|
ACT-ive
LEARN-ing is promoted by:
Hydrama
Hydrama
Theatre and Arts Centre promotes theatre and dance
through workshops, seminars and performances and is
situated in two acres of seaside land in the fishing
hamlet of Vlychos on the Island of Hydra.
Bridges for Europe
The
organisation “Bridges for Europe” aims to promote
cooperation – on a European level – among public and
private organisations of the third sector involved in
social, educational and local development activities.
Its aim is to create actual
“Bridges for Europe” in order to link the different
experiences of European citizens and the consultants’
assorted fields of expertise so as to raise the quality
of the work in the group and exchange practices among
diverse local dimensions, different organisations of the
civil society, public administrations and enterprises.
ACT-ive
LEARN-ing is addressed to
Teachers and other educational
staff of nursing/pre – primary, primary, secondary
schools and institutions for adult education of formal
and informal sectors.
The Course
Objectives
Theatre is a way in to the
exploration of many different aspects of a subject.
It provides an outlet for self-expression and helps
development of imagination and social awareness, co-operation
and listening, communication skills and improvisation.
Through drama games, role play and improvisation pupils
gain awareness, fluency of speech, self-knowledge, self-respect,
discipline and self-confidence and a different
opportunity to learn how to interact with others (and
their teacher!). Drama skills helps develop
orderly thinking and organisational skills and
improve physical and verbal coordination
In schools there are many ways drama
can be linked with a variety of lessons. Pupils who have
learning differences and/or are struggling academically
often excel in creative skills and thus gain self
esteem as well as a better understanding of the
classroom material when drama is involved.
Over 2,000 years ago the Greek
philosopher, Aristotle, regarded theatre as “uniquely
suited to educate”…it still is…
Thus, the primary focus of the
course will be to train teachers and teacher trainers in
theatre techniques which they can then easily apply to
enliven and benefit any school class – whether it’s
a language, history or even a science class.
Teachers would be trained how to conduct a variety of
theatre/drama games and exercises which would improve
classroom interaction, as well as aiding pupils’
memory, social skills, imagination and self confidence.
Theatre games develop skills
which are essential in all school subjects - and which
will benefit the pupil in all areas of school,
career and everyday social interactions. We will
explore the benefits of theatre games as a teaching tool
and use Greek mythology to provide us with a rich
creative source with which to trigger the imagination
whilst sharpening learning skills.
By the end of the course teachers
and teacher trainers will have a wide resource of
theatre/drama games and exercises to draw on with which
to enliven their classroom and enrich their lessons.
They will also have learnt how to create and direct
improvisations, re-enactments, scripts and theatre
projects and how to monitor trust and relaxation
exercises.
Above all learning through drama
is fun!
Methodology
Learning through drama is fun and
should be fun. Therefore, the methodology of the course
will be focused on the practical and active learning of
drama and theatre games. Participants will be
dynamically involved in the learning process by
practically implementing, testing and experiencing the
tools and the games which are taught during the course.
The group of participants will be considered as a
learning instrument where the testing and implementation
of the learned skills will be activated.
All new contents will be
introduced by a short theoretical foreword so as to
allow teachers and teachers trainers to put the learnt
tool into the proper historic, didactic and artistic
frame of reference.
Discussion, active
participation,
the sharing of experiences and constant evaluation of
the feasibility of the learnt tools will be an
integral part of this course.
Last but not least, since one of
the goals of this course is to create confidence and
well-being amongst the school pupils, particular care
will also be given to the participant’s personal
comfort and training climate of this course. The
environment (the wonderful Vlichòs area on the
island of Hydra) and logistic location (use of outdoor
studios and theatre spaces) will definitely help to
achieve this goal, but particular care will also
be given by means of training activities which will
create comfort, personal ease and mental well-being.
This will be achieved on a general level by caring for
good social relations through creating a
good social atmosphere and providing social events
(Barbeque, midnight swim, film and excellent meals) and,
within the didactic program, by means of introduction
exercises in each session, such as relaxation
and warm-up activities, etc.
Preparation
Participants are not required to
have any previous theatre/drama skills or knowledge but
a desire to learn a methodology for transferring
didactic pedagogical knowledge through theatre and drama
. The course takes place in Greece - the country
where the concept of theatre as education began 2,500
years ago…and in a setting which replicates
theatre’s origins.
