Date: Nov 2–7, 2015
Place: Auro Mirra International School, Bengaluru
Workshop with Students
The theme of the workshop for students from grades 4, 5 and 6 was devising a one act play. As the theme was announced, it dawned on everybody the indispensable need to have a purpose that would give the whole process of the play an objective to accomplish. The children were encouraged to identify aspects of their current situations in life that they deeply cared about and reacted to strongly. A free-wheeling sharing of emotions and ideas sensitized the children towards the changing condition of the city that they live in. Observing the present condition of Bengaluru, the children were asked to describe the way they would like to maintain their city. From the shared feelings, ideas and questions that arose, the spontaneous process of weaving a story began to take shape all the while staying in touch with the very pulse that the theme originated from. In four and a half hours spread through the week, through the application of process-drama, the grade 4 children scripted a crisp and heartfelt short play which they finally performed at their Friday assembly. When given the option, they chose not to reveal to the audience the conclusion of the play they had earlier worked out, and decided instead to pose a question to the audience and end the play with ideas emanating from the latter. The opening and closing songs added a lot of life to their performance. All this while, it was overwhelming to watch their independent work in progress, from observation to discussion to preparation to performance.
There were in-workshop presentations exploring the same process mentioned earlier for a large group of 5th and 6th graders. Their creativity and inexhaustible energy found a very constructive outlet and expression as they enthusiastically participated in quality stimulator games and activities. It seemed that furthering such activities with this group would give their inner geniuses multiple creative expressions helping them evolve exponentially.
Workshop with Teachers
November 7, 2015, was the last day of the programme in which a group of 23 teachers participated in a workshop on the significance of vocal and physical expressions in teaching through stories. Starting with the very basics of voice culture, rhythm, movement and harmony through various processes of participatory theatre were explored. With every activity the teachers seemed to expand in their consciousness as in their spontaneous actions they could observe their real degree of awareness and the awareness degree that maintains our connection to our highest ideal.
Through customized games like “Show what you speak as you say what you are saying”, “the evolving story” and “stories from the heart”, teachers explored a range of myriad expressions of their voice, body and movements. Finally after sharing various themes to work with and synthesizing them to a single point of resonance, they explored ‘compassion’ as their central theme and presented the result of their creation which had different conclusions each time. In the end, the Open Forum broadened everyone’s perspectives and provided insights into how bringing stories in the classroom alive can make the elements of the story identifiable, gripping, realizable and delightful.
Some Reflections:
Many of them remarked: “It was a delightful process of learning and unlearning and exploring the untapped possibilities within. It left our participant teachers reverberating with renewed energy and confidence.”
The workshop was conducted by Ravi Shanker, an ardent learner, educator, stage and voice actor and now a part of India Council for Integral Education (ICIE) as creative director for theatre in integral education.