ISTA's Scene magazine - Exploring the world through theatre - September 2023

I S S U E

1

•

S E P T E M B E R

2 0 2 3

SCENE

A special issue of Scene recalling the incredible and inspirational work of Dinos Aristidou.

Exploring the world through theatre IN THIS ISSUE

Imagination as The Foundation of Learning

From Dream, to Vision, to Manifesto, to Practice

The Last Column

Scene Staff Editor - Helen Abbott Design - Keriann O'Rourke Assistant Design - Anna Norriss Proofreader - Janet Schorer Proofreader - Emily Jane Grant Advertising - Tom Scott

ISTA Lakeside Offices The Old Cattle Market Coronation Park Helston, Cornwall TR13 0SR United Kingdom office@ista.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTIONS Digital copies of Scene are available through the ISTA Shop.

www.ista.co.uk 2

SCENE

SCENE

Global learning through theatre

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

CONTENTS 6 Editor’s note FEATURES Study - An interdisciplinary unit - from idea to 23 Case realisation

Angela David reflects on a recent Grade 9 Interdisciplinary Unit which explored the stories and history of the school.

- The power of theatre 36 Academic/theoretical Mike Bindon recalls how his work and life have been

influenced by and enriched through his relationship with Dinos Aristidou.

Study - Hear it out 79 Case Theatre teacher Robin Willis looks back on ISTA’s Digital global production and its lasting impact.

with Dr. Debra Kidd 90 Interview Dr Debra Kidd discusses her work and the connections with and influence of Dinos Aristidou on her approach and life.

85

HEAR US OUT

LESSON PLANS AND UNITS OF WORK school - The Whole Truth and Nothing But… 51 High Erin Housam-Umicevic considers the aims and legacy of a Verbatim project created in collaboration with Dinos Aristidou.

FEATURES

school - Imagination as The Foundation of Learning 73 Middle Exploring the concept of home through the lens of a

refugee crisis and imaginative play.

ARTISTS AND COMPANIES - LEAP Ambassadors 28 Professional An introduction to Birmingham Royal Ballet’s LEAP Ambassadors programme.

SPOTLIGHT INVISIBLE SENTENCE

CEO of Culture Shift, Julia Roberts, on a new play based on verbatim stories of prisoner families.

43

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US UCAN co-founder Jane Latham talks about a Theatre as Inclusive Practice project.

Global learning through theatre

9 ISTA news introduction - From Dream, to Vision, to 11 Issue Manifesto, to Practice

ISTA Honorary Member Mike Pasternak introduces us to the framing of this special issue - A manifesto written by Dinos Aristidou.

16 The ISTA Approach - The nature and four strands of

ISTA’s work Executive Director, Dinos Aristidou, looks at the nature and four strands of ISTA’s work.

- The Last Column 58 Collaborations Jennifer Lagasse, Director of Education at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and theatre teacher Amy Luskey-Barth reflect on a recent collaboration.

105 FAQs

SEPTEMBER 2023 | SCENE

96

ISTA RELATED

Advertisement

Global learning through theatre

WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO The International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) specialises in global learning through theatre.

We are a UK based charity, founded in 1978, providing transformative learning experiences for educators and young people worldwide. We create communities of learning, working closely with over 240 member schools around the world and we are the International Baccalaureate’s exclusive global provider of teacher training for Diploma Theatre.

We believe in the unique power of theatre and the arts to connect, develop, transform and empower people to become active members and change makers in their own communities and the world.

Click any of the links below for more information.

FESTIVALS

ARTIST IN RESIDENCY (AIR)

TAPS

IB DP TRAINING

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING (PD&L)

MEMBERSHIP

PERSPECTIVES & INSPIRATIONS

FOLLOW & TAG US #istatheatre

Editor’s Note In life, there are those rare individuals who possess an innate ability to inspire, educate and transform lives.

Dinos Aristidou was one such shining light.

The devastating loss of Dinos, our friend and ISTA’s Executive Director, has affected everyone who met him, from those who knew him for years and were fortunate to call him their friend to those who only crossed paths briefly with him. It is hard to know how to honour such a remarkable person and efforts to do so can often feel lacking or the fear of not doing them justice leaves us paralysed. One of the myriad things I learnt from Dinos though was that action, even when the product is not perfect, is always the right path. So, this edition of Scene is an attempt to celebrate his remarkable legacy. Dinos was not just a theatre educator; he was a beacon of creativity for all who had the privilege of working with him. I had the fortune of working with him as an artist before he joined the ISTA staff team and his generosity, warmth, enthusiasm and care had a huge impact on me. This ensemble of articles written by those who worked alongside him paint a rich picture of a passionate, committed, kind and empathetic person. Each article is a testament to the ripple effect of his teachings.

While this issue still focuses on Exploring the world through theatre we are using A manifesto, written by Dinos, as a motif throughout to frame each article.

Thank you to everyone who so generously gave their time to write for this special issue of Scene. For those who knew him these words and memories will ring true. For those who didn’t,

6

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

Editor’s Note even though he is gone, there is still so much to learn from him.

In remembering and honouring Dinos Aristidou, we honour the principle of theatre itself – a prism through which our shared humanity can be explored.

‘Dinos was more than an exceptional collaborator or mentor. He was a catalyst for change, embodying the very spirit of wonder that he believed theatre should inspire.’

Mike Bindon The power of theatre, Scene September 2023

Helen Abbott Editor

‘He is irreplaceable but if we all try to be more like Dinos, the world is sure to be a better place.’

Jane Latham Nothing about us without us, Scene September 2023

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

7

Continuing s ' u o d ti s i r A s o n i D Legacy Our heartfelt thanks go out to our community who donated so generously to ‘The Dinos Aristidou Fundraiser’ - £5,000 was raised. As we continue on this journey to honour Dinos Aristidou’s extraordinary legacy, your support and shared belief in his vision means so much to us all. In a world without him, your willingness to stand with ISTA as we continue his important work brings all of us strength, hope and a future of possibilities that will make an impact on our world, with the newly created: Dinos Global Legacy Fund.

The principles of the Dinos Global Legacy Fund were developed in collaboration with Dinos’ family and the ISTA team. We want the fund to: Create opportunities and access for young people across the globe, especially those in disadvantaged circumstances and backgrounds.

Offer initiatives which aim to have a positive social impact beyond the immediate project.

Deliver impactful and collaborative initiatives in learning through theatre; exploring cultural memory, and using story as a way to understand the world and as a tool for change.

Be joyful, fun and promote togetherness.

Be able to generate funds to continue and expand Dinos’ legacy for years to come.

CLICK TO REGISTER

Join our collaborative working group to generate ideas for exciting projects and initiatives for the Dinos Global Legacy Fund.

FIRST MEETING: THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER 2023 AT 1:00 PM UK TIME

Donate to the Dinos Global Legacy Fund HERE. 100% of your donation goes to support the continued growth of the Dinos Global Legacy Fund, issuing grants and funds back to the community, people and projects inspired by Dinos.

Interim Executive Director announcement

ISTA NEWS

During a Board meeting in May, it was decided that Liane Campbell would take a leave of absence from the Board of Trustees to act as Interim Executive Director until the end of 2023. During this time, Liane is working with the ISTA staff on strategic goals and tasks that will help ISTA to develop their practices and services offered.

There’s always so much to do and it is great to have Liane on the team during this time.

NEW! Deep Dive Festivals Deep Dives are two to three day opportunities for educators and high school aged learners to delve deeply into a particular, focussed area of theatre/performance.

Led by experts and in collaboration with specialist organisations these experiences will offer new insights, and a deeper understanding of key areas of interest.

Pre-DP and DP learners benefit from exposure to and experimentation with specific practices, practitioners, theories and approaches that will be useful and practical additions to their theatre maker toolkits.

Deep Dive festivals offered in our 2023-2024 season include: Geneva HS festival - Deep Dive into Tradition, Theory and Theatre Making

WHO WE ARE WORKING WITH AT TAPS AROUND THE GLOBE HONG KONG Terence Makapan

Waldeinsamkeit (forest solitude): Devising a modern folktale

Musette Tsang Appreciation of Chinese Opera: from One Table Through practising its formulaic Two Chairs movement Reggie Yip from Studio Starlit

Introduction to the Terzopoulos Method: The road to creative freedom

Candice Distressed Asset workshop.

Moore and Script analysis: How to get the Jacqueline most out of a scene Gourlay Grant from Sweet and Sour Productions

SINGAPORE Shanice Stanislaus

Finding the funny: Techniques for devising with clown

Benjamin Tardif

Introduction to Khon (Thai classical masked dance)

Gey Pin Ang

Embodied actor

Jeffrey Tan

Staging a scene: Different texts, different approaches

Kristina Pakhomova

9 Viewpoints

from Creatives Inspirit

from Sourcing Within

from Theatre Today

*workshop for teacher/chaperones

from Bold Moment

Frankfurt HS festival - Deep Dive into Dance www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

9

ISTA NEWS WHO WE ARE WORKING WITH AT TAPS EVENTS AROUND THE GLOBE LONDON 1

LONDON 2

Russell Dean

Masks in rehearsal and performance

Hiroaki Ogasawara

Kyōgen 'The Crazy Speech'

Cheryl Stapleton

Performing Commedia dell’Arte

Valentina Cesci from Dancing Brick

Meaning from movement

Amy Gwilliam

Eyes full of fun: The work and games of Philippe Gaulier

Atri Banerjee

What is a classic?

Harris Albar

Staging play texts

from Strangeface Theatre

from Learning Through Theatre

John Wright

Why is that so funny?

