Theatre Centre brings world-class theatre straight into the heart of schools. We've been touring for nearly 70 years and providing exciting, creative resources for teachers and students. We commission professional artists, designers, writers, teachers and practitioners to create cutting edge work with young people (and theatre!) at the centre. Theatre Centre is an Arts Council registered National Portfolio Organisation.
Theatre Centre brings world-class theatre straight into the heart of schools. We've been touring for nearly 70 years and providing exciting, creative resources for teachers and students. We commission professional artists, designers, writers, teachers and practitioners to create cutting edge work with young people (and theatre!) at the centre. Theatre Centre is an Arts Council registered National Portfolio Organisation.
This 60 minute lesson plan with supporting PowerPoint is focused on how to structure an engaging review. Includes an example from an award winning critic on how to build a strong opening to a written response. The lesson then guides students through a clear structure, using each key element as a building block to anaylse and evaluate a live performance effectively.
Learning Objectives
To learn how to structure an engaging review
To develop essential skills in critical thinking.
Liven up evaluative discussion around performance work with these performance and self evaluation dice.
There are 3 templates included here for you to cut out and stick together to make three separate sentence starter dice.
Students roll the dice and complete the sentence that the dice lands on.
This resource offers lots of flexibility for use. They can be used individually in class to encourage more varied verbal responses or as sentence starters for written work. These could also be passed around during class discussion to kick start conversations around themes and techniques after watching performance work.
Blank template also provided to write sentence starters more specific to the piece being studied or to further develop thinking. Students can use the blank template to create their own evaluation dice and challenge a classmate to complete their sentence starters.
Differentiate your evaluative and reflective moments of the lesson with freedom of choice, by asking students to roll two or more dice and allowing them to select which sentence to complete.
Sentences focus on a range of performance, technical and group work skills.
Eg:
Theme/context -
• The performance left me wondering about…
Acting skills -
• An example of where an actor used voice to show their character’s feelings was…
Self evaluation -
• If I could perform the piece again, I could improve it by….
Scheme of work is designed to spark conversation and develop understanding around Mental Health; focus is stress, anxiety and panic attacks. The unit explores the story, Ella, introduced by listening to a short radio play during lessons, Ella is 16 years old and is facing a myriad of pressures. The lessons unpack Ella’s thought processes and encourage students to think of ways to help Ella. Strategies for managing a panic attacks are addressed and also how to seek out support networks.
As a Theatre Company for young people, we specialise in using realistic third-person scenarios to open up safe discussions about difficult subjects. Each ‘Switched On’ scheme of work is centered around a professional radio play. Perfect Pressure is by award winning writer, activitst and performer Sarah Woods. Sarah’s work has been produced by many UK companies including Theatre Centre, Soho Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, the RSC, BBC TV and radio, regional theatres and touring companies. A number of her plays are published by Oberon Books.
Switched On is everything you need to teach varied and engaging PSHE lessons at KS3 and KS4 with minimal prep. Also suitable for Drama departments and the clear guidance makes it very approriate for cover lessons.
Mental Health - Perfect Pressure.
Students will be learning:
Wellbeing strand
The characteristics of emotional and mental health and the causes, symptoms and treatments of some mental and emotional health disorders (including stress, anxiety and depression)
Strategies for managing mental health including stress, anxiety and depression; a broader range of strategies for promoting their own emotional wellbeing
A lesson plan on bravery which explores resilience and asks students to consider what being brave is and how our ‘inner voice’ can impact on how we feel about ourselves.
Learning Objective: To understand the struggle between fear and bravery. To be able to present this dramatically through characterisation.
The lesson is based around a short radio play, Perfect Pressure, which is available in our store. However, although the lesson refers to a character from the play, it can be taught easily without students being required to listen to the play as the context is explained using a third person scenario.
Learning outcomes
These resources are designed to continue to embed ideas and dramatic techniques explored in Rise Up into the student’s learning and assist them in applying these ideas to their own work.
