IMPROVAGANZA Impro Melbourne Teachers’ Resources 2015 The 2015 Education and Families Program is Proudly Supported by: TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THIS RESOURCE .......................................................................................................................... 3 ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA .......................................................................................................... 4 EDUCATION & FAMILIES TEAM ............................................................................................................... 5 CURRICULUM LINKS ................................................................................................................................ 6 ABOUT IMPRO MELBOURNE ................................................................................................................... 7 THEATRESPORTS™ IN SCHOOLS .............................................................................................................. 8 INTRODUCTION TO PERFORMANCE ..................................................................................................... 10 TERMINOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 11 ACTIVITIES: WARMING UP .................................................................................................................... 13 ACTIVITIES: SCENES AND GAMES .......................................................................................................... 16 IMPROVISATION: WIDER USES ............................................................................................................. 19 FURTHER READING ............................................................................................................................... 20 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This resource has been created to provide teachers with some preliminary ideas as to how to extend their experience of Improvaganza beyond the presentation and workshop. The activities are designed to be open-ended and multi-ability. They may need differentiation for your specific cohort. The performances and workshops included in the Education & Families program are designed to offer students engaging performing arts experiences with strong links to AusVELS. Each Educa- tion & Families performance varies in its content and as a result the scope for integration across the curriculum varies. Please feel free to contact the Education and Families team on (03) 9644 1808 or at [email protected] if you have any questions about this resource, its content or its implementation within your classroom. ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA Regional Arts Victoria inspires art across the state. Through creative facilitation, touring, education, specialised resources, artistic projects and advocacy, we develop and sustain creative communities and artistic practice all over Victoria. Regional Arts Victoria is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation working in long-term partnerships with every level of government, fostering contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice across five decades. We advise and impact on decision-making across multiple portfolios and levels of government. Regional Arts Victoria is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations, and the leading organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria. Our artistic program Regional Arts Victoria inspires creative communities, creative places and creative catalysts. CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE COMMUNITIES PLACES CATALYSTS Regional Arts Victoria stimulates Regional Arts Victoria champions Regional Arts Victoria fosters and connects our state’s the places where art is made, current and next generation communities of practice. experienced and discussed. creative capacity and practice. Members and membership Performing Arts Touring: Advocacy and leadership: services: fostering active and opportunities, tools and support leading state-wide arts engaged artists and arts for regional and remote touring conversations; creating organisations across the state; across Victoria and Australia exposure for regional artists; supporting arts professionalism providing strategic advice Education & Families: through specialised resources and performances, workshops and Creative Leadership Program: professional insurance projects in schools, accompanied annual program for emerging Resources, workshops and events by AusVELS aligned teacher arts and thought leaders program of forums and activities resources Creative Arts Facilitators: our through our Regional Cultural State-wide place-making projects regional staff team work directly Partnerships Program including – with artists and communities, in Networks: hosting specialised close partnership with local and Home is where the hall is: state-wide and national networks federal government November’s month-long (including Regional Cultural celebration of arts events in Access and diversity including Network, Festivals Network, Arts regional community halls Indigenous engagement and Teachers); participating actively in cultural exchange regional development networks; Eco-Cubby: promoting the accessing and developing New principles of sustainable design Grants programs: facilitating Networks at membership and and architecture in schools, and supporting high quality organisational level hands-on applications to quick response, presentation and project grants, Strategic partnerships with Small Town Transformations: administered on behalf of state governments, universities, innovative projects of significant and federal government tourism, planning and local and regional impact, development bodies as well as combined with state-wide arts and cultural organisations thought leadership on “How can art transform your town?” EDUCATION & FAMILIES TEAM Regional Arts Victoria’s Education & Families team pride ourselves on providing relevant and exciting activities for children and young people that are complementary to both Victorian and Australian curriculums. All of our tours come with a free set of education resources to further enrich your arts experience. Our team is available to provide local contacts and links to research, and offer advice on how to make the most of the arts at your school or centre. Our office is a resource for Victorian teachers, so we encourage you to make use of us! We also provide significant subsidy assistance (up to 50% of program costs) to eligible remote and disadvantaged schools. Your school may be eligible so please contact us to find out more! Suzi Cordell Education & Families Manager Ph: (03) 9644 1805 Mob: 0402 460 080 Email:[email protected] Meredith Dellar Education & Families Coordinator Ph: (03) 9644 1808 Email: [email protected] Aimee Fairman Education & Families Administrator Ph: (03) 9644 1819 Email: [email protected] CURRICULUM LINKS Domain Dimension Drama The Arts Exploring improvisation as a form Creating and making: characters / character development Exploring and responding: themes and issues raised Responding to own and other’s work Music Singing, using voices Visual Arts Drawing and designing character Communication English Speaking and listening Expressing and developing ideas Thinking Researching, problem solving Processes Reasoning, processing and inquiry Creativity Reflection, evaluation and metacognition Interpersonal Building social relationships through group work and collaboration and Personal Working in teams to create dramatic play Development Civics and Identification of viewpoints on a particular contemporary issue Citizenship Attentiveness to other points of view before making decisions in group and class activities ABOUT IMPRO MELBOURNE Impro Melbourne is Melbourne’s most diverse improvisation theatre company. Formed by Russell Fletcher and Christine Keogh in 1996 it is now run by joint Artistic Directors Patti Stiles and Katherine Weaver, General Manager Rik Brown and the Impro Melbourne Committee. Since 1996 Impro Melbourne has produced all forms of improvised theatre from short game/scene style formats through to full length 50 minute to two hour fully improvised shows, exploring genres like Shakespeare, musicals, film noir, murder mystery and non-naturalism. We currently produce the global impro format Theatresports™, as well as Keith Johnstone's two other competition formats Maestro™ and Gorilla Theatre™. These formats are licensed through the International Theatresports™ Institute and Impro Melbourne is the Victorian license holder. Celebrity Theatresports™ and Late Night Theatresports™ are regular features of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In 2004 we developed a schools program which has now become a highly acclaimed series of demonstration shows and workshops for primary and secondary students managed by Regional Arts Victoria. This includes IMPRO ZONE, show and workshops, for Years 5-12 and FAIRYTALE COOKBOOK, show and workshops, for Prep to Year 6 to develop creative thinking and storytelling. Impro Melbourne’s reputation continues to grow as we travel across Australia and overseas. The company has performed and taught in Asia, Europe and North America. In 2005 we ran the first International Improvisation Festival in Australia, bringing in players from North America, Europe, Scandinavia and Japan. We continue to share our innovative techniques with the impro world and will never stop searching the globe for inspiration. Key performers in the company have been working as actors and