Tableaux Vivants

WHAT IS A TABLEAU VIVANT?

"Tableau vivant" is a French phrase used to describe a live rendition of a famous painting or work of art performed by actors (students in our case) which is either recorded or photographed during the performance. It can be faithful to the original in terms of accuracy, or it can be a reinterpretation of the painting that  keeps its symbolic meaning and atmosphere, but is personalised and brought to modernity; in this case it might include anachronistic elements, like modern clothing and a modern setting, but the symbols will be there and the message will be clear to the viewer.

WHY DID WE CHOOSE TABLEAUX VIVANTS AS OUR FINAL PRODUCTS?

A "Tableau vivant" is an incredible learning tool which has proven to be beneficial for many reasons.
To start with, it gives students the opportunity to study authors and artists to the core of their productions, not as mere passive viewers but as spectators with an intention. The deep analytical thinking it implies leads students to ask themselves the right questions: what is happening, why, what feelings are conveyed, and how are they conveyed?
Then, the students practice through learning by doing.  They have to improve their global skills (entrepreneurship, design, and planning) to create the stage, decide the materials they need, and how to set the scene.
Finally, they turn into active participants, empathising with the characters to be able to reproduce the emotions live. All of this, during our workshop, while practicing their language skills without even noticing. You don't need to know all the grammar in the world to a T before you start speaking: as long as your desire to communicate is alive, everything else will follow.