Summary
Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in numerous areas within the Drama curriculum. The plans aim to enable students to create monologues, build character backstories and imagined future life, explore ideas around segregation and the marking of territory, investigate the role of performance poetry within plays and narratives, draw upon the example of the Freedom Riders to recognise and fight oppression in their own lives and
on gain more information on writing reviews. These session plans may be adapted or combined to suit the needs of your pupils. We’d be very pleased to hear your feedback, or any suggestions you have for developing these resources further.
The Play
Rise Up by Lisa Evans. Age advice 13+
The tide was turning – though local governments disagreed, it would soon be illegal to segregate black Americans from white Americans on public buses, in waiting rooms or in restaurants.
And yet – in the early 1960s, many states across the south of America kept discriminating against African-Americans…
In modern day Britain, four actor-storytellers tell the stories of the Freedom Riders – principled citizens riding buses across Alabama and Mississippi, drawing attention to this illegal discrimination, and facing up to terrifying violence with peaceful resistance.
The story of the Freedom Riders is one of ordinary people becoming a civil rights movement, taking on the establishment and changing the world. In a time of Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin, and Mark Duggan, what does it mean for people to come together and rise up?
**The lesson plans contain extracts of the script and a full copy of the text can be purchased directly from the Theatre Centre website.
What are Switched On toolkits?
Teaching resources that support engaging PSHE lessons at KS3 and KS4.
Each Toolkit contains:
Short professional radio play
4 hours of lesson plans
Student work booklet
Powerpoint
Guidelines for creating a safe space for teaching PSHE
Theatre Centre specialise in using realistic third-person scenarios to open up safe classroom discussions about difficult subjects. Each scheme of work is centered around a professional radio play. This bundle contains FOUR teaching toolkits on the following topics:
CONSENT
MENTAL HEALTH
FINANCIAL LITERACY
ONLINE SAFETY
More information on the content covered in the lessons:
Toolkit 1: RSE (Consent) - Viral. Students will be learning :
Relationships Strand
To establish clear personal boundaries around those aspects of their lives they wish to be private, shared only with specific people, and made public. To understand their right to privacy
That consent is freely given and that being pressurised, manipulated or coerced to agree to something is not consent; that the seeker of consent is responsible for ensuring that consent has been given and if consent is not given or is withdrawn, that decision should always be respected
The law in relation to consent (including the legal age of consent for sexual activity, the legal definition of consent and the responsibility in law for the seeker of consent to ensure that consent has been given)
How to seek the consent of another person and be sure that consent has been given; how to assertively withhold or withdraw consent
Toolkit 2: Mental Health - Perfect Pressure. Students will be learning:
Wellbeing strand
To evaluate the extent to which their self-confidence and self-esteem are affected by the judgements of others
The characteristics of emotional and mental health and the causes, symptoms and treatments of some mental and emotional health disorders (including stress, anxiety and depression)
Strategies for managing mental health including stress, anxiety and depression; a broader range of strategies for promoting their own emotional wellbeing
Relationships Strand
Strategies to manage strong emotions and feelings
The characteristic and benefits of positive, strong, supportive, equal relationships
Managing changes in personal relationships including the ending of relationships
The role peers can play in supporting one another (including helping vulnerable friends to access reliable, accurate and appropriate support)
Living in the wider world strand
To evaluate their own personal strengths and areas for development and to use this to inform goal setting
About the information, advice and guidance available to them and how to access it
Toolkit 3: Financial Literacy - Tick. Students will be learning:
Living in the wider world strand
To assess and manage risk in relation to financial decisions that young people make
To explore social and moral dilemmas about the use of money, (including how the choices young people make as consumers affect others’ economies and environments)
Toolkit 4: Online Safety - One Million Likes. Students will be learning:
Relationships strand
The safe and responsible use of information communication technology (including safe management of own and others’ personal data including images)
To understand the terms ‘habit’, ‘dependence’ and ‘addiction’ in a wide variety of contexts (including substance use and information technology) and where and how to access support if they have concerns
Living in the wider world strand
How social media can offer opportunities to engage with a wide variety of views on different issues
To recognise how social media can also distort situations or issues; can narrow understanding and appear to validate these narrow views
A practical lesson in characterisation thorugh movement. Can be used with any play text or performance. Detailed lesson plan and supporting PowerPoint.
