Embedded Files
Post date: 06-Jun-2013 22:05:33
Most of my work at the moment involves children under 12! In primary schools, exploring the curriculum using theatre based skills, but in a small pupil referral unit in inner London the approach is more through play. Working one to one, or with small groups to encourage their communication and find ways of achieving personal & learning targets - it seems like 'edu-speak'! Basically we engage with the children, encourage them to speak politely to each other, and explore their environment, finding ways for them to do similar curriculum tasks as children in a 'mainstream' classroom.
Using familiar objects from the classroom, situations are set up through which they can engage in role play, creative problem solving, speaking & listening
"The Accident" - this shows the accident victim lying on a classroom whiteboard [used by the child as a spinal board], next to the football pitch ["because that's where the helicopter will land"], wearing temporary bandages, created by tearing strips of paper from the recycling bin!
These children create their own theatre using imagination and play in the same way that adult actors will create the world their characters inhabit in the rehearsal room. In both situations, in order to explore, they need a safe space in which to dare! It is no coincidence that a drama shared with an audience is called a "play"!
Some 9 year olds in a Haringey school have been exploring 'Silent Movies'. Using examples of Charlie Chaplin and snatches of Scott Joplin's ragtime tunes, they have created simple sequences of action which are supported by the tempo and style of the music. The sheer joy of them discovering that sometimes you don't need words to communicate, and that if you do something three times it seems funnier!
My other current project is working alongside Hammersmith & Fulham's Urban Studies Centre with a group of seven year olds to create a short piece of drama inspired by their exploration of Shepherd's Bush Market. They have been using archive materials, interviews with family members & people in the market, writing poems, making films, engaging with the sights & sounds of their local environment, as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund "All Our Stories" programme.
Sometimes I feel extremely privileged to play and tell stories for a living!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse