WORKSHOPS (Packages and One-Offs)

What’s on Offer

PROJECTS

A.  Literacy Project:   taking a story chosen by the class teacher and
     exploring it initially through drama-based techniques, leading to
     imagining the story before and/or after.  Pupils develop the ‘new’
     bits of the story, scripting these with a view to creating a performance. 
     As relevant, other related curriculum areas could be explored through
     drama and included in the new story. 
    
    

B.  Year 4/5/6 Humanities through Drama:  drama facilitating the teaching
     of a pre-agreed topic from the class’s humanities curriculum for the
     term.  A variety of drama techniques and devices will be employed with
     the view to enabling the class teacher to use these in the future in their
     own every day practice.  Possible topics include:  The Victorians, World
     War II and Evacuees, Ancient Greeks, The Voyage of the Mystery (in
     conjunction with ‘A Sense of Place’), the Artic, Rain Forests, etc.  Other            topics as suggested and re-quested. 

C. Developing Skills for Performance and Presentation:  KS2 – intended for         Years 5 & 6 (Year 3 or 4 possible by negotiation).  Working with a specific       production or performance in mind – developing generic performance skills,     with a potential for cross-curricular usage, to include physical theatre             techniques (performers as scenery etc), narrative story telling, vocal             techniques, talking tableaux, sculpting, improvisation, and characterisation       exploration.

   CURRENT ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

1.  Puppet-making workshop for year 2 and above – a selection of basic
     techniques required to make a variety of types of puppets:  shadow, 
     podlin (head), withie, mask, etc. will be explored.  A demonstration using
    a selection of puppets as examples of those listed above will be included. 
    
    NB:  the above could be booked in conjunction with one of the music
            or drama storytelling projects or workshops if puppets were to be
            involved in the performance of the class’s original story.

2.  Story-mapping as a visual exercise followed either by drama
     performance techniques to ‘perform’ parts of the story created or
     by creating an original song to narrate a part of the story.  

3.  Music & Song for telling Stories – creating songs to:
    • Narrate and move the story on
    • Develop a character
    • Create mood and atmosphere and setting

    NB  the story used could be an original one (possibly created by proceeding
           this workshop with workshop 2) or a story from another country
           (culture) using a musical style appropriate to that country.
 
4.  DramaWorks:  developing drama-based skills and techniques to
     facilitate teaching across-the-curriculum – the session would begin
     with exploring drama techniques for a wide range of uses, then would
     focus on exploring a specific, pre-agreed curriculum area or story.  In the
     past DramaWorks has run as a day a term over the academic year (with
     this option 2 classes – one am and one pm – could be involved).


  MISSION STATEMENT STORYWORKS EDUCATION


StoryWorks Education is a multimedia performing arts in Education Company which works with children and young people in schools to create dynamic cross-curricular projects with the emphasis on the children as participants, performers and future audiences, and where the process really is more important than the product.  

Using a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating Storytelling, Drama, Improvisation, Dance and Movement, Music Composition and Arrangement, Puppet Design and Creation, Mask-Making, Set/Prop Design and Construction, our aim is to develop a project that supports class-based work across the National Curriculum and/or is based around an issue important to your school and pupils.  Often beginning with original tales, or taking existing myths or stories from around the world, explored from different perspectives and through different mediums, this approach lends itself to the consideration of many aspects of the curriculum such as History, Geography, English, Science, Religious Education, Drama, Dance, Music, and Citizenship Education. 

In consultation with your school we can create a project based on topics the class or year group is studying or you can choose from our current list of cross-curricular arts-based workshops.  We are happy to work on a daily basis (one-off workshops) or for longer (for cross-curricular projects perhaps over a whole academic year) on projects leading to a performance.  We are able to provide references for our work upon request.

For an informal discussion regarding your needs please phone Kathy Tappin on 07973 725 006, or e-mail at kathytappin@yahoo.co.uk or at kathy@storyworkstheatrecompany.com

All Company members have enhanced CRB disclosures.  CVs are available on request.  We are happy to work both with the class teacher (Inset and CPD potential) or in their absence (Kathy Tappin is a qualified teacher with 26 years school/college experience) utilising the potential supply cover available to cover the absence.  We are able to provide stand-alone Inset for both teachers and teaching assistants wishing to learn more about using the arts in the classroom or for extra-curricular activities (or as a way of covering PPA time?).

For further information please visit our website at: StoryWorksTheatreCompany.com



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