www.ista.co.uk THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L S T H E AT R E A S S O C I AT I O N

2013-14 DECEMBER ISSUE 2

scene. THIS ISSUE: How we sh in e

Brannel High School festival: 30th October – 1st November 2014 By Rob Lane and Sally Robertson “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee.” Who do we remember? And how do we remember them? How can we use the arts to keep people from our past alive? And how might we ensure that we, in turn, are never forgotten? The Brannel High School festival will offer a unique and thrilling collaboration as we take inspiration from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” and use it as a portal into contemporary ways of understanding personal relationships, love, honesty and the everyday matter of living a good life. As ISTA continues to diversify and pilot new festival models this ‘cross-arts’ festival will incorporate performance, theatre, television, music, dance, literature, visual arts and technology to bring the text’s meaning alive for the 21st century. Participants will experience a truly international exploration of what it means to be remembered. The final performance (as well as the out and about) will take place in the stunning Elizabethan setting of Trerice Manor, a house situated just moments from the sea, and which stood through the years that Shakespeare was alive. Brannel is one of the most modern schools in the UK. Opened just last year in the very centre of Cornwall, it was designed as a college for the Performing Arts and enjoys wonderful facilities for all arts activities. And just over five miles distant from its front door lies Trerice, a manor house cared for by the National Trust, which will be opened in the evening and lit by candles to provide the most wonderful setting for public performance that you can imagine. Having taken 120 students to six festivals since 2007, it is now time for Brannel to open its doors to provide a festival experience for ISTA schools around the globe. The wonderful coastline of Cornwall. The romance of Trerice. The modernity of Brannel. The universal themes embraced by writers of the past and relevant to us all, no matter what our age or from where we come. The perfect ISTA event we think. Join us – and see if you don’t agree. While the festival calendar is not normally launched until May we wanted to give all members a sneak preview of this particular festival. The dates are October 30th to November 1st 2014. Thursday to Saturday with travel days Wednesday (29th) and Sunday (2nd). St Austell is the nearest train station and we have lots of options for travelling to Cornwall from years of producing the Eden festival. All visiting schools will stay in a youth hostel very close to the school and transport will be provided daily to the festival sites of Brannel and Trerice. We also thought an early ‘heads up’ might encourage theatre teachers to think about bringing a truly ‘cross-arts’ group of students, rather than the customary theatre group; open it out to the wider school community, get other departments involved… the options are limitless. If any of you have a particular interest in attending this festival and would like us to hold a spot for you, please email [email protected].

WHO’S WHO @ ISTA… Patron Professor Jonothan Neelands, National Teaching Fellow, Chair of Drama and Theatre Education in the Institute of Education and Chair of Creative Education in the Warwick Business School (WBS) at the University of Warwick. Board of trustees Iain Stirling – chair Superintendent, Advanced Learning Schools, Riyadh Jen Tickle – vice chair MYP Coordinator, International School Dhaka, Bangladesh Dinos Aristidou Freelance writer, director, consultant, UK David Gardner Writer, television producer, director, France Alan Hayes Theatre teacher, International School of Brussels, Belgium Sherri Sutton Comic, director and chief examiner for IB Theatre, USA Jess Thorpe Lecturer in the arts in social justice, Royal Conservatoire Scotland; Co artistic director of Glas(s) Performance and Junction 25, Scotland Honorary life members Dinos Aristidou, UK Doug Bishop David Lightbody, UK Ted Miltenberger, France Mike Pasternak, Switzerland Ian Pike, UK

4 Mapping ISTA 4 Vision/Mission 5 Governance 6 ISTA artists 10 CPD 12 Artist in Residence programme (AiR) 13 The Academy By Julia Kerrison

18 ISTA Member Schools

Perth, Australia office – staff Sally Robertson – CEO – [email protected]

THIS ISSUE: H ow w e shi ne

3 A brief history of ISTA

16 Our 2013-2014 journey

Cornwall, UK office – staff Jo Parish – Business Director – [email protected] Julia Kerrison – Operations Manager – [email protected] Beth Lane – Arts Administrator – [email protected] Kathy Dunstan – Arts Administrator – [email protected]

2013-14 DECEMBER ISSUE 2

2 Editorial and ‘Down under’

14 The ISTA offi ce

Global patrons: schools/organisations The American School of the Hague, The Netherlands International School of Geneva, LGB, Switzerland International School Hamburg, Germany International School of Penang, Uplands, Malaysia Marymount International School, London, UK St John’s International School, Belgium St Julian’s School, Portugal Taipei American School International Thespian Society, Taiwan

scene.

CONTENTS

20 Porthleven International Youth Theatre Festival By Julia Kerrison 21 ISTA festival pedagogy 23 Starting points and inspiration packs 30 Workshops 32 The benefits of attending ISTA TaPS: a case study By Rachel Ollagnon and Marsha Yalden 33 TaPS: the student experience

Edited by Sally Robertson Artwork by Jo Doidge To submit material or comments for future issues please email Sally Robertson on [email protected]

www.ista.co.uk THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L S T H E AT R E A S S O C I AT I O N

© International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) 2013-2014 ISTA and its editors accept no liability for the views, opinions and advice contained in this journal.The editors reserve the right to edit any materials submitted for publication.

ISTA contact information: International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), 3, Omega Offices, 14 Coinagehall Street, Helston TR13 8EB U.K. Tel: + 44 (0) 1326 560398 | Fax: +44 (0) 1326 561100 | [email protected]

www.ista.co.uk

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 1

Editorial and ‘Down under’ By Sally Robertson

Three ideas inspired this issue. Firstly… Most of you, whether you are teachers, artists, or one of our valued ‘periphery’ people, have a partial view of ISTA. Of course, this is natural. Leanne, teaching in Singapore typically brings one group of MS’ers to a festival in Europe each year and is a festival Rep; Janeann in Jordan brings a group of IB students to TaPS every 2nd year; Dave, who’s part of the senior admin team at Atlantic College, staffs for us as a student ensemble leader at one TaPS a year; Charlotte who’s PYP coordinator at Southbank books a one off annual AiR with us, and so on, and so on. Even trustees, honorary life members and staff in the office can’t be expected to have a full picture of who ISTA is and what we do. So this issue aims to bring together all the different strands of our work and ‘show them off’ to you; thus giving you a picture of the organisation as a whole and a better sense of ISTA in its entirety. My wish is that on reading this issue, there will be simultaneous responses around the globe such as “Ah, I didn’t know ISTA did that’. Secondly… I believe it’s useful at certain stages simply to sit back and take stock and capture the organisation at this moment in time. The history of ISTA on page 3, was initially started by Pat as an attempt to keep a record of major annual achievements. As a history it shows milestones as well as logging the continued growth and development of ISTA. It was 4 years ago that we last ‘took stock’ with our ‘Unplugged’ issue of Scene and much has changed while our values and core operations largely remain the same. What strikes me laying all this out for you is not only the sheer breadth of what we do now; but also the quality. Initiatives arise only out of the need for change, a response to current practice, feedback from artists, teachers or students and are carefully monitored. We don’t throw practice rashly away but are respectful of the traditions and ways of working that have informed the 36 years of experience. We tread cautiously but are not afraid of change. Looking at the workshops, the article by Rachel and Marsha about their students’ learning at TaPS, the range of workshops on offer at festivals alone; every strand of our work has a seal of quality about it. We have never been the kind of association to shout from the rooftops but dare I say it, we are very good at what we do. Which leads me to… …Thirdly We are truly an international organisation, albeit approaching educational models from a western perspective but the leadership and office definitely has an English feel to it… of course. As such (being true Brits) we are quite humble about ISTA and have not had a history of blowing our own trumpet or, as I said above, shouting from the rooftops. Everyone who’s involved in our work knows about us, but outside that we are not really known very well. We’ve never had a full blown marketing strategy; we simply work with those who are on board and channel all our resources and energy, as we always have, into top quality events. When I read one starting point for a festival – I think ‘How amazing’ but when I see and read 23 all together I can’t help thinking ‘Wow’. Ditto with artist bios – to read one makes me feel so privileged we have such strength in our artist pool – but reading just this one sample… again, the wow factor kicks in. So it is with an immense amount of pride I give you this issue. My voice untypically appears more than usual but only to set a context for the different sections. Thanks to: t

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so beautifully articulating the benefits of students attending TaPS. Down under Many of you are already party to this information but I wanted to formally announce that I will now be working as CEO from Perth, WA (Australia). I have had some people ask ‘What takes you to Scotland?” – but it’s not Perth Scotland, it’s Perth, Australia! My husband is from Perth and as a family we have spent very little time here while our daughters have been growing up. We’ve been considering the move for a good 12 months but various jigsaw pieces had to be completed before we made the final decision. It was now or never really, as my eldest daughter will begin her last two years of school in Perth at the CFHJOOJOH
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trustees for their approval of me carrying on in the role of CEO. This was given and we’ve been working on the logistics since. With Julia in place now as Operations Manager, she and the office team will continue to operate out of our Cornwall office; so day-to-day business continues as it always has. My role over the next 5-6 months will be to fully support the office, ensuring everything is working and everyone is happy; with systems, communication, event management etc. At the same time I’ll be working on three major projects that include membership, the artist pool and programming. As everything becomes more established in the office I’ll pull away from the day to day, outside an overseeing role, which will leave me more able to focus on strategy, development and the whole host of other more typical CEO jobs. I’m looking forward to focusing on our Asian schools and events for a XIJMF
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attend the Subject Specific Seminar and carry out a few school visits. We have a new mission statement to launch in June along with a new strategic and operational plan – lots to keep me busy. It’s been fun over the past week to realise with a few teachers that we’re finally on the same time zone – and figuring out the 8 hour difference with the office in Cornwall hasn’t been too big a challenge; there is a certain sense of satisfaction doing 8 hours work before all of Europe wake up. Exciting times ahead as always and I look forward to revealing more and more of our plans as the remaining months of our 36th ISTA year unravel. On behalf of the ISTA community I would like to send our deepest sympathy to Alan Hayes; board member, ISTA artist and teacher at UIF
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peacefully after a short illness on December 19th. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Alan the strength and courage needed at this time; BT
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the world too soon, and has left Alan too soon. Alan would like to thank everyone for the kind messages of support he has received from ISTA friends and colleagues.

A brief history of ISTA 1978-1979 The first High School (HS) theatre festival is produced at the American School in London.

2002-2003 A 2nd landmark year with membership exceeding 100 and 13 events produced this year.

1982-1983 ISTA becomes a non-profit organisation and membership is opened up.

2003-2004 We introduce a new range of publications written by teachers for teachers. David Lightbody and Sally Robertson create our first strategic plan.

1983-1984 The ISTA newsletter is produced for the first time. 1984-1985 We produce two festivals for HS students and organise our first teacher conference. 1985-1986 Three HS festivals are produced this year and our teacher conference moves to Stratford-upon-Avon. Ted Miltenberger becomes ISTA’s first president. 1986-1987 Our first Middle School (MS) festival takes place in Zurich. Pat Zich’s publication Teaching Ensemble Technique in Theatre is published. We produce our first ever TaPS (Theatre arts Programme Symposium) event in Stratford-upon-Avon. 1988-1989 Michigan State University begins offering graduate credit for participants of our teacher conference. 1989-1990 Membership exceeds 50 and we purchase our first computer equipment. 1990-1991 Two MS festivals are produced this year, for the first time. 1991-1992 A landmark year with membership reaching 60 and our first festival in Asia (MS, hosted by Taipei American School). 1992-1993 Our first HS festival takes place in Asia, at the International School of Bangkok. 1993-1994 Solid planning ensures we reach the end of the year with a financial surplus. 1994-1995 Four HS and MS festivals are produced this year with our first festival in Australia – hosted by Narrabundah College, Canberra. 1995-1996 We become a registered charity and company limited by guarantee in the UK. 1996-1997 Dinos Aristidou takes over as president and Sally Robertson begins as Asia Pacific Coordinator to establish and develop ISTA events in the region. 1997-1998 Our first teacher conference takes place in Bali.

2004-2005 We produce 14 event this year including our very first Primary School (PS) festival at the International School of Amsterdam. Ted Miltenberger retires from the board of trustees and is awarded honorary life membership. David Lightbody becomes president of ISTA. We become a workshop provider with the IB in the Americas. 2005-2006 Mike Pasternak retires from the board; he along with Dinos Aristidou are awarded honorary life membership. 16 events are produced this year and we work alongside the IB to produce the teacher support materials for the new DP Theatre course. We begin a new collaboration with the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. 2006-2007 ISTA produces 19 events and we establish a main office in Cornwall. Our strategic plan is updated. ISTA becomes the Global Provider for DP Theatre training. 2007-2008 Our first bonsai festival takes place at the International School of Berne. There is now one full time and 4 part time staff in the office. A memorandum of understanding is created between the IB and ISTA. Three interim board meetings are set to discuss long term growth and development. 2008-2009 The TaPS and festival working groups make a significant impact on the artistic work at all our events. The decision is taken to change our staffing structure in the office to 3 full time staff. A resolution is passed at our AGM to move from an elected to an appointed board. We reach an all time high of 25 events this year with 155 members worldwide. 2009-2013 A summary of the last 4 years… This period will primarily be defined by establishing the office. We have struggled to define certain roles and have had a number of staff changes. We have learned a lot along the way. The Cornwall office is now stable with a Business Director (Jo), Operations Manager (Julia), and two Arts Administrators (Kathy and Beth). Systems and procedures for both running an office and managing our events are established and being further refined. It has been a big step and a challenging one at times; but necessary to secure ISTA’s future and the foundation for all subsequent growth.

1998-1999 We produce our first TaPS in Australia at St Leonard’s College, Melbourne and our first IBMYP festival takes place in Vienna.

It is remarkable to reflect that while all these changes have been happening we have still been producing top quality events, introducing new streams of work and continuing to grow.

1999-2000 Our first festivals in Africa and the Middle East at the International School of Tanazania and St Christopher’s School Bahrain.

And we’ve had some major landmarks in this time. In 2011 David Lightbody retired as president. He was replaced by Iain Stirling as chair of the board and the term president became obsolete. David and retiring trustee Ian Pike became honorary life members. In 2011 we began our Porthleven International Youth Theatre Festival and in 2012 inherited the Encore! Summer Theatre Programme, now called The Academy.

2000-2001 Mike Pasternak takes over as ISTA president and Sally Robertson replaces Pat Zich as CEO. 2001-2002 We produce our first Primary teacher experience; our first TaPS in the Americas is produced and Scene is launched as our new quarterly journal. The executive council is replaced by a board of trustees. www.ista.co.uk

We currently have 192 school/organisation members and 36 individual members and are set to produce over 50 events in 2014-2015. Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 3

Mapping ISTA

Vision/ mission

I want to include two different approaches to the concept of ‘mapping ISTA’.

We are currently embarking on a review of our vision/mission statement. ISTA’s board of trustees will be considering our new mission statement and working on a definitive version to launch ISTA’s 2014-2015 year starting June 2014.

The first is included in your mailing this month. I’ve been working with Rose Robinson at Kidesign for a good few months to try to visually represent ISTA. It wasn’t easy! Who are we? What do we do? How do we classify all the people involved in our community? How do we classify all our events? I didn’t want some dreary chart – or just words and knew Rose would be able to do something hugely creative and visually interesting. This mapping is really important not only to begin to understand the constituent parts of our organisation but also to take stock of the sheer breadth, depth and scope of ISTA in 2014. The 2nd aspect of mapping has come into play for our operational review and for the many reports I now write. In order to manage ISTA effectively whether it’s a set of strategic statements or an operational plan it’s crucial to identify the strands of our work. This list has changed as we’ve come to work with it over the past 12 months but is pretty comprehensive as well as immensely useful. > > >


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Reducing the risks For a considerable number of years ISTA lay in the head of Pat Zich; and since 2001 it has really been held in my head. This heightens risk for ISTA. So we’ve started tackling that with some rigour. The office staff are beginning to create manuals for all strands of work – so ‘how to’ documents. Data cleansing is a bit of an elephant in the room but we’ve made a start. And I’ve started writing information trails. If you are a Harry Potter fan then you’ll recall Dumbledore’s ‘pensieve’ – well this is my version of that – important histories, stories, memories – that are slowly but surely being extracted from the corners of my brain and written down on paper to provide a comprehensive account of ISTA to date and how things have come to be. These, with the office manual’s will reduce risk for ISTA and help to ensure longevity and a healthy future. 4 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

We currently have… ISTA’s vision is to be a leading international theatre learning hub that develops internationally minded young people, teachers and artists through innovative theatre practice. To achieve its vision, ISTA draws together young people, artists and teachers from different countries in different settings to experience and learn about theatre, culture and each other. This results in exciting theatre and develops innovative practice at a range of international festivals and training events. We passionately value diversity and collaboration, celebration and play, friendship and collegiality. These values underpin our practice and lead to the ongoing development of new collaborations, partnerships and programmes. Our draft re-writing is… ISTA believes that the future of our world depends on confident, internationally minded, collaborative and culturally literate young people who are empowered to engage with and change the world responsibly. We believe that this is achieved through the ISTA experience. Educators play a key role in the fulfilment of our mission. We therefore offer educators worldwide the opportunity to come together to develop themselves, their pedagogy and their skills, equipping and empowering them to bring about this change through theatre. ISTA brings together young people, artists and teachers from different countries in different settings to experience, create and learn about theatre. We passionately value diversity and collaboration, celebration and play, friendship and collegiality. We approach all changes within ISTA through a consultative process. If you would like to tell us what you think about our proposed new mission statement, please do so via email to Sally.