Atri Banerjee

What is a classic?

from Tamasha Theatre

*workshop for teacher/chaperones

LONDON 3

NEW YORK

Chiara D’Anna Commedia dell’Arte for from Panta Rei contemporary performance

Adrienne Kapstein

From the ground up

Ianthe Demos

Staging play texts

Leon Ingulsrud

Performing Theatre Theory with a focus on SITI Company

Laura Ford

from Fifth Word

Toby Peach from Coney

Amy Gwilliam

A director’s guide to interpreting play text An introduction to Playful Activism Eyes full of fun: The work and games of Philippe Gaulier

Matthew A.J. Gregory, Commedia dell’Arte Brandon Salerno, Adam Rodriguez, Samantha Evans, Garrett Lawson from Department of Fools

10

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

THE ISTA APPROACH

FROM DREAM, TO VISION, TO MANIFESTO, TO PRACTICE

by Mike Pasternak

Here ISTA Honorary Member Mike Pasternak introduces us to the framing of this issue - A manifesto written by Dinos Aristidou. Mike also examines the following article, The nature and four strands of ISTA, and the two lenses through which the ISTA experience explores the world through theatre. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

11

THE ISTA APPROACH There comes a time in the life journey of every arts community when the need arises to organise and codify the aims, processes and values which have organically evolved and nurtured the success and creative wellbeing of that community. The Natyasastra, believed to be written by Bharata, celebrated and recorded the precepts of the classic Indian Sanskrit theatre movement. Zeami, in his written treatises, maintains the importance of proficiency in the arts of dancing and chanting plus skill in communicating the basic roles as the True Path to the Flower of effective Noh troupe performances. Aristotle’s Poetics clarifies the six main elements to be considered for the creation of successful dramatic work in Ancient Greek theatre companies. These texts, as well as recording conditions for successful artistic practice, ensured the healthy continuation of the creative community.

In the early 2010s the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), after nearly 40 years existence, reached that point of publishing policy documents which would weave together all the threads of international drama and theatre education which the community, guided by the creative and inspirational leadership of Pat Zich, Ted Miltenberger and Sally Robertson, had developed over the years.

Dinos Aristidou, the incumbent ISTA Executive Director and long-time theatreeducation practitioner, adopted this scribe role and produced two complementary documents A manifesto and The nature and four strands of ISTA’s work.

The seminal manifesto document, beautifully crafted in its simplicity, consists 12

SCENE

‘Sometimes the manifesto’s motivational musings are only one word whereas at other times an extended phrase reveals the beginning of a cognizant journey of dramatic self-discovery.’ of a series of provocations which open-adoor to reflective understanding of drama experiences. Each canto title - Drama is live; Drama transports; Drama is imagination; Drama is power; Drama is wonder; ​Drama is human; Drama is together; Drama matters - is followed by a series of short sharp shibboleths which act as passphrases for a journey of personal revelation. This would-be journal resonates with the description of a chart by Miles Harvey in his book The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime when he attests a map ‘provides no answers … only suggests where to look: discover this, reexamine that, put one thing in relation to another, orient yourself, begin here…

Sometimes this map speaks in terms of physical geography, but just as often it muses on the jagged terrain of the heart, the distant vistas of memory, or the fantastic landscapes of dreams’. Sometimes the manifesto’s motivational musings are only one word whereas at other times an extended phrase reveals the beginning of a cognizant journey of dramatic self-discovery similar www.ista.co.uk

THE ISTA APPROACH to the metaphorical flower and form referred to by Zeami in his first treatise Fūshikaden.

Several years ago, when Dinos and I were working together on an ISTA/IB Cat 1 Theatre PD workshop, we were chatting about the importance of students and teachers being keenly aware of the aims and objectives of the programme. I was looking for a good quotation to support this view when Dinos passed on to me an apocryphal Dario Fo reference which affirms that,

‘...the important thing is to train yourself in a given direction, and to create a discipline for yourself. But in order to create a discipline, you have to have an ideology. In my opinion it is extremely dangerous to practice in the theatrical arts without knowing what end this practice is supposed to serve.’

In many ways, this manifesto has provided a means to developing an ideology to underpin and substantiate the ISTA discipline of international theatre learning.

These evocative manifesto tenets have served as both an instrument of clarifying a personal philosophical underpinning for ISTA theatre community denizens and as a skeleton structure for the articles in this edition of Scene. Each of these Scene writings stems from the overlapping ISTA experiential odyssey in drama, theatre and international education while celebrating the inspiration and leadership of Dinos in his personal and community journey.

www.ista.co.uk

The following article, The nature and four strands of ISTA's work, also authored by Dinos, is a much more functional document in nature. These writings begin with a brief paragraph on the emergent ISTA philosophy in response to world changes. Organically the association has always been true to the forces which brought the ISTA family into being as ‘nascent’ ISTA, which consisted of a group of educators, students and artistteachers who wanted to collaborate, share and learn from one another about their passion for theatre education in an international setting. This approach to working together was a prototype ensemble building process using communication, collaboration and affirmation activities to create Peter Brook’s description of ensemble as being ‘... certain moments [when] this fragmented world comes together and for a certain time ... [individuals] can discover the marvel of organic life, the marvel of being one’ which was later to become refined as the TM ISTA Ensemble method.

However, Dinos’ Four Strands article maintains a clear focus on what we as an international arts community practice by clarifying four threads of experiences which interlace to weave together an ISTA mission fabric. The first strand, Theatre in the world, addresses what Patrice Pavis describes in his book Theatre at the Crossroads of Culture where the act of dramatic creation and interpretation lies on a rhizomatic, nexus between different human cultures and practical exploration of one artistic cultural expression by another naturally leads to exploration of the tensions in issues of ‘translation, appropriation, adaptation, cultural misunderstanding, and theatrical exploration’.

SCENE

13

THE ISTA APPROACH Practical experiences of different theatre traditions across time and space also serve to energise the creative growth of studentartists. The second thread, The world of theatre, refers to the acquisition and refinement of the art and craft of making theatre encompassing both performance and production knowledge, skills and attitudes. The fourth and final thread, Developing the global learner, clarifies TM how, through using the ISTA Ensemble method, artist-learners will nurture an open and passionate attitude to lifelong learning and a personal engagement with the social responsibilities of global citizenship.

‘Just as the four ISTA strands entwine to form a creative fabric so the personal, local and global worlds of the ISTA student merge’ The focus of this issue of Scene is the third strand of the Four Strands of ISTA's Work, Exploring the world through theatre. This thread of ISTA experiences consists of using the ISTATM Ensemble method and other drama activities as tools to better understand the interconnected worlds with which a young person engages. The personal world of everyday experiences

14

SCENE

which are shared at an ISTA event result in a recognition and deeper awareness of who I am, what has made me (my roots) and the growth potential I have (my shoots). ISTA activities which explore issues and tensions in my school and host communities increase my appreciation of my local world and ISTA centre-of-learning site inspired projects which use drama techniques to better understand the origins and impacts of high-profile global issues open eyes and minds to an interdependent and dynamic worldwide community. Just as the four ISTA strands entwine to form a creative fabric so the personal, local and global worlds of the ISTA student merge and lead to an holistic state-of-the-planet awareness and a pathway to personal empowerment.

Exploring the world through theatre, has two distinct lenses. One perspective engages with worlds of difference and diversity where attitudes such as tolerance, respect and understanding of the other are kindled and nourished through ISTA drama activities and experiential work with people and communities from a variety of cultures, abilities and backgrounds. This approach extends the intensity of the theatre experience to foster cultural awareness and elicit ‘perspective consciousness’ as Harvey puts it. The other viewpoint is that of interdependence. Through ISTA event experiences which sustain sharing, collaboration and interconnectedness, participants become aware of the power of synergy and the advantages of working together from beginning to end TM underpinned by the ISTA Ensemble method.

So, there it is … two ISTA documents from

www.ista.co.uk

THE ISTA APPROACH Dinos. One, A manifesto, which suggests a dramatic framework for a community philosophy and the second, The nature and four strands of ISTA work, which elucidates a quartet of practical pathways to personal, local and global understanding through and of theatre. But these two texts have also proved to be an inspiration for the numerous partners and projects ISTA and Dinos have been associated with over the years and who have kindly contributed their dreams, visions and practical discoveries through article contributions to this seminal edition of Scene.

◾

Some useful resources: 1. “Fūshi Kaden | The-Noh.com | Noh Terminology.” n.d. Db2.The-Noh.com. https://db2.thenoh.com/edic/2010/01/fushi_kaden.html. ‌[accessed 12 August 2023] 2. Rangacharya , A. 2011. Introduction to Bharatas Natyasastra. Edited by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Ltd, New Delhi.

3. W. W Norton and Company, UK, ed. 1982.

Aristotles Poetics. Translated by J Hutton.

4. Harvey, Miles. 2000. The Island of Lost Maps.

Random House (NY).

5. Charles, Anthony. 1972. Orghast at Persepolis, an Account of the Experiment in Theatre Directed by Peter Brook and Written

by Ted Hughes [By] A.C.H. Smith.

6. Pavis, Patrice. 2003. Theatre at the Crossroads of Culture. Routledge.

7. Hanvey, Robert G. 1982. “An Attainable Global Perspective.” Theory into Practice 21 (3): 162–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/004058482095430 01. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

15

THE ISTA APPROACH

THE NATURE AND FOUR STRANDS OF ISTA’S WORK

BY DINOS ARISTIDOU ISTA Executive Director 2022-2023 ISTA is an organisation that prides itself on being current, relevant and a provider of high-quality learning experiences. Its focus and one constant over the years has been to work in an international context with a commitment to the role theatre plays in developing internationally minded, responsible young people who will contribute actively to the creation of a better world.

Until relatively recently, ISTA considered itself primarily as a producer of high-quality events which engaged international students and educators with learning through and about theatre.

The nature and make-up of these events have developed over time, as has ISTA, in response to the dramatic events that have shaped the world over the past two years. As well as this, ISTA has taken into consideration the new thinking regarding international education, new developments in theatre because of the digital and the impact the pandemic has had on young people.

