Learning Report 2010.
Bell Shakespeare Learning Report 2010. Prepared by Samantha Tidy, Head of Education December 2010
National Education & Youth Partner
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Contents. Introduction FROM HEAD OF EDUCATION, SAMANTHA TIDY ARTISTIC STATEMENT FROM OUTGOING RESIDENT ARTIST IN EDUCATION, MATT EDGERTON Theatre PRODUCTIONS King Lear Just Macbeth! Twelfth Night
7
8
10 12 14 16
Theatre Forums 18 Meet Bell Shakespeare 20 TheatreSpace 21 Actors at Work Actors At Work Programmes 2010 Actors At Work Special Projects 2010
22 26 30
Student Masterclasses 36 and Seminars Student Masterclasses 38 Metropolitan Residency Programme 40 The Hamlet Seminar 41 REGIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES Remote and Regional Residencies Regional Access Student Workshops Regional Performance Scholarship
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHERS Teacher Forums Teacher Masterclasses Regional Teacher Scholarship
52
54 56 58
SPECIAL LEARNING INITIATIVES Juvenile Justice Programme Clemente Catalyst Step Into The Limelight Masters Of Education Austar Stage For Life RESOURCES Online Learning Packs Bell Shakespeare Website Optus Make A Scene
62 64 64 65 65 66
2010 STATISTICAL SUMMARY
72
BELL SHAKESPEARE PARTNERS
74
TOURING AUSTRALIA
76
ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP
78
68 70 70 71
42 44 48 50
“A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!” The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 1 LEARNING REPORT 2010 5
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5
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Introduction.
Celebrating our 20th year in 2010, Bell Shakespeare, with the vital support of the Federal Government, corporate partners and philanthropic trusts and foundations, reached a total of 77,618 students and teachers – slightly more than the 2009 audience for face-to-face Learning activities. Bell Shakespeare also engaged with 77,224 online users - the largest audience to date for online activities. Both figures are a strong indication that school audiences, wherever they may be in Australia, have come to rely on Bell Shakespeare to deliver a vibrant and popular learning programme. Once again, Bell Shakespeare extended its reach across the Australian landscape, delivering a wide variety of programmes to communities as isolated as Cape York, Groote Eylandt and Woomera, regional locations such as Port Hedland, Charleville and Tennant Creek as well as delivering programmes in all Australian capital cities. The unique and energetic Actors At Work programme was greatly enjoyed by 59,439 students from 297 schools. With 32 full days of travel, the teams undertook 9 more travel days than the previous year, over 51 touring weeks. Delivering a range of captivating one-hour interpretations of Shakespeare to schools nationwide, the three teams gave 485 performances, 40% of which were delivered in regional areas. Audience numbers across several Bell Shakespeare Learning programmes increased. School matinees were attended by 10,018 students (up by 30% from attendance in 2009) and Student Masterclasses (two-hour interactive workshops on Shakespeare texts) were delivered to 5,609 students. More teachers attended Bell Shakespeare Professional Learning programmes than ever before, with 432 teachers enjoying a variety of masterclasses and forums in all states and territories, and of course, the Regional Teacher Scholarship. 12 English
and Drama teachers travelled to Sydney for the RTS in March, giving them a magnificent opportunity to hone their Shakespeare teaching skills with Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators and staff. In 2010, we introduced The Hamlet Seminar, a full day programme in the July school holidays attended by 597 HSC students, which assisted them in the lead-up to their exams. This popular programme will be repeated in 2011. 50 young people auditioned for the Regional Performance Scholarship, and again, 3 very lucky young people were granted the opportunity to explore their performance potential in Sydney with guidance from John Bell and other artistic leaders in the Company. Austar Stage For Life allowed 2 young winners to explore pathways for achieving their dreams with Bell Shakespeare staff during a week in Sydney. In theatres across Australia, Bell Shakespeare presented Shakespeare’s King Lear, Twelfth Night, and a return season of Just Macbeth!, the popular and humorous play written by children’s writer Andy Griffiths. The Regional Access Student Workshops touring to regional areas ahead of Twelfth Night, were enjoyed by 873 students.
and our ongoing development of diverse platforms for social inclusion through programmes such as the Juvenile Justice programme, the accessibility programme for disadvantaged schools and the Clemente Catalyst programme. Bell Shakespeare highly values its partnerships with all the organisations that supported our education programmes in 2010 including Optus; BHP Billiton; J.P. Morgan; Australian Unity; Boeing; Wesfarmers Arts; AUSTAR; Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation; Colonial Foundation; Ian Potter Foundation; Macquarie Group Foundation; Scully Fund; James N Kirby Foundation; Trust Company ATF Archer; Danks Trust; Tim Fairfax Family Foundation; Collier Charitable Fund; Besen Family Foundation; Australia Council for the Arts; Playing Australia; Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; Arts NSW; Arts SA; NSW Department of Education and Training; NSW Department of Juvenile Justice, Arts QLD; and ACT Department of Education and Training. The support of these organisations enables our popular education initiatives to continue and expand, and assists us in maintaining affordable ticket prices and access to valuable Learning opportunities in metropolitan, regional and remote locations across Australia.
2010 heralded a significant growth in Bell Shakespeare’s online audiences, with more entries to the Optus Make a Scene than in 2009 (342 in 2010 and 246 in 2009). The Learning pages of the recently refurbished website were popular with 43,158 unique visitors, and the Online Learning Packs, providing teachers with valuable resources for enhancing student comprehension of Bell Shakespeare productions, were downloaded 642 times. Samantha Tidy, Head of Education Bell Shakespeare’s commitment to creating access to live theatre for all Australians has continued in 2010, demonstrated by initiatives such as Hearts In A Row*,
(*Separate report available upon request)
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Artistic Statement from outgoing Resident Artist in Education, Matt Edgerton. I have loved my role as Bell Shakespeare’s Resident Artist In Education over the last three years, because I believe in what we do as Arts Educators. Much of what students experience in our school system is about learning facts or skills. As a theatre company, our visits offer something very different. I remember when Bell Shakespeare and other theatre companies visited my high school and the immense energy that these encounters released. We sensed the size of the world beyond our school community and glimpsed the possibilities that lay ahead for us. Perhaps we saw in the actors the potential for our own passion, strength, recklessness, courage and compassion.
fellow Arts Educator Belinda Hoare on an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Shakespearean and Aboriginal English. This culminated in an extraordinary wholecommunity performance on the AFL oval, but not before a lead actor had gone bush never to return, another had been flown to Darwin with a busted nose and a third had been released from his 7pm police curfew so he could play Puck!
The first thing my teachers at drama school said is that acting is all about self discovery. You might be playing a Danish prince or a suicide bomber, but what you are really doing is finding the parts of yourself that fill those shoes. More than any other writer, Shakespeare provides opportunities for this kind of self discovery. His insight into human nature, the range of experience he represents and his unfailing compassion for human weakness is without equal. In exploring these characters you are always exploring and expanding parts of yourself.
Developing content for dozens of masterclasses on Shakespeare and his plays for our team of talented Arts Educators has been an enormous learning opportunity. At unexpected moments I’ve felt such a sense of joy at being paid to sit in our office and read these plays, or bounce around our rehearsal space trying out ideas for workshops. Being surrounded by these wonderful works – my wellthumbed Arden editions – and wonderful people interpreting these works has been a rare privilege. I had never heard of a job like mine before I applied for it and I know of no other job like it in the country. Just by being in this role I’ve learned so much more than I could in any rehearsal room or at any university course on Shakespeare.
The best response to our work in Education has always come from rural and remote kids. Our work has often been students’ first experience not only of Shakespeare, but of theatre itself. What an honour it is to bring Shakespeare to places like Cape York, Woomera, Broome, Beswick and the Torres Strait! Our ongoing relationship with the Tennant Creek community has been a satisfying part of my three years in this role. My first visit was particularly special, working with 8 LEARNING REPORT 2010
Returning to these kinds of communities in subsequent years means a lot to the kids that live there. This is an essential part of our work: we come back. For many creative kids in remote areas we are their lifeline to a creative life elsewhere.
Some of the hardest and most rewarding interactions I’ve had over the years have been with traumatised communities. Trauma makes it difficult for people to open up and truly express themselves because a large part of what they have to express is painful. That’s where we’re lucky to be working with a writer who acknowledges
“Returning to these kinds of communities in subsequent years means a lot to the kids that live there. This is an essential part of our work: we come back. For many creative kids in remote areas we are their lifeline to a creative life elsewhere.”
Resident Artist in Education (third from left) with RPS students
human experience in all its facets. I immediately think of our visit to Angurugu (on Groote Eylandt) in 2010. Here, recent riots involving spears and machetes had fractured an already struggling community. The experience for students of acting out Romeo And Juliet – of literally going through the process of fighting and reaching a point where forgiveness is possible was very powerful. Visiting Bourke in 2008, we entered a community in crisis because of years of drought. Here the challenges were about giving young people a chance to expand their vision beyond a very limited horizon, as well as encouraging them to express emotions, have fun and laugh. The Actors At Work performance programme holds a particularly special place for me. It was my first job with Bell Shakespeare as an actor nine years ago. In an intense five-week rehearsal period we learned six one-hour shows based on seven different Shakespeare plays, then toured all over Australia and Singapore, playing to high school students. I know what a challenge it is to act in these shows and what sheer euphoria there is in a room full of students transported by a visceral experience of Shakespeare.
The last three years has been a labour of love working alongside actors, stage managers, directors and writers to create the conditions where that visceral experience can happen. Balancing the needs of elite city schools and remote communities has been a particularly satisfying dramaturgical challenge. Having an opportunity to direct some of the country’s best young actors over the last two years has been a real thrill and I’m particularly excited to be returning in 2011 to direct Midsummer Madness which I’ve scripted with playwright Joanna Erskine. The programme which has been our most important in reaching regional areas is without a doubt our Regional Teacher Scholarship. Each year 12 teachers from remote and regional areas spend four days with us in Sydney exploring practical and exciting approaches to Shakespeare, and then take their new skills back to their communities. This kind of grassroots programme will have positive ongoing effects in numerous communities for years to come. I was an actor with Bell Shakespeare for years before moving to the other side, and was not the first actor to wonder what all the people in the office actually did all day. It has been eye-opening to discover that on
the other side lives a group of passionate and committed individuals hard at work every day making the company’s creative vision happen. A few of my close colleagues deserve particular mention. As our previous Head of Education, Linda Lorenza developed a dazzling national network of programmes, workshops, performances and relationships which are the foundation for the Company’s continued work. Ellen Kavanagh and Joanna Erskine have done the work of a small team of people, keeping the Education department running through thick and thin. John Bell and Marion Potts have been wonderful mentors and creative leaders. Their faith and trust in me has been so important. Finally our team of very talented Arts Educators have gone above and beyond in delivering all of our programmes in remote corners of the country. It’s sad to be leaving but I know that our Head of Education, Samantha Tidy, is leading a truly talented and creative group of people in Bell Shakespeare Learning, and our good work will continue.
Matt Edgerton, Resident Artist in Education, 2008 – 2010 LEARNING REPORT 2010 9
Theatre Productions.
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King Lear. By William Shakespeare Directed by Marion Potts Featuring John Bell, Keith Agius, George BANDERS, Peter Carroll, Justin Cotta, Paul English, Rachel Gordon, Peter Kowitz, Josh McConville, Jane Montgomery Griffiths, Bruce Myles, Yalin Ozucelik, Anthony Phelan, Susan Prior, Leah Purcell, Bree van Reyk and Tim Walter A father in his twilight years divides his assets between his three daughters. She who loves him most will gain the most. Goneril and Regan are more than happy to flatter him so they share the spoils. Cordelia, his youngest and favourite, is too honest for her own good. Furious, he disowns her and sends her away. Betrayed by the elder two who have all he once owned, Lear is left destitute. Still blinded by pride and vanity, it’s not until Cordelia returns to save him that he realises his catastrophic mistake and recognises true love. But is it too late? One of the greatest works in Western literature, King Lear is an epic story of power, loyalty, jealousy and betrayal, and a profoundly moving study of human frailty and the nature of love. This production of King Lear was the first time Marion Potts had directed John Bell, marking a truly memorable collaboration between our outgoing Associate Artistic Director and our Artistic Director. The production’s sparse staging and striking live percussive soundtrack created a work of great immediacy, clarity and power.
King Lear School Matinee performances Venue
Dates
Student Attendance
Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre
12 March, 16 March, 23 March, 30 March
1,155
Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse
28 April, 30 April
639
the Arts Centre – Melbourne, Playhouse
1 June
425
TOTAL
7 performances
2,219
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“They’ll have me whipped for speaking true, thou’lt have me whipped for lying, and sometimes I am whipped for holding my peace.” King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4 LEARNING REPORT 2010 13
Just Macbeth! BY ANDY GRIFFITHS DIRECTED BY WAYNE HARRISON WITH PATRICK BRAMMALL, PIPPA GRANDISON, JOHN LEARY, RHIANNoN OWEN, MARK OWEN-TAYLOR AND JUSTIN SMITH WITCHES, DAGGERS, BED-WETTING AND WIZZ FIZZ! Andy Griffiths’ Just Macbeth! is a really silly take on Shakespeare’s great big gory tragedy starring Andy, Lisa, Danny and Jen from his Just! series of books. And when we say really silly, we mean really, really silly as it’s performed by six funny but tragic actors and a garden gnome and has witches and Wizz Fizz and ghosts and girl germs and… Acclaimed children’s writer Andy Griffiths is one of Australia’s funniest, most successful and versatile writers. He is the author of 15 books ranging from nonsense verse, short stories, novels and creative writing textbooks, as well as a parent’s guide for creating a healthier lifestyle for children. His books include The Day My Bum Went Psycho and the extremely popular Just! series of short stories, which has sold over two million copies worldwide. Due to the popularity of the 2008 season of Just Macbeth!, 2010 saw the return of this hilarious and irreverent take on one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Just Macbeth! also toured to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to critical acclaim, winning a coveted Herald Angel award.
Just Macbeth! School Matinee performances Venue
Dates
Student Attendance
Sydney Opera House, Playhouse
29 June, 30 June, 1 July, 20 July, 21 July, 22 July, 27 July, 28 July, 29 July
3,399
TOTAL
9 performances
3,399
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“Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog … and most horrid of all, a mouldy brussel sprout!” Just Macbeth! LEARNING REPORT 2010 15
Twelfth Night. BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTED BY LEE LEWIS WITH ADAM BOOTH, KIT BROOKMAN, MAX CULLEN, ANDREA DEMETRIADES, BRENT HILL, BEN WOOD AND ELAN ZAVELSKY Olivia falls for new boy Cesario who is really Viola dressed as a boy. Viola has her eye on Orsino, while Orsino pines for Olivia, who is ever more taken with Cesario. That is until she claps eyes on Viola’s twin brother, who looks a little too much like his sister. To this, add a sexually frustrated steward, a randy old drunk, a maid with attitude, a fop, a fool and a clown and what begins in the aftermath of catastrophe soon transforms into genderbending mayhem. With a talented cast of seven, including Max Cullen as Feste, director Lee Lewis explored the tragedy of losing loved ones through disaster against the ecstasy of losing oneself when falling in love. For at the heart of Shakespeare’s most loved comedy is hope - as well as a poignant reminder that there’s more to love than first meets the eye… With its topical content of an Australian community facing bushfire disaster, Twelfth Night was a popular and moving production of a story about survival and identity.
“We men may say more, swear more … still we prove much in our vows, but little in our love.” Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 4
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twelfth night School Matinee performances Location
Dates
Student Attendance
the Arts Centre – Melbourne, Fairfax Studio
7 September, 14 September
405
Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse
15 October, 19 October
1,017
Sydney Opera House, Playhouse
2 November, 9 November, 16 November, 23 November
1,407
National Tour – various locations around Australia
Various
1,571
TOTAL
18 performances
4,400
NB These figures do not include student attendance at evening performances.
Twelfth Night toured to the following 29 locations: New South Wales – Orange, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Lismore, Tamworth, Albury, Sydney Northern Territory – Alice Springs, Darwin Victoria – Shepparton, Bendigo, Ballarat, Moonee Ponds, Nunawading, Dandenong, Warragul, Frankston, Melbourne Tasmania – Launceston, Hobart Queensland – Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Caloundra Australian Capital Territory – Canberra
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Theatre Forums.
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Meet Bell Shakespeare. Meet Bell Shakespeare is a free in-theatre forum for patrons held early in each season. Open to the general public, each Meet Bell Shakespeare forum runs for 45 minutes and is a unique introduction to the production. Teachers and students are encouraged to attend Meet Bell Shakespeare to meet the director, members of the creative team and members of the cast. Those who attend these forums gain an inside knowledge of the directorial concept and designer’s vision of the production.
meet bell shakespeare dates for 2010 were as follows: Production
Dates
Venue
Audience
King Lear
19 March
Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre
145
21 April
Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse
82
2 June
the Arts Centre – Melbourne, Playhouse
110
8 September
the Arts Centre – Melbourne, Fairfax Studio
86
21 October
Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse
60
4 November
Sydney Opera House, Playhouse
103
Twelfth Night
TOTAL
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6 Forums
586
Research – looking to the audience of the future. TheatreSpace – Accessing the Cultural Conversation. TheatreSpace commenced in 2008 and is a four-year, $3.3 million research project investigating how young people (aged 14 to 30) choose to engage or not engage with theatre in NSW, QLD and VIC. The research is a collaboration between Melbourne, Sydney and Griffith Universities and thirteen arts industry partners including Bell Shakespeare. The research comprises two parts: case study research and longitudinal analysis. It is believed to be one of the largest studies of its kind worldwide and has attracted the attention of researchers in North America and Europe with a view to the possible international expansion of the project. The two Bell Shakespeare productions included in the research were Anatomy Titus Fall of Rome: A Shakespeare Commentary in 2008 and King Lear in 2010. The King Lear case study took place over an evening and a school matinee performance. 174 young people were surveyed; over 50 young people were interviewed indepth within a week of attending the performances either in focus groups or by telephone and 10 young people were interviewed six months later. This case study had the involvement of four schools (a private school, two public schools and a TAFE) as well as a sample of Bell Shakespeare’s younger evening audience members.
Two recurrent themes which have emerged relate to the powerful effect that live performance has in comparison with other experiences such as film and video games and the galvanising effect that family attendance has on building shared memories amongst siblings and across generations. These themes are perhaps best expressed in the words of the young people themselves: “When we saw the part in the King Lear movie we were in stitches, we were just laughing and when Cordelia dies we were laughing as well. When we saw the play like, there were some people who were in tears. It was just so powerful and you could just see from the beginning how it really was kind of like a little snow dome.” King Lear audience member, 16 years “My grandmother … really liked the opera and she had a cousin who was a door man and so she used to get snuck in, and so when we went and saw Carmen she said ‘oh I saw Carmen’ and she’d hum a little bit of the song. And you know it all stays with you, it always stays with you.” King Lear audience member, 20 years
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Actors At Work.
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Actors At Work 2010.
Actors At Work, along with Bell Shakespeare, celebrated its 20th year in 2010. In this significant era, teachers have come to rely on Bell Shakespeare’s visit to their region, to help inspire a passion for performance and the language of Shakespeare. For many young people, Actors At Work continues to be their first experience of Shakespeare and live performance. As Bell Shakespeare embarks on a new programme-delivery model in 2011 with The Players (eight full-time actors delivering a yearlong education programme), Actors At Work will continue to be the lynchpin for bringing Shakespeare to life in Australian classrooms in all states and territories. The new model enables Bell Shakespeare to strengthen the support given to the education community, with actors doubling as Arts Educators – delivering not only Actors At Work performances, but also masterclasses to students and teachers on any of Shakespeare’s plays, auditions for the Regional Performance Scholarship and residencies in remote and rural communities. The Actors At Work programme focuses on popular Shakespeare plays studied in most Australian schools, presented as fiftyminute performances of key scenes from one or two plays, paired with contemporary commentary designed to extend student understanding of Shakespeare’s plays. The performance is followed by a ten-minute Q and A session with the four actors. Scripts are carefully developed so as to reveal the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare through the characters’ experience of emotions such as love, hate, jealousy and sadness, thus enabling Australian teenagers to validate their own experiences, as they discover the resonance of their own lives with those of the characters. In 2010, the performances brought to life key scenes from Macbeth, Romeo And Juliet, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet. Three Actors At Work teams, each comprising four energetic young actors, toured from April to November in the 2010 school year, touring to schools in every state and territory. With the continued support of DEEWR and the SA Government, the third team was maintained in 2010 to focus on SA, WA and the NT. The members of the 2010 Actors At Work professional acting company were:
NSW
VIC
sa/wa
Aaron Tsindos Alexandra Fisher Francesca Savige Sean Hawkins
Brendan Barnett Molly Knight David Lamb Olivia Simone
Marko Jovanovic Joanne Sutton Ana Maria Belo Scott Sheridan
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A total of 59,439 students from 297 schools across the country experienced live performances of Shakespeare in 2010 via Actors At Work. There was a total of 51 touring weeks, and altogether, the three teams delivered 485 performances. To ensure that our programme across the country would be far-reaching, the team embarked on a total of 32 travel days, enabling them to visit small regional towns in parts of Australia such as Broken Hill, Timboon, Charleville and Julia Creek, as well as remote communities such as Groote Eylandt. Schools in communities such as these have smaller populations than metropolitan schools, and taking Actors At Work to young people in these areas is vital to their academic and social education. It is most certainly worth the investment of the supporters who have enabled Bell Shakespeare to reach these locations in 2010. Following a rigorous rehearsal period, all three teams performed the programmes scripted for the 2010 tour by playwright Ned Manning. Matt Edgerton, Resident Artist in Education, directed the Sydneybased NSW team in Trust And Betrayal, Hamlet Intensive and Romeo And Juliet Intensive. The Melbourne-based VIC team was directed by John Sheedy in Love’s Magic, Hamlet Intensive and Macbeth Intensive. Sean O’Shea directed the SAWA team based out of Adelaide in Macbeth Intensive, Hamlet Intensive and Love’s Magic.
NSW
VIC
SA/WA
Aaron Tsindos
Brendan Barnett
Marko Jovanovic
Alexandra Fisher
Molly Knight
Joanne Sutton
Francesca Savige
David Lamb
Ana Maria Belo
Sean Hawkins
Olivia Simone
Scott Sheridan
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Actors At Work Programmes 2010.
Shakespeare Intensives. MACBETH INTENSIVE (SA, WA, NT, QLD, VIC, TAS, NSW)
HAMLET INTENSIVE (All states and territories)
“Screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail.” Macbeth Act 1, Scene 7
“This above all — to thine ownself be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3
Suitable for Years 9 – 11 Suitable for Years 11 – 12 Ambition, betrayal, murder, power and revenge. An exploration of some of Macbeth’s most dramatic and exhilarating scenes, Macbeth Intensive brought to life the language, imagery and theatricality of Shakespeare’s most bloodthirsty play, often a popular choice with students. Students witnessed the actor’s process, mining the text for clues about character and character relationships. They experienced differences in interpretation and saw a wealth of thematic complexities revealed: the moral dilemma; the corrupting influence of power and ambition; the agenda of war and destruction; and the nature of human frailty. Actors At Work 2010 included 97 performances of Macbeth Intensive delivered by two teams.
Hamlet Intensive helped students discover the different readings possible of one of the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. This exploration of Hamlet was specifically designed to support senior students’ critical study of the text. The performance explored key moments of the play and led students into the language and nuances of Shakespeare’s most famous depressed and procrastinating youth. Students discovered the depth of Shakespeare’s literary and dramatic expertise in this masterful script brimming with antithesis and word play. Actors At Work 2010 included 75 performances of Hamlet Intensive delivered by all three teams.
ROMEO AND JULIET INTENSIVE (Regional QLD, NSW and ACT) “These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume.” Romeo And Juliet Act 2, Scene 3 Suitable for Years 7 – 12 Lovesick teenagers, strict parents, rebellion. Romeo And Juliet remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays studied by school students and is often the first experience of Shakespeare in the classroom. The story provides a great opportunity to examine the elements of tragedy and narrative structure, by exploring family relationships, rites of passage and young love facing cultural odds. Actors At Work 2010 included 113 performances of Romeo And Juliet Intensive delivered by the NSW team. 26 LEARNING REPORT 2010
ACTORS AT WORK STATISTICS 2010
Shakespeare Combinations. LOVE’S MAGIC (SA, WA, NT, QLD, VIC, TAS, NSW) Scenes from Romeo And Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Total Number of Schools Total Number of Touring Weeks Total travel days without any performances Total Audience
297 51 32 59,439
Metropolitan Total Number of Independent Schools Total Number of Catholic Schools Total Number of Government Schools
71 47 62
Regional Total Number of Independent Schools Total Number of Catholic Schools Total Number of Government Schools
30 28 59
Lord, what fools these mortals be! A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 3, Scene 2 Suitable for Years 7 – 10 Love is a many splendoured thing, and a recurring theme in Shakespeare’s works. Love’s Magic explored the unpredictability of romance in his most popular tragedy and his most joyful comedy. An intelligent and entertaining introduction to Shakespeare in performance, Love’s Magic explored the soaring heights and plummeting depths to which love can take us. The twists and turns in this performance journeyed through a world of comic possibilities, plot complications and theatrical surprises. Actors At Work 2010 included 128 performances of Love’s Magic delivered by two teams.
TRUST AND BETRAYAL (Regional QLD, NSW and ACT) Scenes from Macbeth and Othello An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Othello, Act 5, Scene 2 Suitable for Years 10 – 12 All great tragedies spring from all-too-human flaws. Using key scenes from two of Shakespeare’s tragic explorations of deception, Trust And Betrayal explored the psychology behind the treachery that humans can inflict upon one another in their quest for power and love. Actors At Work 2010 included 72 performances of Trust And Betrayal delivered by the NSW team only.
audience geographical breakdown State
Schools
Student Audience
ACT
9
2,360
NSW M NSW R
76 43
17,509 8,895
NT
7
1,139
QLD M QLD R
13 17
2,682 2,804
SA M SA R
25 11
4,622 1,487
TAS M TAS R
5 8
1,239 1,795
VIC M VIC R
37 11
7,014 2,083
WA M WA R
24 11
4,291 1,519
M SCHOOLS R SCHOOLS
180 117
37,357 22,082
TOTAL SCHOOLS
297
TOTAL STUDENTS
59,439
TOTAL PERFORMANCES
485
M = Metropolitan R = Regional LEARNING REPORT 2010 27
Feedback from teachers “I am sure I am yet another broken record teacher when I say that the Actors At Work Performance (Romeo and Juliet) was fantastic! The four actors (Frankie, Sean, Alex and Aaron) employed the Elements of Drama convincingly and sustained an exciting, imaginative and engaging performance. The use of humour and intertextuality really resonated with the students and drew them into the performance. We will definitely book you again and Bell Shakespeare has certainly lived up to its reputation. Thank you very much and please pass on my congratulations to the actors on their achievements and I wish them every success in the future.” Teacher, Cronulla High School, NSW “Thanks to the Actors At Work team who arrived and in half an hour changed the programme to suit our curriculum requirements.” Margaret Bailey, Marist College, Emerald, QLD “Unbelievable!! ‘Actors At Work’ presented highly entertaining, superbly professional representations of Shakespeare’s work, making Shakespeare accessible to a young audience, enjoyable and easy to understand and appreciate. So impressive!” Maree Purcell, Bishop Druitt College, Coffs Harbour, NSW “This is an excellent learning experience in Shakespeare. The discussion of the plays and the motives of the characters was lively and informative. The acting was fantastic; so many totally different characters from four actors.” Penny Thomas, Marist Regional College, Burnie TAS
“The programme was engaging and linked beautifully with the work we have been doing in class. The students really enjoyed the performance and gained a deeper understanding of the play.” Talia Barnes, Charleville State High School, QLD “An accessible performance for the students – the structure and approach to Shakespeare in drawing parallels to today’s culture/ society really helps students understand and appreciate it.” Jane Diamond, John Curtin College of The Arts, Fremantle, WA “The program was thoroughly engaging and entertaining. The actors were also very knowledgeable and their commentary during the performance and answers to students’ questions afterward assisted their understanding of Shakespearean language.” Jennifer Austin, Erskine Park High School, NSW “Hamlet Intensive provided a range of critical readings of the play directly suited to preparation for both Trials and HSC. The actors in Q and A provided new levels of meaning, developing ideas within the script. Please pass on my personal thanks to the actors who came to our school. They were friendly and professional and made my role an easy and enjoyable experience.” Verity Beaman, Canberra Grammar School, ACT
“The students were captivated by this vastly entertaining and passionate production. While all years enjoyed the magic of live theatre, the Year 12s were enormously appreciative of the intellectual component of Hamlet as preparation for the HSC.” Bruce Kell, Camden High School, NSW
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Sean Hawkins, AN Actor, tells of his experience performing with Actors At Work Actors At Work was a fantastic first job for a drama school graduate. As a performer during the tour, I learned to adapt to different acoustic spaces and every day I learned about dealing with different types of audiences. With the amount of shows, I also increased my energy as a performer. Rehearsals were very quick and we moved fast, covering large amounts of text quickly. I have never experienced such a creative and productive rehearsal period, and credit is due to the director Matt Edgerton who made the experience what it was. Working on this show, I also learned how to become part of a small ensemble with three other talented actors. Travelling throughout New South Wales and working with the same three people is an experience I will always hold dear to me. I have formed very close friendships with the other actors. My favourite moment of the tour was when we performed at a school in Binnaway, which is about two hours outside of Dubbo in rural New South Wales. We performed for the entire school (which was about thirty students). I will never forget the joy on their faces at seeing our show. They had never seen a theatre performance before, let alone a Shakespearean one, so they were absolutely enthralled. To top it off, the students and staff were so thankful we had come and performed, they baked for us! Personally, the tour was a chance to improve my acting technique. To perform Shakespearean text, sometimes three times a day, was a great way to hone and perfect my acting skills. This became evident when performing mostly for teenagers. A teenager will always let you know whether they are interested in the show or not. If they aren’t, you have to work very hard to make sure that they are. In doing Actors At Work, I occasionally performed to students who had no understanding of ‘theatre’ or ‘performance’. On these rare occasions, it made the job fantastic. I was humbled that as a group we educated children on what ‘Shakespeare’ is; that it isn’t a ‘boring old language’ but one that is poetic and full of meaning, as relevant now as it was then. It was also a chance for me to see parts of Australia that I never have. Having been raised in Perth, I feel truly lucky to now have seen most of New South Wales and Canberra. Actors At Work allowed me to grow not only as an actor, but as a member of a team who educated and entertained.
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Actors At Work Special Projects 2010. Far West New South Wales Tour. For the eighth consecutive year, Bell Shakespeare embarked on an Actors At Work tour to the far west of NSW. Whereas in previous years Bell Shakespeare has chartered a light aircraft in order to reach distant locations, this year the team took to the road by car. The locations on the tour included Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Willyama. The experience of the live performance was complemented by masterclasses with smaller groups of students. Bell Shakespeare provided the Actors At Work performances and masterclasses to the schools free of charge. Teachers and students – some familiar with the programme through the tour in previous years, and some new to the concept – welcomed the tour enthusiastically. The Bell Shakespeare actors found this a truly unique experience, realising the immeasurable value of the programme of which they were such an integral part.
Matt Edgerton, Resident Artist in Education, speaks of his experience ON the Far West TOUR Broken Hill High School There were around a hundred students at the show and it was an incredibly successful performance, with lots of laughter in the first half. The actors’ jokes were tight and the detail in the work was terrific. In the second half of the show, there was a rapt silence from the audience and as Romeo drank the poison there was an audible gasp from a boy in the front row. The formal question time was really lively and after the show the actors and I were mobbed by students who wanted to discuss what they’d seen. Willyama High School My second Masterclass at Willyama High School was with a group of twenty-five Year 8 and 9 drama students, who had just watched our Actors At Work performance, Romeo And Juliet Intensive. They were glowing from the show and we spent the first five minutes debriefing the performance and dissecting the actors’ interpretations. The drama teacher had asked us to concentrate on The Taming Of The Shrew and we had a really physically dynamic class exploring the battle-of-the-sexes war between Katherina and Petruchio, culminating in two sides of the room literally hurling balls at one another along with lines of Shakespearean dialogue. A number of the students talked to me after the class about how to pursue a career in the Performing Arts. This again reinforces how this kind of contact with theatre professionals can have a huge impact in regional and remote Australia. 30 LEARNING REPORT 2010
FEEDBACK FROM OUR FAR WEST TOUR “The Bell Shakespeare Actors At Work visit was very beneficial for our students. We went for a slightly more challenging play this year, choosing the ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Othello’ program (Trust And Betrayal). It was great to have this opportunity because as a Central School we get many opportunities for the younger students, but few to extend to our Year 9 – 12 students. The students studied in advance and went in knowing a little about the plays. After the Actors At Work session they had a far greater understanding. Most importantly, they have learned that Shakespeare is about performance and enjoyment, not studying scripts. I hope that as we keep working, the students will become more confident about participating and acting. Some of our students struggle with reading and writing, so some people said we were crazy to teach them Shakespeare in English, but with the help of Bell Shakespeare, we have managed to teach difficult content and extend their learning. Overall, the visit was a great success and students and teachers had an enjoyable and educational experience.” Michelle Hasking, Teacher, Wilcannia Central School, NSW
It is always great to see others teach my students – it gives me new ideas and makes me more enthusiastic! Alison Jones, Teacher, Willyama High School, Broken Hill, NSW
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Visits to retirement villages – A unique partnership with Australian Unity. Australian Unity has been a supporter of Bell Shakespeare since 2006. 2010 was the second year that Actors At Work have visited a number of Australian Unity retirement and aged care villages across Victoria and New South Wales, bringing enjoyment and new experiences to residents and staff. The performances have been specially adapted for residents, who otherwise might find it difficult to access live theatre. Performing to between 50 and150 residents at each location, the actors found that the residents and their families who attended showed great enthusiasm for the team’s visit and at each location the group had a fantastic question and answer session after each show.
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In 2010 Actors At Work visited the following Australian Unity villages: Mt Eymard Village, Bowral, NSW Willandra Village and Bungalows, Cromer, NSW Constitution Hill Village, Northmead, NSW Lifestyle Manor, Bondi, NSW Walmsley Friendship Village, Kilsyth, VIC
Accessibility Programme for disadvantaged schools.
As part of Bell Shakespeare’s goal to continue to make live performance of Shakespeare available to all students in Australia in 2010, subsidised, discounted or free of charge, Actors At Work performances were made available to some schools disadvantaged by minimal numbers of students, geographical isolation and low socio-economic demographic. Opportunities for these students are made possible through the generous and ongoing support of corporate partners, philanthropic trusts and foundations, and individual donors.
FEEDBACK FROM PERFORMANCE AT COLLINGWOOD ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL “I don’t think we had another audience that was as open and receptive to our performances, than the audience at Collingwood English Language School. They were thrilled to have us there and remained engaged and attentive throughout, despite the obvious language barriers. It was a joyous way to end the tour!” Dave Lamb, Actor, VIC Actors At Work team “On behalf of the students and teachers of Collingwood English Language School I would like to thank you, the wonderful actors and Bell Shakespeare for the recent performance at our small school. It was such a welcome opportunity and an unforgettable experience for our newly arrived secondary school aged refugees and migrants. Our students were engaged and visibly moved by the performance. Even though they have limited English language skills they understood and responded to the humour, the drama and the tragedy. The actors brought the themes and language to life – it is a credit to their creativity and skills that our students, as beginners in English language and with little or no cultural experience of Shakespeare, understood and responded so positively. Students and teachers were thrilled with the performance and it has opened up new ideas and opportunities for us. Students have requested that we study Shakespeare and acting! It was definitely a highlight of our school year.” Marisa Varrasso, Curriculum Co-ordinator, Collingwood English Language School, VIC “Bell Shakespeare’s performance was fabulous. The actors performed really well. They put all their efforts in their performance. Through their performance we learnt that love is more powerful than hate.” Vivian and Nadia, Students, Collingwood English Language School, VIC “Thanks for your performance very much. It brought us a wonderful time. You guys made the story become modern. You used a short time to describe a long love story for us. You made this sad story become funny by your wonderful performance.” Carmen and Jessie, Students, Collingwood English Language School, VIC
“The performance is unforgettable. They have emotion in their voices. They acted like real characters in the story. The performance is funny and interesting.” Bo Wei, Student, Collingwood English Language School, Collingwood, VIC LEARNING REPORT 2010 33
Creative Development – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2010, one of the Actors At Work teams was brought into the rehearsal room for a very special creative project – developing a script for a new Actors At Work show for 2011, based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The team worked with playwright Joanna Erskine and Resident Artist in Education Matt Edgerton for one week, developing the script in a creative and collaborative environment, resulting in a new performance for 2011, Midsummer Madness. FEEDBACK FROM CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS “Doing background work together was vital to developing the creative concept and key ideas to be explored in our play. After reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream together and discussing critical readings, Matt and I selected key scenes from Shakespeare’s play, in order to tell the complete plot in a streamlined way. As we rehearsed scenes with the actors, we were able to edit more of the Shakespeare as it was discovered that it did not further the story. Once the key Shakespeare scenes were in place, we planned the contemporary dialogue between scenes. It was important that the dialogue kept the story moving, did not unnecessarily stall the plot, and was fresh, relevant and entertaining for students. With our plan in place, we were able to start exploring the play in full with the actors, reading through the script and fleshing out roles that balanced Shakespeare’s characters with contemporary characters who students could relate to. We made sure to avoid ‘high school stereotypes’ and create three-dimensional characters whose personal dilemmas and personalities mirrored their Shakespeare characters, creating clarity for students. A focus for the play was to find ways of teaching students about the unique conventions of Shakespeare’s theatre, which was already evident in much of the play, particularly the mechanicals’ scenes. Each day was spent workshopping the scenes on the floor, finding suitable props and costumes for presentation, with Matt directing and myself editing the script during the process. By the end of the week we were able to present the full first draft, the actors with script in hand, to the Bell Shakespeare staff, including John Bell.” Joanna Erskine, Playwright “As an actor, working with Shakespearean text is one of those rare experiences when you feel like you’ve been instantaneously transported to a time that informs every English-speaking theatrical experience you’ve ever been a witness to or taken part in. But the idea of developing his work was not one that has ever entered my mind. However, given the premise of needing to develop a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Australian secondary school students, Resident Artist in Education Matt Edgerton and playwright Jo Erskine allowed me to be involved in doing just that. The only pre-requisite to this development was ‘telling the story’. By using improvisation, a collective imagination, a passion for Shakespeare and an overwhelming willingness to get the job done, a distilled version of this beautiful story was created. Working with Shakespearean experts and talented, imaginative actors allowed characters to develop in a very short space of time and an integrity and passion for this amazing text to be maintained and conveyed to audiences of all ages. The contemporary text drawn from the improvisation exercises and expertly shaped by Matt and Jo was inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream itself and in turn helped to shed light on the characters, themes, relationships and major plot points within that story. This experience has been one that I will cherish, not only as an actor but as a Shakespeare enthusiast and it has proven to me, once again, that these stories are some of the most exciting, way out, inspiring and exposing tales ever written and the more young people that get to experience them in such an exciting format, the better!” Joanne Sutton, Actor, SAWA Actors At Work Team 2010
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Student Masterclasses and Seminars.
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Student Masterclasses. Bell Shakespeare’s Student Masterclasses are designed to complement a teacher’s own practice in the classroom. The two-hour workshop can be delivered on any of Shakespeare’s plays and is an energetic exploration of the depth and detail of Shakespeare’s works. Arts Educators ignite students’ interest in Shakespeare’s language, characters and plots and inspire an appreciation and passion for his work through text-based practical activities. Student Masterclasses were conducted in various schools across Australia in 2010. Under the artistic leadership of the Resident Artist in Education, Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators make direct contact with the class teacher several weeks prior to each workshop to establish the particular needs of the students and intended outcomes of their study in English or Drama class. This enables us to focus the masterclass on their needs and results in numerous benefits to students. Masterclasses are tailored in consultation with the teacher as to the curriculum needs of the students, ensuring that the material covered is of the greatest use and stimulus to the students. Student Masterclasses provide teachers with an alternative to the performance experience. These are ideal for smaller groups of older students. Approaches are selected especially to help students gain a greater understanding of Shakespeare’s language and the variety of ways in which his works can be interpreted. Examining the script from a theatrical perspective enables the students to visualise the work and to gain confidence in exploring Shakespeare’s language, themes, characters and relationships. Through this interactive experimental experience students recognise and appreciate Shakespeare as performance and as a viable reflection of human relationships, often similar to their own experience.
In 2010, Student Masterclasses were held around Australia on the following Shakespeare plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Much Ado About Nothing Othello The Merchant Of Venice The Taming Of The Shrew The Tempest Twelfth Night Richard III Romeo And Juliet
Masterclasses were also held on other related topics on demand, including: Voice Acting Introduction to Shakespeare Introduction to Actors At Work: Love’s Magic
2010 student masterclasses Feedback FROM TEACHERS 2010
State
“We really appreciated that you took time to consult us prior to our meeting so that you could cater to our needs and preferences!” Vonette Munro, Richard Johnson Anglican School, Oakhurst, NSW
Number of MASTERCLASSES
Number of Students
NSW M *NSW R
45 43
1,306 1,121
*NT
79
1,053
SA M SA R
5 5
171 200
VIC M VIC R
14 4
373 163
ACT
2
56
QLD M *QLD R
8 39
280 519
WA M *WA R
1 34
35 332
*TOTAL
279
5,609
“My students enjoyed the workshop and how it immediately engaged them in Shakespeare’s language. Suddenly it is not so hard!!” Jessica Kelly, Ballarat High School, VIC “James Evans’ masterclass yesterday was amazing; students who don’t make much noise during class found their voices and everyone had a great time. The links were outstanding and the time just flew by.” John Cole, St Clare’s College, Griffith, ACT “Students were engaged, challenged, inspired and thoroughly enjoyed working with both Paul and George who created a wonderful rapport and professional working relationship. The students are begging for more. Brilliant experience.” Jacqui Ryding, Narrandera High School, NSW “I felt that the boys, while initially reticent, grew in confidence throughout the class. It was interesting that the one boy who said Shakespeare was boring at the beginning of the class was the one answering all the questions at the end.” Steve Littleton, Marist College, Ashgrove, QLD 38 LEARNING REPORT 2010
M = Metropolitan R = Regional
*Includes Remote Residencies
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Metropolitan Residency Programme. Darlington Public School. Each year, Bell Shakespeare works with schools in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia, conducting a series of masterclasses with students over periods lasting from one to five weeks. In addition to our large and long-established remote and regional residency programme (see Remote and Regional Residencies, p44), Bell Shakespeare occasionally engages metropolitan schools in residencies, for students with higher needs. In 2010 Bell Shakespeare conducted a four-week residency with Darlington Public School, a primary school in metropolitan Sydney, in conjunction with Mooghalin Performing Arts – an Aboriginal theatre company. Arts Educators worked with students in Years 4, 5 and 6 focusing on storytelling using the students’ own experiences and Romeo And Juliet, resulting in group student performances.
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FEEDBACK FROM AN ARTS EDUCATOR “The four-week residency at Darlington Public School in collaboration with Moogahlin Performing Arts, was an extremely rewarding experience for me as an actor/arts educator as well as being obviously appreciated by, enjoyed, and beneficial for all the students who participated. Throughout the workshops we helped 40-odd young people from Years 4 to 6 to understand and act out Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet, then used the play as a springboard to communicate the notion of basic narrative structure and to then inspire the students to tell their own stories, applying forms and skills learnt along the way. They discovered and employed characterisation, dialogue, narration and other theatrical devices. They grew in confidence, focus and skill, and developed their abilities to work in ensemble, accepting and sharing ideas. Each week we were met by hordes of excited young students, relating new ideas, new character traits and relationships for their stories; requesting their favourite drama games from the previous session or occasionally offering us suggestions on new and improved versions of the games we played! Meanwhile, amidst all the fun, we were secretly teaching them fundamental skills in performance and storytelling! Most extraordinary were the creative offers the students made – sometimes personal and brave, sometimes wildly imaginative and unique. The excitement and joy in the creation and presentation of their own stories was palpable and contagious.” Francesca Savige, Arts Educator/Actor, Darlington Public School Residency
The Hamlet Seminar. Sydney. Bell Shakespeare offered a new programme in 2010 specifically for HSC students, The Hamlet Seminar, a half-day forum held during the school holidays at the York Theatre at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale, Sydney. The seminar (offered twice on one day) blended live performance with interactive seminar sessions. A ninety-minute practical masterclass was offered as a supplementary workshop on the day, for students wishing to experience more than the seminar and performance programme. Held at a critical time in senior students’ education – the lead up to the Year 12 exams, The Hamlet Seminar offered an innovative way to get inside Hamlet’s skull. The Hamlet Seminar was attended by 597 students, including 171 students from regional areas who travelled to Sydney to participate. FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ON THE HAMLET SEMINAR “It was informative; the presenters were extremely knowledgeable yet charmingly humble. I was particularly impressed at how well organised it was – with points of focus for the closet scene in 3 different productions. I loved the tracing through the play, of the theme of death.” Teacher, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, NSW “Performance was well done; it complimented the work completed in class, explained as the performance unfolded, how to interpret the characters thoughts and values.” Teacher, Kooringal High School, NSW “It was very interesting and gave me a new insight into what my essay might include.” Student, Mater Maria Catholic College, Warriewood, NSW “Really well done, it provided a provocative insight into many controversial interpretations of Hamlet. It also expressed them simply but without dumbing it down.” Student, Davidson High School, NSW “Today’s experience was wonderful in enriching my own knowledge of the play and informing my own personnel response in my upcoming HSC exam. Thanks.” Student, Magadalene Catholic High School, Narellan, NSW “I really enjoyed the Hamlet seminar because it was very informative and taught me new motifs and ideas I had previously not been aware of.” Student, Bossley Park High School, NSW “I thought it was a very valuable addition to my HSC learning repertoire. It reinforced my established response to the play.” Student, William Clarke College, Baulkham Hills, NSW
“Brilliant. Interesting, engaging and informative.” Student, Orange High School, NSW
“It was really informative, giving me new ideas to explore as well as providing a more refined knowledge to what I initially had.” Student, Inverell High School, NSW LEARNING REPORT 2010 41
Regional Education Initiatives.
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Remote and Regional Residencies. In 2010, the Remote and Regional Residency Programme included the following locations:
Bell Shakespeare is committed to creating access to live theatre for Australian students regardless of the demands of the country’s challenging geography. With the assistance of supporting organisations and in keeping with that vision, in 2010 Bell Shakespeare sent pairs of Arts Educators to schools in remote or regional locations of Australia, for one and two-week-long residency programmes.
Narrandera/The Rock/Balranald, NSW: • Drawing together three schools in nearby communities with teachers who had been previous winners of the Regional Teacher Scholarship, Bell Shakespeare compiled a programme to work with 10 schools in the district across a two-week residency. • 32 workshops with 10 schools were conducted on several of Shakespeare’s plays, including primary, secondary and Teacher Masterclasses. • Primary schools masterclasses were highly successful, and focused on an introduction to Shakespeare, using A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth. • The residency included two Teacher Masterclasses for local teachers in Balranald and Narrandera. Arts Educators: Paul Reichstein and George Banders
Residencies allowed us to spend a longer period of time in one community, using multiple masterclasses to coach teachers and students in performing and understanding Shakespeare. The extended period enabled us to build professional capacity in the teachers and positive selfesteem and confidence in the students.
Groote Eylandt, NT: • Working with three schools in the Groote Eylandt area, 35 workshops were conducted over the two weeks, leading students in various practical explorations of Shakespeare, in particular Romeo And Juliet. • The residency included an Actors At Work performance at each school, a performance for the Alyangula area community in the evening, and a performance by students for parents. Arts Educators: Matt Edgerton, Christopher Tomkinson and the SA/WA Actors At Work team
Under the artistic leadership of the Resident Artist in Education, Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators liaised with relevant teachers and community leaders in advance of the residency to establish a mutual understanding of reasonable aims and aspirations for the programme. Plays and activities were then carefully devised to suit the agreed needs of the different locations.
Broome, WA: • Working with the two local high schools, 34 workshops were conducted over the two weeks, leading students in various practical explorations of Shakespeare, in particular Romeo And Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. • The residency included two Teacher Masterclasses. Arts Educators: Matt Edgerton and Amy Mathews
The activities led participants into the world of Shakespeare’s plays and gave them the opportunity to explore drama, performance and storytelling in a practical and entertaining programme, unique to each locality.
2010 remote and regional residencies Location
Schools
Workshops
Students
Narrandera region
10
32
699
Charleville
2
23
328
Cairns/Coen
4
16
191
Broome
2
34
332
Tennant Creek
1
33
137
Alice Springs
5
11
356
Groote Eylandt
3
35
560
TOTAL
27
184
2,603
44 LEARNING REPORT 2010
Coen, Cape York, QLD • A school holiday programme was offered for one week, focussing on fun and practical drama activities exploring Shakespeare for the community’s young people (ages 5 – 17). Arts Educators: Paul Reichstein and Sarah Woods Cairns/Atherton, QLD • Students at two schools and at one drama camp enjoyed 11 masterclasses over the course of one week, including an acting masterclass, an introduction to Shakespeare, and masterclasses on Romeo And Juliet and Macbeth. • The residency included a Teacher Masterclass. Arts Educators: Paul Reichstein and Sarah Woods Charleville, QLD • Working with the local high school and primary school, 23 workshops were conducted over the two weeks, leading students in various practical explorations of Shakespeare, in particular Romeo And Juliet, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth. • The residency included a teacher masterclass for the high school teachers. Arts Educators: Paul Reichstein and Thomas Larkin Tennant Creek, NT • A residency especially for Barkly College (Tennant Creek High School) was designed to assist the school in presenting their planned production of Macbeth: The Hardkore Remix. Arts Educators supported and coached students and teachers during rehearsals and preparation with masterclasses, leading up to a whole of community performance. Arts Educators: Belinda Hoare and Tim Solly Alice Springs, NT • Working with three local high schools and two primary schools, Arts Educators led students in various practical explorations of Shakespeare, in particular Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. • The residency included a Teacher Masterclass. Arts Educators: Fred Copperwaite and Christopher Tomkinson
“He had tears in his eyes when those elders got up on stage.” Feedback from the Tennant Creek community, Tennant Creek, NT
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Feedback from Remote and Regional Residency Programme 2010 “On the behalf of The Rock Central School (near Wagga) I would like to personally thank John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare crew for sending George and Paul to our school to spend two days teaching our kids about Shakespeare. You have amazing, talented individuals/ teachers working for you. You should be proud, Bell Shakespeare, of what you are doing for regional, public school kids!” Elizabeth Smith Fletcher, Teacher, The Rock Central School, NSW “The programme went well beyond my expectations! It was fabulous. My students were enthralled and it re-invigorated my teaching of Shakespeare – we look forward to having a closer look at his plays in the classroom. Our students gained an incredible amount from the session – we laughed, enjoyed and had a ball. It was a splendid experience. Thank you!” Ali Hood and Gemma O’Brien, Classroom Teachers, Ross Park Primary School, Alice Springs, NT “The workshop was informative and entertaining. The students were engaged in the process and it enabled them to come to some new understandings about Shakespeare and his work. It is vital that we are able to participate in such programs due to the limited access to such resources as a regional school. Thank you Chris and Fred for sharing your expertise and passion for Shakespeare in Central Australia.” Jacinta Boniwell, Teacher, Our Lady Of Sacred Heart College, Alice Springs, NT “Monday period 5 on the 16th of August, the day we got to experience and act out one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. I got cast as Juliet. In the balcony scene the line: ‘Romeo, Oh Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?’ is used by Juliet. She is not asking ‘Where are you Romeo?’ but ‘Why are you Romeo?’ as she is a Capulet and he a Montague. I felt included and satisfied that I was Juliet and I can’t wait to do it again next Monday!” Student, Broome Senior High School, WA “Well done, really, it was magnificent….It wasn’t an American High School musical…it was real and that’s what was great about it...” “This is really good!”
“Thankyou so much for all the fantastic opportunities you have provided for our students in the past couple of weeks. It is so rare that students at Charleville SHS have the opportunity to view live performances, and interact with professional actors. The Actors At Work performances were brilliant, entertaining and thoroughly engaging, and the performance linked closely with the educational outcomes in our curriculum. It enhanced students’ undertsanding of the text and led them to ask sophisticated questions that deepened their appreciation. It was exciting as a teacher to hear the student comments, questions and discussions following the performance itself. Many of them had never had an opportunity to view a live perfemace before, and they truly enjoyed the experience. The workshops provided by Paul and Thom were mind-blowing. The students’ attitudes to both Shakespeare and drama in general have changed significantly. Even students who walked into the workshops with negative attitudes were drawn in bit by bit to the point that they were hungry for more and didn’t want Thom and Paul to leave. The workshops gave students the opportunity to learn in an active environment and they have gained knowledge and skills that will help them not only decipher texts but also to know how they can engage through physicality and performance. Thom and Paul have really thrown themselves into the programme and have been involved in various aspects of the school. Their passion and enthusiasm is infectious and breathes life into the text they are exploring with students. They are profesional and it is evident that they respect each other and this underlying respect allowed them to work well together in a variety of situations. It has also been lovely to listen to the positive way they describe the students and to see the progress they have made in each lesson and across the two week programme as they built constructive relationships with the students. The Professional Development was both informative and entertaining. It was refreshing to revisit elements of the scholarship I (Talia Barnes) enjoyed so much last year and it has inspired my colleagues to apply for the same.
“He had tears in his eyes when those elders got up on stage.” “It was amazing, the logistics alone were mammoth.” Feedback from various people in the Tennant Creek Community, Tennant Creek, NT
Bell Shakespeare’s commitment to rural Australia in providing opportunities such as Actors At Work, scholarships for teachers and students and artist residency programmes is laudable. “ Talia Barnes, Teacher, Charleville State High School, Charleville, QLD
“Well done, really, it was magnificent… It wasn’t an American High School musical… it was real and that’s what was great about it…” Feedback from the Tennant Creek community, Tennant Creek, NT 46 LEARNING REPORT 2010
Belinda Hoare, a Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator, speaks of her experience at Tennant Creek in 2010 In September this year I was lucky enough to return to Tennant Creek for the third time in four years. I first travelled there in 2007 for the inaugural production of Lungkku and the Rose. I went back the following year with Artist in Residence Matt Edgerton for Wirnkurra, and this year I travelled with Actor/Arts Educator Tim Solly to assist with Macbeth: the Hardkore Remix. Returning to Tennant Creek in 2010 was a wonderful experience. This year was unlike previous visits where highlights included sensory overload from being in the middle of the desert for the first time, working with mentor and colleague Matt Edgerton, and interacting with students I wouldn’t otherwise have contact with. In 2010 the highlight was returning to a now familiar place and fostering relationships developed over time with the students and teachers at Tennant Creek High School. The students were more committed and enthusiastic about the project than ever before and I was able to work with them at a more complex level. The increased confidence, particularly in the girls was delightful. A teacher at the school has started a group of “stronger sisters” encouraging the girls, to be involved in sport etc and you can see how their confidence has developed. I absolutely loved many aspects of the residency this year including working with the group of “Lady Macbeths”, responding with flexibility in each session to the needs of the main cast, and seeing how assured and mature students such as Marcellus Ahkit have become. Marcellus took on the bulk of the work as one of the Macbeths and also directed a scene between Jackson and Grace as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Kristi Johansen who is the teacher behind this project is a woman of vision, inspiration, tenacity and great passion for this work. She has committed the last five years to these students who are themselves a huge joy to work with. I feel extremely fortunate to have had such an amazing opportunity to work with these students and teachers in Tennant Creek.
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Regional Access Student Workshops. Twelfth Night. Bell Shakespeare’s Regional Access Student Workshop programme assists students and teachers in regional schools to get the most out of seeing a Bell Shakespeare production in their own community. In the weeks leading up to the production arriving at their local theatre, students participated in an interactive workshop with a Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator, exploring live performance, the production’s design concepts, the ways in which the script might be interpreted and the play’s language and themes. In addition to being a valuable learning opportunity, the workshops also provide the theatre with practical ways of engaging youth as part of ongoing audience development strategies. The workshops are provided free to students and are organised and promoted by the regional theatre. In 2010, Bell Shakespeare’s Regional Access Student Workshops ran in regional centres in conjunction with the national tour of Twelfth Night. A total of 26 Regional Access Student Workshops reached 873 students in 28 schools across Australia. The 2010 Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators who conducted the Regional Access Student Workshops were Matt Edgerton, Huw McKinnon, Kerreen Ely-Harper, Julia Davis, James Evans, Paul Reichstein and Christopher Tomkinson. The Regional Access Student Workshops aim to give students access to diverse and differing influences, cultures and opinions, vital to the development of the minds and personalities of young people. The programme also inspires English and Drama teachers to feel confident when exploring the text in the classroom, prior to the upcoming performance.
2010 regional access student workshops State
Number of free Twelfth Night workshops
Number of students
NSW
10
330
NT
2
80
QLD
4
104
TAS
5
221
VIC
5
138
TOTAL
26
873
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James Evans, An Arts Educator, tells of his experience In Newcastle, I ran a Twelfth Night Regional Access Workshop for a group of 20 home-schooled kids ranging in age from about 9 to 15. They had travelled up from the Central Coast and were buzzing with excitement from the moment they got into the room. Their knowledge of the play was very advanced, but not in an academic and reserved way. They were keen to explore the story and language of Twelfth Night theatrically and they each boldly acted as many parts as they could, sending each other (and me) into fits of laughter. The workshop really enhanced the students’ enjoyment of the production, which they saw the following day. In the workshop, they had come up with a number of interpretations of various scenes and so were fascinated by Bell Shakespeare’s version. They quizzed the cast enthusiastically on rehearsal process, textual cuts and character choices. One of the parents said: “The kids just loved the play – my own son (13 years old) wanted to go see it again tomorrow! And they all said that James was interesting, and very knowledgeable, and made everything fun – they wished he was their drama teacher.” Showing, in just over an hour, that Shakespeare can be funny and dramatic and moving and exciting is the great success of these workshops. These practical explorations are crucial in helping students understand and ultimately love the play and its characters.
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Regional Performance Scholarship. In memory of Nell Hourn Supported by Colonial Foundation. The Regional Performance Scholarship (RPS) is for secondary school students living in locations with limited access to live theatre to audition and perform for professional actors and Arts Educators. Celebrating its tenth year in 2010, the scholarship continued to provide a unique opportunity for young people in regional areas interested in exploring the performing arts as a career choice.
of character and plot, and how performance is the conduit for an audience’s understanding of the play. Arts Educators coached and scored the auditionee on voice, character, movement and the ability to take direction, whilst also giving advice when discussing the individual’s aspirations in Performing Arts.
To be eligible to audition, students needed to be at least 16 years of age by 31 December 2010, and still be at high school full-time in 2010.
Arts Educators and Bell Shakespeare actors who auditioned the students in 2010 were Kerreen Ely–Harper, Julia Davis, Huw McKinnon, James Evans, Sarah Woods, Paul Reichstein, Matt Edgerton, Brendan Barnett, Molly Knight, Christopher Tomkinson and Marko Jovanovic.
RPS auditions take the form of 15-minute one-on-one masterclasses with a Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator. In previous years, students had been asked to select their own monologue from any of Shakespeare’s plays, however in 2010, Bell Shakespeare created a short list of monologues (for both male and female roles) for students to select from, with introductory notes.
Winning a coveted place in the RPS is, of course, the ultimate acknowledgement of their talent for these young people. Careful decisions are made, nominating a shortlist from the many young people who have auditioned.
In 2010, 50 young people from around Australia auditioned for this unique opportunity, from the following towns: Wollongong, Turvey Park, Port Macquarie, Narrandera, Muswellbrook, Orange, Anna Bay, Corlette, Buff Point, Valentine, Lambton, Cardiff, Uralla, Blayney, Molong, Newcastle, Kotara, Wondalga (NSW); Mt Helen, Creswick, Soldiers Hill, Bendigo, Epsom (VIC); Launceston, Salamander Bay, Burnie (TAS); Streaky Bay (SA); Yangaburra, Rockhampton, Frenchville, Atherton (QLD); and Alice Springs (NT). Auditions were held by Arts Educators and Bell Shakespeare actors. Students would perform their monologues up to three times, whilst Bell Shakespeare staff provided the auditionee with directorial suggestions appropriate to each candidate’s individual strengths and weaknesses. Students gained an awareness of the exploration
By the end of November 2010, 13 students had been shortlisted for the 2010 RPS. The 2010 Scholarship recipients were Lucy Heffernan (Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, NSW), Jordan Wong (Canobolas Rural Technology High School, NSW) and Stephanie Morell (Ballarat Clarendon College, VIC). In February 2011 Lucy, Jordan and Stephanie will travel to Sydney for one week of intensive masterclasses with Bell Shakespeare’s Resident Artist in Education, using their monologue as a catalyst to further explore their performance technique. They will have time in the rehearsal room with the cast of Much Ado About Nothing as the cast prepare for the 2011 season, tour the Sydney Opera House, and perform their monologues for John Bell and the cast. Our regional initiatives also include a Regional Teacher Scholarship. Details can be found under Professional Learning For Teachers on p58.
“Being a part of the process of a first rehearsal for a professional production really opened my eyes and fed my passion to act.” Andrew Johnston, RPS winner 2009 50 LEARNING REPORT 2010
2009 RPS Scholarship winners: from left to right: Mahala Wallace, Andrew Johnston and Clara Solly-Slade LEARNING REPORT 2010 51
Professional Learning for Teachers.
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Teacher Forums.
Shakespeare Battleplan – A Free Forum for Teachers In 2010, Bell Shakespeare’s Professional Learning programmes empowered teachers with inspiration and confidence to explore Shakespeare in the classroom, by showcasing interactive exercises for use with their students.
TEACHER FORUM FEEDBACK “Finally I understand how to teach Iambic Pentameter in a student-friendly physical way!” Anita O’Brien, Wanneroo Senior High School, WA “I now have a more clear plan of how to introduce a topic that has preconceived notions that are often false.” Teacher, Norwood Morialta High School, SA
Inspired by one 2009 participant’s reference to the ‘ammunition’ that our Professional Learning activities provided him with, Bell Shakespeare used this theme for a series of teacher forums, offered free of charge in all states and territories.
“Wow! I was so nervous/anxious/afraid before the session (Shakespeare Newbie) and I have come away feeling excited, inspired and motivated to run with Shakespeare into my classroom tomorrow!” Danielle Enever, Centralian Senior College, Alice Springs, NT
Shakespeare Battleplan was a half day of workshop demonstrations and performances from Bell Shakespeare’s Arts Educators, and explored smart, practical teaching strategies, coupled with close reading of Shakespearean text using dramatic realisation, remembering that Shakespeare is meant to be performed.
“It has inspired me to develop more activities that get the students moving and living the words rather than just reading them. They can’t download a live Shakespearean experience!” Myles Collins, Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, Braybrook, VIC
Famous scenes from Macbeth and King Lear were deconstructed and re-imagined with participant input. Twelfth Night VCE Forum for Theatre Studies teachers A free evening Professional Development session was held in Melbourne in the lead-up to Bell Shakepeare’s production of Twelfth Night with 18 teachers from Victorian schools in attendance. It was co-presented by Arts Educator Paul Reichstein and Education Manager Joanna Erskine. With director Lee Lewis’ contemporary setting of an emergency centre after a major bushfire, teachers were provided with an insight into Lewis’ vision for the play, including a dissection of the set and costume designs and a discussion of the conceptual framework for the production. The session also explored Twelfth Night’s context within Shakespeare’s theatre, a brief synopsis of the play and an exploration of themes and ideas within the text using scenes from the play. 54 LEARNING REPORT 2010
2010 teacher forums Location
Number of Schools
Number of Teachers
NSW
4
5
VIC
22
41
QLD
10
24
NT
2
13
SA
23
41
WA
21
29
TAS
6
13
ACT
8
42
TOTAL
96
208
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Teacher Masterclasses. Bell Shakespeare’s Professional Learning programme includes practical activity-based masterclasses. We introduce teachers to theatrical approaches to Shakespeare, developing teaching ideas and interactive methods for inspiring students’ understanding and interpretation of the plays. This is achieved by working with the language and rhythm used by Shakespeare, exploring the stage directions within the text and ultimately approaching Shakespeare’s work as theatre.
Shakespeare Weaponry: Language, Context and Character
Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators have experience as professional directors or actors and they are keen to share their knowledge and passion for Shakespeare with teachers. All have experience in teaching Shakespeare to young people in a variety of learning situations which make these workshops relevant and inspiring for teachers.
During a full day’s exploration of Shakespeare’s most tragic love story and his bloodiest play, this masterclass examined new ways to help teachers immerse their students in both texts, exploring plot, language, dramatic techniques and different interpretations of the plays. The masterclass covered: • the historical context and contemporary connections in the plays • the characters and their relationships • the power of the language • interpretations/readings of the play
These workshops gave teachers key activities for introducing the plays with progressive activities for leading students through the plot, language and dramatic techniques concealed in the text. The activities presented gave insight into approaches the acting company uses to explore and interpret Shakespeare’s text. In 2010, 212 teachers from 83 schools attended 19 Teacher Masterclasses. These Professional Development sessions engaged participants in practical and effective ways to bring Shakespeare’s work to life. English and Drama teachers enjoyed being the students as Bell Shakespeare’s skilled Arts Educators presented new ideas and techniques designed to help break down the barriers students often have when approaching the study of Shakespeare’s plays.
In an intensive day of teacher training, Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators used a range of popular Shakespeare plays to demonstrate practical exercises and fresh ways to energise students during a course of focused seminars. This masterclass was held in every state and territory. Demise and Destruction: Teaching Macbeth and Romeo And Juliet
Teaching Hamlet This was a full day’s exploration of the ultimate despondent youth, Hamlet, covering: • the historical context and contemporary connections in the play • the characters and their relationships • the power of the language • interpretations/readings of the play including a discussion of Bell Shakespeare’s 2003 and 2008 productions of Hamlet Shakespeare Weaponry Condensed An intensive two hours of teacher training, this workshop included the highlights of the full day Shakespeare Weaponry masterclass, in a shorter more fast-paced session. Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators used a range of popular Shakespeare plays to demonstrate practical exercises and fresh ways to energise students. Shakespeare On Your Feet! Teachers attending either the NSW English Teachers Conference (held in Sydney in October) or the Victorian Association of Teachers of English Conference (held in Melbourne in December) in 2010 were offered this workshop free of charge as part of their conference programmes. The masterclass began with a discussion of the importance of and long term effect of approaching Shakespeare from a fun and practical way to cultivate a lifelong passion, rather than approaching Shakespeare like a novel. Matt Edgerton, Resident Artist in Education, led teachers through a series of exercises that can be used to introduce plot, character and language in any Shakespeare text, using Romeo And Juliet as an example.
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TEACHER MASTERCLASS FEEDBACK “The most invaluable professional experience I’ve ever had in teaching Literature. I am refreshed, inspired and intrigued anew by Hamlet. Thank you so much for your energy and wisdom!” Erin Kulpatrick, Heathdale Christian College, Hoppers Crossing, VIC “I came to this as a second-year art teacher with VERY minimal knowledge of Hamlet and scared stiff about teaching it to an intellectual and shy class. The strategies shown to me today will really help me explore the text in depth and draw out different readings and interpretations from my students. Thank you!” Kate Whiteing, North Sydney Girls High School, NSW “I really appreciated the physical aspects of the day. A great inspiration to hand the play to the students and for them to learn by ‘playing’. Teaching in the real 3D is the goer!!! Thanks to Matt and Paul for a great day!” David de Montfort , Loreto Kirribilli, NSW “Loved it – great to have a practical ‘hands on’ approach combined with some talk and play. Feeling inspired and ready to share the bard with my students.” Kristin Hannaford, St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon, SA
2010 teacher masterclasses Location
Number of Masterclasses
Number of Teachers
NSW
5
39
VIC
3
71
QLD
3
33
NT
2
9
SA
1
13
WA
2
13
TAS
1
5
ACT
2
29
TOTAL
19
212
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Regional Teacher Scholarship. Now in its fourth year, the Bell Shakespeare Regional Teacher Scholarship (RTS) is currently the only national professional learning opportunity specifically for remote and regional teachers. The RTS allows early career teachers in such areas to expand their awareness of how to teach Shakespeare, taking back to their community practical skills and knowledge in teaching Drama and English. 29 teachers applied for the 2010 scholarship. The selection of 12 candidates was made with the assistance of a review panel, with representatives from teaching organisations and professional bodies in several states and territories.
RTS 2010 presenters Bell Shakespeare Arts Educators Matt Edgerton – Resident Artist in Education James Evans George Banders Christopher Tomkinson Linda Lorenza – Head of Education
Guest Academic Associate Professor Michael Anderson, University of Sydney
The twelve recipient teachers from across the country travelled to Sydney for an intensive four days of exploration and training in Shakespeare in March 2010. All accommodation, flights and professional learning expenses are covered by the scholarship. The four day experience included a history of Shakespeare, a meeting to discuss their teaching challenges with John Bell, practical explorations of Macbeth, Romeo And Juliet, King Lear and Twelfth Night, as well as discussion forums on the upcoming National Curriculum. Teachers also explored the Bell Shakespeare production of King Lear directed by Marion Potts, and ways to create practical resources for the classroom using Titus Andronicus as an example. The teachers also attended a performance of King Lear at Sydney Opera House. At the conclusion of the programme recipients worked with Associate Professor Michael Anderson at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney to develop a plan for working with Shakespeare and Bell Shakespeare in their schools. After completing the programme each recipient created and submitted a Shakespeare Unit which they would be undertaking with their students. The Regional Teacher Scholarship provides a rare and remarkable opportunity for early career teachers to network with new colleagues and share their challenges and successes. Feedback and discussion content highlighted the invaluable opportunity this programme represents for these remote teachers. Metropolitan Professional Development programmes infrequently meet the needs of remote teachers and their students. 58 LEARNING REPORT 2010
RTS 2010 Review Panel State
assessor
NSW
Michael Murray Manager English, Curriculum K-12 Directorate, Department of Education and Training
NT
Carmel O’Neill Project Manager Senior Secondary Arts and Technology, Department of Education and Training Northern Territory Government
QLD
Garry Collins President, English Teachers Association of Queensland
SA
Di Schriever Policy and Program Officer, English, Department of Education and Children’s Services Graham Cox Policy and Program Officer, Arts, Curriculum Services
VIC
Debbie De Lapps Executive Officer, Victorian Association for Teachers of English Mark Bailey President, Drama Australia
RTS 2010 Recipients State
Recipient
School
SA
Lauren Cawrse
Ardrossan Area School, Ardrossan
VIC
Justeen Hahn
Gippsland Grammar School, Sale
NT
Danielle Enever
Centralian Senior College, Alice Springs
NT
Cameron Anning
St John’s College, Darwin
QLD
Lisa Hall
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa
VIC
Jessica Kelly
Ballarat High School, Ballarat
NSW
Jacqueline Ryding
Narrandera High School, Narrandera
NSW
Benjamin Daley
MacIntyre High School, Inverell
NSW
Jonathan Millar
Braidwood Central School, Braidwood
WA
Clyde Goodenough
Narrogin Senior High School, Narrogin
TAS
Jillian Hastings
Marist Regional College, Burnie
SA
Felicia Harding
Edward John Eyre High School, Whyalla
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REGIONAL TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP FEEDBACK “Thank you so much for the enriching experience of the Regional Teacher Scholarship with Bell Shakespeare. It was truly a privilege to be part of the chosen cohort, meet like-minded people from all over Australia and work outside our normal school environment with such high standing professional actors who were enormously encouraging, supportive and warm. The Regional Teacher Scholarship has been one of the most relevant Professional Developments I have undertaken. It was enjoyable to be a ‘student’ again and participate in an intensive, fun, hands-on workshop experience for four days. It left me feeling totally inspired to go back to my own students with renewed confidence and skills to actively engage them in becoming immersed in Shakespeare. I have a compelling vision that this programme will cultivate a long lasting relationship with Bell Shakespeare and promote the positive motivation that will inspire a lifelong engagement with Shakespeare amongst my students. The Regional Teacher Scholarship was inspirational and I would thoroughly recommend this programme to all regional teachers interested in fostering a true passion for Shakespeare amongst their own students.” Jacqui Ryding, Narrandera High School, NSW “[Meeting John Bell] was a fantastic and honourable experience! He was inspiring in his dedication and love for Shakespeare. Seeing the Bell Shakespeare production of King Lear at the Opera House was an amazing experience. The setting, the theatre and the production were fascinating, and I loved every minute of it. Getting to be with my colleagues from the RTS was such an exciting feeling. As a group we are such a positive and energetic lot, that it just increased the intensity of the experience. It was really lovely to have a nice meal at a beautiful location with the group, and to meet the fantastic financial supporters that allowed it all to happen. It was amazing to see them thanking us for attending... I felt so honoured and valued by being allowed to attend. This is the most rewarding, valuable and amazing educational experience I have ever had. I felt like I had walked into a world of positive, enthusiastic and supportive professionals, who saw me as worthy and important. I felt completely comfortable to try new methods, to ask questions and learn without fear. I am so excited to be able to pass on this experience to my students, and build for them what Bell Shakespeare built for me.” Danielle Enever, Centralian Senior College, Alice Springs, NT “In only 3 days a group of strangers from all over Australia are working together in a completely open and honest environment; which only proves how these activities are designed to release creativity and make the participant feel safe.” Jessica Kelly, Ballarat High School, VIC
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Special Learning Initiatives.
