Dramaworks helping schools with drama teaching and exam-oriented resources
Dramaworks has been trading for twenty-one years and now has 48 drama resources geared to examinations at 16 and 18 plus, as well as numerous plays, including many especially written for examination purposes. There are also resources aimed at the lower end of secondary schools which will ensure that all the relevant work for future examinations are covered. All resources, excluding some of the plays, are written by Jeni Whittaker, a former Chief-Examiner, who has also been a professional actor and director as well as having taught, and pilot-taught, syllabuses at the top end of schools and colleges. For many years Jeni also travelled around the UK with workshops on practitioners, set texts and more general performance and theatre techniques. Her working life has given her a set of skills spanning both education and theatre which make these resources unique in their quality and usefulness. Twenty-six of the Dramaworks’ resources are on texts that are commonly studied at Advanced exams such as A level and the IB though some crop up at GCSE also. The plays include older classics such as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Trojan Women and more modern ones such as Berkoff’s Metamorphosis and Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good. There are also resources on plays by Brecht, Arthur Miller, Lorca, Ibsen, Chekhov and many others, old and new. Every play is thoroughly covered from an actor’s, a director’s and a designer’s perspective. Different pathways of approach are suggested, such as a Physical Theatre approach, an Epic Theatre approach or a Naturalistic one, so that students can make their own choices. This approach helps students and teachers to fit a play to a particular practitioner’s style, from the vast list currently suggested by exam boards. No resource dictates what, say, an actor MUST do, but encourages experimentation, trial and error, throughout. All plays studied go through the whole text from beginning to end and make suggestions for follow-ups, themes and the types of question that may be asked. There are a large number of resources on practitioners also. Practitioners covered are: Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Grotowski, Peter Brook, Boal, Laban, Lecoq, Barrault, Berkoff and Kneehigh Theatre. The approach to these is, like all of Jeni’s work, ‘through practice.’ Jeni believes absolutely that students remember what they DO, backed up by what they read and hear. In this spirit, study of every practitioner is done practically, trying and testing every theory and approach the practitioner holds to. Each section starts with a clear explanation of a theory followed by creative exercises to try each one out in the class, after which there is discussion and written diary work is suggested to keep tabs on what has been learned. A number of resources deal with more general subject matter. These include Devising Skills, Exploring Physical Theatre, Performing Text, a practically-based history of theatre called Understanding Drama, plus shorter resources to help with understanding the difference between Genre, Style and Context and with the Reviewing of Plays. Again, this is not a full list and as always, even when the subject-matter will lead to a written component in an examination, much of the content in all of these resources is ‘through practice.’ And yes, there is some material that can be used for lower down the school: there are complete year-long lesson-plans suitable for Years 7, 8 and 9. These were written in answer to many requests from drama teachers who were so busy teaching exam classes non-specialist teachers had been handed the task of teaching drama to the lower school. The Drama Plans, therefore, can be followed pretty slavishly and if done that way will ensure that students going into a drama examination class at a later date will have all the skills they need at their disposal. Apart from the resources written by Jeni Whittaker, the Dramaworks website hosts a large number of plays, seven of which were written by Jeni, but most of which are written by others. There are plays there for all ages, including a few for primary schools. Of the others, some are long and suitable for the school-play but more of these are specifically written for exam purposes, both for GCSE and for more Advanced levels. They have proved very popular. Those written for advanced examination purposes have ISBN numbers, as cited by some of the exam boards. There are many sample pages offered when you look at the site, so that an informed choice can be made. The Dramaworks resources are treasured by teachers and the practical methods suggested have proved so successful that one Chief Examiner told Jeni a few years ago that she had single-handedly turned drama-teaching around from being book and desk based to being taught largely through practical means. There are a large number of free resources now available on the web but none offer such full, careful and accurate explorations of their subject matter as these. The full catalogue of Dramaworks resources can be found at: www.dramaworks.co.uk where the Store offers digital downloads or hard copies can be ordered directly from Jeni. Any questions to Jeni can be addressed to: jeni@dramaworks.co.uk
