Theatre Workshop II

Methodology

We are searching for a way to bridge the lessons that students enroll in at Ligo (provider of basic education), and the learning activities that Het Gevolg offer (theatre company).

How we pursued this for this production, is by following these steps:

INFORMATION
- teachers at Ligo get informed about the possibility for their students to enroll in theatre workshops
- teachers inform their students of the opportunity to participate in theatre workshops

REFERRAL
- students who are interested, take part in the sessions of the theatre workshop, a teacher from Ligo is present to evaluate how theatre is strengthening the learning outcomes for these students

PROCESS: COCREATION
- students get to know each other and learn new skills while practicing Dutch
- following each rehearsal, teachers from the theatre workshop and from the basic education organisation have a one on one conversation where insights and feedback are being exchanged and learning outcomes and the process are being discussed

RESULT
- students and teachers work together to create the script, the attributes, the play
- students and teachers work together in order to perform on stage for a life audience on a set day and hour
- students ellaborate on promoting the event

PROCESS EVALUATION
- following the result that students and teachers co-created, we conduct a multi-factor process evaluation in the form of a fishbowl conversation where students, art teachers and basic education teachers express: (1) expectations prior to participation, (2) appreciation of self-efficacy during the process of rehearsing together, (3) learning outcomes, (4) dissemination of learned skills or learning method into daily practice

Lessons learned

Open communication between teachers of the theatre workshop and teachers of the basic education organisation is essential
Participants from one workshop are eager to participate in another on, we might have to proactively do more with this – in this case: two participants from photography workshop I enrolled in theatre workshop II
Contradictory to the findings from our first theatre workshop, this time students demanded flexibility in the setting of date and time for the performance
The learning process is most effective in small groups: if the group is larger than 15 people, the learning results will decrease
At first, everyone was like ‘why a show in the middle of the week’, but the room was full of fellow students and teachers of LIGO and everyone was super enthusiastic.
The teachers were so impressed by the performances and told us that they see their students grow enormously, especially in the field of speaking and self-confidence.