Dorothy Heathcote
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July2012_cover_Autumn 2011 07/08/2012 13:45 Page 1 National Drama’s magazine of professional practice Volume 18.2 Volume Summer 2012 DONE FORUMrama MANY VOICES July2012_cover_Autumn 2011 07/08/2012 13:45 Page 2 Drama Summer 2012 Volume 18 No 2 National Drama’s magazine of professional practice Volume 18.2 Volume Drama One Forum – Many Voices Summer 2012 DONE FORUMrama MANY VOICES Drama enables Drama educators and practitioners nationally and internationally to share theory and practice, debate key issues, engage in critical analysis and express personal opinions Drama is committed to the promotion, support and development of new writers Drama is an equal opportunities publication in line with National Drama policy Keys Meadow School Perform ‘The Tempest’ Dorothy Heathcote: Obituary What’s in it for the girls? Unlocking the poem Applying ourselves to the human drama Theres a Leak! Performance and Contexture Examiners need love too Why I became a Drama teacher Editor for this issue Chris Lawrence Editorial Team Pamela Bowell, Amanda Kipling, Chris Lawrence and Ruth Sayers. Contact Details National Drama Publications 9 Bayley Gardens Naphill The Drama Magazine website contains news High Wycombe HP14 4QW items, publications, reviews and resources. Telephone: 01494563639 You can access the pages for free, download Email: [email protected] information, make comments, and link to other Advertising related internet sites. [email protected] Front cover image: © Vinienne Lafferty www.nationaldrama.org.uk Back cover image: © Adam Scott The Drama magazine website is at The views expressed in Drama are those of the writers and do www.dramamagazine.co.uk not necessarily represent ND policy. © All material in Drama may be photocopied for personal, education and training purposes. Please credit Drama. ISSN 0967-4454 SUBSCRIBE to D rama online at www.drama-magazine.co.uk Drama_July2012_layout1 07/08/2012 13:33 Page 1 Summer 2012 InsideDrama here are great educational uncertainties as we go forward into the new school term. The TNational Curriculum is under review and, on the surface, it looks like bad news for Drama which is mentioned only twice in the draft curriculum for English. But is it as bad as it looks? Patrice Baldwin certainly thinks so. Her Reflections From the Chair piece, Goodbuy, Drama! Mayk way for fonix and spelink, is a passionate defence of Drama in its own right and an attack on the emphasis on synthetic phonics as a teaching strategy. However, the 34 review panel’s strong recommendation that spoken language should be a priority throughout the national curriculum (not just in English) should be welcomed as being favourable territory for us. 2 Reflections from the Chair The expert at finding room for manoeuvring drama into otherwise Goodbuy, Drama! Mayk way for fonix and spelink. arid curricula was, of course, Dorothy Heathcote. We are grateful to Patrice Baldwin Sandra Hesten’s comprehensive and thoughtful evaluation and reminder of the life and work of this great teacher. One of the many gifts she gave 3 Dorothy Heathcote to us is the practice of teaching in role, a strategy put to very effective use Sandra Heston’s obituary of the larger than life by Patrice Baldwin in her lesson with teachers in New Zealand on Carol teacher who put drama at the heart of education Ann Duffy’s poem, Havisham, based on the character in Great Expectations. The power of this strategy is to enable the class to experi- 12 What’s in it for the Girls? ence, in safety, some of the darker sides of human nature and to actively Lucy Kerbel asks the question engage in registers of ‘spoken language’ which are normally not available in a traditional English lesson – surely a useful and timely argument for 15 Unlocking the Poem Drama in the unfolding situation back home! A dramatic exploration of Carol Ann Duffy’s There is clearly some very strong and inspired Drama going on as Havisham by Patrice Baldwin most of the other articles in this issue of Drama testify. Vivienne Lafferty in her appropriately titled article, We are such stuff as dreams are made on, 22 Stuff That Dreams Are Made On describes a Primary school project centred on The Tempest and demon- Keys Meadow School Perform The Tempest strates just how, with the right leadership, young children can be Vivienne Lafferty motivated to achieve the most amazing things and to Live their Dreams. At Secondary level, Jennifer Little in the USA and Lucy Cuthbertson 29 Applying ourselves to the in Greenwich each describe how, in very different ways, the production human drama of a school play can facilitate change in the general functioning of their How documentary theatre helped one school find respective schools. The Drama projects described in this issue are so its heart with Jennifer Little powerful and inspiring it really does make it hard to believe that Drama's future in education is under threat. 