16

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

THE ISTA APPROACH As well as events, ISTA has now classified the range of its learning experiences under the following categories: Events – These are experiences which are time-limited and with a particular focus (Festivals, TAPS, Professional Development and Learning, IB DP Theatre Teacher Training) Services - These are bespoke experiences and developed with educational settings and cultural organisations based on their needs (Artist in Residencies, Mentoring, Consultancies) Programmes and projects - These are long-term initiatives as well as time-limited projects involving more than one encounter (ISTA ACADEMY, Global Digital production) Resources – These are designed to support global teaching and learning through theatre and the related arts (the ISTA journal Scene, free teaching and learning resources, publications, and instructional guides) Partnerships – These are initiatives developed with organisations and often engaging with communities beyond international schools: (working with Amala on a project with refugee and displaced young people, sites of learning such as Terezin and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, working with disabled young people with UCAN Productions)

The ISTA™ Ensemble Method underpins all ISTA work and is designed to bring people together through theatre and the related arts to form communities of learning that lead to collaboration, connection, and empowerment. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

17

THE ISTA APPROACH

Theatre in the world ISTA prides itself on being one of the main providers of international artist-educators who are experts in particular theatre traditions and practices. Global learning through theatre means offering young people and teachers the opportunity to engage with unfamiliar theatre practices that will broaden their understanding of theatre as well as build international mindedness. This is achieved by bringing together practising artists who have a specialism in a particular practice with learners and educators in different settings as well as offering virtual opportunities for young people or educators who are unable to travel.

Global learning through theatre also encourages learners to consider the role that theatre plays in different cultures, its origins and roots and the way theatre develops and changes in response to cultural, social, and economic factors. This area of ISTA’s work is also a celebration of the diversity not only of theatre in the world but also of artists. Creating opportunities for cross-border working and interconnection, ISTA also encourages dialogue and collaboration, building networks of artists who bring their own particular skill sets and cultural perspectives together to create theatre experiences that are international and rich.

All ISTA’s work is guided by and categorised by the following strands.

These have helped the organisation to redefine and focus its work, helping the creation, design and enhancement of its experiences:

The world of theatre This strand of ISTA’s work relates to everything we do regarding theatre as an art form and theatre-making. Working with an international pool of theatre practitioners and artist educators who inform the development of all ISTA strands, this area is about developing understandings and skills associated with performing, devising, directing, designing and other related arts such as film, music and dance. This also encourages us to work with international arts organisations that are current and relevant. ISTA’s partnership with the International Baccalaureate as the exclusive trainer of Diploma theatre teachers means that we have contributed and continue to be involved in the shaping and the development of international theatre education; providing training, experiences and resources for young people and educators in schools around the world. This brings together contemporary practice in the world of theatre with up-to-date international educational pedagogy and, of course, the ISTA™ Ensemble method in all things related to theatre as an art form and theatre practice.

18

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

THE ISTA APPROACH

Exploring the world through theatre This area of ISTA’s work focuses on using theatre as a tool for exploring the world. This includes inquiring into social and global issues, examining ISTA’s own communities and those of others as well as the interconnected nature of our world. The purpose of this work is to use the ISTA™ Ensemble method to give young people a deep understanding of concepts that are key to them as global citizens and the capacity and skills to present their understandings and ideas through theatre. Intercultural awareness and the building of compassionate communities of learning are also key to this area of the work. Central to the exploration of the world through theatre, through ISTA™ Ensemble method, are pathways to empowerment and action, where learners consider how their ISTA experiences will inform their future development and relationship to their local and to global worlds.

‘The four strands, though individual and related to particular endeavours and initiatives, also come together, the one adding depth to the other.’

Festivals are the main area where we deliver this area of ISTA work. Each year ISTA selects a global challenge which becomes the focus for the year. This global challenge is designed to be an area of global significance which offers a range of possibilities for exploration. ISTA’s global challenge for 2022-23 A world of difference provides a lens which engages young people with opportunities to explore the world through theatre.

This ISTA challenge offers host schools and artists an imaginative and meaningful inspiration which; can be interpreted broadly, is accessible and has relevance to both the host community and to the world.

www.ista.co.uk

The possible areas of learning for festivals and events this year, for example, are: The post-pandemic world and its challenges for young people The changes in our communities Diversity, equity, and inclusion Social justice The environment Making a difference/ changing the world What it means to be or feel different A celebration of difference and identities The arts and how they make a difference A story-based inquiry approach to ISTA’s global learning through theatre and the related arts approach engages young people with stories from around the world and allows them to connect with different cultures, concepts, and narratives.

SCENE

19

THE ISTA APPROACH

Developing the global learner Fundamental to ISTA’s mission is the use of the ISTA™ Ensemble method to bring people from different places together to collaborate, create communities of learning and celebrate our differences as well as our shared humanity. Using theatre and the related arts, learners also explore the interconnected nature of the world, our communities, ourselves and both the benefits and challenges of this interconnection. Fundamental to these experiences and one of their key features is that learners develop new connections, and friendships and become part of the international creative networks we create. The characteristics of the global learner which ISTA aims to develop, relate not only to learning but also to the learner’s growth and flourishing as human beings and as citizens of the world. The development of the global learner is central to all ISTA’s work and every experience is designed carefully with this in mind.

The four strands, though individual and related to particular endeavours and initiatives, also come together, the one adding depth to the other. They provide focus as well as provide ways to enrich ISTA experiences, ensuring that ISTA brings together theatre, deep learning, and responsible citizenship, making it a leading provider of global learning through theatre and the related arts.

◾

20

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

Advertisement

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS LIVE

22

SCENE

It brings the world close Here into the room Into the here and now The world Here In the now Not hidden behind a screen Or projected onto a wall No The world is here In this place Here in this space Whether it’s the elephant In the room Or the wind outside A broken chair Or a broken heart A half filled glass Or a full embrace A dancing shadow Or a beam of light It’s here Present In this place In this space Now Come and look!

Here Present Be present

www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Toronto, Canada

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT

FROM IDEA TO REALISATION

BY ANGELA DAVID

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

23

CASE STUDY

In this article Angela David, from Branksome Hall, Ontario, reflects on a recent Grade 9 Interdisciplinary Unit which in collaboration with ISTA and Dinos Aristidou, explored the stories and history of the school.

As the world came out of the pandemic, the communities of Branksome Hall and Branksome Hall Asia were most excited to reinstate our annual exchange. This is a time when Grade 9 students travel to the other side of the world for an enriched educational experience. An important part of both of the BHX journeys is an Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) run by the host school. After cancelling from March 2020 through October 2022, we were all thrilled to know that our peers from BHA would join us for this life changing experience.

‘Stories connect us in the past, position us in the present and guide us in the future’ 24

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Our MYP Coordinator reached out to the Arts and Design departments to propose an idea related to the ghost stories of Branksome Hall, a 120-year old institution and in keeping this history alive with students from both schools.

When he approached me I was hesitant; it would mean 200 Grade 9 students off timetable for a week on our campus in the middle of Toronto. Our faculty structure is also such that the arts teachers are also the design teachers in Grade 9 so the challenge would be how to make this truly an interdisciplinary unit that valued each of the disciplines' unique forms.

www.ista.co.uk

In the past, whenever I wondered about a new exciting idea for developing live devised theatre or building professional capacity in faculty, I would reach out to ISTA and was invariably connected with Dinos Aristidou. Dinos was excited by the idea right away and we set up time to talk about how we could make this come alive, knowing that starting to plan something in January 2022 might not come to fruition in October 2022. But we chose optimism and being in the present over fears of COVID cancelling the first international event since 2019.

SCENE

25

CASE STUDY

"AS WE TALKED, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THOUGH WE SAID ‘DEVISE’ THIS COULD BE INTERCHANGEABLE WITH 'DESIGN’" Aims As a department we decided that our purpose for the week was twofold. Firstly we wanted to create an experience where students from different schools could get to know each other so their next experience in South Korea would be successful and they could learn from each other. The second reason for the IDU was to devise art works by exploring the stories and history of the school that was common to us all. As we talked, we understood that though we said ‘devise’ this could be interchangeable with ‘design’, so professionally we asked Dinos to help us highlight this.

26

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Process Our first training session had all of the Toronto faculty in one room with Dinos as the ‘elephant in the Zoom room’. We dove into the planning documents while considering the stories we thought would emerge. After identifying the key concept of ‘connections’ we considered what global context we would explore. From this perspective Dinos asked us to talk through the possibilities that we found to be emerging.

In 3 separate groups we had conversations but didn’t do a full report. Dinos was able to listen in even from outside the room. All groups felt that ‘orientation in time, place and space’ shared the commonality of our idea of stories emerging from a place over time. As this was becoming clearer from the listening space, Dinos offered the statement of inquiry: Stories connect us in the past, position us in the present and guide us in the future. We all agreed that this beautifully encapsulated what we wanted our students to explore. For

www.ista.co.uk

myself, I knew that Dinos had again given words to my ideas.

Once this was solidified we began planning within each arts discipline (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Theatre). We also came to some agreements about the shape of the week, with moments of joining together as a whole ensemble and a sharing at the end. It was decided that students would work in an art area that they were not enrolled in as an ‘ensemble’. It became somewhat like an ISTA festival with the attempt to honour the presentation styles of the 4 arts as well as the learning from Design.

It was finalised in August that Dinos would be able to travel to Canada and be with us for the week. Having the structure with Dinos offering confidence and creativity to our plans gave great success and helped build that ensemble feel as he led whole group work with the students. Through these activities we achieved our first goal of being in the moment and learning about and with each other.

SCENE

27

CASE STUDY

'…the challenge would be how to make this truly an interdisciplinary unit that valued each of the disciplines' unique forms.'

Outcome

Areas to Develop

Our final sharing of authentically created arts pieces was live and in the moment.

Students were proud of what they accomplished and how they shared it. It was the first moment of true coming together as a community after such a (long) separation.

Our target audience (client) of Grade 8s witnessed a world created by the Grade 9s.

The sharing brought joy to our faculty and administration.

The one resounding piece of feedback from all stakeholders was that it would be wonderful to work interdisciplinary through Arts rather than trying to force Design in as well. We are taking that feedback and in 2023 our IDU will have an axle of Media Arts and students will explore this on the spokes of the art they have chosen to explore in depth. We are excited about the iteration and know that it comes from a foundation of strength.

◾

Another artistic and educator outcome was that our audience began to think about art and performance differently. The sharing in our gym was not a pivotal event, rather it was the moment in the process in which we asked the audience to join us in exploring the ideas. The sharing of concepts across the boundaries of the fourth wall were broken. I saw a student who was nervous to perform in front of her class of 18 suddenly shine as she shared ideas with an audience of over two hundred people. We broke down expectations and barriers. Perhaps the greatest outcome was that our community widened through the integration of students from across the globe.

