Drama Techniques: Expression and Creativity in Secondary Education

Description

Young people today struggle to express themselves, collaborate with others, and feel that their voices, opinions, and emotions matter within their learning environments.

In this framework, as feelings of impotence and solitude are more and more widespread, for educators and youth workers, finding strategies to create spaces where students can participate in an active and safe way has become an increasingly important challenge.

Formal education often struggles to respond effectively to this need.

However, over the years, there have been plenty of participatory and creative practices that have been useful, effective, and supportive in this direction.

This course aims to empower and equip youth workers and educators by introducing them to drama-based and creative participatory methods that support expression, collaboration, and group cohesion.

Drawing on practices from non-formal education, Drama in Education and Forum Theatre, participants will learn how to foster students’ expression, active participation and strong group cohesion, encouraging them in expressing their emotions, thoughts and ideas and strengthening connections within the class group.

Throughout the course, participants will engage in different experiential and participatory methodologies: movement-based exercises, group games, and drama practices aimed at developing body awareness and communication.

At the same time, the focus will be on non-formal education games designed to create joyful spaces and to reflect on collaboration and participation strategies.

These methods are intended to help educators facilitate personalized learning environments where students can express their thoughts and emotions freely in group processes.

Artistic practices will be used as a means of dialogue, reflection, and collective empowerment.

By the end of the course, participants will have developed stronger skills in facilitating participatory groups and using artistic and creative tools in educational settings.

They will be supported to apply these methodologies in their own context to promote individual and group growth and to foster their students’ sense of agency and impact.

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Strengthen their own sense of agency and impact;
• Apply drama-based and participatory methodologies in educational and youth work contexts;
• Use embodied practices to strengthen communication, collaboration, and group dynamics;
• Design creative activities that encourage expression of emotions, ideas, and experience;.
• Enrich their toolkit for creating joyful, safe, and participatory learning environment;
• Apply artistic participatory methodologies (Forum Theatre, Drama in Education, body-based practices);
• Promote active participation and creative expression among their students;
• Facilitate reflective sessions to help students process experiences, identify emotions, and draw personal and collective meaning from creative activities.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Building the Group and the Learning Community

• Getting to know each other & group building social games;
• Setting common values, agreements, and expectations;
• Introduction to participatory and embodied learning approaches.

Day 2 – Collaboration and communication through movement and play

• Body awareness and non-verbal communication;
• Embodied exercises for group collaboration;
• Non-formal education games focused on cooperation;
• Reflection on communication and collaboration strategies.

Day 3 – Drama in education – experiential exploration

• Drama-based participatory exercises;
• Working with imaginary spaces, roles, narratives, and symbols;
• Using imaginary spaces to explore experiences and perspectives;
• Reflection on expression, participation, and facilitation in drama processes.

Day 4 – Forum theatre – experiential exploration

• Introduction to “Forum Theatre” and “Theatre of the Oppressed” principles;
• Creating scenes that explore social situations and power dynamics;
• Forum intervention and collective experimentation;
• Reflection on agency, voice, and participation.

Day 5 – From experience to practice

• Introduction to the process of designing drama-based and forum-based programmes;
• Working in groups on planning activities adapted to participants’ educational contexts;
• Peer feedback and collective reflection.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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