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Special Learning Initiatives 2010. Juniperina Juvenile Justice Programme. In 2010, Bell Shakespeare conducted a residency programme at Juniperina Juvenile Justice Centre for 12 female detainees. The programme included an Actors At Work performance, used as an introduction to a series of masterclasses, conducted over a fiveweek period, focussing on Romeo And Juliet. The Juniperina programme was incredibly successful, with wonderful responses from both staff and participants. For many of these girls this was the first time they’d seen Shakespeare. In the following weeks Matt Edgerton and Sarah Woods ran ten sessions with the Banksia Unit, the most long-term and therefore the most stable population at Juniperina. The Banksia Unit had between eight and twelve participants with a range of literacy and a high proportion of indigenous girls. The sessions focused on telling the story of Romeo And Juliet and then understanding and staging key pieces of text from the play. Our Arts Educators were able to give a lot of personal attention to the girls and the growth in their self confidence, self expression and social skills was profound. Staff from Juniperina gave us consistent feedback that the girls were greatly enjoying the programme and we received a number of written ‘thank you’ notes from the girls including the one to the right. A similar programme will be conducted at Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre for male offenders in 2011.
FEEDBACK FROM JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMME “Thank you both so much for coming in here and volunteering your time with us. I loved learning about Shakespeare because you’ve made the program fun and enjoyable. You are both good people and thanks for being patient with us. I’m glad to have met you and I’m glad to have learned as much as I did. I will always remember this program.” Name withheld, Juniperina Juvenile Justice Centre. “Our Actors At Work performance of Romeo And Juliet Intensive at Juniperina Juvenile Justice Centre was one of the highlights of our six-month tour. My team of four actors all agreed that it was the most rewarding experience during our season, and for me, one of the more profound experiences in my life. Some of the girls had never heard of Shakespeare before, and most had certainly never seen a Shakespeare show in their lives. What was especially wonderful was that many of the girls did not know how the story of Romeo and Juliet unfolds, they remained engaged throughout and their response was immediate and honest and delightful: they gasped and called out “no!” in moments of shock and despair, and sighed and giggled during romantic scenes. The girls inundated us with questions after the show, fascinated by Shakespeare, the play and our work as actors. Their joy and gratitude was reciprocated by our own. It was an absolute pleasure and a truly remarkable experience to share the wonder of Shakespeare’s storytelling with the Juniperina girls, and I hope I have another opportunity like this one day.” Francesca Savige, Actor, NSW Actors At Work team
Clemente Catalyst with Mission Australia and the Australian Catholic University. In 2010, Bell Shakespeare continued a four-year partnership with the Australian Catholic University and Mission Australia through the Clemente Catalyst programme, working with homeless and disadvantaged people. Unlike many traditional programmes for marginalised people, these courses are not about developing ‘life-skills’. Rather, the objectives include the promotion of self-expression, self-empowerment and communication skills. Clemente Australia uses a “strengths” based model. This model sees the students as having the strength and capability to shape their own goals, change their dispositions, and improve their life choices.
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Teaching alongside Michael Griffith, Associate Professor in Literature at Australian Catholic University, Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator Sarah Woods directed participants in scenes from The Golden Age by Louis Nowra. The course culminated in costumed performances of scenes for an invited audience. This unique programme provides adults who have become socially, economically and domestically disadvantaged through various circumstances with the opportunity to undertake a course of study at undergraduate level. After successfully completing two Catalyst courses, students may apply to be accepted into a programme of study at the Australian Catholic University to complete a full Bachelors degree. A number of students have gone on to enrol in further study at ACU or have returned to the course in subsequent years.
Step into the Limelight in partnership with the ACT Department of Education. Step into the Limelight is the Australian Capital Territory’s creative and performing arts showcase event for high school students. It began in 2007 and in 2010 the event involved over 1300 students from 58 schools. Bell Shakespeare was engaged by the ACT Department of Education to work with 21 students selected to develop high quality performances. Arts Educator Kerreen Ely-Harper worked with the ensemble of students and created a very physical 10-minute devised performance, focussing on language and the concept of Dream, using A Midsummer Nights’ Dream as inspiration. Sessions were held over five days, at Canberra Youth Theatre in July 2010.
Bell Shakespeare Alliance promotes postgraduate training in drama. Bell Shakespeare has established a partnership with the Division of Professional Learning (DPL), Faculty of Education, University of Sydney. This partnership enables teachers undertaking the Regional Teacher Scholarship, or equivalent hours of Bell Shakespeare Professional Development programmes, to use these learning activities as the basis for unit within a Master of Education degree. In 2011 we hope to work with the DPL to establish cohorts of Bell Shakespeare teachers who will be able to undertake units of study together at a time suitable to them in order to attain the Master of Education.
Step into the Limelight performance
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AUSTAR Stage For Life.
AUSTAR Stage For Life is designed to provide young people who have an interest in theatre with a broad experience in all aspects of theatre production and management. The programme calls for students to submit a written application on their involvement with local theatre at their school or in their community, demonstrating an enthusiasm for a career in the performing arts. The students join the Bell Shakespeare team for the week leading up to the Opening Night of its latest production. This opportunity includes one week’s accommodation in central Sydney, airport transfers, and tickets to the Opening Night of Twelfth Night, thanks to the generosity of AUSTAR. The Austar Stage For Life winners were Tristen Vo (Year 12) from Humpty Doo in the Northern Territory and Emma Miegel (Year 11) from Lameroo in South Australia. The winners were selected from over 80 high school students across Australia in regional areas of Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales. They submitted fantastic entries detailing their love of theatre and their keen interest to discover more about the inner workings of a leading performing arts company. They proved to have great enthusiasm for working backstage in sound and lighting, as well as having a passion for design, publicity and marketing.
AUSTAR STAGE FOR LIFE FEEDBACK “I really enjoyed my time with Bell Shakespeare! During my time in Sydney under their care, it really opened my eyes to theatre and future. I’ve learnt so much about the industry that I couldn’t have pulled from the internet, my teachers or career counsellor. Speaking to the actors, writer and stage managers was so helpful and I really won’t forget them and what they said. I’m also very grateful to AUSTAR for funding our scholarships and the great opportunities we got to have with them.” AUSTAR Stage For Life 2010 Winner, Tristen Vo, Humpty Doo NT “We got to see the Sydney opening of Twelfth Night. We got all dressed up and went to the Opera House – it was really cool, and a little intimidating, to be at the event, and sitting in the front row. The show was absolutely hilarious! You would never think that a script written by a writer over 400 years ago could still be interpreted to be so relevant! The actors were absolutely brilliant and it was so cool to see the results of everyone’s hard work. Opening Night was an unforgettable experience and it really made the week. This week has really inspired me to pursue drama and to continue to develop skills in the performing arts. Thank you Bell Shakespeare and AUSTAR!” AUSTAR Stage For Life 2010 Winner, Emma Miegel, Lameroo SA 66 LEARNING REPORT 2010
“This week has really inspired me to pursue drama and to continue to develop skills in the performing arts. Thank you Bell Shakespeare and AUSTAR!” AUSTAR Stage For Life 2010 Winner, Emma Miegel, Lameroo SA LEARNING REPORT 2010 67
Resources.
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Online Learning Packs. Bell Shakespeare seeks to assist both the general public and teachers to get the most out of their experience of live theatre by providing Online Learning Packs for each of our mainstage productions and Actors At Work programmes. Each resource includes a synopsis and background of the play, an overview of the characters, concerns and themes, as well as the set and costume design elements of the production. The Online Learning Pack for teachers includes all the elements of the General Audience pack, but also includes activities and resources for use in lessons before and after their students’ Bell Shakespeare experience. Packs are also provided for each of the Actors At Work shows on tour during the year. The Online Learning Packs provide a range of reading, writing, listening, speaking and performance-based activities across several learning areas, designed to ensure that students gain as much as possible from their Bell Shakespeare experience.
Bell Shakespeare website. Having been integrated into the main Bell Shakespeare website from late 2009, the Learning pages of the website have proved even more popular with teachers and students. Combined with an online presence via Facebook and Twitter, Bell Shakespeare is experiencing a dynamic online relationship with the Education community – a relationship that will continue to expand with the further development of social media opportunities. Teachers and students can find detailed information on all programmes and activities listed on the Bell Shakespeare Learning webpage as well as having access to Online Learning Packs, editorial, and images and podcasts from the year’s productions. The popularity and value of the website continues to grow as teachers become increasingly aware of the wide variety of materials available. In 2010, the Learning pages of the website also included an image gallery of the Regional Teacher Scholarship.
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Online Learning Packs available in 2010 were: Productions King Lear Just Macbeth! Twelfth Night
Actors At Work Love’s Magic Romeo And Juliet Intensive Trust And Betrayal Macbeth Intensive Hamlet Intensive
Optus Make A Scene. 2010 is the fourth Make A Scene competition that Bell Shakespeare and Optus have run online. Make A Scene invited students across Australia to interpret a Shakespeare quotation through drawing, photograph, illustration, animation, or movie, and then submit their entry online. Five set lines from Shakespeare plays were provided for entrants. Students could use the microsite to browse a gallery displaying other entries, vote for each other’s work and check the popularity of their own work on a leader board. The winners were chosen from 342 entries by a judging panel comprising John Bell, Founder and Artistic Director, Bell Shakespeare; Andy Griffiths, children’s author; Steve Jacobs, Channel 9 TODAY show weatherman; Genevieve Hoey, Senior Copywriter, M&C Saatchi; and Geoffrey Nevill, Sponsorship Manager, Optus. John Bell said “Once again, Make A Scene has revealed the outstanding range of talent in Australian school students. As anticipated, new technologies are making an impact, but it is pleasing to see more traditional artistic skills so well represented.” The number of entries received in 2010 increased by almost 40% from 2009 and the site received a total of 51,279 visits and 34,066 absolute unique visitors (in 2009, Make A Scene received a total of 27,242 visits and 20,913 unique visitors).
The winning works were as follows: Rory Young from Footscray City College in Footscray, VIC was the overall National Winner for his movie entitled ‘Mirror’. Camille Campos from Stella Maris College in Manly, NSW was awarded the Junior Encouragement Prize for Moving Image for ‘Men should be what they seem’. Jonathan Dewing from Churchlands Senior High School in Perth, WA was awarded the Junior Encouragement Prize for Still Image for ‘Mistaken Identity’. Mardy Bridges from Casterton Secondary College in Casterton, VIC was awarded the Senior Encouragement Prize for Moving Image for ‘Feels like love’. Rebecca Lancaster from Bankstown Grammar School in Georges Hall, NSW was awarded the Senior Encouragement Prize for Still Image for ‘Perception is reality’. Rowena Aiomata from Trinity Catholic College in Auburn, NSW received the People’s Choice Award, judged as a favourite by fellow students online, for her interpretation of ‘Love look not with the eyes, but with the mind’.
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2010 Statistical Summary. Education Activity
Attendance
School Matinee Performances
10,018
*This GRAND TOTAL figure does not include students who attended general public performances of King Lear, Just Macbeth! and Twelfth Night.
Meet Bell Shakespeare
586
**Not included in online statistics
Actors At Work – student attendance
59,439
Student Masterclasses (incl. Remote Residencies)
5,609
Regional Access Student Workshops
873
The Hamlet Seminar
597
Regional Performance Scholarship Auditions
50
Special Projects with Young People (Juniperina, Austar Stage For Life)
14
TOTAL STUDENTS
77,186
not including students attending general public theatre performances
Teacher Masterclass
212
Regional Teacher Scholarship
12
Free Teacher Forums
208
TOTAL TEACHERS
432
TOTAL FACE-TO-FACE AUDIENCE
77,618
Bell Shakespeare website 2010 unique visitors 2010**
79,387
Learning pages unique visitors 2010
43,158
Number of times Online Learning Pack downloaded
642
Optus Make A Scene entries
342
Optus Make A Scene website visits 2010**
51,279
Optus Make A Scene unique visitors 2010
34,066
TOTAL RECORDED ONLINE learning audience
77,224
GRAND TOTAL*
154,842
“Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.” King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3 72 LEARNING REPORT 2010
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Thank you to our Partners. LEADING PARTNERS
National Education & Youth Partner
Regional Communities Partner
MAJOR PARTNERS
Nsw Education Partner
Perth Season Partner King Lear
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Supporting Local Communities
Official Wellbeing Partner
Leadership Partner
Supporting VIC Arts Education
Media Partner
Radio Partner
Community Partner
Public Affairs Advisors
COMPANY PARTNERS
Special Event Partner
Accommodation Partner Melbourne
Sydney Restaurant Partner
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Special Event Partner
Legal Partner
COMMUNITY PARTNERS The following organisations, trusts and foundations are supporting our national education initiatives:
The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Colonial Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation Scully Fund James N Kirby Foundation Tim Fairfax Family Foundation Trust Company ATF Archer Collier Charitable Fund Danks Trust Besen Family Foundation
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Bell Shakespeare is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.
