During the seminar in Ankara we got into contact with the notion of “Creative Drama”. Let’s see what we were taught and learned:
Creative Drama is an active way of teaching, it is improvisational and process oriented.
We have to find the right conditions in order to do it in class or at school.
First of all we have to create a safe environment for the children.
Communication and ice-breaking exercises are very important. Of course it depends on our focus.
If students are too active we must bring them to a “more quiet” phase and help them not to lose their focus.
Evaluation in such programs is actually “self-evaluation” as it is a chance to evaluate ourselves.
We encourage students to role –play.
We can create visual images with our students.
eg. We are in a park/we are in a kitchen- the park and the kitchen get alive and we create images
Creative Drama focuses on process, self development, connection with ourselves and others.
“Creative Drama” vs “Theatre”
- In creative Drama we allow space for improvisation
- In Theatre we focus on actors’ skills.
- In Theatre there are actors and audience /Creative Drama everybody is involved in action.
- In theatre the “text” requires memory. In Creative Drama there is improvisation
- In theatre we focus on the product, in Creative Drama we focus on the process.
Activities /Exercises could include:
1.We transmit energy to one another by shouting/clapping
2.We are living statues and improvise various scenes.
3. Give them a poster from a movie or a picture from a fairy tale
4.Ask them to create images from them eg. The Titanic
5.Put a picture on the wall and improvise the scene that could create using words and movements or freeze frame
6. Somebody walks blind-folded in a corridor created by students and only listens to sounds they make/they have to imagine the scene and verbalize it.
7. Show them pictures and ask them to create freeze framed images
8. Play music and ask students to move freely till the music stops.
9. Play music and ask them to form couples/ groups of 3 or 4.
10. Give them a popular fairy tale/ story and ask them to work in couples or groups and create freeze framed images.
11. Then, someboby who is kept out taps them on the shoulder one by one and they have to verbalize the scene they created.
During evaluation stage
Give students pebbles from the beach and ask them to write words that come to their minds related to their experience. Exchange them and keep them.
How to work with a certain fairy tale/story Eg.Pinocchio
Preparation stage
- Read/Introduce story using a still image / visual stimulus / pictures put on the whiteboard
- Summarize
- Use energizers (Icebreaking techniques) to facilitate contact with children.
Improvisation stages—– Scene creation
- Pinocchio and Gephetto at school
- At school
- In the street with friends.
- Creation of conscience alley – Pinocchio wants to be a real boy but he is in dilemma
(Pinocchio asks “Shall I be a real boy or remain a puppet?” Students stand in two rows and one row tells him to be real boy whereas the other to remain a puppet. This technique is called:”Conscience alley”.
- Pinocchio becomes a real boy
- Students in small groups organize themselves, share the scenes and PERFORM.
Evaluation
Students have to talk about how it went / express opinions.
POST STAGE
Make a poster/ create images
Change the ending of the story
Create a comic book strip
Make an e-book
Translate into English
Perform the play for the rest of the school
Play games with objects related to the story like HOT-COLD / BOMB