An in-person enrichment drama and language workshop scheme using international plays to educate UK secondary school students about local cultures and histories has been launched.
Performing International Plays, a project led by Dr Margherita Laera at Kent’s School of Arts, has partnered with Foreign Affairs Theatre Company to deliver the extra-curricular workshops.
A number of secondary schools including Harris Academy South Norwood, St. Albans High School for Girls and Waterside Academy in Hackney, London, have already welcomed Performing International Plays and Foreign Affairs to run workshops. These have been met with rave reviews and have inspired students to explore new diverse theatre and language alongside their studies.
The workshops are facilitated by highly skilled multilingual practitioners of relevant heritage and are especially tailored to each school’s students and their needs. Students have the opportunity to encounter one or more new plays by contemporary dramatists from Ukraine, Palestine, Cuba, Taiwan, South Africa, Italy, Germany, France and more. The practitioners often work with cohorts of English as an Additional Language students, who translate plays from their native language, and/or with students who are studying a foreign language – but no prior knowledge of foreign language is required to take part.
Supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Arts Council England, the workshops are available for secondary school students at all levels from Year 7 to Year 13, and mixed-ability groups. Two-hour, three-hour, one-day and week-long residency options are bookable.
Dr Laera is encouraging school leaders in England, drama teachers and modern foreign languages teachers to get in touch to secure workshop bookings and diversify their curriculums with contemporary international theatre and drama. She said: ‘Our workshops represent all students in our multicultural classrooms and aim to empower and support educators in their efforts to diversify the Drama and Languages curriculum. Enabling learning through creative practice and experience helps students to really connect with the content delivered.’
Dr Margherita Laera can be contacted at piponlineresource@gmail.com to find out more and discuss workshop bookings.