education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
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Contents Page 1 - Introduction Pages 2 & 3 - Literacy Journalistic writing: “Strange Happenings” How to Make up and Tell Stories Shakespeare Workshop Ghost Stories - The Grey Lady Traditional Tales Play in a Day
Pages 4 & 5 - History Life in a Tudor Port WW2 Evacuees Vikings Greek Theatre
Page 6 & 7 - Using the Theatre Shadow Puppetry Senses and Materials Theatre Tours Marketing and Communication Theatre Days
Page 8 - Special Projects Playhouse
Page 9 - INSETS Half day sessions available in school or at the theatre
education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
EXPERIENCE... learning through theatre Learning programme for Primary Schools York Theatre Royal offers you a wealth of flexible workshops to work and learn with us in school or outside of the classroom here at the theatre. Through our previous schools partnerships we have developed numerous curriculum based workshops that utilise the skills and resources of our organisation. Workshops are available all year round but sessions at the theatre are subject to space availability. To book please contact: Education Administrator 01904 658162 or education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk Please supply the following information: • Preferred dates and time of visit • School contact details, including email contact for the lead teacher • Number and ages of students • Workshop session you would like to book and where you would like it to take place Sessions are for a maximum of 30 students. Please note: due to the age of our building our spaces are not all fully accessible. Please contact us to discuss any access requirements.
Why not become our partner? York Theatre Royal and York St John University are entering into an innovative academic and creative partnership to launch the International Centre for Arts and Narrative (iCAN). We are very interested in stories - stories profoundly shape and influence our lives, they are fundamental to the way that we learn and make sense of our lives, and are of course at the heart of theatre. Educationally the centre will focus on exploring best practice in delivering learning through narrative. Schools can work with us for the whole academic year with each class benefitting from a theatrebased project so in essence each class in your school could have one of the projects outlined in the this brochure plus many other benefits. If you’re interested in becoming an iCAN partner, check out our website for further information at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
“The speaking and listening strand of our Literacy assessment uses drama as a tool for allowing children to express themselves confidently and experiences provided by York Theatre Royal has contributed significantly towards this.” Park Grove Primary 1
Literacy Journalistic writing: “Strange Happenings” • During a tour of the theatre, the students have to unravel the mystery of some strange happenings. An actress has had her costume ruined and someone has moved all the lights out of position. • Students will get to meet and interview various witnesses of these strange events to try and work out what has been happening. • They will then write up their stories and findings back at school into a newspaper story using this theatrical context as their basis.
How to Make up and Tell Stories • Open improvisation games and exercises will be used to build up a theatrical language with one another, learning how to use our bodies to create object and place. • Basic puppetry will be explored; how to animate inanimate objects and various puppetry techniques. • Using props from our ‘Suitcase Full of Stories’ the children will be encouraged to develop the story, building upon one another’s ideas and suggestions. • Using found objects, children will work in small groups to develop stories around a given theme.
Shakespeare Workshop
Workshops at a Glance
• Day begins by exploring the characters, themes and settings of your chosen Shakespeare text. • Children have the opportunity to act out the whole story in an energetic interactive storytelling exercise. • The session culminates in the children creating their own version of a scene from the play, complete with simple props, costumes and music. • By the end of the session children will have a strong grasp of the story and characters, have created their own imaginative response to the play and have tackled Shakespeare’s verse.
How to Make up and Tell Stories KS1
Shakespeare
Key Stage:
Journalistic writing: “Strange Happenings” KS2
Duration:
Half day workshop at the theatre
2hrs
Cost:
£175
Half day workshop in school £150
KS2
£150
2
education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
Storytelling and Story Writing - The Grey Lady • Begin by having a tour of the theatre, being told the story of the grey lady, which will be theatricalised. • Working from a stimulus of a character that might ‘haunt’ the theatre e.g. The Woman with the Diamond Tiara, The Man with the Bowler Hat…subsequent workshop will look at the WHO, WHAT, WHY of this character and develop a scenario. • Group work towards writing their own ghost story, which they perform to one another somewhere in the theatre at the end of the day.