Wizard Theatre at the forefront of educational theatre and drama
Wizard Theatre has been at the forefront of educational theatre and drama for over twenty years, working in schools across England. The Power of Drama One their most significant achievements in recent years has been to introduce the Power of Drama programme, a unique series of transformative workshops nurturing children who struggle with a variety of issues, including confidence, language and social skills. The project aims to help pupils find their own voice and build their self-esteem, which in turn has a positive effect on both their academic and social life within the school. “I thoroughly recommend this course. The targeted children began fairly quietly and the aim was to develop their self-confidence through speaking and listening skills and activities. This was certainly achieved and the outcomes were excellent. I was amazed by their end of course presentations and their progress has been carried into the classroom and other areas of school life. We have seen a real improvement in their confidence and achievements.” David O’Farrell (Headteacher at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Harrow) “What a valuable use of our ‘pupil premium’ grant. Children in most need of the course looked forward to each session and were proud of their achievements during the sessions and at the final demonstration in front of their own teachers and me you could see the progress they had made and we were astounded by their dramatisations.” Mark Betts (Headteacher at St Joseph’s Junior School, Wembley) “At Sacred Heart we have seen very positive outcomes since the introduction of Wizard Theatre into our school. The impact on pupils’ learning is evident in the progress the pupils have made.” Susan Morahan (Deputy Headteacher at Sacred Heart Primary School, Ruislip) The company is passionate about the power of drama in the classroom to improve pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and establish positive relationship with friends and teachers. It is also a powerful tool to help you manage the classroom in a different and engaging way. As such Wizard has developed a teacher training programme suitable for inset days and twilight sessions, which gives delegates a toolbox of practical drama exercises and techniques that can be used immediately in the classroom. The workshop includes activities for focus, teamwork, expression, empathy and sequencing as well as non-verbal strategies too. It’s also guaranteed to be the most fun your staff will have in an inset too! “It was fantastic; I can see how these games/exercises would benefit the children (and staff). It was the perfect ice-breaker for new staff” St Agnes Primary School, Cricklewood “What a great INSET! Our staff had so much fun and learnt loads of activities to increase pupil engagement. Thanks Wizards – a great start to the new term, you have really motivated us!” St Joseph’s Primary School, Chalfont, Herts “A wonderfully inspiring workshop, thank you so much – thoroughly enjoyed and I feel all the staff benefited from it. Great variety, great encouragement from the trainers and really nicely layered activities” Uxendon Primary School, Brent Every year Wizard produces an autumn term show in association with award winning international theatre company Illyria. The production which tours from October to Christmas is a well-known classic with a contemporary twist and a strong social message. This year they will be presenting “Robin Hood” telling the story of the Evil Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham who tax the people into desperate poverty, till one man decides to fight back – Robin Hood! Wizard Theatre’s troupe of irrepressibly merry men present the most enduring of English legends. Packed full of music, wonderful character and most important of all bundles of fun! “an incredibly slick show” performed with “polish, precision and professionalism” British Theatre Guide “Great storytelling and fantastic acting, thoroughly entertained both adults and children and it was a pleasure working with the Wizard Theatre team” Jo Jacobs, Theatre Manager, The Leighton Buzzard Theatre “Superb” Daily Mail “Unmissable” The Scotsman “Boundless energy and fabulously executed comic scenes” Sunday Times “The language blossoms” Times Educational Supplement The company also has a range of specially designed workshops surrounding issues of drugs, safety matters, mental health awareness and pupil transition and development all bespoke to specific age groups to ensure suitability of the messages and information being relayed. This has also included performing to secondary schools across London with the GCSE Syllabus Mark Wheeler play “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die” commissioned by the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation set up after the tragic death of the teenager. A hard-hitting play followed by a hugely informative workshop about the dangers of buying and taking drugs for recreational use. We would recommend if you haven’t looked at the range of work Wizard Theatre offers then visit their website www.wizardtheatre.co.uk to see some of the fantastic opportunities the company offers or call us on 0800 583 2373. Follow Wizard Theatre on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
