Recently the National Theatre held its Drama Teachers Conference. We asked Jack Beswick, our Merseyside Champion, and Charlotte Cattrall, a drama teacher at Maida Vale School in London, what their takeaways were.
Jack Beswick: I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of representing Open Drama UK at The National Theatre’s Drama Teachers Conference over the last two days. After two years of disruption due to COVID-19, it was thrilling to be welcomed in person to the National Theatre for the conference. The purpose of the two-day conference was to bring together drama experts and practitioners to inspire, inform, and upskill, and this aim was certainly met. Workshops were led by theatre companies such as Gecko, Lung, Paper Birds, and Vamos Theatre, as well as theatre practitioners and industry professionals.
Working with cutting-edge theatre professionals and being invited to practically explore their practice, approaches to theatre, and sharing their toolkit for engaging and inspiring young people in Drama and Theatre was extremely energising and inspiring. This was an invaluable opportunity to work with these practitioners to practically understand their creative process and how it can be implemented in the classroom. I left the conference feeling inspired and eager to put the various strategies I learned over the past two days into action. Interwoven throughout the practical workshops has been the opportunity to network as well as have vital and important discussions about the importance of creativity and championing and pioneering the work that takes place in the Drama Classroom.
We frequently work in small departments and, in some cases, on our own across the country. However, being in a space with like-minded creative individuals who shared a passion and belief in the work that we do, standing together in solidarity, was extremely refreshing. Thank you, National Theatre, for fueling my passion to further inspire, energise, and stimulate young people through drama and theatre. This conference has provided me with invaluable inspiration and professional development and I would encourage you all to get involved next year.
Charlotte Cattrall: The National Theatre Drama Teacher conference proved to be an inspiring, thought provoking, engaging and enjoyable experience oozing full of practical, relevant and innovative professional development opportunities.
I attended the practical, hands on and immersive workshops with Vamos on Mask Education and The Paper Birds on Devising. Each workshop gave me so many brilliant ideas that I have already implemented in my KS3 and GCSE Drama lessons with outstanding results. I will be inviting both companies to come and work with my students due to how inspiring I found these sessions and I am using their education resources in all of my lessons.
We were then invited to share ideas and resources with other Drama Teachers and join the NT Drama Teacher’s Network which I jumped at the chance to be part of. Often as Drama teachers we are in very small departments and on many occasions are the only Drama specialists in the schools we work so being able to connect, inspire each other and receive support in this way is vital to our well being and professional development.
Throughout the day I made lots of connections with other Drama teachers and it was so well organised and inspiring that I haven’t stopped talking about it to colleagues and friends. I would recommend this conference to Drama teachers of any level and am extremely grateful to Open Drama for the opportunity to attend which will benefit me and my students for years to come.