28

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA TRANSPORTS

www.ista.co.uk

It brings The faraway The world Into here Into the now Here In front of us Into this space Into this moment The world is here Drama brings the there to here The faraway near But it also moves us Takes us Transports us From here to there So that we can See Feel Think about There Rather than Here

SCENE

29

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S LEAP AMBASSADORS United Kingdom

An introduction to Birmingham Royal Ballet’s LEAP Ambassadors programme.

30

SCENE

LEAP Ambassadors are a group of young people aged 16-25 who are selected via application onto Birmingham Royal Ballet’s professional and personal development programme, led by the Learning, Engagement, Access & Participation department. The programme offers a unique opportunity for young people to investigate behind the scenes, develop new skills and experience creative arts practice.

Ambassadors participate in group training sessions delivered

by Company staff and arts professionals, which offer insight into the various departments and job roles available in the industry. These include Company Management and A Day in the Life of a Dancer, Technical Production, Digital Content www.ista.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

and Social Media, Presenting with Impact, Events Management and more! Ambassadors also get the chance to directly shadow a member of BRB staff in their job role and gain invaluable ‘hands on’ experience working on projects and performances. LEAP Ambassadors also get exclusive behind-thescenes access, watching Company Class and rehearsals, tours of the workshop rooms and studios, free tickets to see BRB performances with family and friends, a free dance masterclass and more!

We recruit a new cohort of LEAP Ambassadors each season and recruitment for 23/24 will begin late September.

Recruitment takes place via BRB’s social channels, mailing lists including youth and community centres, education establishments, visits to youth centres in Birmingham and Wolverhampton and Birmingham based arts organisation contacts.

Keep your eyes peeled on our website and socials for more information. www.ista.co.uk

‘The programme offers a unique opportunity for young people to investigate behind the scenes, develop new skills and experience creative arts practice.’

What’s reflected in the cohorts are diverse young people, some are in education, some are not, some study or have took part in dance before, some have not, but all young people are recruited because they have a desire to learn more about career opportunities in the arts and gain hands on experience in these roles. We cap recruitment at a maximum of 10 Ambassadors per year as we pride ourselves on being able to offer young people tailored training and valuable time and learning with BRB staff.

SCENE

31

Even though I only knew Dinos for a short time, it was clear that he truly was an incredibly kind, passionate and talented man, with wonderful dedication to the arts. He leaves behind a huge and wonderful legacy. I was so incredibly sad to receive your email.

LAUREN NOVELLI

LEAP AMBASSADOR 2019-2020

32

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

DINOS ARISTIDOU’S INVOLVEMENT WITHIN THE PROGRAMME Dinos helped us curate LEAP Ambassadors in 2018, which led to the programme’s pilot year in 2019. Dinos remained as curator and delivered sessions to young people on finding their passion to assist them in their individual training choices using theatrical methods and with his unique flair.

He acted as an advisory mid-way through the programme for the Ambassadors 1-1’s to help inform the rest of their time with BRB before supporting them in bringing together their celebration event at the end of the year. Dinos kept reflection, stories and curiosity at the forefront of the work he did with our LEAP Ambassadors.

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

33

‘What’s reflected in the cohorts are diverse young people, some are in education, some are not, some study or have took part in dance before, some have not, but all young people are recruited because they have a desire to learn more about career opportunities in the arts and gain hands on experience in these roles.’

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

REFLECTIONS FROM PREVIOUS LEAP AMBASSADORS Dinos was a real character, so passionate and enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet him in person but he was so interesting and had a real skill of bringing out people’s creativity.

The sessions we had with him in 2020 to plan our celebration provided escapism and a chance to focus on something different at a time we all needed. The arts have lost a real gem. Thoughts are with his family and friends.

FENELLA SHELDON LEAP AMBASSADOR 2019-2020

I really enjoyed working with Dinos throughout the year and value all the reflecting we did in his sessions, as well as planning for our futures.

I feel lucky to have gotten to work with Dinos.

NICOLA FRANKLAND LEAP AMBASSADOR 2021-2022

◾

34

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS WONDER

www.ista.co.uk

Wondering It asks questions Of us Here In this room In this space It demands Scrutiny Investigation Exploration Explanation Understanding It asks Why? When?

How? Who? Where?

With whom?

Why? Why? Drama is curled snugly Around a question mark Recognising that questions don’t always Have straightforward answers That the world Is a complicated ball of string That undoing a single knot, finding a thread, following a direction Is a start Is a beginning Drama helps us Make sense It’s the art Of making sense SCENE

35

A C A D E M I C

T H E O R E T I C A L

THE POWER OF THEATRE

BY MIKE BINDON 36

SCENE

The Hague, Netherlands www.ista.co.uk

ACADEMIC / THEORETICAL

From their first meeting to their final project, Mike Bindon recalls how his work and life have been influenced by and enriched through his relationship and many collaborations with Dinos Aristidou.

In his manifesto, Dinos reflects on the unique opportunity presented by theatre to inquire and to explore. Despite the complexities and challenges of our era, theatre grants us the

means and opportunity to examine our circumstances and to more fully comprehend the world we inhabit. This compelling urge to ask challenging questions and to meticulously unravel strands of significance amid tangled narratives has been a recurring feature of my collaborations with Dinos over the past decade.

Our joint endeavour to enhance and optimise a renowned international arts curriculum aimed solely at enabling young learners to explore the world through theatre,led us on a journey that has been life changing for me both personally and professionally.

A theatre development meeting in The Hague, October 2012. From left to right: (back row) Gilles Sooben, Kelvin Williams, Mike Bindon, Agustin Maggi, Jo Scott, Anthony Cunningham; (front row) Sherri Sutton, Dinos Aristidou and Catherine Rankin.

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

37

ACADEMIC / THEORETICAL My first encounter with Dinos was on a tram in the Netherlands during a delightful spring evening in May 2012. At that time Dinos was acting as Interim Curriculum Manager for the International Baccalaureate (IB), overseeing a period of transition while the organisation sought a permanent replacement to spearhead its Diploma Programme (DP) Arts subject reviews. As the newly appointed candidate who was set to assume this role later that year, my inaugural task was to participate in a theatre curriculum review meeting in The Hague, which was to be chaired by Dinos.

‘The remainder of that tram journey was a barrage of conversation, laughter, contemplation and banter.’

I was set to meet Dinos for the first time enroute to an informal introductory dinner on the eve of the meeting. Boarding the rickety tram at the designated hour, I recall diligently scanning each passenger's face in search of this prominent Greek-British arts education guru.

Upon meeting Dinos and settling in beside him on the narrow tram bench as I introduced myself, I instantly recognised in him a kindred spirit. The remainder of that tram journey was a barrage

of

conversation,

laughter,

contemplation and banter.

My initial experiences working for the IB were deeply influenced by Dinos. His boundless energy, intellect, dedication, authenticity, wit and profound subject expertise could have DP Theatre Pilot Review Team, Atlanta, USA, March 2019. Jude Scanlon, Rob Warren, Jakki Saysell, Mike Bindon, Rene Amthor, Fenella Kelly, Dinos Aristidou, Agustin Maggi

38

SCENE

easily felt overwhelming and intimidating for me at that first meeting. However, as anyone who has ever had the pleasure of collaborating with him will attest, Dinos had a gift for making www.ista.co.uk

ACADEMIC / THEORETICAL

feel instantly comfortable and genuinely

of collaborating with a Dinos’, eliciting nods of

appreciated. He recognised and nurtured the

agreement

best in others, kindling a confidence in them

undoubtedly wishing they too had the benefit

they were previously oblivious to. This

of such a skilled and devoted professional

generous

companion.

warmth

and

encouragement

from

all

who

knew

him,

enveloped me and his incredible leadership of that first IB development meeting set a

Dinos’s aptitude for articulating intricate

benchmark that I would aspire to reach for the

concepts and weaving together divergent

rest of my career.

threads of significance into a singular, lucid and

‘His unfaltering belief in the power of theatre as a medium of exploration and transformation – that will endure.’

succinct argument elevated his contributions to curriculum development to an unparalleled level of excellence. Thus, Dinos was asked to undertake countless roles for the IB including Principal

Examiner,

Interim

Curriculum

Manager for the MYP Arts, DP Literature and Performance

review

participant

and

researcher. The IB invited him to be a keynote speaker at its Rome Conference in 2014 and again at their Creativity Symposium in 2015.

His

vibrant

enthusiasm

and

boundless

inventiveness shone most brightly in his

Dinos was never afraid to ask challenging

exceptional work on the DP Theatre Teacher

questions. This love of inquiry and reflection

Support Material (TSM). This was a feat he

were attributes that became hard-baked into

accomplished not merely once but on three

all of his contributions to the development of

separate occasions over the years. Always

the IB’s DP theatre course and he swiftly

keeping his focus on innovative ways of aiding

established

the

teachers and enriching the learning journey of

organisation. Colleagues who had the chance

each student, he was instrumental in designing

to witness his work were eager to learn from

the majority of the DP Theatre teacher

him and enticed him to join additional review

workshops

teams and boards. I remember one peer

materials, all of which are still offered by ISTA.

a

reputation

across

and

professional

development

proclaiming at an IB gathering that ’Every curriculum manager should have the privilege

www.ista.co.uk

The task of revising a well loved arts curriculum

SCENE

39

ACADEMIC / THEORETICAL took place all over the world, in small office spaces, seaside cafes, schools, art galleries and in our own homes. We endlessly debated the nuances of the course in airport queues in various parts of the world as we attended curriculum

development

meetings

and

conducted IB workshops. With Dinos onboard no challenge ever seemed insurmountable and we relished in again unravelling the complicated tangle of possibilities and challenges together. I recall some particularly passionate discussions about the nuances of the Research Presentation assessment

task

while

exploring

global

Mike and Dinos undertake a one week retreat at the IB

landmarks such as Pier 39 in San Francisco and

to complete the Theatre Teacher Support Material

while walking the High Line in New York City.

(TSM) in The Hague, December 2013.

