Theatre/Drama & formal education

Athens, 25/11/2018, Working Group Conference 2018, coordinated by Patrice Baldwin

ATHENS CONFERENCE 2018
WORKING GROUP: "Theatre/Drama & formal education" 

Athens, 25/11/2018

 Coordinator: Patrice Baldwin, 
Education Consultant, past President of IDEA, Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, UK

Speakers:
Robin Pascoe, president of International Drama/Theatre & Education Association (IDEA), Murdoch University, Australia ,
Christina Krithari, theatre theoretician, drama pedagogue, Greece,
Dionysia Asprogeraka, Greek language and literature teacher, drama pedagogue, Greece,

Reporter: Clio Fanouraki,assistant professor, Faculty of Theatre Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, director, writer, Greece (Reporter)

Commentator: Takis Tzamargias, theatre director, Greece

The context

This working group will focus on the role and place of theatre/drama in today’s school: theatre as a distinct subject/discipline in schools; the role of theatre/drama in project-based learning; the potential of interdisciplinary partnerships in schools.

Why does theatre/drama in formal education matter? What are the current opportunities and challenges for theatre/drama in the taught curriculum? If theatre/drama in schools was through a perfect partnership, what might that look like? What different forms of using theatre/drama in schools can take place?

How should teachers pre-service and in-service training be considered?

What are the main barriers to developing theatre/drama in formal education?  Which might be the first we start to remove? 

Patrice Baldwin was a Primary Head teacher, Local Government Arts Education and Cultural and Creative Learning Adviser and Head of Norfolk Music Service.  She was a School Improvement Adviser and Inspector and was employed by the government, as a national curriculum Drama Editorial Expert. She has lectured at universities worldwide and in 2014, became a Cultural Leader for Brock University, Canada.  For 10+ years, she was Chair of National Drama (UK) and from 2010-13, simultaneously President of the International Drama, Theatre and Education Association (IDEA) and Board Member of the World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE).  Patrice published The Drama Book (Collins Educational) with Lesley Hendy, Teaching Literacy Through Drama (Falmer /Routledge) with Kate Fleming, The Primary Drama Handbook(Sage), With Drama in Mind, School Improvement Through Drama, Inspiring Writing Through Drama (Bloomsbury) with Rob John. She has also been a BBC Education Scriptwriter and Series Consultant for radio and more recently television.

Robin Pascoe is Senior Lecturer in Arts and Drama Education, School of Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. He coordinates units in teaching the Arts in Early Childhood and Primary; Teaching Drama in Secondary; and, Engaging Communities through Drama, Research Focus: Drama and Arts curriculum, implementation, teaching and teacher education, Markers of quality in drama and arts education, Assessment in Drama and the Arts, Teaching Artists, Representation and authenticity in research. Robin has extensive experience in Arts curriculum leadership and drama education in schools and with the Western Australian Department of Education. He has experience with local, national and international arts education curriculum development.Recent research project: AiR (Artist in Residence) Commission Project at Murdoch 2014-2017 connecting Teaching Artists with Primary Teacher Education students at Murdoch. Robin is President of IDEA International Drama/Theatre and Education Association 2013-2020. He is a former President of Drama Australia and DramaWest.

Christina Krithari, theatre theoretician, drama pedagogue, Greece

Dionysia Asprogeraka was born in Patras Greece. She is a graduate of the Department of History of the University of Ioannina Greece. Since 1988 she has been working in public schools of Secondary Education, implementing a variety of programs (Cultural, Health Education, Environmental, European). She has written and edited ten theatrical plays. She has attended seminars, scientific symposia, workshops and international conferences on Theater and Performing Arts in Education either as a participant or as a rapporteur, group leader and member of an organizing committee. She has also worked as a group leader for teenage groups and adult groups. Since 2008-2011 she has been a member of the Board of the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr). In recent years, she has participated as a trainer in the implementation of the “it could be me – it could be you” project of the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr) in cooperation with the UNHCR Greece (UN Agency for Refugees)

Clio Fanouraki, Assistant Professor (Faculty of Theatre Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), director, writer.Her scientific interests and research focus on theatre/drama education, contemporary theatre and digital technologies, multicultural drama education, writing, teaching and directing drama and theatre for children, teenagers and adults.She has been an Adjunct-Fellow Lecturer in theDepartment of Theatre Studies University of Patras as well as a research fellow at the Postgraduate Programme Theatre Studies at the Open University of Cyprus teaching the subjects of “Theatre/Drama Education”. She has conducted multiple research training workshops on the didactics of theatre. Clio Fanouraki has been active in teaching, writing and directing theatre and film for children, young people and adults. (Feature film: Xamou (2016). Short films: Medea (2012), Ftou! Freedom for All (2010), theatre performances etc.).She has worked in the field of research and production for documentaries, films, theatre and art festivals.

Takis Tzamargias was born in Piraeus, Greece. He graduated from the Piraeus’ Association Drama School, the Faculty of Primary Education at University of Athens and has completed his Master’s in Drama/Theatre Education at the same Department/Faculty. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.  As a drama/theatre pedagogue he has collaborated with various organizations including the University of Athens, municipalities, schools and theatre groups. He has also taught acting in several Drama Schools and worked as a director with the National Theater of Greece, the National Theatre of Northern Greece, the Cyprus Theatre Organization and other theatre companies in Greece and Cyprus. He has directed several plays for them, ranging from classical Greek to contemporary works. He has also participated in conferences regarding theatre in schools and co-written textbooks on Drama.