Governance ISTA is governed by a board of trustees. We have our patron, Jonothan Neelands, and our honorary life members. Working as individuals and collectively these people guide us by setting vision, shaping strategy and policy, and ensuring we have the means to implement this. Whether on the board or as staff in the office we have always been an ‘association’ run by teachers, for teachers. This is what excites me about our proposed new mission/vision as it places teachers back at the centre of our organisation. A minimum of two teachers will always be present on the board and it was so heartening last year to have expressions of interest from 11 teachers from around the globe. There have been periods in our history when interest has waned, but not any more; another indication of the healthy state of ISTA at this present time. Structure and operating practice of the board of trustees The board of trustees are an unpaid, volunteer group who are collectively the legal representatives of the organisation and who are responsible for the governance of ISTA. Their role is to serve ISTA by creating vision, setting policy and ensuring the organisation has the infrastructure and staff to deliver on that vision. There are a minimum of 5 trustees, no maximum number is set. The trustees are located around the world and as such we schedule one face-to-face meeting per year (onetwo days in duration) along with 2-3 conference calls throughout the year. ISTA has an appointed board and individual members will be brought on at such a time as numbers and need dictate. The collective skill set of the board is such that the range of skills at any given time will meet the current and future needs of the organisation. As ISTA is an organisation for teachers and run by teachers, there will always be a minimum of two teachers on the board. Each trustee will join the board for a 3-year term of office. This term can be extended, with the support of the remaining board members for a further three-year term. A six-year period may be extended in an emergency or at a time when it is important to maintain consistency and/or experience. Trustees will inform the chair if they are to leave at the end of their 3-year term; and will (except for extenuating circumstances) give 6 months notice if they choose to leave the board outside of the regular term of office. There will be two positions of responsibility within the board, those of chair and vice chair. Other duties normally carried out by a treasurer or secretary will be undertaken by ISTA staff. The chair’s role will be for a 3-year term of office with 6 years being the maximum length of time in office. One year’s notice will be expected in order to ensure succession planning can be effective. The same criteria exists for the role of vice-chair. www.ista.co.uk

Trustee job description Each trustee, prior to being appointed will agree to: t

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of time, s/he is not able to be in regular communication (at periods where other professional or personal needs mean ISTA involvement would be limited, or cease to exist for a short period of time); t

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are pursued individually (or in collaboration with one other board member; or one of ISTA’s staff) during the course of the year: these goals should be set realistically with regard to personal time available and having identified the need for this work within the organisation at this time (these goals will be set on an annual basis in collaboration with the chair of the board and the CEO); t

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board on an annual basis in collaboration with the chair of the board and CEO; t

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management of the organisation through quarterly reports, end of year reports disseminated by the CEO.

Chair job description The chair of the board will assume all the requirements cited above and in addition will: t

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of strategy and on ensuring the vision is being delivered through bi monthly phone conversations with the CEO; one face to face meeting with the CEO (where CEO appraisal is carried out); t

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year reports and financial documents. Vice-chair job description The vice-chair will be ready to take over the work of chair, should s/he, for any given period of time be unavailable. S/he will also comprise a team of 3 (chair, vice chair, CEO) should emergency situations arise, requiring immediate decision-making. Skill set for the board of trustees Board members will have a sound understanding (and historical involvement) with ISTA. In cases where this doesn’t exist trustees should have a demonstrable commitment to ISTA values and the remaining board members should be able to identify a ‘fit’ with the organisation (when trustees arebrought on board as newcomers to ISTA). All trustees must demonstrate: t

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XPSL Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 5

ISTA artists We currently work with over 120 freelance international artists and teachers. Spread around the globe they undoubtedly constitute one of our greatest assets. Bringing a range of experiences with them and hired for their excellence in theatre practice, international understanding and classroom management they provide young people and teachers with skills, understandings, passion and inspiration. Time and again, it is this experience of working with ISTA artists that is the key to the success of an ISTA event for those who take part. Below are just a few of the biographies drawn from our amazing pool of artists. Over the coming months we’ll be working to create a new e-mag containing a comprehensive listing of all our artists; including bios and headshots. Agustin Maggi I am a professional actor and director from Uruguay. After working as an English teacher for many years I finally decided to concentrate all my teaching time and experience on theatre, both at primary and secondary levels at The British Schools, Montevideo. I have now been working here for many years, coordinating the arts department as well as working in the classroom, mainly at the senior level with IB. Theatre has been my passion ever since I was a little boy. Initially, I only envisioned myself as an actor; while I taught English to children I developed my craft on the boards in several professional companies and theatre groups across the country. Until one day, chance took me to Argentina as an assistant director of a play, and what would only last a couple of months, tied me to Buenos Aires for four years. It was there that I started applying what experience I had in teaching to theatre. One thing followed another and without knowing how, I directed my first play, and then the second. I returned to Uruguay as a director and theatre teacher. ISTA and the IB have opened my horizons to the world. From the classroom I leapt to Cardiff for training and grade awards; I worked as an online faculty member for five years, and this experience helped me understand the curriculum in many an unexpected way. Marking exams and moderating the work of others has also been of great help in becoming a better teacher and in grasping the programme for the benefit of my students. I have also lead several workshops, mainly in the Americas region. Working shoulder to shoulder with teachers around the world is an invaluable and treasured experience that I hope to continue developing in the future. Avital Manor-Peleg Israeli-born with international education and work experience, I specialise in physical theatre, masks and medical clowning, as a creator, researcher and acting instructor. Recently I moved with my family to the US, where I began a new post as the Cultural Attaché of the Israeli consulate to New England in Boston. My last position in Israel was as Director of the Israeli Puppet School, where I constructed a new academic programme. I hold an M.A. degree with honours in theatre studies from Tel Aviv University and completed further studies in London and Hong Kong. I have been a proud member of the ISTA artist pool for the past 9 years, and find inspiration in this unique, cosmopolitan, professional community. Theatre – it is simply part of my breathing. Throughout my professional life I have acted, directed, carried some theatre lighting as well as painted sets. I spent days and nights on academic research, probably erasing more words than I wrote on non-verbal theatre technique. And as for the sweetest part – believe it or not my favourite activity is to be a curious 6 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

audience to my students and colleagues. I love, love, love losing a heartbeat when I’m watching a simple magic moment on stage or in the studio. Bill Bowers I am a mime who talks. Born and raised in Montana, one of the quietest places on earth, silence drenched my childhood. And, by the way, this was long before Oprah – being a gay kid growing up in a small western town meant I also knew about keeping my mouth shut. The advent of Facebook was decades away, so forming my identity was interactive and risky. This mix of unspoken mayhem, humanity and beauty pointed me toward the art of mime. And that inevitably pointed me toward NYC, where I now live and have worked as an actor and mime for 30 years. I have appeared on and off Broadway, the Kennedy Center, the White House, an Amish colony and a family nudist resort. I spent several years studying with Marcel Marceau and now tour my solo shows all over the world. As an artist I utilize the art of silence to investigate the phenomenon of silence. I like to take the classical form of pantomime and use it in a way that is accessible in the contemporary world. The greatest lesson I learned from Marcel Marceau is that if mime isn’t passed on and taught, body to body, the art form will simply disappear. I have made this my mission. I am a storyteller, and want to help students find their voices to tell their own stories. I am continually amazed how powerful the “voice of the body” can be, and my work as a teaching artist is to help artists unlock their physical imagination and allow this to augment the creative process. I presently teach Creative Movement and Mime at NYU Steinhardt, the Stella Adler Conservatory, Neighborhood Playhouse and the William Esper Studios. I am especially interested in finding connections between mime and method acting, both art forms committed to truthful behavior in imaginary circumstances. Though new to ISTA I have presented workshops for TAPS, and was an AiR in Dusseldorf in 2013. I look forward to more opportunities with the ISTA community. Chris Ng I believe that everyone can act. We play roles all the time in our daily life. So taking role playing into the performance space is just an extension of that. The primary difference is one of skills and discipline. As a working actor for many years – on the community stage and then in television – I felt I could use more performance skills and lots of discipline. That was what I tried to instill in my drama students when I headed a performance arts department at a private college and when I work with new actors. I was really fortunate to have studied Chinese Opera and Kabuki, puppetry, movement for actors – skills and

performance styles which have enriched me and given me depth as an actor. Over the last 15 years, I have taken drama and theatre into the domain of social issues, educating young people in my country (Malaysia) about issues that impact and affect them. Starting off with the Youth to Youth Theatre on HIV/AIDS, my work has grown into areas of child protection, trafficking, bullying and self-esteem. Drama and theatre is such a powerful tool for giving voice to those who do not have one. This is where I now focus my energy and I find it truly rewarding. In the last 5 years I have gone back to retrain myself and am now a qualified play therapist. I find that it is no longer enough to deal with the drama outside, but also the drama within us that prevents us from being the best that we can be. That is something I believe that everyone deserves – to be the best that we can be. Daniel Sarstedt It is no wonder I am a musician as I come from a musical family. I used to tour with my singer/songwriter dad in my summer holidays, first as his (very average) roadie, eventually ending up on stage playing the harmonica and keyboards, and singing harmony. I have an MA in English from Copenhagen University, supplemented with theatre studies at Rose Bruford College, and I am currently head of arts at Copenhagen International School, where I teach theatre. Apart from various freelance music and theatre projects, I play keys in a dubstep band, Det Sejler i Effekter, regularly touring and releasing EPs and albums. My approach to art is saturated with a belief in the importance of collaboration. While I love writing songs and music when it’s just me and a piano or computer, it is through working with other artists (of all ages) that I really feel I thrive. The unexpected directions work will invariably take when ideas mesh and new ideas appear, seems to me an endless source of creative inspiration. This goes as much for working with a group of young artists at an ISTA festival as for working in the studio with the band finalizing a track. Outside of working in education and with the band, I work as a composer/sound designer, e.g. scoring for director Sacha Kyle’s The Library, and working for Danish youth theatre Teatermejeriet with Christoffer Høyer, as well as various film projects. The collaborative nature of the close working relationship between a director and sound designer fascinates me. I think ISTA epitomizes this approach. I have participated in more than thirty festivals, as a visiting teacher with students, as Festival host teacher, as an ensemble leader at middle and high school Festivals and IB TaPS, as a musical director and as artistic director. Experiencing festivals from such different roles, it never ceases to amaze me how in the arts the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Desta Haile My name is Desta Haile. British-Eritrean, born in Bangkok, I have lived in Barbados, France, The Ivory Coast, Jordan, England, Belgium, Brazil and The Philippines. I’m into music, theatre, languages and culture and how they all relate. I started professional music early on and have been writing and touring the world solo and as a backing vocalist for about a decade. It has been a wonderful journey that has give me the opportunity to perform plenty, from New Zealand to New York, supporting artists like Andrew Ashong, Finley Quaye, Baloji, Joe Bataan, Michale Bublé, and Zap Mama while recording and releasing original music on CD and vinyl. As international intern with Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed in Rio de Janeiro I developed an appreciation for theatre in social change, for the power that theatre has to bring ideas and dreams to life. I have taught languages for many years and have recently translated this experience into intercultural consulting and training. I loved taking part in ISTA as a student, and have been on the staff side of things since 2004 leading workshops in Korea, Switzerland, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and a few other places in between. Every festival is an incredible adventure with amazing people and spectacular locations, so I am always looking forward to the next one! www.ista.co.uk

Eivind Lodemel I was born in Norway, where I grew up in a small mountain town. I learned to play traditional Norwegian instruments and performed on the radio and in a number of concerts and festivals. At 17 I earned a scholarship to United World College of South East Asia and left for Singapore. There I developed a love for jazz and also started performing in the local jazz scene. I went on to study jazz and improvisation at Trinity College of Music in London, where I started working regularly as a jazz and session musician. I was part of a number of touring jazz groups and toured all over Europe and in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. In Japan I was also part of a group delivering a series of music workshops at the Kunitachi Music Academy, and performed at Tokyo Opera City, one of the main performance venues in the city. After doing a postgraduate in education at Cambridge University I left for Bangladesh, following a short contract working for the Jordanian royal family. In Bangladesh I worked in an international school and was a part of the local music scene, where I recorded two albums with local musicians and performed regularly on TV and radio. I am currently working at United World College of South East Asia and performing with several Cuban bands in Singapore. I am passionate about music education and have written and published articles on the subject. I have led workshops at the National Jazz Youth Collective summer schools and was recently a presenter on the topic of technology in the classroom at the Google Apps Education Summit in Singapore. I am passionate about working with music from many cultures and always looking for ways to mix styles while staying true to the original music. Jessica Naish Living in Sichuan, I’m a creative consultant for ‘Hua Dan’, China’s only NGO using theatre for social change. I teach acting and theatre in education (T.I.E.) at Sichuan University and Shanghai Theatre Academy. From 2002-2009, I was head of community engagement at Sherman Cymru, directing and writing plays with young people and refugees on many award-winning projects. In 2000 I was performance lecturer at Loughborough University doing practice-based research into participatory theatre and masks. Before my brief flirtation with academia I was a clown and performer, privileged to train with mime master Desmond Jones, Brazilan clown Angela de Castro, Augusto Boal and Balinese mask maker IdaBagusAlit. Since graduating as a theatre major from Kent University in the UK, I have been led by a powerful urge to make theatre that was concerned with transformation. In June 1989 I was in a production of Animal Farm set in Tiananmen Square. It was then that I “got it”: that although theatre is an ancient form it can also radically respond to what is happening in our world right now. Driven by a desire to see and create theatre in different cultural contexts I ventured from the village drama group in England where at aged eight I played Gwenny in Under Milkwood, to the US, Canada, Scotland, Indonesia, Wales and now China. I have always been a shape-shifter – moving fluidly between the roles of actor, writer, designer, director, student and teacher. Each place we find ourselves in has something new to offer as creative inspiration and in China, I am a student of Mandarin and am working with migrant workers who are becoming artists and with children and families displaced by the Sichuan Earthquake. These people, with no background in theatre, even no formal education beyond middle school, are the best teachers I have ever had. We are currently working on weaving migrant women’s stories into a bi-lingual play, which we hope to take to the Edinburgh Festival. Liisa Smith I’m a prairie girl at heart, and grew up dancing in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. During high school I relocated to Karachi, Pakistan and Zug, Switzerland, attending international schools and falling in love with ISTA as a student. I am now a Toronto-based artist and have an Honours BFA in dance from York University. I am founder and co-artistic director of random Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 7

acts of dance; a charitable dance organization that creates, performs, produces, and teaches contemporary dance. Alongside running my company, I work as a freelance dance artist and I teach as much as possible. I have had students from ages 3 to 55 and teach a variety of styles including Limon modern, contemporary, tap, jazz, creative movement, improvisation, Conditioning-with-Imagery, and ballet. I have an interest in spontaneous composition and fusing dance forms, which has led to a diverse physicality in my creative and pedagogical pursuits. Working as a choreographer, dancer, and teacher, I am fascinated by how each modality of my art form informs the next. My choreography incorporates both small gestures and grandiose movements. In the culmination of the two I like to find dance that is expressive and emotive while still physical and engaging. Mhairi MacInnes I am a classical musician, a mother, and a teacher. I studied music composition at Leeds University before taking a 3-year scholarship in music performance at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. I finished my education certificate at Exeter University. My professional work as a composer and performer has brought me to work alongside a movement research group in Vienna. I have recently completed a fully-devised musical theatre piece with students at the Vienna International School. I am always open to learning, and my most recent interest is the Celtic harp. My time in Warsaw taught me Polish and the impact politics has on theatre and music (it was 1981). After seeing Kantor’s production of Wielopole Wielopole in a rundown student union I understood that powerful theatre is a channeling of energy, enthusiasm and compelling ideas. People and atmospheres move with such diversity, like changes in the weather, unleashing creative potential. With this focused imagination and energy, theatre work is inspiring, innovative and powerful. I play with these ideas in a theatre housed inside a school.

