A new year, a new class of kids excited to start a new Drama story.
They want it to be adventurous
They want it to be brilliant, awesome, inspiring!
They also want it to be funny or serious, or dangerous, or scary.
And they want it to be meaningful.
So I ask them what the story is about. Suggestions are made by the children and others agree or offer something more. Within a few minutes they have a basic plan and they think about who they are, where they are and why they are there.
An example of their plan:
Who? – they are families and friends on holiday
Where they are? – on a desert island
Why they are there? – their plane crashed
Now they are survivors but there are problems to overcome.
What do they need?
The Drama starts as they break up into groups, animated to work out what they must do. No adult has told them what to do, how to get organised, how to prioritise, how to allocate tasks or even determine what has to be done. They do this naturally through talking and listening, arguing and challenging, agreeing, collaborating and problem-solving.
Each child becomes an expert or supports another and soon everyone is pulling together.
Then they need a more demanding challenge. A new character arrives – someone who was not part of the original group, someone who doesn’t speak….
Are you intrigued? They are. They need to work out who this person is, what do they want? Can they be trusted? Are they in trouble or a threat?
This simple interaction sparks their imagination and the adventure starts.
LEADA Tutors and role players enable them to take the story and make their own script.
Classes start on 10th January