‘Despite the complexities and challenges of our era, theatre grants us the means and opportunity to examine our circumstances and to more fully comprehend the world we inhabit.’

is a daunting and formidable task and it is most certainly unachievable without the skills and proficiency of a committed review team. As a central member of the IB’s Theatre team throughout my tenure at the IB, Dinos’s steadfast dedication, expertise and creativity persistently

propelled

the

IB

course

to

uncharted heights. When we launched our most recent Theatre Pilot project – an endeavour that

entailed

testing

the

draft

Theatre

curriculum in 40 IB schools over a 5 year period – I sought Dinos’s expertise once again.

Throughout

40

of

My final IB collaboration with Dinos was the

development, he and I seized numerous

crafting of the DP Theatre Student Handbook, a

opportunities to collaboratively brainstorm and

pioneering joint venture between the IB and

contemplate solutions to the many challenges

ISTA. Conceived over a decade ago, this student

inherent in designing a global curriculum and

centred resource finally became a reality in

assessment tasks. These formative discussions

2022 and an intense 6 months of nonstop

SCENE

this

unique

process

www.ista.co.uk

ACADEMIC / THEORETICAL

‘Dinos was never afraid to ask challenging questions.’

Although complex and challenging, our work together always felt effortless and rewarding.

His remarkable influence on the development of the IB’s Theatre course will leave an enduring legacy. The wisdom, joy and love he shared not only enriched my work but my life as well. Dinos was more than an exceptional collaborator or mentor.

He was a catalyst for change, embodying the very spirit of wonder that he believed theatre should inspire. As we continue to navigate the complexities of life without him alongside, I

writing ensued, resulting in the publication of an

believe it's his ethos – his unfaltering belief in

incredibly insightful textbook of which we were

the power of theatre as a medium of exploration

both incredibly proud.

and transformation – that will endure.

◾

Mike and Dinos in Cardiff, UK meeting in a bar to mark up the final draft of the student handbook in February 2023. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

41

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS HUMAN

42

SCENE

Whatever we do Examine Think about Wherever drama takes us It always brings us back to this; What is it to be human?

What makes us human?

How to be human Why we do what we do How we connect and disconnect How we feel and think and laugh and cry Why this happens And this doesn’t It’s about me, you, them, us

www.ista.co.uk

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

Nothing about us without us

BY JANE LATHAM

WALES

An introduction to UCAN, a performance arts charity for blind and partially sighted young people. Here co-founder Jane Latham talks about a Theatre as Inclusive Practice project designed to empower young people with a range of social barriers who feel excluded from the arts. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

43

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

UCAN Productions is a performance arts charity for blind and partially sighted

For a larger font version of this article please click the link below CLICK TO VIEW

children, young people and more recently, adults, based in Cardiff but working throughout the United Kingdom and beyond.

www.ucanproductions.org UCAN aims to improve the physical and vocal confidence of those with sight loss. It is a peer led organisation which now employs former vision impaired participants as creative workshop leaders.

UCAN was founded in 2005, one year after co-founders Jane and Bernard Latham met Dinos Aristidou.

44

SCENE

‘TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS WAS THE FIRST COURSE OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.’ www.ista.co.uk

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

To say that Dinos played a part in the growth of UCAN would be a massive understatement. He was first involved as a guest workshop leader, then as a consultant and finally from 2016 became UCAN’s Creative Learning Director.

Like the founders, Dinos was at the very core of UCAN. In 2013, Dinos designed and delivered a training programme called UCAN Lead, which gave young blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to become arts practitioners and share their new found skills with their peers. To our knowledge this was the first course of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Dinos’s approach to inclusive practice seemed almost instinctive. His ability to put young people at the centre of everything was a cornerstone for creating a ‘safe place’ in which they could thrive. Whilst working with UCAN he always regarded the young people with sight loss as experts of their own eye conditions and constantly asked them for their help and reassurance that he was working in the most inclusive way possible.

His ever-present notebook filled up with information offered to him by the blind and partially sighted participants such as ‘never use

‘To say that Dinos played a part in the growth of UCAN would be a massive understatement.’ www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

45

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

PDF’s as our screen readers can’t read them’ or ‘please use my name when you are talking to me, as I might think you are talking to someone else’. The more workshops he led the more descriptive his language became. For instance, he learnt how to guide someone with sight loss and make sure that he offered his arm in the correct way whilst constantly describing the surroundings. Dinos's readiness to make his own teaching methods inclusive was evident to all who had the pleasure of attending one of his workshops.

Theatre as Inclusive Practice In 2020, on behalf of UCAN, Dinos developed an Erasmus+ project called TIP (Theatre as Inclusive Practice) with partners from Bulgaria and Slovenia. TIP is a research and training project designed to empower young people (18-25) with a range of social barriers who feel excluded from the arts. www.tip erasmus plus.org.

It was Dinos’s dedication to creating inclusive, safe spaces that laid the solid foundations for the TIP Project. Over two years, young

46

SCENE

...he always regarded the young people with sight loss as experts of their own eye conditions and constantly asked them for their help and reassurance that he was working in the most inclusive way possible.’

www.ista.co.uk

D I V E R S I T Y ,

participants from five partner countries were trained as workshop leaders through various inclusive theatre practices. These included Verbatim Theatre, Devised Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed and Theatre of the Senses.

In turn, the participants applied their training and skills by leading workshops with other participants in their own setting. The training culminated in an event in August 2022 where the young workshop leaders and participants gathered in Cardiff to create a performance on the theme of exclusion. The performance they devised was called You Can’t Sit By Me and can be found on the TIP website.

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

‘Over two years, young participants from five partner countries were trained as workshop leaders through various inclusive theatre practices.’

The project came to an end in March 2023 with a series of events to share the learnings in each of the partner countries.

All TIP workshop recordings, resources and materials including an Inclusion and Accessibility Pack for developing and implementing inclusive theatre related practices are available on the TIP website. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

47

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

On March 6th 2023, two days before he very sadly passed away, Dinos presented the findings of UCAN’s part of TIP at the University of South Wales. True to his nature, he made a strong case that:

‘Creating an inclusive atmosphere is something I think is relevant in any theatrical context, whatever you do, everything from the first hello to the instructions, should be made to make people feel comfortable and included’.

Lasting impact ‘Nothing about us without us’ is a philosophy that Dinos fully endorsed in his commitment to inclusivity. He knew that inclusivity must be embedded into all areas of a project or organisation for it to be truly accessible. It starts with recognising that people are experts in their own condition or experience and seeing the differences amongst us as learning opportunities.

It requires implementing changes to ensure everyone’s needs are met, regardless of the effort required. It also means having meaningful representation at every tier of an organisation, including the volunteer team, staff and the board. These are basic requirements for creating a safe space and a welcoming environment, which are crucial for

From the participants to the developers and theatre practitioners, TIP had a profound impact on everyone involved in the project.

This is reflected in the ‘Sharing Circle’ video of one of the final gatherings where the young people spoke about how they had grown in confidence and what being included in this project meant to them.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SHARING CIRCLE 48

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

D I V E R S I T Y ,

E Q U I T Y

&

I N C L U S I O N

making The Arts more accessible to all. To quote Dinos himself: ‘Nothing kills creativity more than fear’.

Dinos wanted the world to be inclusive. The key to his approach was sharing his skills and knowledge to empower other people and for them to in turn empower others. His kind, humble, generous and inquisitive nature will be a tremendous loss to everyone who was lucky enough to meet him. But at least the power of his practice will live on without him needing to be there, exactly as he intended. He is irreplaceable but if we all try to be more like Dinos, the world is sure to be a better place.

‘And that’s why I love this work.

I am confident you will change the world.

Because you spoke with such truth and authority to tell your story and when you tell your story, people listen...

We will change the world.’

DINOS ARISTIDOU

www.ista.co.uk

◾ SCENE

49

Advertisement

HIGH SCHOOL PRACTICAL First printed in Scene September 2022, Erin Housam-Umicevic considers the aims and legacy of a Verbatim project created in collaboration with Dinos Aristidou.

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT… A STUDENT COLLECTIVE WITH VERBATIM THEATRE

BY ERIN HOUSAM-UMICEVIC

Beginnings I grew up at the end of the Cold War in the US, meaning I grew up with only what I was told about the USSR. In the mid1990s, I was on a night train from Kyiv to Donetsk. I met a charming couple, Oleg and Masha. We stayed up all night, playing cards and drinking tea. It was my own first personal ‘glasnost’ as the pictures they painted of their lives growing up in Ukraine were vastly different from the ideas I had adopted. I needed to hear their story and their truth to begin to understand a life different from mine. Looking back, I can see how that was my first experience into the beginning stages of Verbatim Theatre. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

51

HS PRACTICAL

My journey My journey into Verbatim or Documentary Theatre started with the role of spectator. I was captivated by Anna Deveare Smith’s Fires in the Mirror and Little Revolution by Alecky Blythe. Some years later during an ISTA Connect Festival, I met Dinos Aristidou and was intrigued by what could be done with students and verbatim. Dinos taught a workshop for teachers using his ‘Reflection Pack’. Within twenty minutes I was transformed in a room of strangers as we collected stories from each other and built meaningful theatre based upon each other’s truths.

Skip ahead a few more years as I kept rethinking and reinventing how to be a better guide to a new generation of theatre makers in a post pandemic world. I had taken another workshop with Dinos specific to the ‘Hear Us Out’” Verbatim method. (This was highlighted in ISTA’s 2021 global production, Diary of an Extraordinary Year). After this workshop, I knew this was an experience that I wanted to give my students.

Within twenty minutes I was transformed in a room of strangers as we collected stories from each other and built meaningful theatre based upon each other’s truths.

52

SCENE

STUNNING AND POIGNANT PIECE OF THEATRE www.ista.co.uk

HS PRACTICAL

Aims I applied for and received a grant, coordinated with ISTA and decided that my MYP Drama 5 class was ideal as it would set them up for IBDP and allow them time to create, collaborate and process. What did I actually want my students to accomplish?

I wanted to introduce them to a new way of creating theatre that would allow them to engage in the world around them with a different perspective.

The overall concept for our project/production was 9/11.