teacher. Theatre classes and productions at Crest High and the University of North Carolina led me to theatre education. Having a wife with wanderlust and a sense of adventure has resulted in my last 20 years of teaching being in international schools on five different continents. Teaching fulfils me; being a husband to a beautiful woman, Dad to two amazing daughters, and Pop to seven precious grandbabies makes my heart sing. Promoting “yes” and eliminating “I can’t” drives me as an artist. I have had the honour of acting, designing, directing and teaching in professional, community and educational theatres all over the world. My career has taught me that when a creative problem is addressed with “yes” the result is often magic. As a teacher and theatre artist, I have tried to and inspire those I work with to take “I can’t” out of our personal phrase books. I work with ISTA because for the last 15 years I have met hundreds of artists, teachers and students who have celebrated saying “Yes, you, we, I can” to the magic that is educational theatre. I have taught IB Theatre since the early 90s. I do not teach the curriculum because it was the course chosen by the schools were I teach; I have chosen to teach in schools that offer IB theatre. I believe that the course offers students an opportunity to prepare for further study in the arts, but more importantly the skills and understanding for self-expression and practice. I am an examiner for the Theatre Extended Essay, Research Investigation and Independent Project Portfolio and serve as a member of the curriculum review team. I am not only an IB Theatre teacher but also a fan. I have taught for 35 years and served as head of the arts department in four different countries. In the last 15 years, I have hosted six ISTA festivals and three TaPS events. I have been on the artists teams of more than 25 festivals and TaPS. In my career as a teacher, theatre practitioner, ISTA host and artist, I have learned where creativity can be chaotic and even messy; a successful production or event is based on organization and combined focus. In 35 years of teaching and practicing theatre I have learned that the best productions and learning experiences are not the result of directing but of direction. As an artistic director, I have discovered that my best work is not based on a single vision but by the synergy created through the sharing of ideas and inspirations of those on my team. ISTA brings together strong staff members, students who are open to adventure and discovery and a themed focus to allow for a creative journey. I am always honoured to be a part of that process.

Moira Arthurs I studied drama at Kent University and followed this with a PGCE at Bretton Hall, and an MA from California State University. For ten years I was a drama teacher at Shatin College, Hong Kong. Before this I had a successful (and hectic) career in British theatre working for Fringe Theatre in London, the Colway Theatre Trust, Remould Theatre Company in Hull, the Oxford Stage Company, the Oxford School of Drama and the Royal Court Theatre London. I was also a visiting lecturer at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, working on the use of drama in the classroom with trainee teachers. After Hong Kong I lived in Perth, Western Australia, teaching at Hale School and Edith Cowan University. I have an increasing passion for youth theatre (probably influenced by my four children). When not immersed in family life, I discuss all the future plays I’d like to direct with my dog Spud while walking along the beach and in the Australian Bush. It’s very therapeutic! Since 2000, I have had an association with ISTA working as an ensemble leader, festival rep and many TaPS around the world. It is a vital part of my professional life and keeps me in touch with the possibilities of theatre and its power to transform lives. It is this collaboration with young people, teachers and artists that feeds my creative soul and is the best professional development I have ever experienced. I am an examiner for ORACY Australia and a senior examiner for the International Baccalaureate. In 2013 I moved to Australia’s Festival State: Adelaide. I recommend it! I am currently working on theatre projects in collaboration with The Migration Museum of South Australia.

Rui Cunha My name is Rui, Rui da Cunha or Da Cunha if I want to be taken seriously. It hardly happens, so my serious character is bearded and hairy, hoping that some reverence may arise thereof. It’s a work-in-progress. Studied science in secondary school but took my degree in Philology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. I wasn’t confused, just ran away from math. During the secondary I co-founded the Projectos AdHoc, a small theatre group, acting and playwriting, garnering some fame in a perimeter of few and very distracted friends. During my degree I worked as a lighting technician in the Teatro Viriato – still work – accumulating the position of technical director and freelancing with theatre, dance and music companies all around the world. The secret? Sleep well and eat lots of vegetables. And I’m Portuguese. … and in Morocco I found another world, with a new sun. The first summer I went (long ago!), to the Marrakesh’s souk. At the entrance, underlined by the smoke of old motorbikes – burning two parts of oil for one part of gas – and the dust rose, tinted by the hundreds of colorful babouch in the dry path, thousands of bright and sharp, sword-like rays of light enchanted me. “Light design would be my métier!” I said. Still is. Find the perfect light for a sentence, an idea, or even for a secret sensation, sounds impossible – and sometimes it appears to be! But when achieved, giving a life span unique to another’s dream, is finding a new world, with a new sun, made with filaments and coloured plastic.

Randy Moss Growing up on a family farm, my first role was an Easter egg at #3 Elementary School in Earl, North Carolina. Ms. Roark, an amazing second grade teacher, inspired me to become a

Shawn Thomas O’Docharty My mother worked helping survivors of earthquakes and my father was a brakeman on the Alaska Railroad. So it seems respect for nature and a love of the open road run through my blood.

8 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

Acting first took me to Sarah Lawrence College outside NYC, then to Paris’ grey streets for grad-school at the International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq. There, I co-founded Imibala Theatre & Co. with five actors from four continents. We had the good fortune to tour through most of western Europe and eastern Africa ,working with the UNHCR in Sarajevo, National Theatre of Uganda, and National University of Rwanda. Though San Francisco is my heartland, morning temple bells wake me now in southern India. Last year I followed life to Chennai where the American International School has invited me to build their Theatre Arts programme. Before “acting” I ask my students to closely observe the natural world, to invest their perceptions in the movement of rickshaws, rhythms of street fights, passage of seasons, and molting feathers of chickens. These seemingly unrelated events hold all the secrets of good acting. Life is breath, movement, rhythm, color, texture, form and the destruction of form. I believe when we transpose these in performance we approach truly vibrant expression. Suzy Davies I’m a North London-based composer/ lyricist/musical director. I’m co-founder and artistic director of The Kaos Organization, a thriving community arts workshop company, specializing in the creation and production of new music, theatre and visual artworks. I have composed and conducted projects for many arts organizations including the Old Vic, Kazzum and the National Youth Theatre. Selections of my cross-curricular songs for schools are published by A&C Black. I’m currently working on Epidemic!- a new community musical for the Old Vic in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, staged in Spring 2012. I love exploring and experimenting with diverse musical styles and traditions in my work: from opera to funk to Bhangra to punk. I have always been passionate about vocal harmonies and I direct and perform with several bands and choirs, including The Kaos Signing Choir (a ground-breaking integrated project for deaf and hearing young people, incorporating singing and British Sign Language, who notably performed in the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics) and the awardwinning Angels of Kaos (North London’s most fabulous casual singers.) I firmly believe that anyone can sing. If someone says they can’t, it can usually be traced back to a single incident (usually in childhood) when somebody (usually an unfit music teacher) told them they couldn’t. You might not be able to satisfy the likes of Simon Cowell, but then again, do you really want to? After all, if everybody sang the same we’d get tired of listening to each other!

The ISTA way By Kristen van Ginhoven Kristen sent this to me earlier in the year. I knew upon reading it I wanted to include it in an issue of Scene. This week I used ‘The ISTA way’ to deal with a major issue. WAM is co-producing a 24hr theatre project that involves over 50 theatre artists next weekend. We’ve been working on it for the past eight months and have been working with the venue on all the crazy logistics for that same amount of time. Earlier this week the venue called us to inform us they double-booked and we were out. HUGE kick in the pants and meant we now had to deal with an enormous amount of problem solving and damage control. In the midst of our anger and disappointment this is what I thought: If this happened at an ISTA festival we’d all roll up our sleeves and go ‘ok, what are we gonna do’ and we’d be positive, laughing, joking and just get it fixed. So, that’s what I did. I dealt with it in the ISTA way and it felt great! Nick was laughing so much as I told him this story at dinner and he said ‘you have to tell Sally!’. Then, also in true ISTA style, we opened a whole bottle of wine and proceeded to drink it! www.ista.co.uk

Taken from Victoria Wednesday

Newsletter from Victoria Shanghai Academy, Hong Kong (Issue 8 – 4th December 2013) Former head of drama and now IBMYP coordinator at VSA, Jeremy Otto shared the following from the recent school newsletter. Message from Secondary Principal Mr. Richard Parker Dear Parents, We have an artist in residence, Sherri Sutton, working with our students this week, and it seems an apt moment to talk about the importance of creativity in the classroom and its connection to brain research that I have alluded to in previous articles. Some brain-based learning specialists make strong assertions about creativity. John Geake, from the University of New England, makes a sound case for the importance of analogies in the brain’s connecting mechanisms, with particular focus on the frontal and parietal lobes. Patricia Wolfe demonstrates how brain research points to the importance of storytelling and metaphor. Certainly there is evidence to suggest that creativity helps the brain to build connections. The importance of creativity and the interconnectivity of the brain have led many commentators to argue that we should be giving great prominence to the Arts in the curriculum, but the Arts should also impact on other subjects. The culmination of any inquiry study should be some kind of demonstration of understanding, and the arts provides the perfect tool to develop interesting performance possibilities. This is modelled best in our interdisciplinary units, where we already see various performance techniques, including dance and animation, used to showcase achievement. The Arts programme at VSA has been transformed in the last two years, and there are growing opportunities for students to engage. Last week’s Arts evening epitomizes this with the sheer variety on display: visual art, puppetry, three choirs, the jazz band, the string group, the orchestra, all of a very high quality. There is much more to come from the Arts Department this academic year, and I urge all parents and students to be involved where you can. It will help our school develop in every aspect of learning. Mr. Richard Parker Secondary Principal December 2013 Secondary Arts Department: Drama It is a very busy week in the Arts Department as we are fortunate enough to have Sherri Sutton working with the Drama Department. Sherri is an IB Theatre Examiner and works with students all over the world helping them to develop their Drama skills. This week Sherri has been working with VSA students from Years 8 through to Year 11: “On December 2nd, the year 9 Drama students went to a drama workshop with Sherri, an expert in IB Drama, to learn more about physical theatre. It’s surely an unforgettable experience for me. Sherri taught us many things, for example, commitment in drama, skills in drama and more. But the most important thing she taught us is the power of saying yes. Yes, the word gives us a positive attitude towards anything; it shows you are willing to do it. I feel very enjoyable while learning from her and hopefully I can get an opportunity again to learn from her”. Y9 Trust Amos Chiu

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 9

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) ISTA was started by teachers and we’ve always provided outstanding CPD – practical, led by teachers, placing the teacher as learner, relevant for the classroom… and fun. This section of Scene outlines the current offerings we have for CPD – rich and varied and not to be seen as 6 separate isolated programmes. Our CPD package should rather be seen as an ‘integrated whole’, continuously on offer, enabling teachers to (cyclically) dip in and engage at their own pace according to their own needs and finances. It is the cumulative effect of our ongoing CPD programme that has such impact on teachers over time and throughout their career. “It was top notch and I Teacher workshops at festivals of Athol Fugard and environmental company, An A-Z of some of the workshops delivered to Theatre for Africa) with Helen Szymczak would do it again!” visiting teachers at festivals during 2012-2013. Teacher Staging rituals: wine, women and song; staging workshops are offered at all festivals as part of our Dionysus, rituals, Bachanalias and fertility rites ongoing CPD programme. They are typically led with Bruce McDonald and Shannon Hancock by members of the artistic team, local practitioners, or by Starting from scratch with Zara Nunn visiting teachers. Stories from other cultures with Jonothan Neelands Acting underneath with Tim Evans Switching on the light, new ways of seeing with Maggie Young An alternate to the traditional audition with Leanne Fulcher To tell the truth with Michael Westberg An introduction to Brecht’s Epic Theatre with Alan Hayes Unlocking Shakespeare with Rob Messik An introduction to Laban with Nita Dewse Wayang Kulit An introduction to Meisner technique with Lena Noring Ways into text and dialogue – scripted and devised with Nigel Tickner An introduction to the Nadine George technique with Mel Drake Ways of working with gesture with Zoe Weiner An introduction to puppetry with Louise Clark Approaches to devising with Kristen Van Ginhoven Fest Track Appsolute beginners with Daniel Sarstedt Our Fest Track programme enables you to: A rough guide to choreography with Theresa Chapman > Actively observe the ISTA festival pedagogy from the perspective of an A sharing workshop with Rachel Jackson ISTA artist; Assessment strategies for drama with Amanda Wolgast > observe, reflect and learn from the process that an ensemble goes Blindfolds - exploring how trust, ensemble and self-awareness can be through from initial brainstorming, through to final sharing/performance; developed through the use of blindfolds with Ted Miltenberger > understand the dynamic between student and artist; Blood, guts and gore with Juanita McGarrigle > use this experience Boal’s forum – Theatre of the Oppressed for HS with Elizabeth Hunt
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Bringing the story of Emil to life with stop start animation with James Patrick methodologies. CSI Global (Concealed Shakespearean Information) with Ian Johnston “I would like to thank ISTA for this opportunity. I think that theatre teachers Cue music: don’t press play, say “go!” with Daniel Sarstedt can benefit greatly from observing the “ISTA process,” and I appreciate this Engaging students with discipline with Georgina Christou chance to have done just that. Thanks especially to the ISTA leadership team at Film theatre with Rob Messik the festival for their gracious acceptance of both me and this new concept.” From a jellyfish to a hysteric with Gillie Kerrod From tableau to story board with Romeo Bryant Studios Fun and active activities with a drama/dance focus with Rebecca Nachtrieb After a bit of a wobbly start, they’re back. We’ve realised we need a and Thaba Niedzwiecki good long build up of time for you to get released from school and access Kathakali with Fenella Kelly PD funds to attend. We’ve thought about content too – and asked you Learning blogs and their use in the teaching of theatre with Padraig Downey what you would most like to focus on for a 3 day CPD workshop. So as a The mighty monologue with Leanne Fulcher re-launch we are proposing 3 studios for 2014-2015. Movement analysis and practice for actors Julia is setting up a ‘best of Cornwall’ to coincide with the “The day and ways to encourage dance in your Porthleven International Youth Theatre Festival in August. A great programme with Jane Coulson opportunity to work with some of the creative genius that was very specific to ‘Off to Oz’ – aboriginal theatre with resides in Cornwall – and why not make Cornwall a stop on skill building, as opposed Kate Caster your summer travels. to general curriculum. Physical theatre for all with Sam I’m working with the team at WISS (Shanghai) to Reed produce our first ‘Tech for teachers’ in February 2015 Like minded teachers who Placing the arts at the heart of with Rui Cunha taking the lead. were interested and English and Philosophy with Debbie And last but by no means least – a chance to work with engaged. Smaller group, Kidd the legendary guru that is Mike Pasternak and draw upon every Puppetry with Gary Friedman ounce of wisdom he has on the subject of the holocaust – 3 focussed.” Schemes of work with Rebecca Patterson days of holocaust and theatre in Terezin – spring 2015. South African Theatre (exploring the work Dates and descriptions will be released before the end of 10 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

