Digitalisation vs. Humanity Workshop
Connection, focus and participation in a digital world
(10 – 14 years I All year)
In a world where digital communication is the norm and a necessity, how can we ensure human relations stay (and return to being) warm, while making use of digital tools? This sounds like a paradox. However, we believe this can be done by stimulating connection, focus and participation with theatre workshops, while working towards making a visual digital story. Using drama techniques and games, actors help students create the proper basis for working together, develop story-making skills and learn how to use digital communication safely. The digital story takes the form a video or a photograph, or another creative means of digital storytelling.
Information
COST | €450 for 1 workshop of 90 minutes €800 for 2 workshops of 90 minutes €1200 for 3 workshops of 90 minutes €1500 for 4 workshops of 90 minutes + travel costs to The Hague. You can choose how many workshops/modules you need. We recommend minimum 3 sessions. |
DATE | All year round |
TIME | We can plan around your schedule, but suggest workshops are 1 week apart. |
VENUE | Your school |
AGE | 10 – 14 years |
PARTICIPANTS | Max. 20 students per group |
LANGUAGE | English |
TAILOR-MADE | Choose the modules and workshop themes that you desire (see below) |
Workshop Modules to choose from or combine
Each one of the following workshops can be booked through us, or can be taken up by a teacher at school. Depending on budget and schedule, teachers can select which workshops they wish to implement. We have solutions to make the series more compact, by combining workshops with one actor.
Workshop 1 – Connection
We use Commedia dell’Arte or another form of comedy and humour through theater to encourage connection among pupils. Laughter and humour connects. The workshop explores the themes of diversity, inclusion and acceptance.
Workshop 2 – Focus
Pupils listen to a story to stimulate their imagination. They are encouraged to focus: to listen to the story but also their inner self and to come to a quiet space in their minds. Using techniques of visualisation they determine the themes of the story, giving colour to their experience. In groups they connect these themes with emotions and feelings. They learn how to visualize elements that create the basis of meaningful storytelling.
Workshop 3 – Visual story creation
Pupils learn how to create a story in a visual, physical format. They create scenes for a living tableau. Each tableau tells a student or group story which has a message. During the creation of their tableaux pupils are stimulated to reflect on how they can turn a negative experience into a positive memory.
Workshop 4 – Participation (digital storytelling)
A visual artist or a teacher in school helps the pupils creatively and safely put their stories together to make a visual message which they can share. Sharing is a form of participation in society. Together we discuss content of the digital message: it can be a memory, an imagined story, or a message to share with peers, teachers and parents. Images – photos, slides or short videos – collected during the previous workshops form the basis of their digital message. They use tablets, computers, Chromebooks, or smartphones, working at school or as homework.
What do you want to achieve with your students?
Participation as citizens
The skills they learn enable them to share their experience and their story with peers, teachers and parents. They are empowered to express issues that they are concerned with, as they regain feelings of connection and focus. Learning how to make a digital message (film or photograph or other) gives them the tools to participate in society as modern citizens.
Positive Impact
After this project we find that students have erased some of the negative impacts of digital technology over-use. Our experience shows that teachers see renewed confidence and positive motivation in the classroom, as the students rekindle their relationships as individuals and during teamwork.
Learning goals and main components of the project:
- Connection, focus and participation
- Digital literacy
- Digital safety and privacy
- Theatre activities
- Storytelling
- Creating a visual (digital) message
- Citizenship and participation
Project background
The development of this project was part of an initiative at Cultuurschakel, Den Haag, to explore creative and positive uses of digital methods. Cultuurschakel encourages, advises and supports the collaboration between culture makers and schools. This project was successfully implemented as a pilot project at Haagse School Vereniging. It can now benefit other schools and more students.
Booking and information
E: education@theenglishtheatre.nl
T: +31 6 20 43 1919