Bell Shakespeare Learning is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations under the Quality Outcomes Programme.
Bell Shakespeare is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
The Australian Government is proud to be associated with Bell Shakespeare through the national performing arts touring programme, Playing Australia, which gives Australians across the country the opportunity to see some of our best performing arts.
Bell Shakespeare Learning is assisted by the NSW Government through the NSW Department of Education and Training.
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Touring Australia. Mainstage Productions Albury, NSW Alice Springs, NT Ballarat, VIC Bendigo, VIC Brisbane, QLD Caloundra, QLD Canberra, ACT Dandenong, VIC Darwin, NT Frankston, VIC Gladstone, QLD Griffith, NSW Hobart, TAS Launceston, TAS Lismore, NSW Mackay, QLD Melbourne, VIC Moonee Ponds, VIC Newcastle, NSW Nunawading, VIC Orange, NSW Perth, WA Port Macquarie, NSW Rockhampton, QLD Shepparton, VIC Sydney, NSW Tamworth, NSW Townsville, QLD Wagga Wagga, NSW Warragul, VIC Wollongong, NSW ACtors At Work 2010 ADELAIDE, SA ALBION PARK, NSW ALBURY, NSW AUSTRALIND, WA BATHURST, NSW BEENLEIGH, QLD BELMONT, NSW BENDIGO, VIC BINNAWAY, NSW BLACKWATER, QLD Bowral, NSW BOWRAVILLE, NSW BRAYBROOK, VIC BRISBANE, QLD BROKEN HILL, NSW BUNBURY, WA Burnie, TAS CANBERRA, ACT CASINO, NSW CHARLEVILLE, QLD CLARE, SA CLONCURRY, QLD COFFS HARBOUR, NSW COLLIE, WA CONDON, QLD COORANBONG, NSW DARWIN, NT DEVONPORT, TAS DUBBO, NSW DYSART, QLD EMERALD, QLD ERINA, NSW Fremantle, WA GOLD COAST, QLD GOONELLABAH, NSW GOSFORD, NSW GREEN POINT, NSW GROOTE EYLANDT, NT HOBART, TAS JESMOND, NSW JULIA CREEK, QLD KALGOORLIE, WA KANDOS, NSW KANGAROO FLAT, VIC KEMPSEY, NSW LAUNCESTON, TAS LEETON, NSW LISMORE, NSW LOXTON, SA MAITLAND, NSW MANDURAH, WA MELBOURNE, VIC MILTON, NSW MOLONG, NSW MORANBAH, QLD MUCKLEFORD, VIC MUDGEE, NSW
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MUSWELLBROOK, NSW NARRANDERA, NSW NEWCASTLE, NSW NORTH WARD, QLD NOWRA, NSW ORANGE, NSW PERTH, WA PORT AUGUSTA, SA PORT LINCOLN, SA PORT PIRIE, SA PROSPECT, TAS ROBINVALE, VIC ROCKINGHAM, WA ROMA, QLD ROXBY DOWNS, SA SALAMANDER BAY, NSW SINGLETON, NSW SOUTH BUNBURY, WA SOUTH HEDLAND, WA SPRINGWOOD, NSW SWAN HILL, VIC SYDNEY, NSW TAREE, NSW THURGOONA, NSW TIMBOON, VIC TOOWOOMBA, QLD WARNERVALE, NSW WENTWORTH FALLS, NSW WEST KAMBALDA, WA WHYALLA, SA WILCANNIA, NSW WODONGA, VIC WOLLONGONG, NSW WOODEND, VIC WOOMERA, SA Student Masterclass 2010 ADELAIDE, SA ALICE SPRINGS, NT BALLARAT, VIC BENDIGO, VIC BRISBANE, QLD COFFS HARBOUR, NSW COONABARABRAN, NSW DANDENONG, VIC EDENSOR PARK, NSW GLADSTONE, QLD GRIFFITH, ACT GROOTE EYLANDT, NT HOBART, TAS LAUNCESTON, TAS LEETON, NSW MACLEAN, NSW MELBOURNE, VIC NEWCASTLE, NSW ORANGE, NSW PERTH, WA PORT MACQUARIE, NSW QUEANBEYAN, NSW ROCKHAMPTON, QLD ROXBY DOWNS, SA SYDNEY, NSW TAMWORTH, NSW TAREE, NSW WOLLONGONG, NSW WOOMERA, SA Teacher Masterclass 2010 ADELAIDE, SA ALICE SPRINGS, NT BALLARAT, VIC CANBERRA, ACT DEVONPORT, TAS LAUNCESTON, TAS LISMORE, NSW MELBOURNE, VIC PERTH, WA ROCKHAMPTON, QLD SYDNEY, NSW Residencies Alice Springs , NT Broome, WA Cairns, QLD Chareville, QLD Coen, QLD Darlington, Sydney, NSW Grootye Eylandt, NT Narrandera/The Rock/ Balranald, NSW Tennant Creek, NT
Broome
Port Hedland
Kalgoorlie Perth Fremantle Bunbury
Australind Collie
Mainstage Productions
Residencies
Teacher Masterclass 2010
ACtors At Work 2010
Student Masterclass 2010
Darwin
Groote Eylandt Coen
Cairns
North Ward Townsville Julia Creek
Tennant Creek
Cloncurry
Mackay
Moranbah Emerald
Alice Springs
Rockhampton Gladstone
Charleville
Caloundra
Roma
Toowoomba
Brisbane Gold Coast
Lismore
Roxby Downs Woomera
Casino Wilcannia
Maclean
Coonabarabran Tamworth
Dubbo
Port Augusta Broken Hill Loxton
Port Lincoln Swan Hill
Muswellbrook
Leeton
Griffith
Wagga Wagga Narrandera/ The Rock/ Balranald
Gosford
Canberra Bowral
Shepparton Braybrook
Bendigo
Port Macquarie Newcastle
Blue Mts
Queanbeyan
Adelaide
Coffs Harbour
Taree
Orange
Robinvale
Clare
Goonellabah
Sydney Wollongong South Coast
Albury
Ballarat Warragul Melbourne Frankston Moonee Ponds
Nunawading Dandenong
Burnie Devonport
Launceston
Hobart
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Artistic Leadership. JOHN BELL AO, OBE John Bell is Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare and one of Australia’s most acclaimed theatre personalities. In a career of acting and directing, John has been instrumental in shaping the Australian theatre industry as we know it. After graduating from Sydney University in 1962 John worked for the Old Tote Theatre Company, all of Australia’s state theatre companies and was an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom. As co-founder of Sydney’s Nimrod Theatre Company, John presented many productions of landmark Australian plays including David Williamson’s Travelling North, The Club and The Removalists. He also initiated an Australian Shakespeare style with Nimrod productions such as Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. In 1990 John founded The Bell Shakespeare Company where his productions have included Hamlet, Romeo And Juliet, The Taming Of The Shrew, Richard 3, Pericles, Henry 4, Henry 5, Julius Caesar, Antony And Cleopatra, The Comedy Of Errors, Wars Of The Roses, Measure For Measure, Macbeth and As You Like It, as well as Goldoni’s The Servant Of Two Masters, Gogol’s The Government Inspector and Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist. His Shakespeare roles include Hamlet, Shylock, Henry V, Richard III, Macbeth, Malvolio, Berowne, Petruchio, Leontes, Coriolanus, Prospero, King Lear and Titus Andronicus. He played the title role in two co-productions with Queensland Theatre Company: Richard 3 and Heiner Müller’s Anatomy Titus Fall Of Rome: A Shakespeare Commentary. John has also directed a production of Madame Butterfly for an Oz Opera national tour. John Bell is an Officer of the Order of Australia and the Order of the British Empire. He has an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Universities of Sydney, New South Wales and Newcastle. In 1997 he was named by the National Trust of Australia as one of Australia’s Living Treasures. In 2003 the Australia Business Arts Foundation awarded John the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award. His many awards as an actor and director include a Helpmann Award for Best Actor (Richard 3, 2002), a Producers and Directors Guild Award for Lifetime Achievement and the JC Williamson Award (2009) for extraordinary contribution to Australia’s live entertainment industry.
“Shakespeare is difficult and we need to constantly reassess how we present these plays – I’m looking forward to experimenting with that.” Peter Evans
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MARION POTTS 2010 saw the end of one era and the beginning of another, as Marion Potts completed her term as Bell Shakespeare’s Associate Artistic Director before taking up the coveted role of Artistic Director at Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. Marion took up the role as Associate Artistic Director in 2007, was also Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare’s development arm, Mind’s Eye. For Bell Shakespeare she has directed King Lear, The Taming Of The Shrew, Hamlet, Othello and Venus & Adonis (a coproduction with Malthouse Theatre) as well as the Actors At Work programme. Her other directing credits include The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Volpone, Don Juan, Life After George, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Crucible, Navigating, Del Del, Closer, The Herbal Bed, What is the Matter with Mary Jane?, Pygmalion, Where Are We Now?, The Café Latte Kid, The Blessing and Two Weeks with the Queen for Sydney Theatre Company; Equus, The Torrents, Gary’s House, A Number and The Goat or Who is Sylvia? for State Theatre Company of South Australia; Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset for Queensland Theatre Company; Grace for Melbourne Theatre Company; The Popular Mechanicals 1 and 2 (Associate Director) and Frogs (Assistant Director) for Company B; Big Hair in America and Wonderlands for HotHouse Theatre; Dreaming Transportation for Performing Lines and the Sydney Opera House; and The Story of the Miracles at Cookie’s Table for HotHouse Theatre/Griffin Theatre Company. Marion was Resident Director for Sydney Theatre Company from 1995-1999, and Artistic Director of Pulse (STC) from 1997-1999. She curated the 2003 National Playwrights’ Conference, was a chairperson of World Interplay and a member of the Theatre Board of the Australia Council. She was also a founding member of HotHouse Theatre’s Artistic Directorate. Marion was awarded the 2006 Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Play for her production of The Goat or Who is Sylvia? for State Theatre Company of South Australia and Company B.
PETER EVANS Peter is the newly appointed Associate Artistic Director for the Bell Shakespeare Company. Peter’s directing credits include Life Without Me, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Ugly One, God of Carnage, Savage River (co production with Griffin Theatre Company), Realism, The Hypocrite, Blackbird, Don Juan in Soho, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The History Boys, Don’s Party, The Give and Take, Dumbshow, and The Daylight Atheist for Melbourne Theatre Company; The Grenade, The Great, Fat Pig, and The Give and Take for Sydney Theatre Company; Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, King Lear, Copenhagen, Proof, Muldoon, and The Christian Brothers for New Zealand’s Court Theatre; The Tempest, The Two Gentleman Of Verona and Macbeth for Bell Shakespeare; The Daylight Atheist for Queensland Theatre Company and The Yellow Wallpaper for Malthouse and the Store Room. His other Australian credits include Jesus Hopped the A Train for Red Stitch Actors Theatre; A Poor Student for the Store Room at the Malthouse Theatre; A Lie of the Mind at the New Theatre; Sexual Perversity in Chicago for Theatre Jamb at the Bondi Pavilion; Kiss of the Spiderwoman for Theatre Adami at the Stables and The Dumb Waiter for the Studio Company at Belvoir St Theatre. In 2006 Peter was Associate Director for the Bell Shakespeare Company and from 2007 until 2010 he was Associate Director for the Melbourne Theatre Company.
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Level 1, 33 Playfair Street The Rocks NSW 2000 Australia PO Box 10 Millers Point NSW 2000 Australia telephone: +61 2 8298 9000 facsimile: +61 2 9241 4643 learning@bellshakespeare.com.au bellshakespeare.com.au/learning 84 LEARNING REPORT 2010