Building Experiences

Northampton Inspection & Advisory Service / CITB – Drama & Structures

Working with the Curriculum Adviser for Drama, this represented an opportunity to combine two approaches to learning not often used.

The initiative provided Year 7 students from two schools the opportunity to address the issue of Refugees. Students worked collaboratively to:

learn and put into practice large scale 3D construction techniques
work with a drama specialist to create a fictional environment in which they assume roles in order to explore the way in which refugees adapt to changing environments
develop thinking, problem solving and reflective skills

Drama Conventions employed:

“The aspects of this sort of partnership which I thought were valuable, are:

The authentic parallels between the structuring of the drama and the construction process to arrive at the structure itself
The rigour and discipline of both art forms which enabled the students to take risks within the safety of a highly structured experience
The opportunity to team teach and provide “live Inset”, demonstrating highly motivational teaching with class-size groups of mixed ability young people, along with extended time with students and their teachers
The provision of meaningful contexts for the development of different registers of language, including metalanguage of design and Theatre
The promotion of critical thinking and the recognition of multiple intelligences.“

Paul Bunyan: Curriculum Adviser for Drama, NIAS. Chair of NATE Drama Committee.