We like to say that Digital Theatre+ lights up classrooms, which means we prioritize an experiential, learn-by-doing approach in our resources.. Students actively engage with productions, practitioners, and hands-on activities, transforming theory into practice through multimodal resources.
But what happens during the summer break?
With the end of the school year fast approaching, set your students up for success with a choice between two project-based activities, each focused on developing core high school theatre and 21st-century life skills…
Develop Critical Thinking: Create a Director's Concept
Select a text that you have recently studied as a class – the only requirement is that it is not set in the 21st century (your set Shakespeare text may be the perfect choice!).
Over the summer, students should create a Director’s Concept, reimagining this play for a modern-day audience of 14-18-year-olds. The goal of this project is to help students develop their critical thinking, making reasonable judgements about a play they have studied, and confidently expressing their own opinion on the subject.
Students should write a one-page explanation of their directorial concept, with clear references to their research as evidence for the decisions and ideas they have suggested.
Alongside this, they should complete at least one of the following steps:
- Research Project: Students should present the research and decision-making process that informed their final directorial concept, with a particular focus on acting style, staging, costume design, pace, music, and/or movement. This might include brainstorms, contextual or historical research, outlines for rehearsal sessions, etc.
- Visual Concept: Students should create a visual representation of their reimagined production. This could be in the form of a physical model of the set, drawn costume designs, or an overarching vision board. Students should annotate their work to address at least one relevant area of design (scenery, costume, lighting, sound).
- Filmed Presentation: Students should create a presentation that outlines their vision for this production – they might choose to include data, visuals, or quotes from the production to enhance their argument. They should then film themselves pitching the concept to an audience acting as ‘the producer’, focusing on how they can convince the group that their ideas will appeal to the target audience.
This activity has been adapted from our Othello: Discover, Explore, Assess Workbook...
Encourage Creativity: Create a Devised Theatre Performance
Select a text that you have recently studied in class. Ideally, you will have watched performance extracts to help students get an idea of the style and design of the piece.
Over the summer, students should create their own devised performance influenced by their production, either working in small groups or independently.
The goal of this activity is to encourage creativity and motivate students to make something all their own. Encourage students to work with the resources they have on-hand, and to think of creative ways to adapt to any challenges they face during the project.
While you may want to make modifications, students should work to complete:
- Research Project: Students should present the creative brainstorming that led to their final devised piece, including their thoughts on any key ideas, characters, themes, or plot points that initially caught their interest, or insights from research into different theatrical styles or contexts that inform the play.
- Visual Concept: Students should present brief outlines of the scenes in their devised piece, including character descriptions, action, and any key dialogue. This could be accompanied by a visual element, such as costume sketches, a vision board, or photos from the devising process.
- Filmed Presentation: Students should perform and film their piece for a chosen audience, alongside a piece of reflective writing sharing how they would continue to adapt the piece, and any other thoughts on the project. If they are unable to record their performance, they should include a written log of feedback from the audience and their thoughts on how the performance went.
This activity has been adapted from our Anything Goes: Discover, Explore, Assess Workbook...
Find time to rest and recharge this summer...
We know that 61% of teachers end up working 7+ hours a week during the summer, and we want to help you reclaim some of your well-deserved time off.
Here’s how Digital Theatre+ can help with your summer to-do list…
- Lesson Planning: Access 200+ standards-aligned lesson plans made by teachers, for teachers.
- Professional Development: Earn while you learn with the DT+ Training Academy, worth up to 2 hours of certified PD.
- Curriculum Development: Browse hundreds of resources to find fresh teaching ideas and engagement strategies, ready-to-go for the new school year.