Traditional Tales • Using a traditional tale of your choice we take the children through the process of recreating and inhabiting the story, exploring the characters and the dilemmas that they face. • We explore choices the characters make and alternative endings – what would have happened if a different choice was made? • We then pursue what repercussions this would have had on the narrative of the tale.
Play in a Day
Workshops at a Glance
• Class works together to learn choral and ensemble skills, developing their ability to work as a team. • Using Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, the group will work on an adapted script, which will be rehearsed during the day ready to be performed to the rest of the school at the end of it. • They will also work on developing character, movement skills and will use dance to create a wild rumpus!
Key Stage: Duration: Cost:
Storytelling and Story Writing KS2 Full day workshop at the theatre or half day in school excluding the tour £225 (whole day), £150 (half day)
Traditional Tales KS1 Half day workshop in school £150
Play in a Day KS2 Whole day in school £225 3
History Tudors – Life In A Tudor Port • Working from a description of life in a Tudor port we work on developing soundscapes to build up an atmosphere of the port at day and at night. • We will explore the different status’ of characters who use the port, developing physicality and character relationships. • The children will meet and get a chance to question a character from the era played by one of our practitioners in role. • Using writing to get inside the head of these characters, we will write a soliloquy and build up a sense of the characters day before working in small groups to develop a story around a major event which interrupts their normal day.
World War Two – Evacuees
Workshops at a Glance
• Children will learn why Britain went to war and offer opinions on the key issues. • Using a variety of drama approaches we will engage the students in thinking about what it would have been like as a child in the blitz. • We will build up an imaginative response to what life in the shelters would have been like and express our feelings. • The children will meet and get a chance to question a character from the era played by one of our practitioners in role. • Explore in-role what it would have felt like to leave home and arrive in a strange place. Finishing by creating a short drama based around a given narrative, which looks into what life would have been like in the country.
Key Stage: Duration: Cost:
Tudors KS2 Half day workshop in school £175 (plus travel outside York)
WW2 KS2 Half day workshop in school £175 (plus travel outside York) 4
education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
Vikings • Day begins by building up Viking characters, interpreting text into monologues and working in small groups to devise and perform character dialogue and action. • Move onto recreating a Scandinavian fjord land, using props, our bodies and soundscapes to build a strong sense of place. • The children will meet and get a chance to question a character from the era played by one of our practitioners in role. • Finish with an in-role exploration of a Viking village, exploring community relationships and moral dilemmas, ending with a group debate.
Greek theatre • The group will work towards performing the story of ‘Pandora’s Box’ • Learn about how Grecian theatre developed from religious celebrations whilst developing
Workshops at a Glance
understanding of skills in mask, text and choral work. • Students will build on skills learnt through the day and apply them through their performance.
Key Stage: Duration: Cost:
Vikings Lower KS2 Whole day workshop in school £225 (plus travel outside York)
Greek Theatre Upper KS2 Whole day workshop in school £225 (plus travel outside York) 5
Using the Theatre Shadow Puppetry • Light and shadow are explored in the studio or blacked out room in the de grey with lighting. Introduction to light, shadow, colour, lenses, types of stage lighting, moods, atmosphere… • Using story of The Little Red Hen, story is broken down and transposed from a story into a play format as a whole group. • Using pre-made templates we create the characters as shadow puppets and work on puppetry skills, culminating in a performance of the story using a shadow theatre.
Senses and Materials
Workshops at a Glance
• The group will be taken on a hunt around the theatre to discover what types of materials are used in the building and why they are used for each purpose. • They will be given a hunt sheet to note down all the different types of materials; what they think it’s made from and a description of how it feels to touch. • The second part of the morning will be a practical workshop where the students will be led to understand their bodies as materials and how our bodies are affected by different types of materials.
