58 Explore Identity Through Drama
58 Explore Identity Through Drama
58 Explore Identity Through Drama
RESEARCH EXCHANGE
Exploring
Identity and
Social Justice
through
Drama in
Schools
Rhonda Rosenberg, Executive Director
Saskatchewan Association
for Multicultural Education
Project #58
July 2001
This research was partially funded through a grant from the McDowell Foundation. However, the points of view
and opinions expressed in project documents are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views
of the Foundation.
The purpose of the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching is to fund research, inquiry and
dissemination of information focusing on instruction (both teaching and learning) in the context of the public
elementary and secondary education system. Specifically, it will:
The Foundation is an independent charitable organization formed by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation
in 1991. It is governed by a Board of Directors with the assistance of an Advisory Committee of representatives
from the educational and business communities. The selection and evaluation of projects funded by the
Foundation is carried out by a teacher-led Project Review Committee. Inquiries concerning research supported
by the McDowell Foundation may be directed to the following address:
Research Coordinator
Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation
2317 Arlington Avenue
Saskatoon SK S7J 2H8
Telephone: 1-800-667-7762 or (306) 373-1660
© 2001 by the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching Inc.
Contents
ABOUT “EXPLORING IDENTITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
THROUGH DRAMA IN SCHOOLS”,
A PROJECT OF SAME WITH WARREN LINDS .................................... PAGE 2
This project was developed because many teachers feel ill equipped to deal with
controversial issues in the school with students. It was designed to enhance the
educational opportunities available in Saskatchewan schools as well as provide a
rigorous development of teachers’ facilitation skills. Although the teachers involved
benefit most directly from the project, their students also benefit from the
teachers’ increased skills. In addition, school staffs have additional resources
available through the teacher participants in this project.
The project uses dramatic forms and processes to investigate a way to talk
about and teach and deal with social concerns of students. Teachers determined
areas of concern to students through learning and practising facilitation and
improvisational teaching skills. These skills were discussed and applied in the
context of specific subject areas. The teachers continue to work with students in
addressing social issues, such as racism, that have been identified in their
schools.
1. Skills Exchange: This step consisted of two initial two-day intensive skills
workshops in which the facilitator led participants in transformative drama
processes. Through an immersion in the process, a learning community of
support was built that identified and explored themes of concern in the
educational practices of participants as techniques, skills and strategies
were learned. Issues surrounding the use of drama in schools were identified.
Themes emerged from the participants’ interests. From the research processes
used with participants during the workshops, a set of themes emerged to be
explored in their schools over the spring/fall period.
6. SUMMARY OF DATA
There were several themes running through the reflections from teacher-
researchers. These themes emerged from both the teacher workshops and the
classroom work. They reflect both the strengths and the challenges of using
these theatre techniques in schools. (Some of the full reflections are included
in the appendix.)
• This is a powerful process. It lets participants access feelings and issues
through movement and image that they would not be able to access
through discussion.
• The process helps to develop community in a group.
• The process links subject areas to students’ own experiences.
• It helps people see alternate ways to deal with problematic situations.
• Engaging students requires patience.
• These theatre techniques are not a “make and take” learning experience.
They require improvisation and adaptation to the skills, needs and context
of the class. There are always risks involved for students and teachers.
• The process reframes common experiences so that they can be closely
examined.
Teachers
• Teachers involved in the use of drama as a social justice tool need to be
committed to the process. The process and the people involved let us
access, express and explore our issues as teachers.
• We gained skills and tools to further explore this process with other
teachers and our students.
• The process enabled us as facilitators to see instantly the effect of the
techniques we use in both the content of the dramatic exploration and the
Students
• The transformational drama work helped students in the vocational
education program identify the problems they were facing in the school and
see different ways of dealing with these problems. They need more
opportunities and more time to get more out of the process.
Drama Facilitation
• It is much easier to keep students focused when there is more than one
facilitator. Teachers, if they are going to use transformational drama in their
classes, need to explore the idea of team facilitation with other teachers.
Working with our peers (other teachers) will also enable us to try new things
that go beyond our comfort zone. Working together will help us to feel like
part of an ongoing process and less alone as we try out new strategies.
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. There is a desire to continue this work and to keep in contact as a
group, in order to share our experiences. We would like to go forward with
plans to do intensive workshops with students from several schools
already identified.