How Digital music project is boosting young communities
Craig Berens, COO at YMCA Newark and Sherwood, explains how the organisation’s Digital music project is helping to develop creative skills among young people. In 2008, 83.3% of young people aged 11-15 participated in arts and crafts activities. This number has fallen by almost 16% in the last ten years, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In fact, this year is the first time that less 11-15 year olds took part in the activities than those aged 5-10. Arts form a major part of the early school curriculum, helping young children to express themselves. Yet, at secondary school, creative subjects are being squeezed due to the increased focus on core academic subjects. Music, for example, is being cut back from many curriculums. And yet, new evidence has shown that arts education has a remarkable impact on students’ academic, social and emotional outcomes. This supports the Developmental Assets framework, which identifies the building blocks of healthy, successful, responsible lives in young people. It emphasises the importance of creative activities and recommends that young people spend at least three hours per week on music, theatre or other arts. With advances in technology and digital media, it’s important to make the latest equipment and facilities accessible so young people can uncover their creative musical potential. This technology is not just for having fun with music and arts – although that’s important, too. One children’s theatre found that performing for peers boosts confidence and self-esteem, and that students involved in drama demonstrate an elevated self-concept compared to those who are not involved in such activities. Almost all music programmes are now digital but will involve either a public performance or at least one that is in front of peers, often with feedback. It also develops young people’s individual strengths outside of school. Community-driven creativity Creativity is at the heart of youth development in a scheme in Nottinghamshire. YMCA Newark and Sherwood has announced the launch of its YMCA Digital project, which currently operates at Newark Academy. Originally set up six years ago by Nottinghamshire YMCA, Youth Music Support Workers help young people (aged 13-19) with the skills and platform they need to develop their creative passions in a safe, non-judgmental environment. YMCA Digital gives them the freedom to explore the areas that inspire them most, from songwriting to radio production and live music to DJing. It also advocates spending three or more hours per week in sports or club and being given useful roles in the community. The charity is currently building a state-of-the-art recording studio, rehearsal space and digital production rooms, which will level up the offering at the YMCA Newark and Sherwood Community and Activity Village. It will open in Spring 2021. Volunteers giving back “Although a main draw for young people is our equipment and facilities, the biggest appeal is definitely our inspiring staff team,” explained Ben Felstead from YMCA Digital. “All of our volunteers have been participants [in] our YMCA Digital courses, and they just don’t want to leave! They also want to give back to support projects that have helped them.” Believing in the potential of the community’s next generation, staff also support participants to work towards AQA accredited arts awards to translate their achievements into transferable skills. Tawanda Kambeu (TK) joined the charity’s digital movement when he was a teenager and loved the ethos and team so much he is now a Youth Music Leader. TK said: “I started off here as a young person myself when I came down to the group’s hub at NGY MyPlace in Nottingham, and it quickly became my home-away-from-home. “As I progressed on and the years went by, I began to near the age where youth funding stops, so I approached the team and said that I didn’t want to leave!” All young people need to have a creative outlet. Giving them the opportunity to cultivate their inbuilt creativity in and out of the classroom should never be overlooked. Ultimately, it gives them a place to belong to and contribute to and enables them to thrive as a creative individual, now and in the future.