February – so you can apply for funding in good time – but 3 Devising requires a sophisticated understanding of the art quite unique and amazing opportunities to develop as a form and this workshop provides an in depth look at “Really theatre practitioner. form, structuring and staging the material explored. enjoyed using the Studios will also be open to senior students – Different approaches to devising are examined ideal experiences for IB Theatre students as well with reference to contemporary practice and shadow screens to mark out as those wanting to build up their portfolio for research. tableaux. That is something university and beyond. Insights, inspiration and resources – that I can definitely take working with a museum or gallery Regional PD days This workshop will use a museum or gallery away.” After a successful pilot in 2012-2013 we are as a stimulus for creating units of work, resources producing 8 regional PD days this year. Generally and models of practice. Areas of exploration will intended for teachers in any one given city – we are now include devising finding teachers will travel to attend these – so valuable as they are. new work using Singapore October 2013 Ian Johnston artefacts, locations, stories “Each session was Voice, stage combat and devising and resources; creating site-specific particularly clear in Cornwall February 2014 Jo Riley work; developing partnerships with its intention and in The Chinese actor in performance cultural organisations; exploring Hong Kong February 2014 Jonothan Neelands different types of research (with subsequently meeting Using migration as a theme; and teacher in role to encourage reference to the Research that intention.” students to produce theatre that makes us think, feel and respond Investigation); developing visual to the aesthetic. literacy skills (in response to the place Beijing March 2014 Rob Warren of Image in the new course); ensuring Group devising, the director’s role and Bunraku puppetry the international component of the IB Theatre course is Dubai March 2014 Jen Tickle in place; and considering the role of the curator from the Developing a Drama curriculum perspective of theatre production. Participants will use the specific museum London March 2014 Fenella Kelly selected for the workshop (past examples have included the British Museum Kathakali dance theatre and the National Gallery in London, and the American Museum of Natural Bangkok May 2014 Jez Gregg History in New York) as a model for transferable skills and practices to their Starting to shift – empowering teachers to move own local museum. Singapore May 2014 Debbie Kidd Pedagogy of the unfamiliar Bringing learning to life This focuses on engaging with theatre practices from around the world. There will be different practices examined but each workshop will engage IB DP Theatre global provider with one specific practice. We have already offered Japanese Since 2006 ISTA has been the global provider for Butoh and Balinese performing practices. The primary “Jo had great DP theatre; we offer Category 1, 2 and 3 in each objectives are to examine and experience unfamiliar region, each year; often changing venues/countries performing arts practices and their pedagogical activities that really made to offer greater access to workshops. 2014 is a implications; to encourage participants to engage one think and that everyone crucial year for DP Theatre with the new course in enquiry and reflection; to develop one’s could do. These activities are starting in September. We are producing 8 practice as an educator and practitioner; and Subject Specific Seminars in March and April to examine, through action research with things that I can use in my own 2014 to up-skill experienced theatre teachers specialists, how the performing arts practice teaching. She made me feel valued on the changes to the new course. Following being examined functions philosophically, as a teacher and an artist. It this we will resume our regular Cat 1, Cat 2 socially and culturally. The focus is on action and Cat 3 workshops. Workshops for summer research and on an intensive experience was great having her as our and autumn 2014 are now on our website under to empower participants to feel confident in workshop leader.” What’s on > TaPS. delivering an unfamiliar theatre practice within ISTA is authorised to offer three Category 3 the context of the IB diploma theatre course. The workshops – these are open to IB and non-IB teachers alike exploration of one performing arts practice enables and simply offer teachers the opportunity to immerse themselves subsequent application to a whole range of practices from in one aspect of the art form for three days… around the world ranging from Japanese Noh to Classical Devising Greek theatre, from Balinese arts to Butoh. This workshop represents an in-depth exploration into the Online resources process of devising. Throughout the workshop, teachers will develop their From archived copies of Scene articles to master class resource packs – understanding of devised theatre as learners and theatre makers and will the library in the Green Room is a treasure trove for Theatre teachers. leave with a ‘tool kit’ for subsequent practice in the classroom. Devising is a collective form of making theatre and the workshop looks at strategies “Activities were geared to us from a very for establishing, developing and equipping the ensemble to create original pieces of theatre. The participants become an ensemble that embarks on practical approach, recognizing that we making a piece of theatre. Different stimuli and starting points are used, have pressures from students/parents/ categorised and examined as starting points for the creation of theatre and administrators/ourselves to guide with the workshop looks at the characteristics of an effective stimulus and the way this can determine and shape the nature of the piece being created. knowledge and conviction these DP Theatre

“Sherri was BRILLIANT! Knowledgeable, engaging, funny, well informed. The workshop moved at an excellent pace and there was a great balance of theory and practice.”

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students. Prior to the workshop, I had a very general, vague idea of how to do this. Now, my focus is crystal clear, and I’m energised by the conviction that I am steering my students on a path to success.”

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 11

Artist in Residence programme (AiR) Not that Jo and I are competitive at all but since taking over the AiR programme in June we’ve seen a 61% growth in bookings. Tada! I’m not only thrilled with the increase in bookings - although Jo and I are gloating a tad - but it’s the increase in the number of artists now engaged in the AiR programme that is fantastic. This time of year is typical for school budgets to be set - so have a look through the type of AiRs we have booked this year - get inspired and send us a booking for 1415. School

Teacher

Artist

Content area

Inter Community School Zurich

Jo Posthma

5

Matt Godfrey

Week without walls – drama week

St John’s, Guam

Karen Flores

2

Rob Warren

DP Theatre

American School Bombay

Fenella Kelly

4

Mark Hill

Butoh and physical theatre

Dulwich Suzhou

John Todd (head teacher)

2.5

Steve Reynolds

DP Theatre

Frankfurt International School

Constantinos Siaflos

1

Dinos Aristidou

Drama techniques for humanities department in preparation for Renaissance Day

Lindberg HS, USA

Jessica Laney

2

Craig Jacobbrown

Commedia dell’Arte

British School New Delhi

Sophie Galton

2

Sherri Sutton

Comedy and solo performance

Singapore American School

Leanne Fulcher

3

Ian Johnston

Varied theatre workshops

TASIS London

Brendan Harris

2

Ian Pike

Acting for camera

American Embassy School New Delhi

Thaba Niedzwiecki

1

Sherri Sutton

Comedy and solo performance

Canadian International School, Hong Kong

Sam Pierce

3

Sherri Sutton

Varied drama classes

NIS Thailand

Annie Millard

2.5

Fenella Kelly

Weekend workshop

German Swiss International School Hong Kong

Kathleen O’Connor

2.5

Sherri Sutton

Various classes with year 9 students

Independent Schools Foundation Academy

Denise Dewhurst

.5

Sherri Sutton

HS drama class

Alexander Pushkin School, Perm

Olga Yakovleva

3

Emmy Abrahamson

Bees/MS

Victoria Shanghai Academy, Hong Kong

Jeremy Otto

5

Sherri Sutton

Various drama classes

International School of Dusseldorf

Romeo Bryant

5

Stephen Finegold

Mime/physical theatre and solo performance

Alexander Pushkin School, Perm

Olga Yakovleva

3

Rebecca Bell

Bees/PS

Munich International School

Jo Riley

2.5

Mike Pasternak

DP Theatre classes

St Julian’s School, Portugal

La Mor

1.5

Gary Gardiner

Variety of contemporary performance/ physical theatre workshops

Harrow International School Hong Kong

Corin James

2

Darren Scully

Variety of HS/MS theatre classes

Canadian International School, Hong Kong

Sam Pierce

3

Matt Baker

Music

Canadian International School, Hong Kong

Clare Stearns

1

Jonothan Neelands

tbc

Atlanta International School

Rob Warren

4

Jo Scott

Variety of theatre classes

GEMS World Academy Dubai

Josh Douglas Hatt

1

Chris Salisbury

Storytelling

GEMS World Academy Dubai

Josh Douglas Hatt

1

Nic Allsopp

Tech theatre

American Collegiate Institute, Izmir

Susan King Lachance

4

Jez Gregg

Physical theatre/dance

American Collegiate Institute, Izmir

Susan King Lachance

4

Liisa Smith

Physical theatre/dance

Uskudar SEV Elementary School

Oya Balcik

3

Chris Ash

Music

Alexander Pushkin School, Perm

Olga Yakovleva

3

Georgia Munnion

Bees/HS

International School of Kuala Lumpur

Tina Casey

3

Thomas Kellogg

Various workshops

Dresden International School

Kate Olsen

1

Jo Scott

tbc

CCS Bali

Vicky Purser

1

Liane Campbell

Masks

British International School of Budapest

Katie Benson

2

Chris Salisbury & Zara Nunn

Storytelling and music

Anglo American School Moscow

Danka Kalikowski

3

Mark Hill

Physical theatre

Chinese International School Hong Kong

Clare Stearns

1

Sherri Sutton

tbc

Hong Kong Academy

Stella Ireland

2

Sherri Sutton

tbc

Bangkok Patana

Nita Dewse

1

Dean Lea

Tech

Bangkok Patana

Nita Dewse

1

Rebecca Bell

Primary faculty PD

Bangkok Patana

Nita Dewse

3

Mark Hill

Physical theatre

American International School Dhaka

Jeff Redman

3

Louise Clarke

Puppetry

American International School Dhaka

Jeff Redman

3

Neil Farrelly

tbc

Southbank International School

Charlotte Gregson

1

Jo Scott & John Lightbody

Team building prep for MS’ers moving into HS

12 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

# of days

The Academy By Julia I came to theatre at the relatively late age of 16, taking A-level theatre studies at a tiny college in Leicestershire. The course was taught by my Dad’s best friend whom I’d known since I was born, and there were 4 other girls in my group. It was an incredibly safe, comfortable introduction to theatre and for a shy 16-year-old it wasn’t too challenging, which I was grateful for at the time. When it came to applying for university, however, and I was trying to get accepted onto the Middlesex course having never been to London before, I suddenly felt entirely unprepared. The university wanted to know what I’d done outside of school to prove my passion for drama, what experience I’d gained outside of that tiny group. They pointed out that one of the main characteristics of a life in the theatre is that one is constantly thrust into working groups with incredibly diverse people, coming from all walks of life and often being prepared to work all over the world. Had I done anything like this? Would I be able to cope with it? Happily I managed to talk my way in, but the perfect response to this could have been “Yes, I have lots of experience, I’ve been to the Academy”. ISTA’s Academy programme is ideally suited to students who want to pursue a career in the theatre. They are led by some of the world’s best international theatre artists, work intensively in ensembles with people aged 15-19 from all over the world, and in the process create something wonderful. The value of spending that intensive time with other people your own age who are as passionate about the arts as you are is immeasurable, and on top of this students can spend invaluable time with the artists and find out what working in the industry is really like. Specialist ensembles focusing on particular areas of interest give individual focus to the time, and the motivation of a final whole-group performance in front of the general public at the end of each Act ensures a terrific work ethic. Each 2-week session ends with the presentation

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of a fully produced piece of theatre which demonstrates their newly-developed skills to the audience. Both Academies look at the devising process, with Act 1 focusing on street theatre and performing at the Avignon Festival, and Act 2 devising a musical. Students benefit from this experience in many other ways outside of the theatrical – it is a rare opportunity to work collaboratively with other artists, educators and young people of such a diverse range of ages, nationalities and levels of experience. The international-minded approach that ISTA is famous for broadens minds and encourages people to learn not to limit themselves or their future plans – the world is out there to be explored and appreciated. To begin this journey in such a fantastic location is no hardship either. The Academy is hosted at the Centre International de Valbonne, a boarding school located about 30 kilometeres from Nice, France. Various out and about trips to places of local interest and cultural significance give the students a grounding in the artistic richness of this stunning area, and they are given time to explore the Avignon Festival, Antibes, and Nice among others. This is not simply young people coming together to put on a play – this is a fully immersive theatrical, cultural and social experience which changes young people’s lives. The friends they make there will stay with them forever, and if they do decide to pursue a theatrical career they have

made their first all-important contacts. For those who simply wish to spend their summer doing something fun and creative in a beautiful place it is also intoxicating and immensely valuable. Students learn maturity, collaboration and independence. The value for the artists can also not be underestimated – inspiring young people to discover what they love to do is a hugely powerful experience, and a privilege. The Academy is an extraordinary yearly event for all those involved, and we look forward to seeing you there. Bookings for The Academy are now open and places are filling up fast – please see http:// www.ista.co.uk/what-we-do/the-academy/ for details.

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 13

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The ISTA office The ISTA office is in Helston, Cornwall. We are located here by ‘happy accident’ as this is where I moved with my family in 2000. The concept of ‘an office’ is a relatively new one for ISTA. From the early 80’s Pat Zich (my predecessor) ran ISTA from a corner of her lounge in Finsbury Park, London. Then the office moved to Pat’s home in Aberfeldy, Perthshire (Scotland) for a short while before she retired. When I took over as CEO in 2001, the ISTA office moved to our box room at Trebray, our family home on the outskirts of Helston. From 2004-2006 I worked from home in Perth, WA (Australia) before relocating back to Helston and another ‘home office’. In 2009 the office staff were expanding (in number, that is) to cater to demand. No longer could Jo and I manage all the workload, so we felt it was time for ISTA to ‘grow up’ and for us to move into an office. We moved firstly to one office but then had to leave that space and looked hard and fast for somewhere providing enough room for us, as well as some permanency. Jo’s Dad (Edwin Lawrance) knows everyone in Helston, so Jo asked him if he knew of anyone who had office space to let. As it happened a friend, knew a friend, Roger Clotsworthy – who had office space available. Jo and I went to look and immediately said ‘We’ll take it’. At the time it was just two rooms – in need of decoration – but we got Karl to paint, recarpet and in no time the two rooms looked perfectly presentable and habitable – and we moved. At that stage it was just Jo, Karl and I working so the two rooms were enough – but once Jez joined us and then Steph – it became 12

a little cramped or cosy, depending on your perspective. Down the landing Avril (our neighbour) had two rooms for dressmaking. In time she gave one room up – and we jumped at it (this is now Jo’s and Julia’s room) and then, only a few months later, she gave up her other room – so we jumped again – so we have a whole suite now (very posh) – with the final room being our meeting room. We love it – it’s slightly grungy but in a lovely way and we have made it our home. Hopefully this photo trail will give you a glimpse into where ISTA operations happen. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the UK or Cornwall – check our map to see just where Cornwall is. Helston, is a small market town with a population of just under 10,000. It’s a former Stannary and cattle market town best known for the annual Furry Dance (more commonly known as Flora Day). To place Helston in the UK – well it’s 12 miles east of Penzance and it takes about 5.5 hours to travel here from London. But it’s worth it. We now have our annual Porthleven International Youth Theatre festival and are making more and more contacts with Cornish schools. Jo, Kathy and Beth are from Cornwall and Julia (as she mentioned in her interview) has been classified the ‘right kind of tourist’. All our support services are local from banks, to computer support to film work. Despite being here due to a ‘happy accident’ there are a hundred and one reasons why ISTA and Cornwall is a smashing fit… and despite working globally, our ‘home’ in Cornwall is here to stay. 13

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1-4 – Let’s start with some views of Coinagehall St – one of two main streets in Helston and the street where we live. 5-7 – Next – the entrance to our ‘alleyway’ off Coinagehall St and our gorgeous signs – telling Helston we’re here. 8-11 – Our newly acquired meeting room; Sal taking a call in the meeting room; first glimpse of our main set of rooms; photos and calendars to liven up the office space. 12 – When Kathy first started with us she came up with the brilliant idea of wall charts for artist headshots – now we can put names to faces. 13-16 – The ISTA sisters – Jo, Julia, Kathy and Beth at their relative ‘work stations’. 17-19 – A clearer glimpse of the rooms themselves; Kathy and Beth’s room; the room that belonged to Julia and I but is soon to house Jo and Julia (I think); Kyle Fraser our December intern at Sal’s desk. 20-22 – We keep talking about Porthleven and PIYTF so here is our all time favourite fishing village and home to PIYTF.

The ISTA office myth buster

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The assumption that because we’re based in the UK means we’re based in London has never ceased to amaze me. Partly because I grew up in the north of England so we were always a little hacked off at the privileges and attention London gained. But that aside - I’m hoping this issue will set straight once and for all that THE ISTA OFFICE IS NOT IN LONDON. We will continue to politely and patiently put members right should the assumption continue! While Cornwall isn’t typically a place people pass through – we have had lots of visitors from trustees to Rob Thorburn, Sarah Gibson, Kristen Van Ginhoven – if you are in our neck of the woods, please do pop in and say hello – the office is a wonderful place and there’s always a cuppa on the go.

