you are handing them a very powerful enquiry tool. It depends on how the assessment tools are used. If you can use those tests in a high trust/low stakes model, then they might be valuable.
If generalization is possible, what elements are missing from the preponderance of the current systems?
There is a small group of people who talk about school learning being based on epistemology and forget the fact that school is also about shaping who children are and who they can become. Learning must focus on who students can be and become, not just on what they know and can do.
What is the state of emotional well being among New Zealand students?
Generally speaking, kids have been able to follow the study pathways they’ve wanted to in New Zealand. Maybe that’s the luxury of having a small country where you don’t have population pressures and ferocious competition. Obviously, if you want to get into a competitive entry course such as a medical school, then you’ve got to work really hard to do that, but there have always been other learning pathways for our students here. Perhaps we’re a bit more laid back as a society – some people would say too much.
From a larger perspective, does your country’s definition of educational excellence take into account the quality of life of individuals and of a society, including its artistic and cultural achievements?
The words that describe our overall vision for our students within our curriculum are confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners. Students are encouraged to value excellence, innovation, curiosity, diversity, community, ecological sustainability, and integrity. Excellence is defined in a learning to learn framework, aiming high and persevering in the face of difficulties. One of the eight learning areas in our curriculum frames is a vibrant arts curriculum. One of the things that are unique about New Zealand is our Maori culture, and our location as a Pacific nation with people here from many different Pacific island communities. We feel that makes us unique and different to other parts of the world. Certainly in our schools, we see the need to be aware of this strong cultural diversity. We also believe the arts are powerful forms of expression that recognize value and contribute to the unique bi-cultural and multi-cultural character of New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders.
World Wisdom from New Zealand
If you have a high stakes/low trust model of accountability, then your educational system is in trouble from the onset. Empower teachers to implement curriculum and assessment guidelines according to the needs of their students. The Arts are powerful forms of expression that contribute significant value. For an education system to succeed, it needs to involve the whole school community — parents, teachers, and students.
In The Global Search for Education, join C.M. Rubin and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Leon Botstein (US), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (US), Dr. Madhav Chavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (US), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Professor Ben Levin (Canada), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. David Shaffer (US), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (US), Yves Theze (Lycee Francais US), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (US), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.
The Global Search for Education Community Page
Dr. Rose Hipkins and C. M. Rubin
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
C. M. Rubin at Christ Church College, Oxford
FINDING WONDERLAND by C.M. Rubin
In 1525, Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor of England founded Cardinal College. In 1532, King Henry VIII of England re-founded the college as King Henry VIII’s College. In 1546 after King Henry broke away from the Church of Rome the college was again refounded as Christ Church College as part of a re-organization of the Church of England. Over the centuries, Christ Church college at Oxford University has become the most famous school in England, and today it is considered one of the most famous schools in the world.
When you visit Christ Church college, you never forget the experience. You sense the greatness, the history, and the legacy of a magnificent institution that has produced 13 British prime ministers as part of its astonishing list of alumni. Perhaps that is why numerous academic institutions all over the world have distinctive features of the college’s architecture (including the University of Chicago and Cornell University, which both have reproductions of Christ Church’s dining hall). Perhaps that is why Christ Church Cathedral and the city of Christchurch, New Zealand are named after it. Perhaps that is why J.K. Rowling requested her Harry Potter film series be shot there. The historic locations used at the College included the setting for Hogwart’s staircase, where schoolchildren are greeted upon their arrival, the Great Hall, which became Hogwart’s dining room, and Oxford’s Bodleian Library, which provided the setting for Hogwart’s infirmary. Perhaps that is why Christ Church has served as a setting for parts of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, and more recently, the adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass). I don’t know for sure, but I will tell you this.