We expect that the majority of
participants who join this course will not be “drama
specialists”, but teachers in all fields who want to
explore the value of theatre devices as an authentic
part of school activities in developing fluency and
richness of ideas and words, encouraging expressiveness
and confidence and bringing children/adults into
educational activity in a way not normally found in the
classroom..
In April 2008 on the www.bridgesforeurope.org
web site a special section will be activated where the
participants will find:
-
All the necessary documents and information of this
training course
-
A help desk to file the necessary papers and application
for the grant
-
Links where a small bibliography can be found so as to
be able to read basic (non mandatory) text to introduce
themselves to the art of theatre and drama and its use
within didactic contexts.
Participants will receive a fact
sheet detailing the Greek island location of Hydra –
an island an hour from Athens and unique in the fact
that no motorised transport is allowed.
Follow-up
It is a strong desire on behalf of
the organisers to shape, with all the training
participants, a stable group of interest which can share,
exchange and promote knowledge, experiences and skills
amongst themselves and to other teachers and colleagues
in their countries. Thus, the aim is also to transform
the participants’ group into a virtual learning
community on the use of theatre and drama games within
the didactic activities; a community where the sharing
and exchange can be practiced via web or e-mails.
For this reason the trainers
will be available (through e-mail list serve) for advice
on implementing the material provided during the course
in their classes as well as to provide further
suggestions for student activity/materials.
Finally, the evaluation of the
training programme will also lay the foundations for
further possible trainings to be offered and implemented
by Hydrama for teachers and teacher trainers in a
twofold way: developing the course by means of an
“advanced” training, or deepening one or two
specific contents (sessions) which this proposal
develops. This will give the chance for the trainees to
follow up in the future with their learning on theatre
and drama applied in schools as well as to strengthen
the relationship with the new born virtual community.
Daily
Programme
Before each activity there will be
a brief outline of its objective. At the end of
each activity we will discuss whether and how the
objectives were achieved and in which class
subjects/contexts it can be useful…
Classes will be conducted in
outdoor studio and theatre spaces and will revolve
around allowing a siesta/time off in the hottest part of
the day and will finish in time to watch the
spectacular Hydra sunsets…before supper . Breakfast
will be provided as self-service and lunch and dinner
will be served at 2pm and 9pm.
Training
sessions are scheduled as follows:
Monday
25th August
Session 1 (9.30-13.00)
Session 2
(18.30-20.30)
-
Welcome & Introductory talk: Origins of theatre as
education.
-
“Circle” games – these are games which involve the
whole group sitting in a circle and which improve
group dynamics, acting as ice-breakers & bringing
the group together as a cohesive unit.
-
Warm
up exercises (verbal & non verbal)
-
Relaxation /trust exercises
Tuesday
26th
August
Session 1 (9.30 –13.00)
Session 2
(18.30-20.30)
(For most of today’s activities
participants will work in pairs)
-
Encounters/greetings
(verbal and non-verbal)
-
Mental
agility games
-
Verbal
agility games (word tennis & tongue twisters)
-
Games
to improve concentration
-
Games
to improve senses and awareness of space
-
Games
to improve memory
Wednesday
27th August
Session 1 (9.30-13.00)
Session 2
(18.30-20.30)
(We will be splitting up into small
groups and observing each other)
-
Approaching Improvisation
-
Creating scenarios
-
Improvisations - using everyday scenarios, such as
waiting rooms, bus stops, shopping trips ..family
situations
-
Improvisations continued – imaginary scenarios
Session 3 (after
dinner)
Thursday
28th August
Session 1 (9.30-13.00)
Session 2
(18.30-20.30)
-
Using
Greek myths/fables and gods to spark creativity
-
Developing material through improvisation
-
Creating scripts and plays through improvisational work
-
Creating historical & social re-enactments and
historical characters
-
Role
play & Character work (real, historical and
fictional)
-
Who am I?
Friday
29th August
Session 1
(09.30-13.00)
Session 2
(18.30-20.30)
-
Working with learning & language differences
-
Working with physically disabled and mentally disabled.
-
Using
Greek myths and fables contd.
-
Which
god/hero am I?
-
Allocation of project/presentations
Saturday
30th August
Session 1 (9.30-13.00)
Session 2 (18.30 –21.30)
Training
language
We want to underline that
although the training language and all written material
will be in English the “unofficial” language
is our body and action within the frame of drama.