Reflect Theatre in Education
Reflect Theatre in Education provides personalised performing arts’ projects and applied drama techniques in schools across the capital and South East. Working collaboratively with schools, we produce engaging and inspirational theatrical productions involving students in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. We also use drama techniques to produce a wide range of curriculum-enrichment programmes and workshops which support key government strategies for learning and enhance the National Curriculum. At Reflect Theatre in Education we always set high standards for ourselves and all participants. Expectations are clear and our working environment is respectful, positive and motivational. Drama, in its own right, is an invaluable tool in unlocking creative potential, developing communication skills and increasing confidence. When used alongside the National Curriculum it is an engaging and inspirational way of approaching traditional topics and stimulating the interest of all students. Reflect TIE sessions aim: • To develop confidence and self-esteem • To encourage teamwork • To promote positive communication skills • To stimulate creativity • To stimulate topic interested and impart curriculum information Confidence and Self-Esteem Our Workshops and Projects promote opportunities for children to build confidence and self-esteem. Children are given regular opportunities to reflect on their own progress and abilities, to identify areas/skills that they would like to focus on further and develop. Our sessions are great for offering naturally confident young people a creative outlet, as well as helping to increase confidence in those children who may need to assistance in developing this. Teamwork In all aspects of life, individuals will be required to work as part of a team. Our sessions promote teamwork, through various activities and the shared collaboration of putting on a performance. Communication Skills Communication skills are one of the most important areas that Reflect TIE works to develop. Communication skills are a vital part of all aspects of life, at school and within the working environment. Drama is well known for helping children to articulate more clearly and to listen in addition to developing a wider vocabulary. Creativity Taking part in creative experiences such as drama helps children to express, and cope with, their feelings. Creativity also fosters mental growth in children and helps them to acknowledge and celebrate uniqueness and diversity. Imagination equips children to solve problems by helping them to think through different outcomes to various situations and enabling them to role play ways to cope with difficult or new circumstances. Imagination also encourages a rich vocabulary. Telling and hearing real or made-up stories, reading books and improvising, help children learn and retain new words. Topic/Curriculum Information Our Workshops and Projects can provide children and young people with topic related information and help to lift the curriculum off the page. This helps to stimulate interest and to improve connection with and retention of material. Reflect TIE offers: • Foundation, KS1, and KS2 Curriculum Topic Workshops: These popular workshops use drama, role-play and improvisation to explore a topic further. These workshops are available for a wide range of topics each linked to the National Curriculum. • Staging Shakespeare Projects • Professional Productions • PSHE and SEAL workshops: These workshops are based on the Primary National Strategy document Excellence & Enjoyment: Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) and also look at topics under the umbrella of Personal, Social, and Health Education for all key stages. This Autumn, as well as running our popular stand-alone curriculum and story-telling workshops, our Directors are also busy working with Groups of Students in Years 5 and 6 to stage performances of ‘As You Like It’ in schools across London. By introducing Shakespeare, at primary level, we help children to experience Shakespeare’s charm at an early age. This means that, when they begin to study a Shakespeare text as part of the national curriculum, students have already been introduced to the bard correctly and positively. We have a series of Shakespeare’s greatest stories which have been adapted to run under at an hour – making it less daunting and more manageable. These plays still maintain Shakespeare’s language but have been reduced and tailored to make them more accessible to the primary age-bracket – in their simplicity, they are adapted to work for kids, without losing any of the beauty or power of the original play. Children work with professional directors, from the auditions, right through to a fully-staged performance, with lights, sound, costume and props. All practitioners have plenty of experience in directing children’s theatre and every child has a speaking part. Throughout the process, each student involved learns valuable lessons about team-work, concentration and commitment as well as gaining great comprehension of the play in question and a sense of self-confidence and achievement. Staging Shakespeare, as with all Reflect TIE’s projects, is extremely inclusive and can include children with special learning/care requirements. www.reflect-tie.co.uk
Investing in our future musicians