2. The McDowell Foundation needs to continue to invest in helping teachers
work together in innovative ways. This investment should involve not only
initial projects that are based on teamwork but also follow-up projects that
look at the effectiveness of teamwork in specific pedagogical areas.
3. School administrators need to recognize the time and commitment
necessary for innovation in teaching.
4. A short course on this process could be offered in the summer as well as
full-day introductory sessions at in-services at high schools. Interest in this
kind of opportunity was expressed by teachers participating in the
McDowell Foundation’s Learning from Practice conference in November.
5. The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation should be made aware of the value
of transformational drama as a way for teachers to look at their own issues
and should consider using such creative processes in exploring teacher
issues.
Eisner, Elliot. (1997). The Promise and Perils of Alternative Forms of Data
Representation. Educational Researcher, 26 (6), 4-10.
Fay, Brian. (1987). Critical Social Science. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
O’Toole, John. (1996). Art in Scholarship and Scholarship in Art: Towards a Poetics
of Drama Research. In P. Taylor (Ed.), Researching Drama and Arts Education:
Paradigms and Possibilities. London: Falmer Press.
Somers, John. (1996). Drama and Theatre Education: Contemporary Research. North
York: Captus Press.
Taylor, Philip (Ed.). (1996). Researching Drama and Arts Education: Paradigms and
Possibilities. London: Falmer Press.
Many participants opted to observe some of the time. That felt like it worked OK.
We needed to reassure them that this drama was not about performing. Indeed,
many were concerned that they would HAVE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF OTHERS!!!
Once they realized just how the collective activity works, they seemed really
relieved.
We had one younger boy who was not comfortable following directions and made
games (Blind Walk, etc.) dangerous. He was inappropriate and not ready to look
at issues. Moreover, when the activities were conducted at the Collegiate on the
21st, the majority of students were from grades 11 and 12; the younger ones of
that group were more mature. I really think that it is important to not go too young,
and if one were to do so, to work first to incorporate fun activities and topics for
their “being” there.
Many youth really enjoyed Complete the Image. They had some difficulty coming
up with stories of racism that were really their own, but did access them
eventually. This makes me often ponder HOW MANY young people go about each
day with an actual awareness of or concern for the presence of racism in the
community. I think that we need to give really real and simple definitions and
examples to them, and then to allow them to create the images and metaphors.
The two scenes they created were of a swimming pool with one person being teased,
laughed at and ignored and of a scene of one person being beaten by a group.
They chose the second as the stronger expression, but added the inactive
bystander and the laughing bystander. BEATEN BY A GROUP is a very popular,
recurring image… I think that this should be considered. It is simple and
accessible. And yes, it is common. I would like to see the kids explore the
feelings and inner biases and perceptions inside themselves that lead up to this
kid BEING BEATEN. I think that they get a list of biases and stereotypes built
inside their personalities, and then feel they are almost expected to act on them.
They created an ideal image that was not very strong visually of each person in a
pose with their hands partially in front of their face, so that they are looking
outward and inward. When they took the problem image forward, however,
they came to a much stronger image of a friendly group supporting and welcoming
It felt good to use the techniques with real kids. I was impressed that the initial
games did not take too long and worked quite well. I needed to refer to the guide
a few times to remember what activities were. One hour is short. I liked seeing
kids reenter as participants as they felt comfortable. I think that the kids really liked
the hour, but that they were pooped due to the rigorous morning activities. This
really goes well in the morning. I would love to get a dedicated group together at
the Collegiate, and to find a “mission” under which to carry it around to the
schools; I’d also like to get it into the rural areas – Milestone, Lumsden, Fort
Qu’Appelle, etc.
The issues that arose from the groups were exclusion, isolation,
jokes/teasing/being laughed at, and violence as depictions of racism. Their
ideal images were welcoming, supporting, friendly and often playful. After
creating a series of snapshots, moving from the problem to the ideal image, we
discussed how they would perform the sequence for the grade eight classes
coming from the feeder schools in the afternoon. The morning was energizing and
fun for everyone. One of the most often expressed appreciations was the
opportunity they had to really get to know peers they would not otherwise have
associated with. It was a powerful expression of the need to breakdown social
barriers in a safe environment.
