FROM ZERO TO HERO – FROM NARRATION TO PRESENTATION – WRITTEN WORK BASED APPROACH TO THEATRE - COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction

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This course is aimed at anyone who is working with theatre groups: teachers and school staff from primary to secondary, vocational, adult and special needs education, staff of non-government organizations, government and policy makers as well as students. If you are involved as a mentor, participant or leader with any kind of theatre work (school clubs, community theatre groups, student theatre groups etc.) you should find this course very useful.

Participants will be introduced to all stages of creative process needed to stage a performance; from pre-preparation to dealing with stage fright. Acquired knowledge can be applied to variety of public presentations, appearances and performances such as theatre skits, short scenes, public events etc. To put it simply and lightly: a teacher/mentor wants to stage a play/performance. He/She/They ask a question HOW TO DO IT? Let’s find the answer together! Participants are expected to have at least B1 level of English proficiency.

Methodology

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Inclusion starts with knowledge; knowledge begins with better understanding of ourselves and our environment. Our approach is based on storytelling and folktales. Variety of cultural and national backgrounds of participants gives us an excellent starting point to experience diversity through theatre. Participants will be expected to prepare and present a folktale (myth, fairy tale, legend) of their local or national origin. Preparation of a folktale will be integral to successfully participate in this course. Participants will be active protagonists in many different roles, because as the saying goes: »Teoria sine praxis, sicut rota sine axis.« (Theory without practice is like a wheel without an axis). Through taking on roles as mentor, director, actor, dramaturg, set designer etc. The participants will experience all sides of complex group dynamics. With series of exercises, they will get the tools to develop and express their own creativity or artistic vision.

The content of the course could be divided into three phases:

Pre-preparation: analysis, conceptual discussions, exercises for creativity, defining key points regarding text and context.

Working with »actors«: string of exercises and assignments to tackle performing obstacles and enhance collective creativity.

Staging: combining elements in to a scene, learning by doing, teamwork, observational learning.

Objectives

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• Defining theatre, drama and education.

• Understanding drama conventions and ways of structuring them to create meaning and engagement.

• Understanding how to lead a theatre group.

• Improving the participants’ ability to use the language of theatre, the sound, the image and the movement.

• Learning how to approach a creative theatre process.

• Exploring diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Facilitating experience that will motivate participants to provide similar experience to their learners.

• Developing communication, collaboration, presentation, problem solving, negotiation, critical and creative thinking skills.

• Implementation of different approaches to theatre work.

• Learning how to engage student sin acting without acting.

• Enhancing understanding of the potential drama and theatre methods have in education and opportunities they provide.

• Enhancing professional skills through acquisition of versatile drama conventions and ability to structure them in order to reach envisaged learning outcomes.

• Creating a final production.

• Improving English fluency (official language of the course).

• Enhancing intercultural cognition.

• Sharing experiences of drama in education from different countries in order to help each of us to be more effective in our work.

• Strengthening the European collaboration among people practicing drama in education in different contexts but unified by similar drama-pedagogical approaches.

• Providing insights into different education systems.

Preparation

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After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture which will be presented during the course. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience. Participants are expected to bring a chosen folktale (myth, fairy tale, legend) printed in English in 2 copies.

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Follow up

After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.

Certificate

Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and the Europass Mobility Document.

Paperwork

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We also provide all the support with paperwork you might need for your Erasmus+ project documentation such as mobility agreement and regsitration letter.