Chocmint Feedback
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“The show filled me with ideas. Danny was brilliant at making up stories and made me laugh so much!” Harry 12

10 out of 10 - "Our students absolutely enjoyed the entire performance and the engagement of fun, art and writing activities. From a teachers perspective, this performance should be rolled out to all educators to not only inspire the 'artist' but also inspire the power of creativity, empowerment and having a go! Perfect for Art, English, PD and Personal Development." Ms. Ho, Maroubra Junction Public School

10 out of 10 - "Whoever said children cant concentrate for longer than 20 minutes?! Dan and John's relaxed but highly entertaining performance had the children mesmerised from beginning to end. Studies indicate children laugh 300 times a day; we maye have broken the record today! You cannot fake good communication with children. Dan's centred, authentic style had the kids on side from the start and they related to everything he said and did!" Linda Griffin, Carine Primary School. Perth, Western Australia

10 out of 10 - "The students LOVED the performance. They were positive, engaged and interacted really well with Dan and John. This was a FANTASTIC experience for both staff and students, with a great message of 'reach for your goals/dreams and don't give up'. VERY positive! This performance is great for English and Art, but probably a GREAT ONE for any 'Religious Education'  (personal growth area). Great for the area of Pastoral Care and student well-being. Phoebe Koch, Saint Aloysius College, Adelaide.

“Out of 10 - Off the scale! The best performance/learning experience I have seen in 10 years of education. Every child was engaged and hanging off every word and laughing at every action. They produced amazing artworks (the students and Dave) and were all excited about their stories.” Belynda Seale, Deputy Principal, Falls Road Primary, Perth

"9 out of 10 - LOVED the show! Outstanding, Inspirational, Creative, Hilarious, Practical. Supported and enhanced our writing, arts, self esteem and imagination areas wonderfully. St Anthony's Catholic School, Greenmount.

The HIGHEST on the scale, way above 10 out of 10! - The children responded so enthusiastically with laughter and wonderful participation. This was a highly entertaining performance that delivered a valuable message. All the staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the performance and thank Dan and John for all your compassion and assistance." Lucine Franklin, St Anthony's Catholic School, Greenmount.

"9 out of 10 - Our students were highly motivated to participate and 'have a go.' They were all VERY keen to both write and draw during and after the performance. It is great to have performances that support what we're doing in the classroom. WELL DONE! Nedlands Primary School, Nedlands, Perth WA

10 out of 10! - The kids were absolutely enthralled - all levels from pre primary to year 7 were buzzing with creativity and excitement, bursting with new found self confidence. And thank you so much for the FABULOUS drawings, we will laminate them and put them in our library for all to share. ps Thank you particularly John for the orangutan!" Jenny Webb, St Anthony's Catholic School Greenmount

"Danny’s agility and positive manner kept everyone in the hall fixed on what he had to say, in awe, in suspense and in fits of laughter. He is a great showman with a passion to deliver his message …”
“Dave’s cartooning skills made the children’s stories come alive in a way that I had never seen before.  He made the activity so simple that even the least confident artists realized that they too could create a masterpiece of their own...”
“Danny and Dave were an inspiration to us all, as for weeks after, children were still talking about the day and drawing their tales. I am so glad we invited them to our school." Dee Coppen Seven Sisters Primary School, London

"10 out of 10 - Our students were totally engaged and highly motivated. They were all inspired to take the challenges Dan and John set, to risk writing and illustrating without fear of getting it wrong. They have already asked me to book Dan and John again!" Ann Lahoud, Tregear Public School, Tregear, NSW

"10 out of 10! The students loved every minute of their experience.” Louise Taylor, Deputy Principal, Napier Intermediate School NZ

"Rob's energy and imagination challenges our students
 to see ordinary objects in extraordinary ways.
 I highly recommend Rob's workshops to any teacher
 interested in inspiring their students to be more
 imaginative and enthusiastic about writing."
 Jo Knight Class Teacher, Little Grove Primary School

“Dan’s ability to help reluctant students, from all class
 levels, to achieve publishing quality work is a magnificent
 tribute to his efforts.”  Greg Grey, Albany Primary
 School