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Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 15

Our 2013-2014 journey 14

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45

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TaPS

13

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London, June 27th -29th 2013 – TaPS, PYP Category 3 Role of the Arts Valbonne (south of France), July 7th - August 4th 2013 – festival, The Academy 3. Melbourne, July 10th - 12th 2013 – TaPS, DP Theatre Category 3 Devising 4. Porthleven (Cornwall), August 5th - 8th 2013 – festival, PIYTF 5. Singapore, August 23rd - 25th 2013 – TaPS, DP Theatre Category 1 and 2 6. New Delhi, September 25th - 27th 2013 – festival, MS 7. Stratford upon Avon, October 3rd - 5th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers; DP Theatre Category 1 8. Singapore, October 4th - 6th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers 9. Singapore, October 7th 2013 – CPD, regional PD day 10. London, October 7th - 9th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers 11. London, October 10th - 12th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers

16 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

12. New York, October 17th - 19th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers; DP Theatre Category 1; DP Theatre Category 3; PYP Category 3 Role of the Arts 13. Bali, October 17th - 20th 2013 – TaPS, students and teachers 14. Norfolk (Gresham’s), October 24th - 26th 2013 – festival, HS 15. Guangzhou, November 22nd - 24th 2013 – festival, MS 16. Istanbul (Eyuboglu), December 5th - 8th 2013 – festival, MS 17. Lisbon, February 6th - 9th 2014 – festival, HS 18. Bavaria, February 6th - 9th 2014 – festival, MS 19. Cornwall (Eden Project), February 7th - 9th 2014 – festival, MS 20. Cornwall (Brannel), February 10th 2014 – CPD, regional PD day 21. Hong Kong, February 13th - 15th 2014 – festival, HS 22. Hong Kong, February 17th 2014 – CPD, regional PD day 23. Beijing, February 28th - March 2nd 2014 – festival, MS

24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

Beijing, March 3rd 2014 – CPD, regional PD day Dubai, March 6th - 8th 2014 – festival, HS Dubai, March 6th - 8th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Izmir, March 6th - 9th 2014 – festival, HS Adelaide, March 7th - 9th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Atlanta, March 8th - 10th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Dubai, March 9th 201 – CPD, regional PD day Toronto, March 21st - 23rd 2014 – TaPS, SSS London, March 27th - 30th 2014 – festival, HS Verdala, Malta, March 30th - April 3rd 2014 – festival, HS London, March 31st 2014 – CPD, regional PD day Terezin, April 4th - 6th 2014 – festival, HS Terezin, April 4th - 6th 2014 – CPD, Studio

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37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49.

San Francisco, April 10th - 12th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Budapest, April 10th - 13th 2014 – festival, MS Jakarta, April 11th - 13th 2014 – festival, MS Manchester, April 11-13th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Manchester, April 11th - 13th 2014 – CPD, Studio Rio de Janeiro, April 14th - 16th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Sotogrande (Spain), April 24th - 27th 2014 – festival, MS/HS Chennai (India), April 25th - 27th 2014 – festival, HS Hong Kong, April 25th - 27th 2014 – TaPS, SSS Dhaka, April 30th - May 3rd 2014 – festival, MS Bangkok, May 2nd - 4th 2014 – festival, MS Bangkok, May 5th 2014 – CPD, regional PD day Brussels, May 16th - 18th 2014 – CPD, Studio

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 17

ISTA MEMBER SCHOOLS Norway 2

Sweden 1

Denamrk 1 Netherlands 4

Germany 10 Luxembourg 1

Belgium 3

Poland 1 Austria 1 UK 2

Slovakia 1

Canada 7 France 3

Ukraine 1

China 11 Hungary 2

Portugal 1

Korea 3

Romania 2

USA 7

Spain 1

Japan 1

Turkey 12

Lebanon 1

Switzerland 9

Jordan 1 Egypt 4

Italy 2

UAE 9

Bahrain 1

Tunisia 1

Hong Kong 17 Taiwan 1

Oman 1

Qatar 1

Malta 1

Vietnam 2

Saudi Arabia 3

Philippines 1

India 5 Thailand 6 Sudan 1

Ethiopia 1 Indonesia 4

Venezuela 1

Sri Lanka 1

Ghana 1 Brazil 3

Bangladesh 2 Nigeria 1

EUROPE ASIA MIDDLE EAST

Kenya 2 Angola 1

Tanzania 1

Malaysia 3 Singapore 8

Zambia 1

AFRICA N AMERICA S AMERICA

Australia 3

OCEANIA

18 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

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Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 19

Porthleven International Youth Theatre Festival By Julia

On 4th August this year, something magical is happening in Cornwall. This is not unusual for the most south-westerly and arguably the most eccentric county in England – the landscape is populated with giants, fairies, spirits and saints, and my village has a resident witch who people visit in the same matter-of-fact way they visit the post office - the place is riddled with mystical energy. The Porthleven International Youth Theatre Festival, however, is something really special. Now in its 5th year, PIYTF is ISTA’s local baby, our opportunity to show you all why this is such a special place to work and live. Young people from the ages of 9 to 19 descend on this tiny coastal fishing village, pitching tents in the local campsite with their families or drama groups, or being hosted by local families and ISTA supporters. Some of our finest international artists also make the trip, we pick a Cornwallbased theme to ensure the students are fully immersed in local culture, and for the next 4 days this extraordinary bunch work together to produce something spectacular. This year’s theme is that of Arrivals and Departures. The PIYTF students making their pilgrimage down to this little harbour are by no means the first to find their way to Cornwall – from the Spanish invaders with their Armada to the modern-day tourists bringing much-needed business and questionable driving skills to us every summer, Cornwall has always attracted visitors. Some extraordinary local people have also set out on worldwide adventures and made names for themselves, from Humphry Davey to Bob

20 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

Fitzsimmons. More mythical subjects have also wandered through - the Mermaid of Zennor lured away one of our menfolk many centuries ago, and one of his relatives is now working in the ISTA office! Young people signing up for the festival will take this theme and work in ensembles led by the ISTA artists in rehearsal spaces around the village, devising a final performance which will be performed in our traditional tent by the harbour. Locals and visiting tourists come to watch in amazement at the quality and skill of something put together in a mere 4 days. This experience is not only artistically of great value, but also enables the students to mix with other people their own age from all over the world, learning about diverse cultures and traditions and making lifelong friends. Social occasions such as a barbeque on the beach at Praa Sands introduce them to another huge part of our culture (although they will be swimming at their own risk!), and families and hosts are welcome to attend. Local theatre performances are also arranged for those who fancy it. We are not neglecting the visiting teachers this year either – the first three days see the re-launch of our Studios; intensive 3-day CPD workshops led in this case by the finest theatrical artists Cornwall has to offer. Teachers can take what they learn here back to their classrooms

after the summer and their own students can benefit from what they have learned with ISTA. (For more details on the Studio programme, please email [email protected]). For students it is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of something artistically, culturally and socially brilliant, and all for less cost than childcare during the summer holidays! We can’t wait to share our home with you and watch in wonder as you create something unforgettable to share.

ISTA festival pedagogy By Dinos Aristidou and Debbie Kidd I’ve had this niggling feeling for the past few years about how we’ve been articulating the festival experience. We know and have known for 36 years that what we do has a huge impact on young people; we know what we deliver at a festival can be life changing; we know the model that has evolved and changed over those (nearly) 4 decades is as good as it gets in terms of an international arts experience. But what has been niggling me is that we’ve talked about festivals in terms of what young people do – they do full group, ensemble, workshops; they have a cultural experience, they stay with a host family, they work with a team of international artists. What I wanted and what ISTA needed was a pedagogy. A way of describing the festival experience that is embedded in the art and science of learning and teaching. What we’re increasingly doing here at ISTA is outsourcing work to those who can do it best. For this project I approached Debbie Kidd and Dinos Aristidou. Together they spent a remarkably profitable (and enjoyable so I hear) day together. From there the three of us tweaked bits until we were all happy with the final product – our festival pedagogy. Written for teachers, students, parents and heads of schools; as well as artists. At last (she says with a sigh of relief) we have a document that outlines very clearly the thinking behind our practice at festivals – whether they be primary, middle or high school. I’m delighted with this document; delighted with what Debbie and Dinos produced and, while it’s been on our website and shared through e-news previously, delighted to formally announce what will underpin and drive our festivals for the foreseeable future. www.ista.co.uk

What do children and young people get out of a festival? Every festival is a unique, immersive experience and each one: t

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Ethos The primary school festival model is situated in play and in the sensory experience of childhood. Stories, events, spaces, materials are explored through play to encourage the child to find possibilities and potential both in things and in themselves. The key focus for a primary school festival is that the child has had the opportunity to experience the power of the imagination and the art of possibility. Experience – the learning happens: t

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BVEJFODF The final festival sharing need not be performative. Middle school festivals – meaning making “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” Albert Einstein Ethos The middle school festival model is situated in inquiry and in meaning making. The child/young person is taken through a series of questions – Who are we? Where are we? Why are we here? How do we relate to our starting point? How do we tell and show stories through theatre? How can these stories help us all to better understand the world in relation to our starting point? Questions drive the learning, encouraging curiosity. The key focus for a middle school festival is that the child should be able to articulate the experience and the understandings that have emerged from it. Experience – the learning happens: t

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the geography of the location of the festival, in which the space is experienced as a place of playful inquiry; t

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in collective acts of singing, movement and Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 21

investigation. Expression The festival culminates with each ensemble individually sharing the results of their inquiry through theatre. The questions emerging from the starting point should be evident to the audience. This may take the form of: t

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theatrical approaches or games/exercises. The final festival sharing is always in the form of a theatrical presentation of discoveries. High school festivals – theatre making “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” Oscar Wilde Ethos The high school festival model is situated in young people functioning as theatre makers. The young person is immersed in the responsible process of using theatre to communicate ideas. This process empowers young people to transform thought into action through art. It activates the realisation that change is always possible through collective endeavor. Young people develop theatre making skills, pursuing particular interests and passions through specialist ensembles. The key focus is on emerging expertise in theatre making and the opportunity to pursue a passion with others who share it. Experience – the learning happens: t

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in collective acts of exploration and theatre making. Expression The festival culminates with the presentation of a fully produced piece of theatre. Each ensemble is responsible for the performance or production of a final product that demonstrates the skills acquired and makes an impact on an audience. The final festival sharing is always in the form of a performance to an audience. I have kept the following section in the same format as it was originally written with the writers directly addressing the ISTA artists. How do the different festival models affect me as an artist? Primary school festival The starting point For a primary school festival, the starting point is usually concrete in that it will be based on an 22 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

existing story, place, event or thing. For example ‘The little mermaid’, ‘The planets’, ‘The olympics’ or ‘Lighthouses’. Planning Before the event, you will be sent an inspiration pack written by the Artistic Director of play with instructions regarding how the inspiration pack is to be used. It’s important that you read this and act on the instructions. There will be information in the pack about the resources available to you. The planning day, led by the AD of play, is a day of play where you willexplore the starting point from the point of view of a child. Bring activities thatyou love to play with children and you as an ensemble will play them together. This is a chance to explore your ideas practically as a team. The out-and-about and the final sharing will be discussed and determined with the AD of play during the festival. As ever, this will dependent on the place, the artistic team and the nature of the participants. Process The primary school festival model is situated in play and in the sensory experience of childhood. You lead: t

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in which collective acts of singing, movement and play are experienced by everyone. Middle school festival The starting point For a middle school festival, the starting point will always be centered around a question or area of inquiry. For example, MS festival in Moscow exploring the work of Stanislavski “What is truth on stage?” Planning Before the event, you will be sent an inspiration pack written by the Artistic Director of inquiry with suggested lines of inquiry in the form of questions. There will be instructions as to how the pack is to be used and resources that stimulate inquiry. It’s important that you read this and act on the instructions. There will be information in the pack about the resources available to you. The planning day, led by the AD of inquiry, is a day of playful inquiry where you will explore some of these questions artistically and intellectually. Bring activities that you love to play which foster curiosity and meaning making and any ideas which you want to explore further. This is a chance to explore your ideas practically as an ensemble. The relationship between the out-and-about and the process of inquiry, as well as the nature of the final sharing, will be discussed and determined with the AD of inquiry during the festival. As ever, this will be dependent on the place, the artistic team, the area of inquiry and the nature of the participants! Process The middle school festival model is situated in inquiry and in the developing, curious mind of the adolescent. You facilitate: t

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expertise to artistic problem solving – e.g. How do you make a fight look believable? How can you create a city on stage using only your body?; t

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in which collective acts of singing, movement and investigation are experienced by everyone. High school festival The starting point For a high school festival, the starting point will always be a stimulus for the collective creation of a piece of theatre. ‘Equality, dignity, safety’ (gender issues); ‘Layers of London’; ‘Hiding’ (exploring spaces of hiding, siege, resistance and heroism). Planning Before the event, you will be sent an inspiration pack written by the Artistic Director of performance. There will be instructions as to how the pack is to be used and a range of resources. In this pack, the AD of performance will make clear to you his/her vision or approach as it currently exists. Once the artistic team is together, you will be encouraged to share your own ideas and artistic interests and explore how these might impact on and influence this vision. There will be information in the pack about the resources available to you. The planning day, led by the AD of performance, is a day of interrogation of the possibilities of the starting point and a chance for you all to reach a collective vision. You will explore the starting point practically as well as intellectually, under the guidance of your AD. You may be asked to share ideas and approaches. This is a chance to explore your ideas practically as an ensemble. The AD and the tech SEL will spend time with you on this day, discussing the schedule and the possibilities for lighting, sound and design.The relationship between the out and about and the creation of material, as well as the nature of the final performance, will be discussed and determined with the AD during the festival. As ever, this will be dependent on the place, the artistic team and its specialist skill-sets, the performance space and the nature of the participants. Process The high school festival model is situated in the creation of original theatre and in the developing skills of the young theatre artist. You direct: t

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Starting points and inspiration packs What is a starting point and why do we need one? By Julia One of the loveliest parts of my new job is to work with a host school to develop an artistic starting point for a festival. This is a relatively new process for ISTA. There was a time when all Middle School festivals would have the same theme decided at the beginning of the year by our board of trustees; and High School festivals would be based around set texts, student-directed scenes and critiques etc. This worked very well for its time but did mean that as a host you had no real say in the artistic content of your festival, and the process of collaboration that makes ISTA so special was missing from the process. As those of you who have hosted in recent years will know, the current creative process begins several months before the yearly festival calendar is launched. Sally and the host spend several weeks discussing potential ideas, eventually

deciding on a working subject that is passed to me. I then have the delightful task of devising a title and brief description, encompassing the themes and ideas discussed during the previous months and hopefully giving something solid for the Artistic Director to focus on. For primary (following the pedagogy framework) primary festivals are concrete focussing on a story, place or event; middle school festivals focus on a question or area of enquiry; and high school festivals will hone in on a stimulus suitable for the collective creation of a piece of theatre. A good starting point should also have strong links to the culture of the place we are visiting - a festival is a life experience, not just a theatrical one, and ISTA’s internationalism is one of the things that makes what we do unique and valuable. The out and about experience also reflects this, hopefully tying in with the themes relating to the starting point and giving students further insight and inspiration for their ensemble devising. If all this weren’t enough, our ridiculously

talented Artistic Directors are then tasked with producing an Inspiration pack for their artistic teams. This is the next stage of the artistic process - we hand over the starting point and description, the AD explores this and shapes it, and then passes the inspiration pack on to the SELs before the festival planning day. By following this process we ensure that not only is your festival full to bursting with creative ideas and fully reflecting the unique features and stories of your environment, but each one is unique. If you host every 4 years for 4 decades (and we hope you do!) not one festival will be the same. That particular group of artists and students will never work together again, and the inspiration behind the festival will be entirely different. Inspiration packs are themselves unique, and it is a real pleasure to receive each one and see what each AD has come up with. They never fail to be brilliant and inspiring, and we have selected extracts from a few of them to share with you.