They were then prepared to facilitate small groups of grade eight students to create
images of racism and a world without racism. The images of racism were mostly
of violence. I found this interesting, because they did not speak as strongly to me
as those of exclusion. The images of a world without racism were frequently of
children playing. I found it interesting that they looked back to childhood as ideal.
This was a difficult and draining process due to the number of students (two
groups of approximately 120 for one hour each, broken into groups of six), the level
of noise, the maturity level of the students, the amount of previous preparation,
We are planning to continue to work with this group of high school students on an
extracurricular basis. They want to take the work further and as facilitators, we
are excited with the possibilities!
The arrangement seemed to represent a set of classroom politics in that the boys
who disliked the entire class placed the most distance between them and the
presenter. They set a tone with their body language, noisy kibitzing around and
occupation of space that was, as Warren said, toxic.
Their expression of disapproval and distance influenced other students to the extent
that they were put in positions of taking a side or being independent. They did
not “settle down” when the session began with my introduction. I had to pause
and use silence to bring their attention to the fact that we were going to start.
Warren then assumed leadership of the class as he spoke about his purpose in
being there and the plan for the evening. The boys at the back maintained their
closed and guarded demeanour as he spoke.
When we began to perform the warm-ups and sculpting images, students became
more cooperative and involved. It was as if they were released from the bonds of
constraints of the lock-down seating arrangement and the power relations the boys
imposed on the group. The half-dozen or so boys were fragmented and no
longer in a position to push the negative energy influence on the group.
The dilemmas he created for individual and small groups were telling: I could
observe certain students making choices about engaging – committing to, and
inventing themselves honestly – in the activities. Some were taking risks and being
authentic. Some, particularly some of the boys were cynically holding back,
choosing disengagement, contesting the evening’s curriculum and occasionally
attempting to turn exercises into clowning around and the ridiculous.
Warren’s response to the disengaged was where the jazzy nature of, and
improvisational nature as, a facilitator were most valuable. He was able to
move through and around the contestation and resistance offered by some
characters while simultaneously being sensitive and responsive to the engaged
students.
Without doubt, the most effective act of the evening that finally involved the whole
group was the Game of Power. Perhaps it was the focus on the concept of
power that finally drew the disengaged into the exercise.
During the following week, I touched base with several students and inquired about
the session. All of the students, including two of the “difficult” boys replied that the
class was one of the best they had experienced.
Personal Reflections
• Powerful tool to connect with students and have fun.
• Guidelines need to be established.
• Safety: physical action is best done in slow motion.
• Trust: no one was asked to perform if it made them uncomfortable.
GOSSIP (Warren wrote the following about an improvisation he did with the
class)
What?
About him?
A group of high school students with special needs (Special Education Students)
– otherwise known by themselves and others as “Speds” – are developing a
series of tableaux on gossip, a topic they had chosen the day before as one
they would like to address in developing a play. This is a topic with many layers
as there is a large number of aboriginal students in the class, making even
more complex a complex situation between all teenagers and also between
students in the regular stream and the “speds” stream.
In the play we go through several scenes of whispering, silent looks and pointing
fingers as an Aboriginal girl who has an apparent physical disability, a learning
disability and a speech impediment is talked about, double-crossed and ignored.
I clap them through a series of snapshots to tell this simple story which is, as
explained in a circle afterwards, an experience shared by almost everyone. At the
end of the story, the gossipers go off to the audience, to students who haven’t
participated in the play except as silent witnesses, and begin whispering in their
ears.
I want to stop the play but my voice doesn’t seem to carry over the whispering
hum. Suddenly I wonder if they are talking about me; about my inability to control
them. I am swept up into the (inter) play of me and the group and the play. As a
facilitator I try to move on the process but I also become engaged as an observer
that the actors gossip to. Afterwards, the teacher commented that this had been
an important moment as the students had not known what role I was playing and
so they had been forced to improvise.
The core of the workshop process is to use awareness of our body to examine and
deal with issues we face in our lives. In a handout that I give to workshop
participants the plan for transforming the spectator into actor is systematized in
the following outline:
1. Knowing the body: a series of exercises by which one gets to know one’s body,
its limitations and possibilities, its social distortions and possibilities of
rehabilitation.
2. Making the body expressive: a series of games by which one begins to express
one’s self through the body, abandoning other more common and habitual
forms of expression.
These games deal with the expressiveness of the body as emitter and receiver
of messages in dialogue with others.
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