Coming Alive

Drama South Australia Conference

Saturday 14 November 2015

Flinders University, Education Building (enter from car park 2)

Program

Event Pricing

SESSION INFORMATION for “Coming Alive”

Keynote               Andy Packer, Slingsby                                                                                                   SUITABLE: ALL

Andy is an Adelaide based director of theatre, music theatre and opera and has worked as creative producer of multidisciplinary arts programs. In 2007 Andy co-founded Slingsby.  Through his work with Slingsby Andy has become respected nationally and internationally as a creator with a unique vision for theatre for young audiences.

Andy has also directed productions and events for Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Mumpsimus (co-director), State Opera of South Australia, Up Front Productions, Adelaide Vocal Project, Adelaide Football Club, Windmill Theatre, Restless Dance, Urban Myth Theatre of Youth, Come Out Festival (2007, 2003 & 2001) and Ricochet Theatre Company.

Session 1.1         Practical Drama Workshop – Sean Riley                                                                                SUITABLE: ALL

Sean Riley’s experience as a theatre company manager, writer,director, workshop leader and all things amazing in between are combined with his effervescent energy to ideally fit this session.

Here he introduces a number of activities that can help build an ensemble; focus, concentration, innovation and experimentation all ensuring a sense of fun. These are tried and true methods that he uses in his workshops and classes,that students really respond to. We all need a repertoire of activities that enrich our classes and that we can instantly turn to, so this will be an invaluable session from Sean.

You will certainly feel as though you have “Come Alive” after engaging in Sean’s workshop.

Session 1.2         Behind the Scenes – Rising Sun Pictures                                                                               SUITABLE: ALL

Rising Sun Pictures, which was founded in 1995, has grown to be one of the most respected independently-owned visual effects studios in the world. To date, RSP has created scenes for more than 100 films with credits that include Gravity, The Wolverine, The Great Gatsby, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Batman Begins and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Kirsty’s presentation will call on her experience as a Drama teacher and will explore the links that Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) can forge with Drama Teachers in South Australia. As well as presenting a reel of effects that RSP has created for Hollywood, Kirsty will talk about training that RSP provides in state of the art software for students interested in bridging the gap between performance and film.

With digital projections becoming an important aspect of our teaching, Kirsty’s presentation is bound to be enlightening.

                                Presenter:Kirsty Parkin, Manager of Training & Education, Rising Sun Pictures.

Session 2.1         Differentiation in Primary Drama to Engage all Learners                                      SUITABLE: PRIMARY

This workshop is designed to provide primary teachers with ideas of how to meet diverse learning needs in Drama. Participants will consider cross-curricula approaches to the Arts and focus on planning for engagement. Content will be also be relevant to teachers in the early years.

Presenters: Tina Mouzakitis, West Beach Primary School

Session 2.2         Building the Folio for Middle School Drama                                                           SUITABLE: MIDDLE

This workshop will share approaches to developing folio tasks in middle school Drama. With a focus on review and report writing the workshop will provide classroom activities and resources to use with students as well as an overview of a Folio unit aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

Presenters: David Hill, Glenunga International High School, and Giselle Becker, St. Michael’s College

Session 2.3         Multiple Strategies to Teach a Text                                                                          SUITABLE: SECONDARY

Year 12 teachers have two difficult tasks for the SACE Stage 2 course, one is the “Interpretative Task” worth 20%.

In this session two experienced teachers, Tess O’Callaghan and Kristin Mc Donnell, explain what strategies work for them in teaching a text for this task, and how they scaffold text strategies in the middle years to build towards this task.  Through presenting and utilising student exemplars, worksheets, activities and a unit plan for session participants to understand and collaborate on. Their sharing of methodology and strategies will help clarify, inspire and assist secondary teachers in their course work.

Presenters: Tess O’Callaghan, Cabra College, and Kristin McDonnell, Brighton Secondary School

Session 3.1         Drama as Pedagogy to Build Literacy                                                                      SUITABLE: PRIMARY

This workshop is designed to help primary school teachers used drama pedagogy in their literacy program. Using a picture book, School Drama™ encourages stories to come alive as techniques such as; freeze frame, mantle of expert, role-playing, conscience alley, sculpting and hot-seating are used to engage with the characters and their relationships, predict storylines and outcomes and use critical thinking. Discover how it all works in this practical workshop.

Presenter: Robyn Brookes, Education Officer, State Theatre Company of South Australia

Session 3.2         Creating Ensemble and Foundation Skills                                                              SUITABLE: MIDDLE

Aimed at middle and senior school Drama teachers, this workshop explores a range of practical activities and exercises that can be utilised in developing students into a performance ensemble. Participants will also see how these practical skills can be incorporated into a unit plan.

Presenters: Jamie Hibbert, Pulteney Grammar School, David Hill, Glenunga International High School and Charlaina Thompson, Cardijn College.

Session 3.3         An Actor Prepares                                                                                                           SUITABLE: SECONDARY

As teachers and artists we know how challenging preparing a role for theatre can be and we are often setting students this challenge. We are always searching for the ways that effectively prepare the pathway to performing. The obstacles that have to be overcome and the research that might need to be done in the journey an actor makes. So what processes do practicing artists rely on? What do they find helpful in finding and interpreting their characters?

Professional actor, James Smith, has made this journey many times and as such is more than qualified to share his acting preparations with us which we are sure will inform our efforts with the emerging artists under our guidance.

Session 4             How Can Artists Enrich Your Curriculum                                                               SUITABLE: ALL

South Australia has so many artists who bring the love of Drama to our schools through student workshops, performance, artists in residence programs and teacher professional development. This session will showcase a range of renowned artists and enable a great networking opportunity.

Presenters: Edwin Actil, Act Now (Socially Conscious Theatre), Owen Love, Mulderi Productions (Indigenous Theatre) and Andrew Crupi and Mariana Dias, Mari & Crupi Theatre Company (Commedia dell’ Arte and Improvisational Theatre)

Registrations open on Thursday 24^th September 2015 at 6pm via;

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/coming-alive-tickets-18643079954

Registrations close on Wednesday 4^th November 2015 at 6pm

NB. Please be aware that some sessions have maximum numbers due to the practical nature of the workshop. Delegates are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.