For me, as a relative of the original Alice in Wonderland, my fascination is inspired by the fact that Christ Church College was used by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) as the setting for his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland andThrough the Looking Glass books, considered the greatest children’s books of all time. The Christ Church College math professor, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), became good friends with the children of Christ Church Dean, Henry Liddell, in the 1850’s and 60’s. He was especially close to Alice Liddell, the Dean’s fourth child, who became Carroll’s inspiration for his heroine, Alice in Wonderland. Carroll used Alice Liddell’s familiar surroundings as the setting for the story, which he wrote for her in 1864. The Great Hall (Hogwart’s dining room), where Carroll ate his meals, holds many Wonderland secrets. It is believed that the real “rabbit hole” is the door that the Dean used to get to the senior common room. Henry Liddell himself is thought to be Carroll’s inspiration for the White Rabbit.
My daughter Gabriella spent time in Oxford as guest of the current Dean of Christ Church while she was researching our book, The Real Alice in Wonderland, and discovered how large a part the college played in the creation of the Alice in Wonderland books. We returned a year later and experienced Christ Church together as mother and daughter, gaining new insights and exchanging different perspectives about the college’s significance in the stories. Our book is the story behind the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It takes readers through Christ Church College and many other Oxford locations, including Alice’s garden at Christ Church, the original Cheshire Cat tree, the river banks where Carroll was urged to create his story by Alice, and the Oxford museums where curious people may view the many Wonderland treasures still held there today. Visiting Christ Church is an experience I always find stimulating, both intellectually and spiritually. As I walk in the footsteps of its rich surroundings and history, I dream about the fantastical stories told me as a child. It feels as if I am finding Wonderland, and in the process, finding myself all over again.
Look Inside The Real Alice Book
The Real Alice Valentine’s Trailer
Gabriella Rubin at Christ Church College
Christ Church College
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS
Alice Pleasance Liddell
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND MARRIED AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY By C.M. Rubin and Theresa Blake
On April 29, 2011, Westminster Abbey will be the setting for the most anticipated wedding of the year — the Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate (Catherine) Middleton. To honor the event, author C.M. Rubin and designer Theresa Blake have joined forces to bring you a series of stories which focus on wedding dresses worn by famous Royal Princesses and Queens over the centuries that continue to inspire wedding dress designers and brides to this day. Who knows? Perhaps one of these historic royal gowns has already inspired the best kept secret for April 29, 2011 — what will Princess-to-be Kate Middleton be wearing?
Westminster Abbey is steeped in more than a thousand years of history. Benedictine monks first came to this place in the middle of the tenth century, establishing a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day.
The Abbey houses a treasure of paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artifacts. Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in Great Britain’s history have been buried, including perhaps the most popular Royal princess of all time, Princess Diana, whose funeral took place at the Abbey on September 6, 1997. Westminster Abbey has been the Royal coronation church since 1066, and is the final resting place of seventeen British monarchs.
Alice Pleasance Liddell (the real Alice in Wonderland) was married in Westminster Abbey on September 15, 1880. Other famous weddings at the Abbey include those of Princess Elizabeth II (later Queen Elizabeth II), Princess Margaret (daughter of George VI), Princess Anne (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II), and Princess Alexandra of Kent. Princess-to-be Kate Middleton will join this celebrated list on April 29, 2011.
C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake met when they collaborated on a reproduction of the design of the original wedding dress worn by Alice Pleasance Liddell at her wedding in 1880 to Reginal Hargreaves in the Abbey. An illustration of Alice Liddell’s dress was featured in the bestselling book, The Real Alice In Wonderland, by C. M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin.
Theresa Blake trained at Wimbledon School of Art in period costume design. After helping to design magnificent gowns for major bridal and couture houses in the UK, she formed her own company, Rossetti Couture. Today, Rossetti Couture designs period wedding gowns inspired by historical princesses and theatrical costumes for individuals and prestigious entertainment companies around the world.
