Drama Games for Drama Teachers #2
part 2 of 2 By Emma Wright Welcome back! This article is a continuation of Drama Games for Drama Teachers Part 1, so be sure to check that out first. Part two will cover: energy, physical, ensemble building, working with text and voice focused games. Energy Inevitably you’re going to want to take your students…
Drama Games for Drama Teachers
Drama games are a fantastic inclusion in a lesson plan and can be suitable for all ages. You may include them for a warm up or cool down, for breaking the ice and encouraging collaboration and teamwork, to lift your class’ focus or energy levels, or just for a bit of fun (with positive skills-based…
Introduction to Character Archetypes
Learn more about how in storytelling we can write and observe recurring character ‘types’; characters who possess specific qualities and recognizable behaviours, and serve particular narrative functions.
Pathways to a Career in the Arts
To drama school or not to drama school, that is the question. But is drama school the only way to enter the arts industry as an actor? The question you should be asking yourself is what is the right pathway for you, and that may not be the pathway your favourite Hollywood actor took.
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 6
“Storytelling, and being a part of a community that brings a story to life, takes many different skills, as well as compassion, creativity, and fortitude – and I learnt these things on and behind the stage.”
Life Lessons I’ve Learnt Through The Arts
Today, as we’re at the very beginning of a new year, I want to get reflective and talk about some of the life lessons I have learnt through my years of engagement with the arts, which began when I was five years old and first connected to the theatre.
Adapting Your Performance for Stage and Screen
All in all, whether you’re performing on a stage or for a camera, the same fundamental acting principles apply, but the key differences lie in how you size your performance in terms of the frame you’re acting within and how you rehearse.
Transitioning to the Online Classroom
This article will specifically address adapting to a digital classroom in the context of youth drama workshops, based on research and personal experience as arts educators.
A Gateway Into Shakespeare
Don’t be afraid to make Shakespeare your own, and though he may be considered one of the greatest playwrights to ever live, you won’t do his plays justice if you’re too busy worshipping or fearing them.
Learning Lines
Memorisation is a skill, and it’s something you can sharpen and also something that can get rusty, so best practice is to make it part of your ongoing homework as an actor, and build it into your routine.
Monologues: Selection to Performance
Name a project, it likely contains a monologue, so it makes sense that actors have a good handle of performing them. It’s also worthwhile to have a few up your sleeve for auditioning, as monologues – especially in theatre – often form part of the audition process.
The Benefits of a Dramatic Education
The Arts can no longer be undervalued. We must learn to see them as the necessity that they are, the key to allowing young people to develop wholly and eventually take on and lead a world that we, at the moment, can hardly imagine.
Running the Online Drama Class
This article is designed to share some tips and tricks that we’ve learnt when it comes to lesson planning and teaching drama online, including warm-ups, main topics, and structuring performance tasks on Zoom.
The Mental Health Benefits of Arts Engagement
According to Arts Health Resources, there “is a growing body of evidence that supports the notion that active involvement in creative activities can provide a wide range of benefits, including the promotion of well-being, quality of life and health”.
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 5
“If you feel like you’re different or like you don’t fit in, drama can be the place where you are given an opportunity to not only belong, but stand out. It has been that for me.”
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 4
“Being an actor has really helped broaden my understanding, patience and empathy towards others. Stepping into a character without judgement is such a valuable lesson for how to address people in everyday life.”
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 3
“I got involved in drama because my best friend started to take acting classes on Saturdays, and I did everything she did. We were 12. Then I fell in love with it, and the rest is history.”
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 2
“So, whatever you do, just give it a try. Find humour in things, say yes to things (as long as you’re not pressured and you’re comfortable with it). At the end of the day, life is all a performance anyway.”
HOW YOUTH DRAMA CHANGED MY LIFE: Volume 1
Here we ask members of our community to reflect on their experience with youth drama and discuss how it has impacted their life and career.
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