2013-2014 starting points New Delhi MS festival 27th – 29th September 2013 Movement, light and the most powerful being in the world This is a workshop model festival focused on movement and tech in theatre and performance, whether in dance, physical theatre, Kathakali, Butoh, Hip Hop, Ragga, Dub or Bollywood. In addition to building skills in how to approach and devise arresting theatrical images through movement, we will be looking at the very important question of how to bring this movement to life - and to light - on stage, through technical effects and lighting. To help us do this we will focus on one of the stories from the ‘Panchatantra’ called, ‘The most powerful being in the world’. North Norfolk HS festival – Gresham’s 24th – 26th October 2013 World theatre festival This festival will centre on the interactions and explorations of diverse traditions. For the first time ISTA is offering a high-level workshopbased festival for senior theatre students, with the opportunity to work with top-notch theatre www.ista.co.uk

specialists and immerse themselves in important and unfamiliar theatre practices. As an exciting departure from our more regular festivals, students and teachers will work with a range of companies and practitioners working locally, nationally and internationally; Frantic Assembly, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Slingshot (Commedia dell’Arte) and an international Butoh specialist are all confirmed. A number of theatre performances will also be part of our line up for this pioneering festival. Guangzhou MS festival 22nd – 24th November 2013 Chinese superheroes and landscapes – from classical to modern The story of the Chinese brothers (ten, nine, seven or five of them, according to different regional versions and more recent adaptations) is a classic Chinese folktale, noteworthy because it was one of the earliest tales of heroes with superpowers. Each brother has his own magic power that helps him to save the lives of his other brothers. This festival will focus on the ways in which China’s culture and landscape have changed with

political and industrial modernisation, allowing us to elaborate on the old story with new superpowers and landscapes. Istanbul, Eyuboglu MS festival 5th – 8th December 2013 Heroes in the time of Ataturk – a prince and a pauper Ataturk (literal translation, the Father of Turkey) was born in modest circumstances during the Ottoman Empire in what is today Thessaloniki. He gradually climbed the ranks of the Turkish military in a series of underdog victories against the Italians, Russians, Greeks and Allied Forces occupying Anatolia after the fall of the Ottomans, resulting ultimately in Turkish independence and the creation of the modern Republic of Turkey. Ataturk then set about a remarkable programme of reforms in education, secular culture and administration, leading Turkey into the modern era. In this festival, we will look at Mark Twain’s story, ‘The Prince and the Pauper’, in which a Prince changes places with a poor boy who looks just like him in order to experience a simpler life outside the palace. Let us consider the contrast in lifestyles for an Ottoman prince and a humble peasant and so create a Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 23

departure point for stories inspired by the exploits of Turkey’s hero and first president, Ataturk. Lisbon HS festival 6th – 9th February 2014 Estrelas/Stelle Estrelas and Stelle are the Portuguese and Italian words for stars, which is the last word in each of the three sections of Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’. Allegory is at the centre of this festival, in which we will adapt a physical journey into a spiritual one and look at the role of symbolism and structure in our theatrical creation. Dante charted his story from Inferno to Paradise, seamlessly blending religious doctrine with astrology and numerology. Can we, at Dante’s instigation, visit the planets and stars, a burlesque itinerary of deadly sins or holy virtues? We will start our physical journey in Sintra, with the Initiatic Well, or Inverted Tower of Regaleira. Spiralling down into the earth, its nine landings make reference to Dante’s circles of Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. The well is part of an enigmatic network of tunnels and symbolic structures that create a journey of self-discovery, from darkness to light. Bavaria MS festival 6th – 9th February 2014 Elements of a theatrical landscape Set in the beautiful mountainous area of Bavaria, surrounded by the Alps, the Bavarian Central Mountains and the Alpine foothills, this middle school festival will take its inspiration directly from the landscape. Each ensemble group will be given an element of this geographical setting such as valley, lake, mountain or sky and will use this as a starting point to devise a few minutes of movement/vocal work. The ensembles will then come back together to teach each other their own elemental piece and these will combine into a full-group final performance paying tribute to the location of the school. Each of the ISTA artists has a particular interest in site-specific theatre set in unusual spaces and this bringing together of different elements perfectly reflects, not only the Bavarian countryside, but the ISTA vision of internationalism and creativity. Eden, Cornwall MS festival 7th – 9th February 2014 Building a dream The Eden Project’s story is one of building a dream, daring to have a social vision and taking on all the challenges of executing that vision. Eden has stunning gardens and fantastic arts and music events, but it is much more than that. They aim to run transformational social and environmental projects at home and worldwide, create unforgettable learning experiences, do valuable conservation research and run all of their operations in the greenest possible way. A huge dream that has become a reality and is still expanding, the story of the Eden Project is truly inspirational. Originally conceived by Tim Smit in 1996 and opened to the public in May 2000, this hugely ambitious project has been described as the 8th wonder of the world. A former archaeologist who has also worked as a successful song-writer and record producer, Smit was the driving force behind the project, raising the needed funds and pulling together the extraordinary team of people to make his dream a reality. 24 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

“Entrepreneurism is a word that has been stolen by people who don’t understand it. The truth is that people who are entrepreneurial take risks.” (Tim Smit, 2008) Participating students are prompted to generate new stories of inspiration, which can then translate into action plans upon returning to their homes and schools. Hong Kong HS festival 14th – 16th February 13-15 2014 Mind the gap ‘To lose someone you love is to alter your life for ever. The pain stops, there are new people but the gap never closes.’ (Jeanette Winterson) This Valentine’s Day festival will explore the nature of love and intimate relationships. What barriers are there to true love? Is it possible to bridge the gaps between different cultures, languages and ages to be with the one you choose? How do you continue on with your life if you are separated? Students are brought together from different cultures to share their own perspectives on true love and the customs of their homelands. Hong Kong is a vibrant mixture of ancient tradition and cutting-edge technology, a melding of different worlds. How does love manifest in all of this? Has the nature of romance changed as the world changes around us, or is it the one constant as our society shifts and develops? Students will have the opportunity to explore this most enduring and inspirational of topics through devising physical theatre, masks and vocal work. A trip to the Temple of Tin Hau, Goddess of the Ocean, will provide a wonderfully inspirational starting point. Hong Kong residents throughout the ages have prayed desperately to Tin Hau for the return of their loved ones lost at sea. Beijing MS festival 28th February – 2nd March 2014 Courtyards and lanterns - ceremony and celebration The Chinese Hutong is a unique social space created through the placement of houses and courtyards to create a network of alleyways. It was central to the cultural and social life of Chinese villages and cities alike and would become the setting for important rituals and celebrations, from marriages to extravagant New Year’s banquets. In China as elsewhere, time and change occur at different paces – rituals can seem slow and drawn out but celebrations are over much too soon. Modernisation in China seems to be occurring at the speed of light, while some Chinese are reluctant to give up customs and ways of the past. This festival will look at the theatrical richness of the Hutong as a stage for both ritual and celebration, for patient observation of tradition and for joyous expressions of life’s successes. For our inspiration we will take the old folk tale ‘Stone Soup’, in which a poor and hungry wanderer tricks a village into feeding him, as a starting point for both the ritual of preparation and the reward of celebration. Dubai HS festival 6th – 8th March 2014 Beckett’s Endgame Is there a more fitting setting for one of the pinnacles of modernist theatre than the city

of Dubai, a riot of modernity and absurd(ist) opulence rising from the desert? By focussing on just one of Samuel Beckett’s plays, this festival will allow us to consider a rich selection of moments in the work in order to reflect back infinitely varied visions: many plays out of one. It will also help us to analyse, deconstruct and re-evaluate Beckett’s themes in the context of our 21st century world, with its environmental concerns, questions of sustainable growth and the emergence of new players on the world stage. What is the meaning of Dubai? What would Beckett make of it? Izmir HS festival 6th – 9th March 2014 Smyrna: heroes vs. legends The Amazons were a mythical tribe of women warriors according to Ancient Greek legend. The Efe were a band of ‘outlaw’ guerilla soldiers who fought for different causes from the 16th century through to Turkish independence in 1923. The Efe are a historically documented group whose exploits have become legendary, while the Amazons exist chiefly in Greek mythology and our imaginations. There are stories and histories of both set around Smyrna, the ancient city that is known today as Izmir. Both groups were ruggedly individualistic and proud, known as merciless and hardy fighters. Who were the original women warriors who inspired the myths? Why are the Efe celebrated as popular heroes in Izmir? This festival will allow us to compare reputations and legacies, and consider the creative distinction between drawing our inspiration from history and drawing on mythologies. London HS festival 27th – 29th March 2014 Layers of London London’s East End: Spitalfields, Petticoat Lane, Whitechapel, Brick Lane, Limehouse, Docklands. Between the old structures and the new constructions, between Georgian brick and the glass and steel post-Millennium and post-Olympic spaces, lie scores of London stories: Huguenots fleeing religious persecution, the wharves, opium dens, Dickensian squalor, even Jack the Ripper. Once home to Chinamen, Lascar seamen, Jewish tailors, Victorian pimps & prostitutes and now home to artists and writers such as Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin and Jeannette Winterson (who runs an organic grocery and café on Brushfield Street) this amazing district will serve as inspiration for the festival. Istanbul, Cevre MS festival 27th – 30th March 2014 Istanbul not Constantinople? Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and an important modern cultural and commercial centre, with many traces remaining of its remarkable past. It was once the capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine empires and one of the greatest and most advanced cities of its day. What happens when a city changes hands, changes religions, and gets a makeover? Which city are we visiting? To consider the different faces of Istanbul/Constantinople we will explore monuments and spaces that have survived these different eras and the stories of young people who lived and experienced the city’s different traditions and history.

Verdala HS festival 30th March – 1st April 2014 Hidden From the Phoenicians to Napoleon, from Barbary pirates to the Knights Hospitaller, Malta’s history is one of invasion, occupation and colonisation due to its strategic position at the crossroads of the main sea routes between Europe, Africa and Asia. Located within a fortress, the Verdala School harbors two WW2era shelters in which the Maltese sought refuge from Mussolini’s campaign of bombardment. This festival will tackle site-specific performance to explore the spaces of hiding, siege, resistance and heroism - recent and across the historical traces of the myriad cultures that left their imprint on the tiny island nation. Terezin HS festival 4th – 6th April 2014 Building a nightmare Terezin, and the Eden Project are Sites of Learning Festivals produced by ISTA during the year. The theme for both festivals this year is ‘Stories of inspiration’, in which we focus on the story of the place itself, how it came into being and how it became what it was. If the Eden Project’s story is one of building a dream, clearly Terezin’s dark past raises questions about how dystopias are created and why they exist. For both festivals, we will look for inspiration in the stories of people’s accomplishments, struggles, virtues, failings, perseverance, hopes and heroism. Attending students are prompted to generate new stories of inspiration which can then translate into action plans upon returning to homes and schools. Budapest MS festival 10th – 13th April 2014 In search of the white stag The symbol of a white stag (Csodaszarvas in Hungarian) figures prominently in legends throughout Europe and Asia and is at the heart of a myth of Hungary’s founding. According to the legend, two brothers, out hunting in the forest, began tracking an extraordinary white stag which led them to a valley (the Carpathian Basin) so beautiful they decided to settle there. Robert Baden-Powell, speaking at the 1933 World Scout Jamboree in Hungary, told a gathering of boy scouts that ‘[t]he White Stag has a message for you. Hunters of old pursued the miraculous stag, not because they expected to kill it but because it led them, in the joy of the chase, to new and fresh adventures and so to capture happiness.’ This festival will explore how to represent that legendary hunt, the adventure and chase of nature, the movement of water, all within the context of Hungarian folk traditions such as dance and puppetry. We will take our inspiration from the city of Budapest and the river Danube that flows through it. Jakarta MS festival 11th – 13th April 2014 Hidden worlds The festival title refers to spiritual beliefs in Indonesian culture, and to the worlds of the underprivileged members of Indonesian society. This festival will explore the magic of theatre through interactive experiences with local street children. Jakarta is full of people who aren’t making it. For our research and inspiration we www.ista.co.uk

will go out and work with street children, ‘walk in their shoes’, hear their stories, let them teach us and offer us their valuable insight. Festival host, Michael Westberg, has been working with street children since he began teaching at JIS; indeed JIS has a very strong tradition of service learning; and the ISTA festival will be tapping into the already established relationships JIS has with a number of local organisations – from street children (KDM), to orphanages and trash pickers. Groups will be organised by schools for the out and about and each group will be accompanied by a Bahasa speaker. Chennai HS festival 25th – 27th April 2014 Equality, dignity, safety Most of us take for granted the security and ease with which we navigate school, career and indeed life. There is, however, a significant portion of the world today which does not enjoy that freedom or comfort - women in a great number of societies. Even developed nations such as Britain, France, Canada, the US and Japan are still lagging in terms of gender equality in the workplace, in politics and in school. Women in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and much of the Asian and Arab world face enormous obstacles and challenges in their most basic tasks and everyday lives. They often lack the freedom to attend school, the freedom to walk safely among men without fear of violence or harassment, the freedom to choose partners or spouses or to have a career. With the recent spate of violence against women in India, the horrific attack on 15 year-old Pakistani school girl Malala Yousufzai, who spoke out in favor of education for girls and the barbaric treatment of widows in Indian society, a spotlight has been directed on this problem in South Asia. People are speaking up, telling their stories and saying ‘no more’. This festival allows us the opportunity to look around, and address the issue from an inside vantage discovering both the histories and heroism of ordinary and yet extraordinary people in their efforts to diminish oppression and victimization. Sotogrande HS festival 24th -27th April 2014 The lady or the tiger The old story of barbaric justice: a king who sentences all those unfortunate enough to cross him with a choice - of marriage or death. They are led before two doors; behind one is a lovely maiden, behind the other a savage tiger. The difficult choice conjures up many images: opening doors, temptation, giving up what you know for what you want or don’t know, a risk, a gamble, a test of valour or of innocence. The twist comes when the king sentences the man who has seduced his daughter. The daughter has found out which outcome lies behind each door and the choice becomes hers; does she send her beloved into the arms of another woman or to his certain death? She makes a secret sign to the condemned man when her father is not looking. The story ends with the question; which came out of the door, the lady or the tiger? In another version of this dilemma there are two brothers who both know the correct door but one brother only tells the truth, while one brother only tells lies. You get to ask one of the brothers a question. What question do you ask?

This festival will examine these dramatic puzzles through theatrical exploration of the choices we all face: learning from mistakes, taking chances, gaining experience and facing our fears. Dhaka MS festival 30th April – 3rd May 2014 Reaching out – the gift of theatre The Gift of the Magi is a story written over a hundred years ago by O. Henry, about a poor couple who each make a great sacrifice (she sells her beautiful long hair, he sells his treasured grandfather’s gold watch) in order to buy each other valuable Christmas gifts (a set of expensive combs for her, a gold watch chain for him) only to discover that the sacrifices have made the gifts useless. In this festival we will consider the idea of theatre as a gift - one that can be exchanged across cultures and to bridge gaps in understanding, status, origins. What makes a gift valuable, and what are we willing to sacrifice in order to reach out to others in need? Dusseldorf MS festival 1st – 4th May 2014 Unspoken tales This festival will take local legends and stories and retell them as tales without words through movement, clowning, mime, physical theatre etc. What are the powerful ways we communicate without speaking? How do we construct visual, textural and rhythmic dimensions to our storytelling? Bangkok MS festival 2nd – 4th May 2014 Archetypes and ideals - animation/ embodiment This workshop-model festival will focus on the question of how we bring characters to life in our bodies and through the objects we use in theatre (masks, puppets or ordinary household bits and pieces). In addition to looking at the skills needed to animate and embody our characters we will consider what qualities we bring to characters on stage and what types of individuals are interesting to watch and to represent - heroes or villains, ordinary or extraordinary beings? As a starting point we will look at elements of the Ramayana story which is very concerned with defining and presenting different archetypal characters: ideal husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, kings, queens and their subjects. Singapore PS festival 16th – 18th May 2014 The motion of the ocean! Our Primary School festivals are focused on play! Taking the out-and-about trip to the world’s biggest Oceanarium for inspiration, children will use movement, physical theatre and puppetry to explore an underwater world. During this cultural visit to one of Singapore’s most important landmarks and in the ensemble work afterwards, children will devise watery characters and explore their individual natures and interactions. What sort of a fish are you? How do you move? What human qualities do you have and how can you show these to the audience? How do you live? How do you interact with the other fish? The ISTA artists include specialists in puppetry and clowning so children will have a fantastic opportunity to practice these art forms and use them in a final festival sharing. Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 25

Tarsus HS/MS festival – May 2013 By Rebecca Bell

Covering, folding, draping, holding Introduction Hello top team… I’m really looking forward to this next creative ISTA adventure and spending some time together “fizzy thinking” how we might respond to this Middle / High School festival focus: Covering, folding, draping, holding Starting point This is not a piece of material, it’s a car! Stretch it, move it, mime with it, talk with it, listen to it, create atmosphere, project on it... anything else? Your call . Out and about A circular tour of the Tarsus city centre, visiting local businesses and monuments of historical interest which represent the fabric of Tarsus culture. The purpose of this inspiration pack is to inspire you with some ideas of areas you may want to focus on with your groups and there may be aspects that you want to research more fully, or prepare materials before we meet. In terms of the format of the festival, for this Middle / High school age group (12-16 years) I think it will work best if we can agree on a shared enquiry focus that can serve as the through-line for the devising process. Linked to the title and starting point, shaped by the host, I would like to share with you my ideas aroundexploring ‘The fabric of life’ as a theme. Having a shared theme as a starting point will support the generation of meaningful links in the creative outcomes of each group. With this festival having young people attending of high school age, drawing our work together to create one ‘story’ as the final performance piece would bring an appropriate level of challenge to the work of the young people. We’ll discuss what this might mean as we work together, and with the young people, so that the final piece is shaped in collaboration with them. The numbers for the festival don’t quite warrant 4 ensembles (there are approx. 70 young people attending). The decision has been made to have one tech ensemble of approx. 12 young people and two devising ensembles each with approx. 28 / 29 young people in them. These 26 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

are slightly larger in size than usual. Having spoken with Sally, I will be looking to be ‘fluid’ in how we engage with the young people throughout this festival and would be open to any ideas as to how we might enable a flexible approach to the grouping of the students throughout the devising process. Here are some ideas t

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HSPVQ Preparation – can I ask all of you to bring the following… In readiness for our initial planning time together it would be great if you could shape your thinking ready to offer: 1. some concepts / ideas linked to ‘The fabric of life’ theme; 2. some concepts / ideas as to how theatre forms and structures can be used to convey these ideas – especially focusing on how fabric could be used as a theatrical convention; 3. some leading questions that could spark a creative enquiry process with the young people (I’ve offered examples in the table below); 4. some full group exercises / activities / processes that may enrich the theme ‘The fabric of life’ and contribute to the shape of the final piece; 5. some ideas as to what we might do practically on the out and about that will feed into the process and enhance the final performance?