2021 was the 20 year anniversary of September 11 and this event was something that this group of students could all access stories about from people they knew.

My students prioritised the concept of INTENTION of dignity and respect. This included that they were sure to get written permission from the storytellers.

Approach In October of 2021 my students began their online workshop.

Dinos Aristidou guided my students through the process of creating Verbatim Theatre. This process was beautifully scaffolded. One of their favourite starting points was an exercise that involved students working with partners. They were to choose a special picture from their phone and tell the story.

Dinos guided them through the ideas of story collecting versus merely conducting interviews

‘Now that I have many of these same students as Grade 11s, I see the growth they have made as performers, designers and overall, growth as humans.’

Below: Photo from the production.

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

53

HS PRACTICAL

and to work through the prompts of open ended statements rather than questions.

Dinos worked the students through creating prompts so they could begin to collect their stories. We settled on six prompts. The fairest way to assign prompts for story collecting was just to draw from a hat.

Once we had prompts and a loose plan, every student chose 2 people to talk to and get their 9/11 story. To prepare students for this experience I provided basic dramaturgy into September 11, 2001. We watched old newscasts together and I laid out original newspapers and magazines from that week, gallery style, for students to be able to read. We gained the appropriate permissions from the storytellers and then practised focused listening without judgement and showing respect.

The students had a week to record their stories. We listened to every single recording in class as a group with students taking notes. Personally, this was my favourite part. We discussed every story one at a time.

My theatre makers came up with ideas for imagery specially tailored to performance and production. They were also able to make connections that were not always obvious, such as ways to overlap stories and add characters that were mentioned while retaining full integrity of the storyteller’s truth by not changing any of the original wording.

54

SCENE

Create The interviewers transcribed all the interviews and were instructed to find a 1 to 2 minute cut that they found the most poignant. The students chose to memorise the written transcripts and not use the headphones, as we would be performing live and in an intimate space.

Once I had all the monologues I randomly assigned a student to work with a piece that was not their own. Students worked in groups according to their given prompts.

I see the growth they have made as performers.

This production was almost entirely student designed. I served mostly as a consultant.

Some stories were straight out monologues, some stories were combined to create dialogue or a round-robin type story.

Students chose staging, physical blocking, costumes, lighting and sound. By the time of the opening this ensemble had created a stunning and poignant piece of theatre.

Show We started with a small audience in order to get some feedback. This was written feedback (Google Forms). We went through the notes and the students made adjustments to be more clear. Most of theadjustments had to do with timing and spacing, making sure to take pauses and

www.ista.co.uk

HS PRACTICAL

keeping with transition music. The transition soundtrack focused on 90s music including ‘Carry On’ by Fun. It was unanimous and almost unspoken that this would be the title of the piece, Carry On. The intention of this ensemble was to remind their audience of the daily humanity behind a life altering event that went beyond what the news reported.

Their intent was quietly powerful and effective. This was evident on the day of the show, as many of the storytellers came, as well as audience members who were of the age to have their own firsthand memories of 9/11. There were many tears and the audience lingered for a long time after the house lights came on to talk to the actors, to talk to each other.

To talk and to listen. For after all, that is the point.

www.ista.co.uk

Ongoing This particular project finished in May of 2022. This entire process took place on and off over a year and honestly off and on, as we worked through different production pieces and units. I didn’t plan it to last from August to May but looking back, I think a year is a perfect time to work on a piece. One packs for a long trip by taking breaks and not all at once or one tends to forget things; much in the same way, we took breaks from this production to work on other things, including a one act play and other curriculum. Having the breaks from the piece and being able to come back to it heightened the students’ own process of evolving through the work.

I still have the students who were a part of the production and they’re still talking.

I also use the Reflection Packs with all levels of theatre students and discussions around those have shown me where some students would like to continue practising Verbatim Theatre. This is one student’s answer to the post production reflection, to the question: ‘What would you like to work on should we do another Verbatim project?’ ‘Possibly a reverse generation piece. Have older people recall their teen years and current teenagers responding to prompts about their “now”.’ In spite of the digital age, both groups would definitely find similarities and it might help parents/teachers/coaches etc understand more about what is happening internally with teenagers during this time.

SCENE

55

HS PRACTICAL

I’m an American Theatre teacher who was fortunate enough to teach overseas for a few years. Now I’m back in America working with only American students.

Short of being able to put them on a plane and take them out in the world, I find great satisfaction in being able to guide students through World Theatre practices.

Now that I have many of these same students as Grade 11s, I see the growth they have made as performers, designers and overall, growth as humans.

TO TALK AND TO LISTEN. FOR AFTER ALL, THAT IS THE POINT.

◾

Within twenty minutes I was transformed in a room of strangers as we collected stories from each other and built meaningful theatre based upon each other’s truths.

56

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS TOGETHER

www.ista.co.uk

It teaches us to live together To work together To be together To be kind to each other Oh we need to be kind We need to learn kindness Teach it Understand why We need kindness Why we need to care Because that’s the only hope we have It teaches us hope It teaches us how to hope It teaches us how to make The world we hope for Happen

SCENE

57

COLLABORATIONS

In August 2022 Dinos Artistidou visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum taking the first steps towards realising a hope and dream of collaborating with the museum to bring young people together to explore this ‘space made sacred through tragic loss’.

What followed, less than a year later, was a 3-day festival led by Artistic Director Helen Abbott and a small team of artists.

Here Jennifer Lagasse, Director of education programmes from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum recalls this first meeting and teacher Amy Luskey-Barth reflects on the student experience.

BY JENNIFER LAGASSE & AMY LUSKEY-BARTH

58

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

COLLABORATIONS Photo credit:9/11 Memorial & Museum

WE ARE NOT THE LAST COLUMN, WE ARE THE FIRST www.ista.co.uk

BY JENNIFER LAGASSE NEW YORK CITY, USA When Dinos and I visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in August 2022 our goal was twofold.

We wanted to find something within the museum to anchor young theatre artists to this 1 ‘space made sacred through tragic loss’ while also helping them explore the diversity of those who were impacted—and continue to be impacted—by the events of September 11, 2001.

To do this is no small undertaking. It is estimated that a third of the world’s population witnessed the events of 9/11 in real time via television, 2 radio and internet. The 2,977 victims of the 9/11 attacks come from over 90 nations and represent myriad cultures, professions, 3 religions, ages and life experiences.

SCENE

59

COLLABORATIONS This exploration led us to the Last Column, a 36 foot tall piece of steel that was once part of the core of the South Tower.4 This column was found in the rubble at Ground Zero still standing and anchored into its foundations despite the destruction around it.5 As it was slowly uncovered during the cleanup at the site, it took on both a practical and symbolic meaning to the thousands of workers and volunteers. Originally it supported a temporary haul road. 6 Eventually those workers and volunteers, along with 9/11 family members, transformed it into a memorial to the victims and a record of their service at the site by covering it in thousands of colourful spraypainted markings, signatures in permanent marker, prayer cards and photographs. 7 Through this artefact, the stories of the victims and the thousands of people who streamed into New York City from across the country and the world to help in any way they could, are made tangible. The museum is dedicated to telling the accurate history of complex events

Our goal was twofold.

We wanted to find something within the museum to anchor young theatre artists to this ‘space made sacred through tragic loss’ while also helping them explore the diversity of those who were impacted.

Students investigating the Last Column Photo: Michael Hnatov

60

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

COLLABORATIONS

‘What the students chose to elevate in their work certainly included the loss of that day but they also chose to focus on the immense kindness and selflessness shown in response to such a profound tragedy.’

but it is also a memorial dedicated to honouring the individuality and humanity of the victims and the communities that were directly impacted. In this way, the work we do has something deeply in common with theatre artists—we are, at our core, storytellers.

For three days in April 2023, students were immersed in the content and collections of the museum exploring the stories that objects help us to tell. In the process it was our hope that they would have the chance to see themselves reflected in and connected to this history.

What the students chose to elevate in their work certainly included the loss of that day but they also chose to focus on the immense kindness and selflessness shown in response to such a profound tragedy. During their final meeting one group shared a thought that resonated deeply with me. As they said; ‘we are not the Last Column, we are the first.’—the first generation of young people for whom this is history, not memory.

Photo credits: 9/11 Memorial & Museum

REFERENCES 1. “About the 9/11 Memorial & Museum: 9/11 Memorial & Museum MIssion,” National September 11 Memorial & Museum, accessed July 25, 2023, https://911memorial.org/about.

2. Alice Greenwald, No Day Shall Erase You: The Story of 9/11 as Told at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (New York: Rizzoli Electa, 2016), 41.

3. “In Memoriam: About the Exhibition,” National September 11 Memorial & Museum, accessed July 25, 2023, https://www.911memorial.org/visit/museum/exhibitions/in-memoriam.

4. “Inside the Collection: Steel Fragment, Recovered,” National September 11 Memorial & Museum, accessed July 25, 2023, https://collection.911memorial.org/Detail/objects/6760.

5. “Inside the Collection: Steel Fragment, Recovered” 6. “Inside the Collection: Steel Fragment, Recovered” 7. “Inside the Collection: Steel Fragment, Recovered”

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

61

COLLABORATIONS

ONE TEACHER'S EXPERIENCE

Reflections on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum high school festival

BY AMY LUSKEY-BARTH

62

SCENE

SANTA MARGARITA, USA

www.ista.co.uk

COLLABORATIONS

‘No day shall erase you from the memory of time.’

Virgil The Last Column, a symbol of courage, strength and resilience stood tall within the 9/11 Museum as ISTA students reflected on the power of storytelling and learned about the events of 9/11. None were yet born that fateful day. However, at the ISTA Festival the students were immersed in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum for three days exploring the profound stories of heroism, loss and hope that made what was once a history lesson come to life for them.

Working in three separate ensembles with students from different parts of the world, the students developed connections between one another and discovered common themes from the stories of families and survivors and the impact of how theatre can be an effective tool in overcoming hatred and prejudice. Through a process of devising with movement, poetry, music, rhythm, tableau and narrative, led by visiting artists from around the world, these www.ista.co.uk

young theatre makers created an original performance piece that was shared in the auditorium at the 9/11 museum. Through the experience they found how their artistic voices can make a positive difference in the world.