 “Rob's professional skills made this a key learning
 experience and his gift for allowing the students to
 navigate where the workshop goes and seeing the funny
 side of things, makes for a highly educational and eye
 opening experience, with students' producing
 work of an unprecedented standard.”  Max Kosovich,
 Yakamia Primary School


 “You encouraged children who are very reluctant
 speakers and writers to step outside their comfort
 zone and entertain themselves and an audience.
Each child had a sparkle in their eyes that we rarely
 see. They were engaged, enthused and most importantly
 eager.
To witness children who are not risk takers, grapple
 for your attention so they could be part of your magic
 world is a wonderful experience.”
 Mandy Stacey Coolgardie Primary School

 "Rob will come to your school, instil a love of life
 and the imagination with all your students,
 demonstrate to them that they are all young genius's
 by proving they ALL have extraordinary memories, then
 leave them wanting (to discover) much, much more. Rob
 is the catalyst for children to achieve everything he
 knows they can be."    Norseman Primary School

“The children's imaginations have been captured and this has been observed by teachers and parents. The concepts used to empower the children were fantastic and we will continue to use these in class." K. Cairns, Glenbervie Primary School, Whangerei, NZ

“10 out of 10! Absolutely delighted and totally enthralled!” Jane Watt, Osborne Park School

“10 out of 10! It was SO good. Dan was REALLY funny... Top Notch! Dan could make a story about anything. Well structured, totally engaging, excellent control of a BIG crowd…
The students were wholly involved and were highly motivated to write and draw after the introduction, which the students were involved in constructing.
ALL levels of ability were motivated to participate.
The children LOVED it and remembered so much of what was taught. Wonderfully entertaining, great for both students and teachers.”
Taree Christian Community School, NZ

“We are all THRILLED! The interaction was fantastic and our students are still talking about the performance long after it finished.
The performers (Dan and John) were very constructive and accommodating.” Paula, All Saints Grammar School

“Absolutely delighted and totally enthralled! The children found the performance very funny, and the show incorporated most of our learning areas beautifully.” Jane Watt, Osborne Park School, Perth WA


 

  THE PERFORMERS

Dan and John (Rob Daniel and John Arnott) are a talented team dedicated to making a positive, profound, fundamental difference in the lives of young people.

Rob Daniel, a recipient of the West Australia Award for Excellence, is a Children’s Motivator, comedian and entertainer, who presents creative writing workshops guiding children into and through their imagination. Dan writes children’s stories, is a freelance journalist and photographer and started www.chocmint.com with his wife and teacher Paula, an online creative writing and cartooning studio for young people.

John Arnott is an artist who specialises in several art forms including wildlife, animal and people portraits, caricature, murals, landscapes and trompe l’oeil, using a variety of mediums including pastels, pencil, oils, charcoal and water based paints. John is also an excellent presenter and motivator, whose other passions include classical guitar and magic.

 

THE PERFORMANCE

After an hilarious series of warm-ups for the brain Rob brainstorms ideas with the children and demonstrates that not only are mistakes inevitable, but also essential, in the creative process, and from there the creative journey is entirely unpredictable. He ensures everyone feels safe to express themselves without fear of ‘getting it wrong’ or ‘looking silly,’ so even the most reluctant writers are compelled to meet the short but highly effective writing challenges he sets them, with extraordinary results.

Rob pus the fun back into areas many children find difficult, challenge young people to discover their own passion in life and show them how to begin living with this passion - whatever their age or circumstances.

John explains and demonstrates that art is simply about learning the tricks you need to create pictures as you imagine them. His style is relaxed, easygoing and simple to follow. Children easily relate to and trust him as their confidence quickly builds. There is never enough drawing time with John!

Dan and John put fun back into areas many children find difficult, challenge young people to discover their own passion in life and show them how to begin living with this passion.

All artwork produced by John on the day is given to the school, as is a comprehensive 120 page plus folder with ideas, follow-ups and extensions to the concepts Dan and John use during the performance, with explanations on how these can be implemented during lessons.

Between them Dan, John and Dave have performed and presented to over 80,000 children in three years during 350 shows.

Nora Goodridge Management (Dan and John's Australia and New Zealand agents)

 

"Follow your dreams, live your passion, love your life"