Theatreworks can visit your school for either a half or full day to run text related workshops for students. Professional practitioners who have over twenty years experience in theatre and who are currently working in theatres across the nation as either performers, writers, directors or designers will work with your students on translating the written word into performance, characterisation, scene development, propping and period wardrobe - during the course of either a half or full day. They will encourage the students to breathe life into the text for a better understanding and for pure enjoyment!

Worcestershire based Theatreworks is a professional arts partnership with a national reputation for transferring classic novels to the stage, taking live performance to challenging spaces, working with young people on text related, drama, puppetry, design and technical workshops.
Its productions often combine music, dance, poetry, puppetry and sometimes film.
It performs in established main stream venues such as Windsor and Plymouth Theatre Royal, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. It has mounted productions for The National Trust and English Heritage and constantly tours from Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland.

How the Workshops Run

Teachers/Tutors may choose a script, in advance, from a list of classics such as:

Little Women
The Railway Children
Far from the Madding Crowd
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The Turn Of The Screw
The Importance of Being Earnest
Jane Eyre

The students taking part will be expected to be familiar with the novel in advance.

Teachers/Tutors will then liaise with Theatreworks to choose a scene from the script which will be explored during the workshop. Two scenes may be chosen for a full day session. Scenes will be chosen to suit the age of students taking part.
Students taking part will be given the scene/scenes in advance.
The workshop will begin with reading and discussing the scene, characters and any relevant background information. Students will then be cast in the various roles. A vocal and physical warm up will follow. They will then work on characterisation, character relationships, bringing the text to life, development of ideas, technique. Finally they will be encouraged to introduce items of props, furniture,costume. The session will end with a performance of the scene - drawing on us much as they have managed to discover and introduce during the workshop. The finished scene can be performed before fellow students or parents.

The Teacher/Tutor will be expected to be present. The Theatreworks team leading the workshop will include a professional director and performer.
For larger groups there will be two professional performers.

Cost

Half day workshop. e.g. 9.30am - 12.30pm: £200 - £350. Depending on how many students are involved.
12.30pm - 3.30pm

Full day workshop. e.g. 9.30am - 3.30pm: £350 - £600. Depending on how many students are involved.

Minimum number of students 6
Maximum number of students 24.

Relevant breaks will be taken during the sessions.

Theatreworks brings a selection of scene related period props, furniture, costume.
The school would need to provide an adequate performance space for the number of students taking part and a teacher/tutor.
Theatreworks is fully insured up to 5 million, has a strict health and safety policy, is risk assessed, its workshop leaders are CRB checked.

A member of the team would be happy to visit your school with the company workshop portfolio, and to chat about possibilities.

Art, Craft and Story Telling Workshops.

Key stage 1 and 2.

Available to schools, arts centres, heritage sites, museums and galleries.

Fun and engaging workshops where participants have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of mediums. They are designed to stimulate and enhance the understanding of a particular subject.

The Tudors
Participants create costumes, masks, props, write recipes for a banquet and entertainment at the court of King Henry VIII. The workshop combines Art and craft, design, creative writing, history, drama.

Animals
Designed for the very young who are encouraged to make a mask using a combination of mediums, develop animal noises and movements to go with their mask and use them during a relevant story telling session which involves a good deal of child participation.

Choose from Farm Yard, Woodland, Jungle and Pet workshops.

Suitable for age 3 upwards.

Autumn Finds
Make an autumn leaf wreath, a witches broom and mobile from woodland finds - a great follow up to a 'forest school' session or nature trail.

Suitable for the entire family.

Fabulous Fairys
Make fairy wings, a wand, dress up and participate in the story telling session which ends the event.

Suitable for fairy lovers from age 5 upwards