34 There’s a Leak! But there is always further to go. Lucy Kerbel has conducted a Corelli Co-operative Academy by Lucy Cuthbertson research project with Tonic Theatre into the lack of performance opportu- nities for girls in youth theatres. Her disturbing conclusion is that, for 39 Performance and Contexture girls, accessing the benefits of youth theatre is still much harder than it Theatre Graduates a Year On by Julie Ward ought to be. Julie Ward also reports on some research she conducted with theatre students of Dartington Hall a year after their graduation; their 43 Examiners Need Love Too stories are very diverse, even Ali Warren ..at odds with their course of study, but all have plans for the future. 44 Why I became a Drama teacher Someone just setting out on her future is Kelly McGuigan, who Kelly McGuigan’s career thoughts reflects on the journey she has made to become a drama teacher. When the upcoming generation demonstrates such passion and commitment 46 Theatre review of Belong to teaching Drama it surely makes us all re-evaluate our own relationship Quintin Golding discusses Bola Agbaje’s play to this profession of ours. 48 Book reviews Chris Lawrence Summer 2012 Drama Magazine 1 Drama_July2012_layout1 07/08/2012 13:34 Page 2 REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHAIR Mayk way for fonix and spelink r Gove should be ashamed suggest the opposite is true. that Drama does not appear ND was represented at various Min the new draft primary early DfE meetings about English curriculum for English that was and has been proactive in writing to released in early June. Mr Gove, the DfE and selected MPs http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/te from time to time. We received care- achingandlearning/curriculum/a0021003 fully worded replies from Nick Gibb. 6/sosletter Mr Gove did not reply himself. Drama is not expected to appear When I was attending the launch of anywhere else as a subject either. No Henley’s ‘Cultural Education’ report, new curriculum subjects are going to I asked Mr Gove directly, what he be added now, apparently, (except a saw the role of drama teachers being modern language from age 7). in the future. He acknowledged their This is a dull, prescriptive and importance in signposting the most uninspiring ‘back to basics’ draft talented students to drama schools. curriculum that lacks vision and “ I urge both secondary and pri- imagination. Primary children will I urge both secondary and mary drama teachers to formally soon be bored unless they have primary drama teachers to respond to the draft primary curricu- teachers who are very imaginative in formally respond to the lum when the opportunity arises in the ways they teach it. A lot of time September 2012. You will note there and money could have been saved if draft primary curriculum is a time lapse of two months the experts had just dusted off some when the opportunity arises between publication and the opening old Victorian textbooks and tests and in September 2012. of the consultation that must not be presented them as the ‘new’ English allowed to reduce or weaken our programme of study. Why put it responses. The number of responses online? They could have sent it all will be noted, so let’s swamp the DfE. out on slates and then got industry Meanwhile, I am wondering to sponsor some quills and inkpots if Mr Gove’s focus on poetry and (with their logos on of course). reports are commissioned and then phonics tests (that contain ‘alien’ Fonics and spelink rool (pages of ignored. Remember Ken Robinson’s nonsense words) for 6 year olds, it). Playscripts get only one mention All Our Futures report (1999)? It could lead to a new generation and that is in relation to reading plays recommended that the Arts should of Lewis Carrolls. It is, probably, and comprehension, not performing all have equal curriculum status. This creatively the best they can hope for! them. Reciting poetry also has a was ignored. The recent Henley strong place. Speaking and listening report that the current government ‘The time has come,’ the Minister said, seems to be mainly about debating commissioned also recommended ‘To talk of facts and things: and presenting and as a preparation that Drama should be a curriculum Of phonics – grammar – spelling – for writing. It is all very ‘public subject in its own right. This was also The dates of bygone kings school’. I can’t imagine why! selectively ignored. But let’s not talk of Drama Mr Gove should explain publicly The primary curriculum needs to Ideas are dangerous things.’ why some arts are still being given be broad not ‘slim’ and should be higher status than others.