Consultancy & Education
Outlined below are the aims of Tell Tale Hearts' drama consultancy and Teacher Training programme, designed to enhance the experience of learning through play across the curriculum.
"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect alone but by the play instinct.
The creative mind plays with the thing it loves."
Jung
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Current & Ongoing Educational Work Inset Workshops Mad About Books |
Past Educational Work Consultancy Black Light Theatre Residency |
Current & Ongoing Educational Work
Inset
Tell Tale Hearts offer inset for nursery workers, and primary school teachers, looking at how to bring drama into the classroom and curriculum.
The company's use of materials and tactile approaches to drama ensure that all staff will have a memorable and fun filled day and will leave participants positively bursting with ideas to try out with their children.
The company has run inset days for 'Artforms' part of 'education Leeds', 'Learning partnerships', 'The Music & performing Arts service' of N E Lincolnshire, 'Cumbria University', 'North west Rotherham Action Zone' and many individual infant, junior and primary schools.
If you have a specific request please contact the company to discuss your needs.
"Now I really want to try and include drama in my cross curricular planning as much as possible
as it is so valuable."
Emma Spencer, Stallingborough Primary
Early years, key stage 1 and SEN:
The company specialises in creating stimulating, expressive workshops using simple drama techniques, recorded music and materials to help encourage; working together as part of a team, physical development, imaginative play & the expressive arts, language & literacy and having fun!
To help provide a structure and framework for the activities to take place we have developed workshops that link in to the following texts and themes:
- Going on A Bear Hunt
- The Gruffalo's Child
- Learning through Stories
- Under the Sea
- Space Adventure
- The life cycle of the seasons
Key Stage 2
The company provide drama workshops that can link in to a range of chosen texts and topic areas within the curriculum. The workshop activities help to enhance the children's; language & literacy skills, creative writing, work as part of a team, physical and emotional development and increases their understanding of the specific subject areas explored.
For further information please contact the company.
Stockport Schools' Book Award.
Tell Tale Hearts worked with Stockport Art gallery and Stockport School Library service to deliver
summer performances of 'Suitcase Stories' at the Art Gallery and Stockport Central library
and provided inset and a residency programme for 3 selected Stockport schools in 2009.
Artist Residency in Stockport Schools
Natasha worked with 3 primary schools to devise theatre productions based on one of the stories from
the short listed 'Stockport school Book awards'. The texts chosen by the schools to work
from were;
- 'The Trouble with Dragons' by Debi Gliori with Year 2 children
- 'Mrs Muffly's Monster' by Sarah Dyer with Reception children
- 'Clover Twig & The Incredible Flying Cottage' by Kaye Umansky with Year 3 children
Final performances were held at the individual schools and a showcase performance of 'Clover Twig' was performed at The Romiley Forum, Stockport, as part of the glamorous, 'Stockport Schools' Book Awards' Gala night.
"This has been a fantastic opportunity for some of our children to work with a professional theatre director.
The final performance has exceeded our expectations & introduced us to new ways of working."
Hursthead Juniors
Natasha will continue to work with the Stockport Art Gallery on a 'health & well being' project in spring 2010 where she will once again be teamed with successful illustrator; Angie Thompson. On this occasion Angie Thompson has been tasked with creating a picture 'story book' with High schoolstudents based on the 5 stages of 'well being'. Subsequently, Natasha will use this picture 'story book' as the basis to create a performance with primary school children to be performed to the whole school, parents and the original high school students involved in illustrating the picture book.
Past Educational Work
Consultancy
Aims of the Consultancy programme;
- Increase teachers´ awareness & knowledge of the range and uses of the "performing arts" in educational settings.
- To develop teachers´ confidence in using at least one of the "performing arts" to engage children in creative learning.
- To provide staff with simple exercises to use as a basis to develop the performing arts in schools, particularly for younger years.
- To broaden the appeal of the "arts" across the curriculum, & inspire the use across subject boundaries.
- To inspire & enable teachers to create their own "performing arts" experience for children in their schools.
The scheme includes 2 inset training days for staff and a mentoring programme spanning the school year. Commissioned by "The Music & Performing Arts Service" N.E. Lincolnshire, and created in association with Fusion Theatre & Arts Production Ltd.
Due to the tremendous success of the pilot, Tell Tale Hearts have been funded for a further 2 years to continue working with primary schools across the N E Lincolnshire region. In 2007/8 the company will run an additional "advanced" drama course for teachers wanting to build on their experience of the first stage of the consultancy.
Interested parties should download the following document(s) or contact us for more in depth information about this highly effective approach to education.
Tell Tale Hearts Consultancy
Tell Tale Hearts Education Policy
Tell Tale Hearts were commissioned by "The Music & Performing Arts Service" of N E Lincolnshire Council to create a week long residency project for primary schools using the eastern European "Black Light Theatre" convention.
For a week a complete mini theatre was installed into the school hall,and 2 artists & musician – Lisa Oliver – work with up to 2 classes and the class teachers to explore a chosen topic or theme using the stunning visual effects possible with a complete Black Box theatre and UV lighting. Piloted end June 2008 at Lisle Marsden School, the project proved to be unique & inspiring to both teachers and pupils alike. Aimed at year 5/6 children this was an opportunity to explore one of the curriculum areas in depth and with the assistance of leading artists to help enable the individual teachers to realise their children´s ideas.
"This experience has given me much more confidence to be able to teach them."
Participant teacher of Pilot week on using drama conventions within literacy framework
The week included an inspiring performance of "Arctic Antics" – directed by Natasha Holmes and performed by the artists; Emma Nicholson and Louise Clark.
Aims:
- To develop an awareness of theatre at KS 2 level through a different theatrical medium.
Objectives:
- To allow teaching staff and children access to a one week residency with the black light theatre supported by drama and music workshop leaders.