Key Stage: Duration: Cost:
Shadow Puppetry KS1 Half day workshop in school or a whole day at the theatre, which includes an additional lighting session £250 (whole day) £150 (half day)
Senses and Materials Reception/ KS1 Half Day workshop at the theatre. £150 6
education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
Theatre Tours Tours of the theatre are available; highlighting the history of the theatre from Roman to modern day, understanding the different roles of our staff as well as the practicalities of how a theatre works. A tour with secrets revealed! • Suitable for any age • One hour long • The tour is accompanied by a resource pack for follow up work in school Cost: £2 per child
Marketing and Communication Students are taken through what marketing means, forms of communication and the process of how to market a show. Students will be taken through the design process of how to create a poster leading to them designing their own poster. The final part of the session will be practical, introducing students to communication and presentation skills, before they present their final poster design to the rest of the class. Suitable for Upper KS2 • Two hour session in school Cost: £150
Theatre Days (only available on selected and suitable shows) • Begin with a theatrical tour of the theatre, linked to the shows story as different parts of the theatre are visited. • Subsequent workshop will link into the themes of the production, exploring the ideas inherent in the play. • After lunch there will be a craft making activity linked to the production, which the children can make and take away with them. • Finish day by watching the afternoon performance. Cost: £10 (includes the price of the ticket) Please book through the Box Office 01904 623568 Please note: due to the age of our building our spaces are not all fully accessible. Please contact us to discuss any access requirements. KS1 or 2 (Show dependent)
“Thanks for a really wonderful day. The children couldn’t stop talking about it on the coach and at school over the next few days.” Sylvia Klays, Hempland Primary “Thank you for a truly wonderful day! The children gained so much from all the experiences; memories to treasure!” Louise Leaf, Bootham Juniors
7
Special Projects Playhouse Playhouse is a national collaboration between Theatre Royal Plymouth, Polka Theatre, Dundee Repertory Theatre and York Theatre Royal. The four theatres work together to commission professional playwrights each year to write short plays specifically for large casts of young people aged 8 to 11 years to perform. There are then 4 festivals performing the new plays across the UK. Past writers have included Julia Donaldson, Adrian Mitchell, Geraldine McCaughrean, Roy Williams and Phillip Ridley. Each theatre works with 6 schools in their city and supports the development of the teacher as a director. The project is launched with representatives from all 24 schools coming together for a 2 day retreat with the 6 writers. Following the retreat, the teachers then return to school to rehearse the play with professional development opportunities throughout. The plays are performed in the theatre to friends and family. The children are treated as a professional company and have their own dressing rooms as well as experiencing a technical and dress rehearsal prior to performance. Cost: £350
Comments from past Playhouse teachers:
“Impacts on future productions in schools, gives teachers a working model to use in own productions, shows children the magic of theatre” “Amazing experience! Final result is an enormous pride in what the children have achieved along with an increased confidence in own ability to run a production” “Unique opportunity to meet the playwright and find out what their motivation and references for writing the piece were”
“Pre and post production workshops and theatre visits has helped the children to develop their performance skills and critical appraisal abilities.” Knavesmire Primary 8
Staff Development
education@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 658162
INSETS – half day sessions available in school or at the theatre. Using Drama in the Classroom This INSET provides practical approaches to exploring and working with any story. The session can be used as a way of introducing a story over a whole morning or split up and divided to create a scheme of work. The following techniques will be demonstrated and discussed: • Group collaboration and inclusion games • Small group image making • Soundscape • Sculpting • Physical approaches to creating character • Status • Whole group story-telling • Thought-tracking Cost: £200
“The INSET training was hugely popular amongst the staff who have utilised many of the techniques taught, to promote the role of the arts within the school. We have been particularly impressed with the workshops conducted with the children and feel that this has helped to promote many skills especially speaking and listening.” Clifton With Rawcliffe Federation
“The workshop you provided was fantastic - the children were completely engaged throughout the morning session and acquired an immediate knowledge about a play that we hadn’t studied, due to the ingenious way that you introduced the theme then characters, bravo!” Yearsley Grove Primary School 9
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