Discover Ancient Greece in the Open-Air! Workshop
Drama In The Woods
The study of Ancient Greece at any key stage and from any subject on the curriculum, explores myth, ritual, religion, dance, music, architecture and literature. In Ancient Greece, those important elements of life were played out on stage in elaborate and dramatic productions. So why not bring Ancient Greece to your school and let's play out those important parts of the students' study in our own, self-built amphi-theatre... in your school's outdoor space!
In our workshops we spend the morning finding the voices of the different gods or key characters and exploring who they were. Students take part in fun open-air theatre activities to explore those roles and use their voice to bring each character to life. These are energetic and engaging drama activities which promote creativity, self expression and teach students to be confident public speakers. The use of voice is very different in the open air!
- At KS2. the students then devise scenes based on the gods using a wonderful story written by Drama in the Woods which links the gods and their stories within Ancient Greece.
- At KS3, they will focus on the myths key to their study at this level and devise scenes which explore those chosen myths.
- At KS4/5 the students will take extracts of scripts from Greek Theatre, such as 'Antigone' or 'Trojan Women' and they will be encouraged to devise a scene to be played out for an audience. They can experiment with style and genre and this can be linked to a set practitioner if the school wishes.
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. The design and build of our amphi-theatre is fun and teaches the students about the architectural design, important to the overall spectacle. Drama in the Woods provide the materials for this task.
Our final part to the day brings all the skills learned throughout the workshop together. The students will 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.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments
Where we travel to
We can visit your school in:
What activities are available during this school workshop?
KS2 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression and confident public speaking
- Exploration of the Greek Gods and their fascinating myths
- Devising theatre by bringing the characters and narratives to life
- Exploring design elements to truly understand Ancient Greek culture
- Learning how wonderful it feels to perform- especially in the open-air!
KS3 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression, confident public speaking and group dynamics
- Exploration of the Greek myths and exploring these through specific drama technique and storytelling
- Devising Greek Theatre and considering staging for an open-air performance
- Designing, building and performing in an amphi-theatre!
KS4/5 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression, confident public speaking, chorus and ensemble work
- Exploration of key scenes from Greek plays with a focus on language, genre and style
- Devising work to facilitate use of chorus and implement techniques used in Greek Theatre
- Design elements and production values explored through set design and build
- All skills drawn upon to end with a performance in a amphi-theatre style set
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression and confident public speaking
- Exploration of the Greek Gods and their fascinating myths
- Devising theatre by bringing the characters and narratives to life
- Exploring design elements to truly understand Ancient Greek culture
- Learning how wonderful it feels to perform- especially in the open-air!
KS3 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression, confident public speaking and group dynamics
- Exploration of the Greek myths and exploring these through specific drama technique and storytelling
- Devising Greek Theatre and considering staging for an open-air performance
- Designing, building and performing in an amphi-theatre!
KS4/5 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- Fun drama activities that explore open-air drama techniques to promote creativity, self-expression, confident public speaking, chorus and ensemble work
- Exploration of key scenes from Greek plays with a focus on language, genre and style
- Devising work to facilitate use of chorus and implement techniques used in Greek Theatre
- Design elements and production values explored through set design and build
- All skills drawn upon to end with a performance in a amphi-theatre style set
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
English Workshop
Fairy tales Myths and Legends
All of our workshops are designed to support each Key Stage Curriculum. Specific skills include:
- Development of English language skills.
- Exploring and experimenting with language in a range of contexts.
- Gain knowledge and understanding of Greek Mythology and Greek Theatre.
- Further develop competence in spoken language and listening skills.
- Improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts.
- Understanding the different constructs and evolution of language through exploration of Ancient Greek stories and texts.
- Learn to enjoy the work of Ancient Greek Theatre through understanding of language, story, character and themes.
Performing Arts Workshop
Our Open-Air Ancient Greece workshops are designed to get young people out in nature and learning, and before they know it, they are creating theatre. We design workshops for all children, 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!
Greeks Workshop
Greek life and achievements Greek influence on the western world
Our workshops cover many parts of the study of Ancient Greek life and this is all done through one of their biggest achievements... the invention of theatre! Let your students explore the myths and stories in the open-air with us at Drama in the Woods!
Ancient Civilisations Workshop
Ancient Greeks
All Drama in the Woods workshops are bespoke and although we cover many parts of the study of ancient civilisations, just let us know if there is a particular focus you might want, and we will tailor our workshop to cover that element.
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 SEND 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 which 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 Ancient Greece and Greek Theatre as it was originally performed... in the open-air!
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