C. M. (Catherine) Rubin designs many of her own clothes and is also the author of three best-selling, award winning books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS
“The Accolade”
PRINCESS ISOLDE OF IRELAND by C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake
On April 29, 2011, Westminster Abbey will be the setting for the most anticipated wedding of the year — the Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate (Catherine) Middleton. To honor the event, author C.M. Rubin and designer Theresa Blake have joined forces to bring you a series of stories which focus on wedding dresses worn by famous Royal Princesses and Queens over the centuries that continue to inspire wedding dress designers and brides to this day. Who knows? Perhaps one of these historic royal gowns has already inspired the best kept secret for April 29, 2011 — what will Princess-to-be Kate Middleton be wearing?
The legendary love story of Tristan and Princess Isolde takes place in the fifth century during the reign of King Arthur. Princess Isolde of Ireland was the daughter of King Angwish of Ireland. There are several versions of the story behind the legend; here is one of the popular ones. The beautiful Princess Isolde was betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his handsome nephew, Tristan, to bring home his bride, the Princess Isolde. However, during the journey back to Cornwall, Tristan and Isolde fall madly in love with each other. Princess Isolde goes ahead and marries King Mark upon arrival in Cornwall but continues to see Tristan. King Mark finds out and banishes Tristan from Cornwall. Tristan moves to King Arthur’s court and later to Brittany where he meets and marries Iseult of Brittany (because of her resemblance to Isolde). Tristan, however, is unable to consummate the marriage because of his strong feelings for his true love, Princess Isolde. Tristan falls ill and sends ships for his beloved Isolde. The returning ship’s white sails are the lovers’ signal that Princess Isolde is coming back to Tristan. Iseult lies to Tristan, telling him that the white sails are black. Tristan dies of grief before Isolde can get to him. Soon after, Isolde too dies of a broken heart.
Theresa Blake’s design for Princess Isolde’s wedding gown, shown below, is inspired by the famous painting, “The Accolade,” by Edmund Blair-Leighton, seen above. The white gown of duchesse satin has a sumptuous, multi-layered chiffon skirt and dramatic, flowing, medieval style, long hanging sleeves. The lightly corseted bodice is laced at the back to emphasize the silhouette. A belt of dazzling jewels and facetted stones surround the Princess’ hips.
C. M. (Catherine) Rubin and Theresa Blake met when they collaborated on a reproduction of the design of the original wedding dress worn by Alice Pleasance Liddell (the Alice behind Wonderland) at her wedding in 1880 in the world reknowned Westminster Abbey in London. An illustration of Alice Liddell’s dress was featured in C.M. Rubin’s bestselling book, The Real Alice In Wonderland.
To Dress A Princess
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS
Kate Middleton
KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS by C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake
C. M. Rubin and Theresa Blake met when they collaborated on a reproduction of the design of the original wedding dress worn by Alice Pleasance Liddell (the Alice behind Wonderland) at her wedding in 1880 to Reginal Hargreaves in the world reknowned Westminster Abbey in London. An illustration of Alice Liddell’s dress was featured in the bestselling book, The Real Alice In Wonderland, by C. M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin.
On April 29, 2011, Westminster Abbey will once again be the setting for the most anticipated wedding of the year — the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate (Catherine) Middleton. To honor the event, Rubin and Blake have joined forces to bring you a series of stories from CMRubinWorld entitled “KATE MIDDLETON - TO DRESS A PRINCESS.” Beginning on Wednesday, February 16, the stories will focus on wedding dresses worn by famous Royal Princesses over the centuries that continue to inspire wedding dress designers and brides to this day. Who knows? Perhaps one of these historic royal gowns has already inspired the best kept secret for April 29, 2011 — what will Princess-to-be Kate Middleton be wearing?
Theresa Blake trained at Wimbledon School of Art in period costume design. After helping to design magnificent gowns for major bridal and couture houses in the UK, she formed her own company, Rossetti Couture. Today, Rossetti Couture designs period wedding gowns inspired by historical princesses and theatrical costumes for individuals and prestigious entertainment companies around the world.
C. M. (Catherine) Rubin designs many of her own clothes and is also the author of three best-selling, award winning books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Theresa Blake and C. M. Rubin
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