The
trainers
Corinna
Seeds:
Has been a theatre director and
drama instructor since 1973. Trained with the Theatre
Workshop in London, E.15. She was the founder and
director of the Stirabout Theatre in London for over ten
years and Associate director/actress with the Greek Arts
Theatre (Theatre Technis) in London. She received
a Churchill Fellowship and numerous awards from the Arts
Council of Great Britain, regional arts associations,
the Lankelly and Guilbenkian Foundations for her theatre
work in institutions. She founded and runs HYDRAMA,
an arts centre for the promotion of theatre and dance in
Hydra, Greece where she has lived since 1988. She has
taught in numerous universities, schools and conferences
and run workshops for teachers in America, Greece
and the U.K.
Stathis
Grapsas:
Has worked as a professional actor with
the National Theatre of Greece since 2002 . He also
runs drama workshops with university and school students
and disadvantaged youth groups in Europe and Australia. He
trained as an actor and theatre director in Australia ,
leaving there in 1995 and continued his theatre
studies in Athens (1995-99) .
Overall
costs
The
attendance of the course costs 1.300 € which
includes training (from 25/8 to 30/8), food and lodging
in twin rooms.
Other
useful information
Vlichòs and the island of Hydra
The training location is on
the Greek Saronic island of Hydra, which is just
over an hour from the Athens port of Pireus by hydrofoil.
With its monasteries, the mansions
in white stone, the pretty beaches and clear-blue waters,
the famous people who lived there (from Henry Miller to
Leonard Cohen), and the complete absence of cars and
even bicycles Hydra remains untouched in its
historical and natural beauty.
How to get
to Hydra and Vlychos
The
nearest airport is Athens (ATH). Express coaches
(X96) leave from the airport at regular intervals for
the port of Pireus (a 40 mins.) and from the port there
are regular hydrofoil services to Hydra. (70 mins) .
Vlychos village is a 5 minute boat trip from the main
town of Hydra. Once flight arrival times are known
participants will be given individual arrival
recommendations.
The
accommodation fee includes
Food will be fresh, varied and
plentiful. All meals are prepared daily by an
excellent Greek professional chef using local
recipes and produce. Wine will be served with lunch and
dinner. All drinking water (bottled mineral ) is
included in the price. Vegetarianism and/or
individual food preferences or allergies can
easily be catered for. (Spirit drinks or extra wine are
not included and can be ordered separately)
Accommodations for seven nights in
twin room.
(arrival on Sunday 24th of
August, departure Sunday 31st of August);
-
7
Breakfasts (from Monday 25th of August to Sunday 31st of
August);
-
7
lunches (from Monday 25th of August to Sunday 31st of
August);
-
7
dinners (from Monday 25th of August to Saturday 30th of
August);
In case of a shorter stay no
reduction or refund is provided.
No reduction or refund is
provided in case of absence from one or more meals.
Linen, beach & bath towels
and basic toiletries (soap/toothpaste/shampoos/conditioner)
will be provided. Several boat trips from Hydra
town to Vlychos, a BBQ and an outdoor film screening
are included.
To
obtain the scholarship !!
1) Together
with this information brochure we also send you the pre-registration
form.
2) As soon as possible, and in
any case before the 30th of March 2008, you have to
submit the form to your National Socrates Agency in
order to be given the school-ship grant (please look for
all information, instructions and the application form
through your National Socrates Agency; the list of the
Agencies and their related websites are available on the
web-page
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/nat-est_en.html
3) When you receive the answer
from your National Socrates Agency, please send us an
email immediately:
-
If the
answer is negative your pre-registration request will be
cancelled.
-
If the
answer is positive we will send you the instructions for
the payment of the deposit (and later on for the
settlement) of the registration and accommodation fee.
We reserve the right to cancel
the ACT-ive LEARN-ing Course if the number of
participants does not reach the 12 unit mimimum.
If so we will inform you immediately so as to allow you
to use the Socrates grant for another European course.
Payments
After having received a positive
answer from your National Socrates Agency, and by
31st of May 2008, you should deposit a total amount of
200 € through bank transfer for which you will be sent
a regular receipt.
The remaining part of the fee has
to be paid by the 15th of July 2008 in order to
obtain the final registration certificate.
Bank transfer costs will be your
liability.
Cancellation
fee
In case of cancellation, the
deposit of 200 € euros is not refundable.
Please, remember that Comenius and Grundtvig grant
holders may not use grant funds to cover costs arising
from cancellation of their attendance unless this is due
to “force majeure” (certified serious illness or
death of a close relative only)
CONTACT
Reference person for
registration
Alessandro CARBONE
+30 694
8071363 +30 210 9843784
carbone@bridgesforeurope.org
|