Covering, Folding, Draping, Holding

Tarsus MS Fes Inspiration tival pack

Inspiration pack

Possible inspirations To support the enquiry focus of the festival I have generated some questions (the table on the opposite page) that may serve as starting points for the devising process (please feel free to develop your own questions). About Tarsus With a history going back over 6,000 years, Tarsus has long been an important stop for traders, a focal point of many civilisations including the Roman Empire, when Tarsus was capital of the province of Cilicia, the scene of the first meeting between Mark Antony and Cleopatra, where the Apostle Paul grew up after having been deported as a young child from his native village Gishala (modern Jish) in Upper Galilee. The city was founded around 1,400 B.C. when the Hittites settled the area. It is thought that Cilicia was the capital of the area they designated Kuzziwatna. Cilicia became a Roman province in 64 BC after it was conquered by Pompey. Tarsus

A woman in Tarsus weaving a traditional Turkish Rug.

Enquiry about ‘The fabric of life’ and the location – Tarsus

Enquiry around theatre and staging

We can practically examine these questions looking at how they relate to the history, businesses and monuments that represent the fabric of Tarsus, while also examining the fabric of life from the perspective of the origins of the young people and the fabric of their lives.

We can practically examine these questions in terms of: > sound; > light; > music; > words; > movement; > props; > space; > story.

1. What is the fabric of life?

A. How does different fabric respond under stage lighting?

2. What ‘shapes’ who we are, and what we might become?

B. If each different type of fabric were a sound, what sound would it be and why?

3. What is fat?

C. How do different fabrics move on stage and what can this communicate to an audience?

4. How much of the fabric of our lives is determined by fate?

D. How might fabric be used on stage to convey meaning to an audience?

5. Can you escape your fate?

E. What symbols in life are made from fabric? How can these symbols be used to create theatre?

6. Is luck real?

F.

7. If each of us were a fabric, what fabric would we be and why?

G. How do you create an atmosphere that reflects the fabric of life in Tarsus – now, 100 years ago?

8. If each of our lives were a pattern, what pattern would it be and why?

H. How would you express the fabric of your lives through any of the theatre elements listed above?

9. l How does our culture shape the fabric of our lives?

I.

How might you symbolize the fabric of life?

10. If our heritage and ancestry were a patch work quilt of fabric (varying in colour, texture, type, pattern) what would the pieces be and why?

J.

How do you create a city on stage?

11. If the heritage and ancestry of TARSUS were a patch work quilt of fabric (varying in colour, texture, type, pattern) what would the pieces be and why?

K. How do you communicate to an audience what fate is, without using words?

12. How might we express the fabric of life in Tarsus?

L. How might the same piece of fabric be ‘transformed’ in order to communicate different meaning to an audience?

13. What does the fabric of each of our lives have in common?

M. How might we communicate our message about the fabric of life in a festival song/anthem?

14. Within the fabric of each of our lives what makes us the unique individual that we are?

N. How might we capture ‘The fabric of life’ in Tarsus (and/or our own lives) using multi media?

15. How might faith shape the fabric of our lives?

O. How might we translate ‘covering, folding, draping, holding’ (and any other such words linked to fabric/material) through movement? Through sound? Through light? etc

How would you communicate ‘The fabric of life’ to an audience?

16. What has come to change about the fabric of life in Tarsus over the years? 17. How does the fabric of our lives compare and contrast with the living in Tarsus? 18. How does the fabric of our lives compare and contrast with that of our parents and grandparents? 19. Is there a universal ‘fabric of life’? If so, what is it and how might it have changed 50 years from now? 20. How might we link the words ‘covering, folding, draping, holding’ the fabric of our own lives? 21. To create an ideal world what would you ‘weave’ into the fabric of life?

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Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 27

became the capital city. Tarsus was located on the southern coast of AsiaMinor. Cilicia had two main regions: the western half with its mountainous terrain, and the eastern plain, which contained fertile land. Tarsus was located in the eastern region. The city is 79 feet above sea level and 10 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. The city is built around the Cydnus River. Tarsus was a prosperous city and intellectualism and education were its major distinctions. Strabo wrote of Tarsus in the 1st century AD. “ The people at Tarsus have devoted themselves so eagerly, not only to philosophy, but also to the whole round of education in general that they have surpassed even Athens, Alexandria, or any other place that can be named where there have been schools and lectures of philosophers.” The city also contained a number of schools of rhetoric; a method of speaking that Paul used in many of his epistles. Tarsus was also known as a centre of Stoic philosophy. Curiosity I wonder, could we frame come philosophical questions that inspire our creative enquiry / devising process? I am an accredited facilitator of P4C (philosophy for children) and have explored through recent years how the processes of P4C and drama can be fused to inspire creative thinking (amongst other things!) and would been keen to. Tent making was a common trade in Cilicia and the tents were made of material created from the hair of the mounta in goats of the area. Turkish carpets and rugs, whether hand

28 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

knotted or flat woven are among the most wellknown and established hand crafted art works in the world.[1] Historically: religious, cultural, environmental, socio-political and socioeconomic conditions created widespread utilitarian need and have provided artistic inspiration among the many tribal peoples and ethnic groups in Central Asia and Turkey. Apparently originating in the traditions of largely nomadic Turkic peoples, the Turkish carpet, like the Persian carpet, developed during the medieval times. Later a more sophisticated urban process, produced rugs in large workshops for commissions by the court and for export. The many styles of design reached maturity during the early Ottoman Empire, and most modern production, especially for export, looks back to the styles of that period. Turkish rugs and carpets are made in a wide range of distinct styles originating from various regions in Anatolia. Important differentiators between these styles may include: the materials, construction method, patterns and motif, geography, cultural identity and intended use. Curisoity I wonder, if we were to weave the fabric of our lives into a carpet/rug design what would the patterns / colours be? What story might lie within the patterns? How might we communicate these patterns and stories to an audience? There can be found the tradition of symbols on fabric that communicate values, beliefs and tell stories shaped by the maker (weaver, printer, etc). Check out the Adrinkra symbols of West Africa (via Google). Each of these patterns has a meaning. Curiosity What if, each young person were to design a symbol that represented the fabric of their life, or the pattern of their life journey to date? How

might they translate this symbol as a gesture, a character, a movement, a journey, a sound, a piece of music? How might all these symbols piece together? The fabric of a patchwork quilt can hold so many memories that are reflected by the ‘scrap or salvaged’ pieces of material that have made each piece. A piece of fabric that was once a special dress worn on a special occasion, a piece of fabric that was once: a bed spread, a shirt, a special holiday garment, party outfit, grandmas, the curtains of a special room... you get the idea. Curiosity What if the young people were exposed to a collection of fabric pieces and where asked to select one that they felt triggered a memory, reminded them of something key within their lives, or reflected something about themselves. They then shape this response into a piece of drama / dance / music. Quilts are made all round the world, within many cultures and hold, therefore, many cultural memories and diverse life stories. Curiosity Is there a story we could use? Check out the drama process devised by John Rainer called The Patchwork Quilt –

this process I have used several times and it can lead to great performance work. (I will bring my copy to the festival). Poems The Patchwork quilt by Inkling Perhaps if we perceived days of our lives As though the parts of patchwork tapestries, That gracious grand-mamas and merry wives Create with care at country quilting bees, How we’d then leave an heirloom legacy Whose home-spun handicraft would be the match Of cozy quilts whose happy harmony Reveals the maker’s joy in every patch. Kindly then see your moral fiber’s not Quite like you find in fabric shot by moths, Upon each day sew all the good you’ve got, Insuring your life quilt’s of remnant cloths Like one would see in pretty patchwork’s which The patient make with love in every stitch. Fabric by Don Blanding I try to live each day In such a way That when tomorrow makes today a yesterday I will have woven into the fabric of my life Some gay design, Some patch of colour, Bright, to please the eye. So that, in the graying years to come, When all the quick responsive senses dull, I may look back across the patterns of my past And, in my memory, Live the joys and pains Of all my yesterdays. The fabric of life by Kay Ryan It is very stretchy. We know that, even if many details remain sketchy. It is complexly woven. That much too has pretty well been proven. We are loath to continue our lessons which consist of slaps as sharp and dispersed as bee stings from a smashed nest when any strand snaps – hurts working far past the locus of rupture, attacking threads far beyond anything we would have said connects. Fabric of my being by Kara Towe Raining down through the mist are drops of memories. One by one they trickle through my mind. They become a stream of reflections. Flowing pictures. Delicately streaming through my heart, my soul recalls; A grandmother’s touch. My mother’s laugh. A aunts advice. The joy of childhood friends. Visions of my children when they were small. www.ista.co.uk

Watching them grow. Fishing by a river. Making sand castles. Where did the time go? It seemed it would last forever. They are now distant memories. So many experiences have come and gone. Countless memories weave the fabric of my being. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Title by... Between me and my God I may not choose the colours; He knows what they should be He can view the pattern upon the upper side While I can see it only on this under side Sometimes he weaveth sorrow; Which seems so strange to me But I will trust his judgement and work on faithfully It’s he who fills the shuttle; He knows just what is best So I shall weave in earnest and, Leave the rest with him At last… When life ends I shall abide with him And I shall know the reason Why pain was entwined with joy was woven In the fabric of life That God designed. What is the fabric of life? A narrative definition sourced on the internet. After reading do you agree / disagree? What might the students think? The things that fabric manufacturers are able to produce today amaze me. Each fabric is a product of design at a number of levels. First of all, someone had to secure the material of which the fabric would be made. It could be from a plant, insect, animal, mineral, or a carefully synthesized compound formulated by man. This material then had to be woven, knit, pressed, stretched, pulled, pounded, or sewed into a sheet of some kind. There then had to be colour added to the fabric. This dye was carefully extracted or produced in a laboratory to give a desired colour-that was the easy part. Then the dye had to be applied to the fabric in a way that caused it to be fully integrated into the fabric. If this were not done carefully, the dye would be uneven leaving splotches and irregular colour. If the molecules of the fabric and the colour were not compatible, the colour would come off on things it touched. Fabric is tough stuff to produce--especially if the fabric is good, attractive, and durable. The fabric of life is very much the same. Life has to be planned for-not a product of accident. A man and a woman must want to produce a new life and put everything needed to make that life successful into it. Like most fabrics, life starts by a designed process man cannot produce himself, and only recently has mankind begun to understand a little about how the process operates. We now know that chemicals can produce imperfections in a new life. As a professional that works largely in education, I see children who have been born to mothers whose bodies were affected by alcohol, crack, and other substances. Planning to have a child cannot be

over-emphasized, and making sure that life has a good physical start is of considerable importance. A new baby is like a new piece of fabric. It is perfectly clean and pure and ready to accept whatever is to be used to colour it. In the case of a fabric, a dye must be carefully formulated and carefully added to allow the fabric to properly bond with the dye. A child is very similar--what the child hears, how they are treated, how and what they are taught affects dramatically how their life will look as an adult. The parallel between a fabric and the fabric of life continues when things get rough. A good fabric with properly bonded dye will be able to withstand weather, abrasion, and soiling and will continue to be attractive. Quotes Agree / disagree? “One can be absolutely truthful and sincere even though admittedly the most outrageous liar. Fiction and invention are of the very fabric of life.” – Arthur Miller “If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse gift will find a fitting place.” – Margaret Mead quotes (American anthropologist whose great fame owed as much to the force of her personality and her outspokenness as she did for her scientific work “As crude a weapon as the cave man’s club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life” – Rachel Carson quotes “Counsel woven into the fabric of real life is wisdom.”- Walter Benjamin quotes (German Theologian, Writer and Essayist. 1892-1940) “When the fabric of the universe becomes unknown, it is the duty of the university to produce weavers” – Gordon Gee quotes “What interested me was not news, but appraisal. What I sought was to grasp the flavour of a man, his texture, his impact, what he stood for, what he believed in, what made him what he was and what colour he gave to the fabric of his time.” – John Gunther quotes (American Writer and Journalist. 1901-1970 The transformation of fabric Could we use pieces of fabric, or the same piece of fabric to: > Make puppets? – talk with it. > Represent objects / locations? – mime with it. > Move with it, or in it? > Project onto? > Paint or draw onto? > Dress in? > Create a landscape with? (set/staging). > Create a structure? e.g. tent . > Represent something? – a symbol. Curiosity How might we incorporate fabric into the creative processes and products generated by each ensemble? Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 29

Workshops We have a fantastic range of skillbased sessions that young people and teachers can look forward to experiencing at ISTA events. Every one of our 120+ artists has a middle school, high school and teacher workshop on file for us to select from as we put events together. This resource, in itself, would fill a complete issue of Scene, so here is a taster for you. Angela David HIGH SCHOOL Dance of darkness White, slow and moving: discover the secretive and beautiful performance art of Butoh from Japan. Create your own Butoh presence and explore its form. Anthony Cunningham HIGH SCHOOL Fright night You will explore ideas from the Grand-Guignol Theatre of Horror, to consider what is truly frightening and to use acting, audience and performance-space ideas in action. Ben Young HIGH SCHOOL Script to speaker This workshop will focus on taking a script, working out when you need sound, then picking music, designing effects and creating soundscapes, and working with your director. Cendrine Belleux MIDDLE SCHOOL Tickling the unanimated Explore the art of manipulating unanimated objects and finding their stories by choosing a rhythm and a voice for them then, in groups, develop small scenes for these newborn characters. Chloe Keller HIGH SCHOOL The anatomy of flirting Playing attraction on stage can be awkward and difficult! Learn to identify the seven stages of flirtation and how to utilise the innate understanding of body language to translate meaning - on-stage and off. Chris Salisbury MIDDLE SCHOOL Abracadabra! (As I speak, so I create) We tell stories to each other every day but are we aware of the distinct narrative forms of the 30 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

oral tradition that underpin all theatre making? An introduction to storytelling and to yourself as a storyteller. Clair Archbold FOR TEACHERS Son et lumière Recreate a historic event using only the theatre’s technical equipment. This is your chance to play and be inventive with technology. Darren Scully MIDDLE SCHOOL ‘I’ll smack you if you say that again!’ This is a stage-fighting workshop with sticks instead of fists. I’ll show you how to go from simple street-fighting to choreographing large fights… and no one gets hurt… much! David Gardner MIDDLE SCHOOL Lost in translation The use of different languages together on stage is melodic, mysterious and cacophonous. Find the drama in translation, retelling stories and recasting words for comic relief, to shift power and to claim identity. Desta Haile MIDDLE SCHOOL Acting, art, music, revolution! How can theatre be used to fight for your rights and change reality? Why is Theatre of the Oppressed practiced in more than seventy countries around the world? Come and find out! Dinos Artistidou MIDDLE SCHOOL Watch this space Bring space to life and then kill it dead! Look at how you can be visible and invisible! This workshop explores ways you can bring different spaces to life through how you move and where you look. Eivind Lodemel FOR TEACHERS Assessment – time to save time How can we collect and use evidence of practical work in performing arts without working until the late hours of the night? How can we assess a large number of students without using generic and sometimes meaningless language? This session focuses on the use of some simple technology tools to minimise the time we spend on our computers and maximise the time we spend engaging with our students. Fenella Kelly FOR TEACHERS Inside India Hand gestures, footwork, eye movements,