This lesson will build skills for both written responses and practical exploration of characters. This 60 minute lesson is for use following reading a play or watching a live performance.
Objectives:
• To be able to alter my movement on stage to reveal qualities of a character
• To evaluate an actor’s use of movement on stage
The lesson explores physicality by learning about how an actor can use centre or energy. Students then create their own role on the wall by considering internal and external qualities of a chosen character. Their understanding is further embedded by use of hotseating.
An exploration of anxiety through the use of a short radio play. This first lesson is free and can be taught in isolation. The entire scheme of work is available to purchase.
In this lesson students will listen to a 2 and a half minute scene where Ella and her boyfriend, Harry, discuss plans for the school prom. Students will consider what aspects of Ella’s life are making her feel anxious and what support she could seek. They will also consider Harry’s response to her anxiety and discuss how his wellbeing could also be considered.
Objectives:
To understand how pressures can contribute to anxiety
To be able to explain symptoms of anxiety
To explore ways to manage anxiety for self and others
This resource includes the first scene of the radio play in audio and written format, a ppt lesson and supporting worksheets.
Suitable for both Drama lessons and PSHE.
This journal is for KS3 though due to the open ended nature, can be appropiate for KS4 and 5. Suitable for remote learning.
Through the 13 Chapters, young people will be given the space to observe, reflect and respond to big topics and themes central to our current world to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. This is a space to stretch your imagination and be creative.
The Chapters can be completed in order or hand-picked for the context of your class. Students will follow the same explorative structure to create reflective work for each Chapter. See how to guide to learn more.
This chapter explores the theme of change, looking at other artists interpretations to the theme as a starting point to devising a creative response.
A series of online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for English and/or Drama lessons.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers. Happy writing folks!
Suitable for Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Includes:
Lesson 1 - Frazer Flintham. Exploring the relationship between character and story.
Lesson 2 - Nessah Muthy. Developing Characters and their Stories.
Lesson 3 -Matilda Ibini & Natasha Sutton Williams. Turning Your Ideas into Stories.
Lesson 4 - Charlie Josephine. Writing For Performance.
Lesson 5 - Keith Jarrett. Writing Poetry.
Lesson 6 - Chinonyerem Odimba, How To Write a Great Opening Scene
Lesson 7 - Leo Skilbeck. Devising On The Page.
Lesson 8 - Q & A with our writers.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson and contains some student responses. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak. They were filmed during the first lockdown in 2020. They are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 6 - Chinonyerem Odimba, How To Write a Great Opening Scene.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. The writing course resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak and are recordings of a live video lesson involving secondary students during the first lockdown of 2020. They were created by Theatre Centre, a non profit registered charity. We were able to fully subsidise the project and offer these lessons at no cost to schools.
Lesson 5 - Keith Jarrett. Writing Poetry.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak and therefore are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 4 - Charlie Josephine. Writing For Performance.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson and contains some student responses. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak. They were filmed during the first lockdown in 2020. They are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 7 - Leo Skilbeck. Devising On The Page.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Lesson 1 - Frazer Flintham. Exploring the relationship between character and story.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Lesson 3 -Matilda Ibini & Natasha Sutton Williams. Turning Your Ideas into Stories.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Lesson 2 - Nessah Muthy. Developing Characters and their Stories.
This resource is a script:
SKY
BY ALEX CRITOPH.
Mother Nature is holed up in a cottage listening to Lizzo; and she needs to get something off her chest.
19 of the UK’s most exciting writers have written a collection of stories for the nation to perform and record. In August 2020, we ran a Festival to celebrate ImagiNation and screened 19 films made up of submissions from people all over the UK. You can see the films on our YouTube channel.
The Imagination plays are the perfect provision to use in your school with a Drama or English class, or as something for your Drama Club to do at home via zoom while you can’t meet in person as a great way to feel connected. Get your students to record whole stories or just a line or paragraph from one of the plays. It’s up to you. You don’t need any acting experience at all. We just want you to enjoy telling a story. ImagiNation is supported by a series of ‘How to…’ videos to give you some tips from top professionals on directing, acting, voice and filming.