The students engaged in an emotional excavation of stories deep beneath Ground Zero that both amazed and horrified them – 102 minutes that shaped the world into which they were born and will forever impact their lives. The symbolism of the waterfall pools where the towers once stood, a ‘Reflected Absence’ of names, faces and histories made that distant day in September of 2001 move from the past to the present. The students were asked to find a name inscribed on the memorial and then to learn the story of that person’s life. This simple act of connection turned a history lesson into a relationship.

SCENE

63

COLLABORATIONS Dinos Aristidou’s vision of theatre, led by Artistic Director Helen Abbott and artists Bill Bowers, Desta Haile and Ana Margineanu, unfolded through the students living together, working together and being together. The final sharing began simply with one voice: ‘My name is… ‘and grew into a chorus of overlapping voices of individual stories followed by rhythmic stomping, movement, fragments of memory, silent moments captured in tableau – interwoven stories that developed understanding and empathy.

At one point the narrative shifted the perspective of the central story guiding the festival: ‘We are not the last column. We are the first.’ In this powerful statement, the responsibility of telling the stories and finding the hope for a better world made meaning out of the rubble of 9/11. Through the process of storytelling the students were able to find inspiration and courage. The audience sat in the auditorium of the 9/11 memorial museum as the darkness lifted. Above us outside, a blue sky where ‘hope and history rise’. Blue, the color of 9/11.

‘The final sharing began simply with one voice: ‘‘My name is… ‘’ and grew into a chorus of overlapping voices of individual stories.’

64

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

COLLABORATIONS

'This simple act of connection turned a history lesson into a relationship.’

The students’ voices joined in a musical chant that washed over us with a promise, a vow, a declaration: ‘Blue, blue, blue, I keep the memory of you. Every shade.

Every way. Never fade. Every day.’

Through the unique ISTA process of devising a piece of theatre, inspired by the events of 9/11, the students found connections with each other, with history and with themselves. All of this was made possible because of the visionary leadership of Dinos Aristidou.

◾

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

65

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS IMAGINATION

66

SCENE

Imagination builds It builds worlds Constructs realities It gives us the toolsNot hammers and nails Or bricks and mortar Not pen and paper Or needle and thread No, it gives us Possibility Aspiration The ability To create To build To shape To see it in our mind And make it happen It teaches us action It gives us the ability Here In this space In this room Together To imagine what can never be To imagine what could be and isn’t So that alone and together we can Create Mould Change Shape new worlds And fix the old ones Let’s fix these old ones Together www.ista.co.uk

P A R T N E R S H I P S

DRAMA IS TOGETHER

BY MIKE LUDWICK

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

67

P A R T N E R S H I P S

In this article Mike Ludwick, cofounder and president of the Near West Group in China, goes right back to 2015 when he embarked on a new vision - to create an organisation focused on Bridging China and West through Entertainment, Education and The Arts. Here Mike recalls the first steps, the connection with ISTA and how he and Dinos Aristidou led artist training designed to empower local artists.

It was October of 2015. I’d just taken a leap of faith and left my full time position as the Director of Development at the American International School of Guangzhou, China in order to start an organisation. It would be called ‘Near West’, and it would be focused on Bridging China and West through Entertainment, Education and The Arts.

I knew when setting out to create the organisation that it was a broad mandate but I also knew exactly where I wanted to start. You see, I’d gotten my own start in international education back in 1998 as a Drama teacher at the American School of Warsaw and had been fortunate enough to be taken under the wing of ISTA artist and embodiment of creative kindness, Mhairi MacInness who introduced me to the wonders of ISTA, took me to four festivals

68

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

P A R T N E R S H I P S in two years and basically altered the course of my life by showing me how powerfully good drama in education could be, if done as ISTA does drama.

And so my very first official call as the creator of this new organisation was to Sally Robertson, the then Executive director of ISTA, to share a vision of how I thought ISTA could spread its goodness into the Chinese education system, about how I was inundated, actually, with requests about how to best do drama and theatre and how much my answer was very clearly… as ISTA does drama.

In that call we hammered out the key ideas which would make up the ISTA/Near West Global Partnership (one of ISTA’s first), as a way to help make ISTA resources, artists and experiences more accessible to local

Chinese students and the educators that serve them.

Fast forward to January of 2019. It’s the eve of the very first Near West/ISTA Festival, a bespoke 4-day event customised to deliver a completely authentic ISTA devising festival while at the same time being open and as accessible as possible to cohorts of local Chinese students and educators. Among the artistic team assigned to the event was Mhairi MacInness, my mentor from 20 years ago whom I had not seen in person since leaving Poland and who was now poised to help share the joy, wonder and goodness of ISTA with a new generation of young people in China. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

69

P A R T N E R S H I P S

Also present as our artistic director for that event was Dinos Aristidou, whom I had met and worked with on several occasions (even finding a bit of video footage placing us together at a festival in 1999 somewhere in Europe) and who now became my chief ally and ISTA partner for the festival experience. And oh what an experience.

Led by an ‘ISTA AllStar Team’ consisting of Dinos, Mhairi, Anne Drouet, Fenella Kelly, Pete Benson and Ulrich Gutlieb the participants soared to unexpected heights, students from all backgrounds mixing and collaborating so well and quite notably, the local Chinese students quickly integrated, immersed and soon became inseparable from the group as a whole. They brought to life a traditional Chinese story, the tale of the life of the goddess Mazu but did so in a way that only ISTA can… as ISTA does drama.

At the helm throughout was Dinos, leading the process for artists and students alike, challenging everyone to be present, be fully

70

SCENE

'I can see his face as if it were yesterday, glowing with an almost childlike joy, smiling and present’ www.ista.co.uk

P A R T N E R S H I P S

invested and most importantly to be kind.

The very first official activity for students in the festival was to be led by Dinos, silently, to stand, follow him, come into a circle in the space and follow him through a series of motions, gestures and positions in the space. I can see his face as if it were yesterday, glowing with an almost childlike joy, smiling and present, bringing all of the students so quickly together.

And that is what Dinos continued to do in

the years following, even as COVID threatened to pull apart so many things which had been lovingly created over so many years and especially as he rose to the position of Executive director of ISTA, he held things together. He held us together through sheer force of will, his unique brilliance of mind and seemingly limitless energy and through his tremendous capacity and ability to see a vision of what could be and to bring that vision into ordered being.

‘…as ISTA does drama.’ www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

71

P A R T N E R S H I P S

'Dinos held us together through sheer force of will, his unique brilliance of mind and seemingly limitless energy and through his tremendous capacity and ability to see a vision of what could be and to bring that vision into ordered being.’

trained artists and again delivered all the joy and goodness of an ISTA festival to a mixed group of International Schools and local Chinese students and educators. But most importantly, after so many years in flux, it brought us together.

So it was with deep, deep sadness that we dedicated the festival to Dinos, who had recently passed but whose memory and impact were written on so many aspects of the event.

It was his Inspiration pack which the artists used to inspire their journey, his vision for a local artist team as the core of the event and his efforts at such a critical time to keep us all together, through drama and not just any old drama, but drama… as ISTA does drama.

◾

It was in these COVID years that Dinos and I began a new project between ISTA and Near West, one to train and empower artists in different local regions, to help ensure that even if borders suddenly closed the show could go on. Dinos was now my mentor and we met in a number of treasured virtual sessions during which we discussed what was at the core of ISTA’s impact and goodness and how we could train accomplished artists/educators to be ISTA artists/educators.

We had the training for our first cohort of local ISTA artists in Guangzhou in July of 2022 and just as planned these artists became the core team to bring in-person ISTA festivals back to the region in April of 2023. The 2nd ‘Annual’ (except for the pause created by COVID) Near West/ISTA Festival was the first in-person ISTA festival in mainland China post-COVID and it too exceeded all expectations. It was a proving ground for the first class of newly 72

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE

London, UK

IMAGINATION AS THE FOUNDATION OF LEARNING - DINOS’ LESSON B Y

T O D D

S E S S O M S

Here Todd Sessoms takes us through a series of exercises which explore the concept of home through the lens of a refugee crisis through the prism of imaginative play. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

73

MS PRACTICAL

I first met Dinos Aristidou in 2016 at a festival in Sri Lanka; Dinos was surveying and interviewing students for ISTA about the power and impact of their experience and I had the privilege to observe a few student feedback sessions that he led. While watching Dinos work with young people, I was struck by the depth of passion and care he embodied in his conversations. He entered each and every discourse with an open heart, offering the students an invitation to share their truth with a compassionate listener and to be fully heard without judgement.

Some years later I had the luck to be a student under Dinos’ instruction, directly experiencing the genuineness and generosity with which I had observed him engaging my students. As a group of teachers we collaborated under his careful guidance, attending an ISTA Studio focusing on mapping the journey of a middle school drama programme through imaginative, experiential and authentic practice in Brussels.

Dinos deftly moved from theory to practice, from concept to theatre making by leveraging

74

SCENE

our individual and collective imagination and grounding our learning in reflective praxis.

Of all the theatre practices we explored with Dinos that weekend, his approach to process drama with young performers has had the most significant and lasting impact on my teaching practice. Process drama is not performative, of course, but experiential, interdisciplinary, student centred, holistic, concise, authentic and collaborative. In the tradition of Heathcote, Bolton and Boal, Dinos believed that imaginative play was the foundation of learning through theatre; our imagination opens all doors and makes all things possible. While imaginative play can be used as the building blocks of devising, it is first and foremost an opportunity to explore and engage with a concept deeply, to learn about ourselves and our world, to confront injustice, to build our empathetic muscles and, as Dinos said himself, to ‘turn the abstract into physical representation’.

In the years to follow I have adapted sections of Dinos’ work to be applied in my middle and

www.ista.co.uk

MS PRACTICAL

high school drama classes. With an emphasis on process drama and imaginative play, students have explored issues of their choosing to first investigate then ultimately devise pieces of personal importance. I often find myself returning to the primary example that Dinos led us educators through that weekend in Brussels, exploring the concept of home through the lens of a refugee crisis.

