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Dynamic Education Through Drama |
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Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd |
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Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd |
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Dynamic Education Through Drama |
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Gotcha was a theatre in education interactive performance for preschoolers and junior primary school students. Contracted by Agriquality for Biosecurity New Zealand in 2005, the theatre was designed to inform youngsters about what they should do when they find unusual species of bugs, in particular, the fall webworm in all the stages of its life cycle (egg mass, caterpillar, pupae or moth). This target group was important is it is usually at this young age that people are most inquisitive about new insects. Gotcha was written by Peter O’Connor, Briar O’Connor and Stephen Dallow. It included two original songs written by Stephen Dallow. Two ‘teams of gold’ visited schools in Auckland over a six-week period, each presenting up to three performances per day, to a total of around 10,000 students. |
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Waikato Primary Health contracted Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd to devise and deliver a drama in education programme to Years 7 & 8 students in the Waikato in the first term of 2007. The programme was written by Peter O’Connor, Briar O’Connor and Stephen Dallow. Stephen also contributed an original song. This was a youth resiliency programme in which students were presented with the scenario of a time-travelling cellphone. The cellphone kept playing moments out of the three owners’ lives, in an endless loop. Only once everyone involved could work out why the cellphone was stuck could the ‘loop’ be opened and characters move on with their lives. Independent evaluation concluded that: · The performance and workshops were well received by principals, teachers and students · Students felt they learned important understandings about themselves and each other as a result of the content and process of the drama work · The messages and understandings from the programme had been retained by students some weeks after the programme delivery · While the programme was not overtly fitted into the school curriculum or activities, some students made links to other learning. · Students appreciated this unique opportunity to discuss these important issues with each other in a safe environment. |
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Gotcha |
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Open the Loop |
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Past Projects
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From December 2000 to October 2005 Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd held contracts to support the introduction of the national drama curriculum. Company co-director Dr Peter O’Connor was the National Facilitator for Drama. Fellow director, Briar O’Connor was the National Secondary Schools Arts Coordinator-Drama. As National Facilitator for Drama, Peter mentored and supported advisers and facilitators attached to universities and colleges of education across the country. He led the development of numerous drama resources, including, two booklets and DVDs Telling Our Stories and Playing our Stories (available through Learning Media). His work as part of the national exemplar project saw the development of a matrix of progression for drama exemplified by student work. The exemplar project can be accessed at www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/drama/index_e.php As National Secondary Schools Arts Coordinator-Drama, Briar evaluated arts opportunities throughout the country. Those that fitted with the arts curriculum were promoted to schools via newsletters and a website. During this time Briar also conducted scoping exercises for the Ministry of Education and co-ordinated annual national Drama hui. |
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Ministry Of Education |
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Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand Two process drama texts have been developed and written for the Mental Health Foundation by company co-director, Peter O’Connor. A third, Headspin, was co-written with Helen Blackmore. Natural High (2000) was devised to explore issues around alcohol, drugs and mental health with older teenagers. It is taught primarily in youth settings rather than in schools. The Lost Bag (2005) was originally published as part of a wider mental health promotion resource in 2000. For five years the process drama, which centres on the clues found in a bag lost by a young person who has run away, was presented by the company as a theatre in education programme. Schools throughout Auckland and Tai Tokerau were involved in working through the clues to establish why the person had run away, where she had gone to and how she might be helped. In 2005 the text was rewritten and is now used as part of the Mental Health Foundation’s ongoing work to support the Health and PE curriculum in schools. Headspin (2005) is a process drama based on the music of New Zealand singer-songwriter John Matteson. The drama, which was designed for working with senior secondary students, explores the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. For a discussion on the use of process drama and mental health promotion see Process Drama and Learning for Now published on line in Mindnet Autumn 2006 www.mindnet.org.nz/article.php?issueno=5&articleno=120 For more information on accessing these resources, contact the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand |
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Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd PO Box 38444 Howick Manukau 2145 New Zealand E-mail: atco@appliedtheatre.co.nz |
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