make-up, costumes, music and narrative create the magical Indian dance theatre of Kathakali. This workshop teaches storytelling, using footwork and hand gestures (mudras) in the Kathakali tradition. Francois Zanini MIDDLE SCHOOL Juggling the kitchen Balancing a plate on top of a stick sounds impossible but probably isn’t for you after this intense session of trial and error. ‘Look mummy, I can do it… almost!’ Gillie Kerrod MIDDLE SCHOOL There are only six stories in the world Really? Is it true that all stories, plays and film scripts come from six basic plots or can you invent something totally new? Let’s see! Greg Pliska MIDDLE SCHOOL Crash concert Learn what aleatoric means as we randomly generate characters, settings and musical ideas and combine them to create a neverbefore-seen performance spectacle. Unlikely combinations can result in unexpectedly powerful dramatic results. Helen Balfour HIGH SCHOOL Move it! A movement/dance based workshop that focuses on the basics of shaping and choreographing your own group piece – comfortable clothing a must! Helen Szymzcak FOR TEACHERS The theatre laboratory Using Grotowski’s concepts of ‘poor theatre’ and the Laboratory, this workshop will explore South African environmental theatre and the company, Theatre for Africa, without spending a pound. Ian Johnston HIGH SCHOOL CSI (concealed Shakespearean information) global Recreate the conditions of an Elizabethan actor. Experience the thrill of going on stage with a little knowledge and a whole lot of bravado. This is real ‘flying by the seat of your pants’ acting - in fact, reacting! Jess Thorpe MIDDLE SCHOOL Found A bag has been left in the room… who does it

belong to? Who has packed it and where were they going? Let’s build this character together and, in doing so, find out how we can build our own characters from scratch. Jez Gregg HIGH SCHOOL Learning to fly: the art of falling without hitting the ground Fasten your belts. You’ll find your partner’s hands, hips and back come in handy. Emergency exits are situated on the floor. Prepare for takeoff. Participants will lift or be lifted in a variety of safe and interesting ways. Jillian Campana MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL Rasaboxing This workshop uses the nine bhavas or ‘emotional essences’ of classical Sanskrit drama to guide actors as they explore emotions and relationships. Performers learn how the nine bhavas have remained present throughout time and how they can be used in contemporary acting work. Jo Riley MIDDLE SCHOOL Dicey moves Numbers on the dice define your moves in space and time: a game for groovers, nonmovers and total ‘uncoordinates’. Discover the maths of movement as the body shapes fly, curve, flick, stretch, whizz or ‘glunge’ through space. Jon Morris HIGH SCHOOL How not to act The temptation to ‘act’ can get the better of all performers from time to time. This workshop is designed to help you to stop acting and to start being. We will explore silence, pauses and how the old saying that ‘less is more’ is never truer than in the theatre. If you don’t know how to ‘be’ then this workshop is for you. Kate Caster FOR TEACHERS The tribe Native American drama is rooted in the dynamic of ‘the tribe’. We will explore what it means to be part of a tribe and how that knowledge translates into ensemble work. Liisa Smith MIDDLE SCHOOL Ringside seats – combat 101 With elements from contemporary dance, Muay Thai, and Capoeira, this class will give you the tools you need to create a vivid stage fight. Students will learn individual attacks, blocks, and escapes that they can use to create their own combat sequences as well as a set fight combo that they’ll test out with a partner. Marjorie Duffield MIDDLE SCHOOL Silly, silent ha-ha In this workshop we’ll learn basic slapstick and visual humour techniques and create short www.ista.co.uk

silent comedy moments that can be performed anywhere - even in a library! Matt Baker MIDDLE SCHOOL Women and children first Relive the final hours on board the Titanic through words, music and plenty of action. What were you doing when the cry, ‘Women and children first!’ echoed around the Titanic? Matt Godfrey MIDDLE SCHOOL The nose knows: red nose clown Ah ha, this shoe is a boat! Clowns make us laugh, cry and be very afraid. Create characters that react to any stimulus, experiencing moments of truth, vulnerability and comedy that are your inner clown. Mhairi McInnes MIDDLE SCHOOL Laugh out loud Discover more about character and status by performing scenarios from Commedia dell’ Arte. Learn how to become Il Capitano or Izabella and what happens when they meet unexpectedly. Mike Pasternak HIGH SCHOOL ‘Villain, your resting days are done!’ Wicked villains and upright heroes clash in gesture and language. Ghosts and vampires weave a strange stage fabric of romance and mythical fantasy. Theatrical conventions combine to make a workshop full of energy and fun. Mira Hirsch MIDDLE SCHOOL ‘Picture that’ or ‘Theatre VINE’ Create vivid tableaux - stage pictures that tell stories. Start with a single tableau, which conveys one emotion or idea, then advance to creating ‘comic strip’ tableaux - series of 6 or 7 frozen pictures that tell stories with clear beginnings, middles and ends. Like the popular app. ‘Vine’, in which short clips are linked together to make a 7-second video, ‘Theatre Vine’ entails carefully selecting images and linking them together to tell the desired story.

Rex Rund MIDDLE SCHOOL Mikes? we don’t need no mikes! Make yourself heard without tearing your voice to bits. From the stage whisper, to dialogue, to bursting into song, discover the secrets of healthy, effective vocal use. Rob Russell FOR TEACHERS The body of your dreams This workshop will teach you how to create a rhythmic composition by using sports equipment such as basketballs or rope. Inspired by African and Latin rhythms you will develop your rhythmic ability as well as your vocal skills. Rob Warren MIDDLE SCHOOL Creating newspaper puppets Participants will create and manipulate Bunrakustyle newspaper puppets. They will also learn techniques used in Bunraku and how to work in puppeteering teams, and interact with others in several improvisational exercises. Sherri Sutton FOR TEACHERS ‘So a teacher walks into a bar’ Great comedy lies in truth - jokes are not needed! Stand-up comedy is a highly skilled craft with a specific formula; actively explore set-up, punches, one-line visuals, act-outs, and mixes. Suzy Davies MIDDLE SCHOOL Sing it - sign it Songs are double the fun when you can sign them as well. In this workshop we’ll learn to sing songs and sign them using BSL – British Sign Language. Thomas Kellogg MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL Create your own superhero Superheroes are more popular than ever in our world culture. These ‘bigger than life’ characters are created by writers and actors who give these super beings unique personalities and powers. In this workshop we will each create a superhero, through a fun, dynamic process of character development –‘Up, up, and away!’

Neil Farrelly MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ‘Gold out of your belly button’: creative improvisation and sound/percussion. Japan has a long tradition of masks. Here we use two of the most popular ones: a male mask, ‘Hyottoko’, a festival jester who breathes fire from bamboo and creates gold out of his belly-button and a female character called ‘Okame’, who likes dancing with five yen coins on her nose. Omri Rose FOR TEACHERS Why kids have the most fun - the art of letting go A workshop which helps get in touch with the ‘kid’ still trapped within us. Through a new perspective on the word ‘play’ participants will be brought into the mindset of a ‘kid’ and re-discover wonder. Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 31

The benefits of attending ISTA TaPS: a case study By Rachel Ollagnon and Marsha Yalden; Sturgis Charter Public School, MA, USA At the risk of sounding like paid advertising or a late-night infomercial, we are here to tell you about how we have seen the TaPS experience, in just a few short months, influence and affect our IB Theatre students in profoundly positive ways. First, a little bit about us and our school. We teach at Sturgis Charter Public School East in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Marsha has been teaching at Sturgis for over seven years, having come from teaching in New Hampshire. Rachel is in her second year at Sturgis, after teaching overseas in a variety of schools. We are both Level 2 certified IB Theatre teachers. Sturgis is a non-fee paying, state-supported, charter high school. Sturgis accepts students purely through a lottery system. Sturgis is IB For All, which means that only IB courses are offered and all students enrolled at Sturgis, whether attempting the full diploma or not, take IB SL or HL courses. There are approximately 200 students per grade on two campuses, Sturgis East and Sturgis West (100 per grade, per campus). For the freshmen class of 2013, applications were so high, that there remain over 400 students on the waiting list for a class of 200. The students who attend Sturgis come from a large geographical region and represent a diverse socio-economic group. Neither campus has a stage or auditorium; all theatre classes are conducted in a traditional classroom (we rent out local theatre spaces for our performances). For the 2012-13 school year, Rachel had 22 seniors in IB HL and SL Theatre and Marsha had 16 in the first year of IB HL and SL Theatre. At the Sturgis West campus, there are 20 students in the first year of IB Theatre and they will add seniors next year. Although Sturgis has had an IB Theatre programme for a number of years, the school did not belong to ISTA and had not participated in any TaPS or ISTA festivals before our 2012 TaPS trip to New York. Rachel, having been a part of ISTA while overseas, encouraged Sturgis to join ISTA. Because Sturgis is funded publicly, there is a tight budget. We requested grant money from the school’s parent association and also received funding from the school to be able to join ISTA. Last spring, we decided to attend the New York TaPS in October of 2012. Then, we spoke to our future seniors and juniors about attending, booked the bus and hotel rooms and crossed our fingers that the trip would be the phenomenal experience that we had painted for our students. Twenty-one students from both the East and 32 Issue 2 | 2013-14 December | Scene

West campuses signed-up to attend the New York TaPS. Many of them spent their summers and week-ends working to earn their own money to pay for the trip. Although most of our students live on Cape Cod and within a forty to ninety minute drive to Boston and about a five-hour drive from New York City, due to social and economic factors, many of our students have very little exposure to more cosmopolitan arts culture. Plus, since Sturgis is the only IB school in the area, students often feel disconnected from students in other nearby high schools. So, for many of our students, being in New York City, without their parents, attending workshops with IB students from all over the world, was a thrill in itself. Additionally, many of our students do not see much live theatre, even if they would like to and the theatre that they are exposed to in the area tends to be more traditional and conventional. In our IB theatre courses, we strive to expose students to a larger world of theatre. But the three days of TaPS workshops, while seeing and experiencing New York City and the theatre district, opened many eyes to a totally different world. Staying in the theatre district and attending workshops in a professional, working studio, showed many of our students an environment that they had only imagined or glimpsed on television. Without the opportunity to attend this trip, our students would not have experienced this larger theatre world. The TaPS workshops have visibly improved and aided our students in the preparation and completion of their IB assessments, as well. In their journals, often our students struggle to write in a sophisticated manner about their own observations and depth of understanding of theatre. By seeing two creative and unusual performances in New York (Peter and the Starcatcher and Fuerza Bruta) our students were inspired and enlightened about the scope and boundless options that contemporary theatre offers. This, in addition, to the inventiveness and international variety of the workshop leaders, fed our students’ theatrical curiosities and imaginations. Ever since the trip, the students who attended have been more experimental and risk-taking in both their journal entries and practice. We, as teachers, have observed the differences in openness and imagination in our students who attended TaPS. The students felt it themselves and have expressed it in both their classroom actions and in preparation

and presentation of their oral assessment. In the TPPPs, every student who attended the New York trip chose to speak about their transformational and impressive experiences in the workshops and attending the theatre performances. Not only did they have more material from which to pull, but their enthusiasm and energy about the experiences enlivened their presentations. This made their oral presentations richer, deeper and more successful. The workshop’s impact was particularly evident in the PPPs. For example, one student, Jackson, in creating his PPP developed a production of “Theatre for One”. The concept of “Theatre for One” was explored and created in his ensemble group at TaPS. Jackson, being an intense and emotional student, became fascinated with this concept and began to research it on his own. Then, when given the assignment in the PPP to create his own theatre performance, he had a new-found inspiration and original angle to take in developing his piece. The innovative way he approached creating a theatrical work for his PPP made it stand out as unique and profound. For the Individual Performances and development of the IPPs, TaPS proved a great asset, as well. For example, for their IPP, two students, Anna and Shannon, collaborated in directing and writing a piece that was a direct inspiration from Fuerza Bruta and techniques of physical theatre. They had explored aspects of physical theatre in their theatre course, however, seeing an amazing example of how it can be used spectacularly and meaningfully in live performance, compounded with trying out those same techniques during TaPS, brought them to an understanding and desire to experiment that they had not previously felt. They created a piece called Gun of Byby in which they experimented with the themes and visuals of Fuerza Bruta and created a moving and effective piece of theatre. When watching Gun of Byby, we, as theatre teachers, saw how our teaching, added to by the TaPS instructors and incorporated with a show seen at TaPS, brought a classroom theory or experiment to a truly functioning and moving piece of theatre. Watching the students’ Independent Projects and reading their IPPs, listening to their TPPPs and reading their PPPs, we were struck again and again by how much the TaPS experience had encouraged our students and inspired and solidified their learning. In the classroom, we, as teachers, bring as much creativity and variety to our students. We encourage them to experiment, take risks and be open-minded, to imagine what they might not have had the opportunity to experience. Yet spending three full and amazing days in New York with IB Theatre students from all over the world, interacting and experiencing theatre with different practitioners and peers, seeing ground-breaking performances and being immersed and saturated in theatre, inspired and deepened our students immeasurably. For their IB assessments and as theatre participants and audience members, our students are richer for their experiences at TaPS. The students who attended the 2012 New York TaPS continue to rave about the experience. Currently, we have thirty students signed up to attend the 2013 New York TaPS, many of whom attended last year and can’t wait to return and see what is in store for them this year!

“My TaPS experience was fulfilling, rewarding, amusing and overall something that will dramatically influence my life as an IB Theatre Arts student.” Coming to TaPS was an experience that could not be replicated! Meeting new people, learning new things, and reinforcing previous theatre knowledge was helpful to my development as a theatre student!!”

TaPS – the student experience Student TaPS is a 3 day intensive training workshop for students of IB DP Theatre. Our TaPS events provide an opportunity for students to authentically engage with the IB Diploma Theatre proframme. The experience acts as a starting point and resource for further work back in schools. IB students work with theatre professionals, ensemble leaders who have knowledge of the course and/or are teachers/exmaniners and Master Class practitioners drawn from the world of professional theatre. Our aim is to provide students with a seminal learning experience that will act as a launch pad for their own further explorations of theatre, within the context of the IB Theatre programme. This ISTA experience offers: > an ensemble experience that engages students with the philosophy of the programme, its core components and the required assessment tasks; > the tools and strategies required to manage their own discoveries and learning in theatre; > a context to meet and work in collaboration with other students drawn from IB schools worldwide; > a diverse range of high quality theatre performances pertinent to the course; > master classes focusing on specific aspects of theatre.

“TaPS taught me so much about interacting with others, leadership and communication.” “TaPS provided me with a more global view of the world of theatre. By being able to interact with other young artists from around the world and hearing their opinions and ideas of what theatre is as well as seeing their approach to theatre was an incredibly eye opening experience.”

www.ista.co.uk

2014 TaPS… Book now! Lima TaPS

6th-8th June 2014

Subject Specific Seminar DP Theatre Cat 3

Florida TaPS

16th-18th June 2014

DP Theatre Cat 1 DP Theatre Cat 2 PYP Role of the arts Cat 3

London TaPS

26th-28th June 2014

DP Theatre Cat 1 DP Theatre Cat 2 PYP Role of the arts Cat 3

Canberra TaPS

2nd-4th July 2014

DP Theatre Cat 1 DP Theatre Cat 2

Singapore TaPS

15th-17th August 2014

DP Theatre Cat 1 DP Theatre Cat 2

Stratford TaPS

9th-11th October 2014

Students DP Theatre Cat 1

Hong Kong TaPS

10th-12th October 2014

Students DP Theatre Cat 3 –

London TaPS (1)

13th-15th October 2014

Students DP Theatre Cat 2

London TaPS (2)

16th-19th October 2014

Students DP Theatre Cat 3 – Pedagogy of the unfamiliar – Kathakali

Devising

New York TaPS (1) 13th-15th October 2014

Students PD sessions for teachers

New York TaPS (2) 16th-18th October 2014

Students DP Theatre Cat 3 – Insights, Inspirations and Resources; working with a museum or gallery

Yokohama TaPS

Students DP Theatre Cat 3 – Pedagogy of the unfamiliar – Japanese Theatre

31st October2nd November 2014

“It was incredible because I met many likeminded theatre enthusiasts and learned lots about numerous theatre aspects/practices!” “I developed confidence in front of other students, leadership during group work and I made a lot of new friends that I have kept in contact with since TaPS.”

Scene | Issue 2 | 2013-14 December 33

Trerice Manor, Cornwall