Through sponsorship and involvement in forward thinking programmes for young organists, we help to provide access to music and musical development to schools and ecclesiastic communities. We feel it is important to give young musicians as many opportunities as possible to practice on good quality instruments – to fully embrace the wonder that is organ music. We’ve had the privilege of working with some distinguished music schools like the dedicated team at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where weinstalled a beautiful new digital organ for their 608-seat Concert Hall. We were also pleased to be chosen as their preferred organ supplier as they are the UK’s leading provider of specialist music training at the under-18 level with nearly 2,500 students in Junior Guildhall and the Centre for Young Musicians. For the Yarm School in North East England we were delighted to install a Regent Classic instrument in the school’s stunning Princess Alexandra Auditorium. We tailored the organ according to the school’s requirements and custom-built the Regent Classic in a Cavaille-Coll style console, which they were pleased to have, as this is found in only a few schools in the UK. Built to the same standards as a conventional pipe organ, but occupying just a fraction of the space, the instrument has 69 speaking stops across four manuals, which allows the accompaniment of any choral or orchestral work. Practice instruments are also an issue for some schools, so we were pleased to be able to provide Kings College Cambridge with an Envoy 23-s, one of our most popular instruments which not only has our phenomenal built-in sound platform ‘Physis’, but is also priced perfectly for schools. For many establishments with fine pipe organs -finding time to play on them is a constant challenge. And for organ scholars this becomes a real issue in getting enough practise time in. Our digital church organs not only provide the extra practice time, but can also be used with headphones to help with odd practice times (and not disturb resident scholars). Discover how we can work with your school to enhance your practice instruments and encourage a new generation of musicians. Contact David Mason, Managing Director of Viscount Classical Organs today on 01869 247 333, or on enquiries@viscountorgans.net. We also have a very active Facebook page which you can find at www.facebook.com/viscountorgans
Bring the magic of music to the classroom with Classical 100
The start of the school year is always an exciting, albeit busy, time. After summer, students and teachers (hopefully) come back to school feeling re-energised and eager to tackle the year ahead. Lesson planning can be enjoyable but it can also be daunting, as there are so many competing priorities. Trying to put together lesson plans that deliver key curriculum objectives whilst also being engaging for children is no easy task. Music education is a priority for the Department for Education, with School Standards Minister Nick Gibb MP recognising that “it is so important for young people – learning to play an instrument can open up countless opportunities, while the enjoyment of music can stay with people their whole lives.” At ABRSM, we’ve built our mission on a love for music, and we want to nurture and inspire achievement in it. We want to help teachers and schools deliver high-quality, engaging music education, available to all children. That’s why we’re encouraging you tomake the first term a classical one! Classical music is a rewarding, rich division of music that has the power to inspire musical activity. That’s why ABRSM, in partnership with Classic FM and Decca, developed Classical 100. Classical 100is a free resource for primary schools in the UK that will help ignite enthusiasm for, and keep children engaged in, classical music in the classroom. Classical 100features 100 pieces of classical music in a dynamic list, ranging from Bach to Bernstein and Handel to Haydn. The music can be sorted by mood, instrument, tempo and historical period, or in any other way that suits. Each of the 100 pieces features its own musical challenge. The challenges are fun and flexible and cover the following areas of learning: 1. Exploring instruments 2. Composing and creating 3. Performance and using your voice 4. Musical understanding You don’t have to be a specialist music teacher to use Classical 100. Each challenge includes a helpful guide and all the resources needed to tackle it in the classroom – helping make lesson planning easier during the busy back-to-school period. All the materials and language have been carefully created with the learner in mind, by industry and primary school experts. The Department for Education is a key partner and champion of Classical 100,as it can be used to meet several National Curriculum targets. Around 6,000 schools, over 10,000 educators and an estimated 200,000 pupils have already engaged with Classical 100across the UK since it first launched in 2015. So, help bring music to life in the classroom and make your first term a classical one! Sign up today here: https://gb.abrsm.org/en/classical100/ More about ABRSM: https://gb.abrsm.org/en/home
NEA Is Enormously Excited To Introduce…
Their brand new Filmed Group Performance Examinations in Acting, Musical Theatre, Devised Drama and Shakespeare. After asking drama teachers and schools we learnt that there is a need for a large regulated group exam that allows each of their learners to receive individual marks, report forms and certificates. This also allows learners to take differing grades within the same group performance. To accomplish this successfully the examiner attends the exam venue and films the group they are examining. This allows the examiner to watch the examination and then review the footage later, giving them ample time to assess each learner’s contribution to the Group Performance. Following the performance they are taken out in small groups for the discussion element. UCAS points are awarded at all level 3 examinations. Please contact NEA onexams@neweraacademy.co.uk for further details. Amongst NEA’s extensive range of examination disciplines they are also proud of their Interview Technique examinations. Learners benefit from the experience of an interview set up designed to give them the preparation they need when interviewing for school, college, university and employment. These are fully regulated examinations and again UCAS tariff points are gained at all Level 3 examinations. NEA are a small, bespoke, regulated Awarding Body that pride themselves on their personal service. Expert staff are always on hand to answer any queries be they regarding the syllabus or administrative. Examiners are known to put learners at their ease ensuring they give their best on the day. Certificates are issued within 10 days of the examination session. Each teacher is given their own secure resources portal and every effort is made to accommodate both teachers and learners on the examinations day. Don’t delay, to find out more contact us on exams@neweraacaemy.co.uk or visit our website on www.neweraacademy.co.uk
