Frantic Assembly Workshop
GCSE and A-level drama students learnt the importance of teamwork hands-on as they took part in workshops with internationally renowned theatre company Frantic Assembly this week.
The two-hour workshops were attended by drama students from Years 10-13, and explored new ways of developing devising skills and different approaches to creating new work. Frantic Assembly promotes the physical confidence students need to be brave and bold with the material they are making. The ethos of the theatre company is about collaboration, and the workshops promote communication, co-operation and team building.
Kicking off with high-energy warm-up exercises, the workshops featured skills exercises, lifting techniques and creative tasks, using specific exercises used in the company’s own productions including Othello, Lovesong, Beautiful Burnout and Things I Know To Be True. The workshop practitioners instructed students on the various devising processes used when working collaboratively to produce multi-disciplined performances. Students also learnt some of the skills required to enhance their abilities in performance, movement, directing and critical analysis.
Director of Drama Natalie Maher said: “We were delighted to welcome back Frantic Assembly. The workshops they provide are a cornerstone of our GCSE and A-level drama calendar and bring so much benefit for the drama students. Participation in the workshop provides them with an invaluable opportunity to gain practical insight into the workings of theatre practitioners who are part of the GCSE & A-level curriculum, and the skills learnt are of tremendous benefit for students to use in their own productions, whether for their Devising practical coursework or their Component 2 performances.”
