Online Drama Workshops

Online, streamed, digital content is a relatively recent development in the delivery of school workshops and has shown considerable growth over the past year. To try to understand a bit more about how this method of pupil engagement is developing and how established workshop providers are adapting their content to enable more schools to take part, we spoke to The Drama Hut.

When and why did you decide to offer school online version of your workshops?

We took the decision to develop our online workshops within the first few weeks of the pandemic, when it became clear that the disruption to primary school education was going to continue.

Do you offer the same wide range of subjects and topics online as you do in schools?

Over the last year 18 months we have adapted each of our workshops, making them available online to all schools, regardless of their size or location, something we could not have anticipated being able to do before COVID.

Can you tell us which topics are most popular at the moment?

This term, demand has varied; we cover a wide range of primary curriculum topics such as Victorians, Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, The Great Fire of London, Tudors, to name just a few. This term we have been inundated by requests for workshops celebrating Black History Month, most notably our Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks sessions, which celebrate the lives of two extraordinary women. More recently, Alice Through The Looking Glass, is receiving a lot of interest, focusing on issues of mental health and wellbeing.

How do the online sessions work, what format do they take?

Our online workshops are delivered live by professional actors and as with our on-site sessions, offer a fully interactive experience, enhancing learning in a creative environment. They are structured in the same way as an on-site visit and have the advantage of utilising the benefits of technology - in particular, virtual backgrounds, enabling our actors to transport children back in time, to any era or location.

What technology do schools require in order to enjoy an online session with The Drama Hut?

Our workshops are typically delivered via Zoom or Teams , with the teacher acting as co-host, either set up directly by us or if the school prefers, from their chosen platform. Ideally, sessions take place in a school hall with a large screen, however if space doesn't allow this, the workshops can work extremely well in a classroom, with desks pushed aside.

Do online workshops allow you to reach schools you wouldn't ordinarily be able to visit?

Yes. An unexpected benefit to come out of the pandemic is that schools now recognise the benefits of online learning as an effective and creative tool for learning. Before COVID we would have had to turn away at least 50% of enquiries because of location or the fact that the schools were simply too small to be able to send an actor out to visit. However, whether you are a small rural school in a village in west Wales or a large International School in Doha, you can now receive a visit from The Drama Hut and know you are getting the same high quality professional workshop that you would receive if we were visiting you on-site.

What advantages are there for schools who participate in online learning?

Online learning has become a valuable, additional resource for teachers and can help inspire and engage children in learning. The opportunity of having a live streamed event adds an exciting dimension to subjects being taught in the classroom. The sessions are simple to organise and deliver, as long as schools have Wi-Fi and a screen to project us on to.

Do you offer your online workshops to overseas Schools?

The Drama Hut are excited to be working with schools throughout the whole of the UK, as well as Internationally now, from countries as far away as China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Australia! The time differences can sometimes mean some early starts or late nights for our actors, but we are loving the fact that we can interact with children from all different backgrounds and cultures from all over the world now.

What is next for the Drama Hut

We are always busy adding fresh material to existing workshops, as well as writing new sessions, looking to support an ever developing curriculum. We are keen to support the teaching of diversity, communication skills and wellbeing and will be launching a range of new workshops specific to these topics in the new year.