New online course to help music teachers inspire next generation
ABRSM partners with FutureLearn to provide an intensive teacher development course Becoming a Better Music Teacher is a free online course for teachers created by ABRSM and available through FutureLearn. The course is aimed at teachers who are beginning their teaching journey or wishing to refresh and refocus their teaching skills. It is now open for enrolment and will provide teachers with a strong foundation for effective music teaching. ABRSM is passionate about inspiring musical achievement and believes that music teachers play a vital role in leading and shaping their pupils’ musical journey. It offers a range of teacher support initiatives including teacher development and annual teacher conferences; and this latest partnership with FutureLearn represents a new expansion into e-learning. ABRSM’s Chief Executive, Michael Elliott said: ABRSM’s mission is to inspire achievement in music, and in recent years, it has experienced increasing global demand for the provision of training and support for music teachers. Our partnership with FutureLearn provides a new venture into online courses and its success will guide the further development of our teacher support offering. We trust all those enrolling on our FutureLearn course will enjoy the rich array of teaching support and materials prepared by our many contributors and will be keen to continue their journey of learning and discovery in association with ABRSM and its many partners around the world. Enrolment for ABRSM’s Becoming a Better Music Teacher is now open. The online course has been developed to inspire effective music teaching and musical progression. Commencing on Monday 10 June, it will cover five key areas of teaching practice including: Teaching and Learning Principles; Core Musical Skills; and Professional Values and Practice. The course is focused towards teachers’ professional development and includes: how to develop your own teaching philosophy, explore the basis for motivation and how motivation is linked to progression, and design individual learning plans for pupils. Nigel Smith, MD of Courses and Learning at FutureLearn, said, “Learning to play a musical instrument or sing is a life-enriching experience, and we’re delighted to be partnering with ABRSM to help music teachers be as effective as possible. Few subjects have such capacity to inspire all, regardless of ability or age, and we’re happy to be providing teachers with the tools they need to be inspirational.” ABRSM is excited to be able to offer this course in partnership with FutureLearn. FutureLearn has partnered with some of the world’s most renowned universities and institutions and ABRSM’s Becoming a Better Music Teacher is part of their continued commitment to teacher support. Enrol today
Sound and light show launches children’s competition to voice major event
The Enchanted Forest sound and light show is launching a competition to find a child who can lend their voice to the award-winning event. Auditions are open for the Voice of The Enchanted Forest competition, which is calling for children aged between 5 and 12 to record a script to be used during the month-long event at Pitlochry’s Faskally Wood this October. The winning Voice will appear in a recording to be played to tens of thousands of visitors as they travel by bus from Pitlochry to the forest for the event, which organisers expect to be another sell-out. The Voice will welcome visitors to the forest and remind them of some important health and safety messages. The competition is being run in conjunction with Bauer Radio and its Radio Tay, Radio Forth and Radio Clyde stations. The winner will record a pre-written script at one of the three radio stations, get VIP access to the station, and be guest of honour at the show’s special preview night on 27th September. This year’s Enchanted Forest show, Oir an Uisge, runs from September 28th to October 29th 2017. Event organisers The Enchanted Forest Community Trust have released a record 72,000 tickets for Oir an Uisge, which are already selling fast. The organisers fully expect the show to sell out before opening night for the first time in its history. Ian Sim, chairman of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said: “Families and children are crucial to the success of The Enchanted Forest, which is why we’re delighted to be running this competition along with Bauer Radio. We’re looking for a child with a voice that’s friendly, fun and assertive so that visitors will sit up and take notice as they’re bused to the event. The winner will get a sneak preview of the event, and some VIP treatment from us and our radio partners.” Kelly Murdoch, sales and events coordinator with Bauer Radio, said:”The Enchanted Forest is a mainstay of Scotland’s events calendar so we’re excited to be on board with them for this unique competition. We can’t wait to hear from all the talented kids out there and also to invite them behind the scenes to one of our radio stations. We just hope they don’t put our DJs out of a job!” To enter the competition, call 01738 400140 and follow the audition instructions or go to www.tayfm.co.uk, www.forth1.com and www.clyde1.com. Details are also at www.enchantedforest.org.uk. The competition runs until midnight on September 12th. Tickets and more information on The Enchanted Forest are available on www.enchantedforest.org.uk