Open Air Shakespeare! Workshop
Drama In The Woods
Do you want your students to explore Shakespeare in a completely unique way? Then let Drama in the Woods visit your school and teach your students about the joy of open-air Shakespeare! Our highly experienced drama practitioners will take your students on a wonderful journey throughout an action-packed day of Shakespeare study!
We start with wonderful outdoor games and tasks to explore drama in the open-air. These include energetic Shakespearean themed team games, fun activities to teach use of voice outside, and some problem solving tasks to get the students working as an ensemble, which is a wonderful way to improve or promote positive group dynamics.
We then move onto the exploration of the text, including tasks to delve into narrative, character, themes and key scenes from the chosen play. We can draw upon the knowledge students have already gained in their study of the text, or we can be the introductory workshop to kick-start their study.
After lunch, we will then work on our design element to the day, where students will have the opportunity to build an amphi-theatre in your outdoor space, as well as design costumes and props, as much as possible, sourced from the nature around them.
Our final part to the day will be to rehearse and perform our key scenes in our amphi-theatre with costumes and props. This is a fun and informal performance, but we always encourage schools to invite an audience to join us. This might be staff from the school or another class perhaps.
Drama in the Woods can explore any Shakespearean play and we will tailor each workshop to the school's needs.
This is a non-stop, action-packed day for all Key Stages! And if it rains, we simply take it all inside!
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments
Where we travel to
We can visit your school in: East Midlands, West Midlands, London & South East, East of England, South West
What activities are available during this school workshop?
Activities include:
- Outdoor education team games and activities
- Fun drama tasks to teach use of voice in open-air theatre
- Open-air drama tasks to explore narrative, character and themes
- Design elements in set, costume and props
- Exploration of open-air performance elements
Key skills:
- Develop key language skills.
- Gain a knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare specific to the play being explored.
- Exploration and development of performance skills.
- Exploration and development of design skills.
- Build confidence, promote self-expression, develop ensemble and teamwork, encourage key social interaction and improve communication skills.
- Outdoor education team games and activities
- Fun drama tasks to teach use of voice in open-air theatre
- Open-air drama tasks to explore narrative, character and themes
- Design elements in set, costume and props
- Exploration of open-air performance elements
Key skills:
- Develop key language skills.
- Gain a knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare specific to the play being explored.
- Exploration and development of performance skills.
- Exploration and development of design skills.
- Build confidence, promote self-expression, develop ensemble and teamwork, encourage key social interaction and improve communication skills.
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
English Workshop
Shakespeare
All our workshops are designed to support each Key Stage Curriculum. Specific skills include:
- Development of English language skills.
- Gain knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare specific to the play being explored.
- Further develop competence in spoken language and listening skills
- Understand the different constructs and evolution of language through exploration of Shakespeare
- Learn to enjoy the work of Shakespeare through understanding of language, story, character and themes.
Performing Arts Workshop
Our Shakespeare workshops are designed to get young people out in nature and learning about Shakespeare, and before they know it, they are creating theatre. We design workshops for all children and young people, whether they love performing or not! We make the drama and arts accessible and fun for all! Our mini open-air theatre performances are always a big hit!
PSHE Workshop
Teamwork and resilience
Our Shakespeare workshops always focus on team-building, problem solving and group dynamics. We also promote self-expression, self-confidence, social connections and well-being. Our focus is firmly on fun and getting young people to connect with nature and each other through Open-Air Shakespeare!
Elizabethans Workshop
Why not learn about the Elizabethans by exploring one of their true loves... theatre! Students will get to explore the Elizabethan Theatre era by:
- Exploring the plays by Shakespeare. There can be a focus on one or a collection of many.
- Designing and building their own amphi-theatre in your school's outdoor space.
- Performing Elizabethan theatre in their own amphi-theatre
What size groups do we cater for?
Small groups (10-15 students)
Whole classes (25-35 students)
Whole year groups (50-250 students)
Whole classes (25-35 students)
Whole year groups (50-250 students)
Access for visitors with disabilities
Our team are experienced in working with children with a range of disabilities and we continue to adopt new and innovative approaches to supporting young people with a range of needs.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Our team are all trained in working with children with SEND and we promote inclusion, equality and diversity in all of our work at Drama in the Woods. Our team are experienced in working with children with a range of SEN and disabilities and we continue to adopt new and innovative approaches to supporting young people with a range of needs. We promote inclusion, equality and diversity in all aspects of our work at Drama in the Woods.
Anything else?
- Although we endeavour to work outdoors in every workshop, sometimes our great British weather can get the better of us. All our workshops are designed to work indoors as well as outdoors. However, we are also used to working in all kinds of weather (we have performed in snow before) and we try to encourage our participants to come prepared and embrace the elements. However, we always let the school decide if they would like their students to work inside if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
- Our workshops run March to October.
- Our open-air workshops can be delivered in a playground, a field, a local park or green space, a copse or in school woodland if you are lucky enough to have it.
- Drama in the Woods will encourage students to source products from the natural environment where possible. Otherwise, we will bring the nature to the students with our own resources.
- Our workshops run March to October.
- Our open-air workshops can be delivered in a playground, a field, a local park or green space, a copse or in school woodland if you are lucky enough to have it.
- Drama in the Woods will encourage students to source products from the natural environment where possible. Otherwise, we will bring the nature to the students with our own resources.
Who are Drama In The Woods?
Drama in the Woods is an open-air theatre company who offer events and projects to children and young people at various outdoor locations across the UK. All projects are delivered to promote self-expression, self-confidence, social connections and well-being. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop their creative, performance and design skills within the project. Our focus is firmly on fun and education, and we can guarantee that your students will have the time of their lives and love exploring Shakespeare as it was originally performed... in the open-air!
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