1

Here to There and back again

We begin by finding a physical spot in the space that can represent a place of comfort. It could be in a corner, under a table, next to a particular person- anywhere we feel comfortable, which we call ‘here.’ We explore the space we have chosen as our place of comfort, feel ourselves here and begin imagining its context, then choose a second spot to move towards. The second spot is a place of discomfort, which we call ‘there.’ It is a place we do not want to have to spend much time but have to go to. Once certain of that second place, that ‘there’ we return to the first. With a series of instructions from the teacher, we move from ‘here’ to ‘there’ and back again, exploring the various reasons and ways we might move from one place to another.

Do we move with fear? Urgency? Direct or indirectly? We use our imagination to explore scenarios and refine our experience. Perhaps music is utilised to set a mood, or individuals are given a specific instruction on their movement.

How does it feel to have to leave a place of comfort for one of discomfort? www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

75

MS PRACTICAL

2

Grab and Go Bag

After a reflection on the first activity we take time to individually create a Grab and Go Bag. Drawing from our own lives, we brainstorm the items we would put in a backpack size bag to carry if we had to suddenly flee our home. What are the important items that we would need to ensure our safety if we had to run? Documents, proof of identity, photographs, medicine, comfort or safety items? We take time to brainstorm the essential list, perhaps draw items on a sheet of paper or simply write them down.

Once done, we get into pairs and share the contents of our bag - perhaps eliminating one item from one another’s list that is not adequately defended in its necessity.

Once we have reflected together on the experience of creating such a list, our pairs are separated into partner A and partner B; A’s are told to stay in the room while B’s are removed to another space outside the room. The A’s remaining in the space are instructed by the teacher that they are to engage in a role play.

They are the children - perhaps five or six years of age - and are to find a comfortable spot to

76

SCENE

sleep. Their parent is going to come and get them soon and ask them to go with them somewhere. The children just want to sleep and do not want to go where they are being asked without proper motivation.

The B’s who were removed to a separate room are instructed as follows: They are the parent who is going to go wake their child. The city is on the verge of invasion and a bus waits to evacuate all the children to a safe zone; there is not enough room for the adults on this first transport. The parent must convince their child to go with them to the bus and to keep hold of the grab and go bag for the family. They cannot scare their child or the child will not go. They must be motivated to do this, and quickly.

We engage in the roleplay with the given circumstances simultaneously. This is not a performance and all partners are engaging simultaneously. We play our roles, adapting as we go to try to achieve the objective given.

Once it reaches a natural conclusion, our ensemble reflects on the experience in writing and discussion. How do I feel?

www.ista.co.uk

3

MS PRACTICAL

Mantle of The Expert

A final imaginative exercise comes as a small group activity, perhaps in threes or fours. We are invited to imagine that we are a famous architecture firm, one that specialises in making buildings for crisis areas. We are one of (however many groups there are in the ensemble) groups who have been invited to tender or pitch a building design. In our small group, we must collaborate in coming up with a name, logo and the description of the landmark building that made our NGO famous.

After sharing with the ensemble the details of our NGO and our most celebrated architectural achievement, we view a short film clip about children documenting their lives in the Za’atari refugee camp taking notes on our observations.

We then have 20 minutes to create a sketch/model/detailed description of the building plans we would like to submit for consideration. This structure must provide housing and fulfil the needs of 15 refugee children in the Za’atari Refugee Camp. In so doing, we are asked to take on the Mantle of the Expert, immersing ourselves in this imaginary context for purposeful exploration.

We must draw from our own lives and experiences, imagine the work of an architect and empathise with the children we observed in order to create and pitch a plan.

larger ensemble conversation. Reflection is a living process and we come back to our thinking and writing again and again, sometimes returning to the reflection in our learning journals two or three classes later as a way of building our metacognitive practice.

Imagination, imaginative play is the foundation of learning through theatre. It offers us the opportunity to explore the nature of self, others and our world in a collaboratively created safe space. It allows us to wrestle with issues, interrupt injustice, empathise with others across boundaries and practice having the courage to act in the face of adversity. In his A manifesto, Dinos addresses the power of imagination, ‘To imagine what can never be / To imagine what could be and isn’t / So that alone and together we can / Create / Mould / Change / Shape new worlds / And fix the old ones / Let’s fix these old ones / Together.’ For truly, the future is created by those with the heart to imagine it.

◾

At the end of this series of activities, or any like it, reflection is the necessary tool to process our learning. There are many ways to approach reflection; however, I like to begin with the four questions Dinos posed as a starting point: How do I feel? What do I think? What did I do?

Where did this take me? Beginning individually and then sharing in small groups, we build to a www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

77

DRAMA IS POWER

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

Gives us the power The confidence The ability To have a voice To know ourselves To know others To see the world clearly Through different windows

78

SCENE

Through different doors Through the eyes of others It gives us the power To know what to say And how to say it So that we are heard Here In this space In this room Together Drama gives us not only a voice But also an ear The ability to hear And to speak out Not only with breath But also with muscle and heart To speak, to listen, to see, to understand With all of our being

www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Nairobi, Kenya

HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT HEAR IT OUT

BY ROBIN WILLIS

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

79

CASE STUDY

‘...the adults in the project stepped out of the way of the students allowing them to speak their truth’

A look back on ISTA’s Digital global production. Here Robin Willis takes us through the stages of the project and its lasting impact.

After months of sitting behind a screen, attempting to be dynamic and engaging for a bunch of blank Zoom boxes and wishing for something that would shake us all out of our lockdown gloom, I get an email: ISTA is launching their first Digital Global Production, Hear It Out, which is an opportunity for theatre students to collaborate globally and share their stories of 2020. In other words, ISTA has imagined a new way of collaboration and connection in these unprecedented times and has invited the community to participate. We accepted the invitation.

80

SCENE

THE PROJECT The Hear It Out project was a Verbatim Theatre project based on Dinos Aristidou’s Hear Us Out technique, with the goal of capturing young people’s lived experiences during the year 2020.

Ten schools across nine countries and four continents participated in the project, including 60 student performers, ten musicians and ten filmmakers. Each performer audio recorded a two-minute true personal story of an experience in 2020, inspired by a provided prompt. Each audio story was then shared with ISTA and sent to a student in another part of the world who performed the story using the Hear Us Out technique – in which the performer puts on headphones and www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

‘Through capturing the voices and experiences of young people from around the world the films are an important piece of oral history’ listens to the original storyteller while themselves speaking the story as accurately and authentically as possible.

The student musicians, with Matt Baker, collaborated to generate original themes that would accompany the storytelling while the student filmmakers worked with Mike Bindon to develop skills to beautifully capture the performances on film. The filmed performances were stitched together by Dinos Aristidou, the project’s artistic director, using movement and choreography guided by Helen Abbott who also coordinated the entire project. The project resulted in two films, 2020 Vision and Diary of an Extraordinary Year, in which the performed stories sit in conversation with each other. www.ista.co.uk

IMPACT OF THE PROCESS On a community level, 2020 Vision and Diary of an Extraordinary Year, pushed boundaries of what live theatre in a digital medium can be and how it can connect performers and audiences over time and space. Through capturing the voices and experiences of young people from around the world the films are an important piece of oral history – especially when most documentation of 2020 is from the perspective of adults, even if it is about young people.

The films went on to be nominated for Music and Drama Education Awards and are finalists in the category of Outstanding Drama Initiative. While these accomplishments are incredible, SCENE

81

CASE STUDY

ISTA has imagined a new way of collaboration and connection in these unprecedented times and has invited the community to participate’ 82

SCENE

perhaps more meaningful is the impact that the project had on the participants themselves.

YOUR VOICE AND STORY ARE IMPORTANT While the project focused on the lived experiences of 2020, this was not a ‘COVID play’ nor was it designed to be traumatic. What Dinos Aristidou did with such care was to provide space for the student performers to choose the story that they wished to tell while articulating clearly that every story is a gift that is worth sharing. Because of his thoughtful framing, not only did students’ agency in the project increase but the participants shared more truthful and beautiful stories. In this way, the adults in the project stepped out of the way of the students allowing them to speak their truth – with all the joy, pain, humor and love that this entailed. This, then, was a process of students amplifying their voices and realising that their voices and stories matter. It was a process of deep personal www.ista.co.uk

CASE STUDY

reflection, vulnerability (which is, in itself, a superpower) and then empowerment that has carried on long beyond the project’s completion.

DEEP LISTENING BUILDS EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING What was remarkable about this project is that it asked participants to slow down and really deeply listen to others as opposed to remaining wrapped up in their own worlds. By receiving a story from another young person across the world and unknown, students had to listen, to empathise, to understand, to accept, to imagine and ultimately to speak another person’s words as truth, not as performance.

The impact of this was that the story and the person behind the story became in a way, sacred. My students handled the stories they received with such care, such delicacy. They truly wanted to honour and respect their storyteller. In short, my students built empathy for others through the process of listening.

DRAMA IS POWER AND EMPOWERING In watching the films 2020 Vision and Diary of an Extraordinary Year and in seeing the care that another person took with their story, my students felt honoured, seen, heard, respected, valued, loved and connected. Their lived experience was validated. They learned www.ista.co.uk

that they are not alone. Through the project my students learned that their voice, their perspective, their lived experience matters and they gained the confidence to bravely and vulnerably share their truth.

Yet, they also learned to listen deeply, with compassion to the stories and experiences of others.

Through practising speaking and listening in this project my students have gone on to share more truthfully, lead more boldly, listen more deeply and connect more vulnerably in their lives since the project.Hear It Out reignited the creative spark for the student participants as well as the adults. In connecting to create something meaningful we found ourselves and each other. And perhaps this is Dinos’s legacy? Dinos taught us that the simple act of sharing a personal story and of listening to another person’s story – which actually, is not so simple – can change the personal, build connections and therefore change the world.

◾

SCENE

83

Advertisement

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

HEAR US OUT B Y

L E S L E Y

W O O D

Chief Executive, New Writing South

Photo Credit: New Writing South website https://www.newwritingsouth.com/tag/hear-us-out/

U N I T E D www.ista.co.uk

K I N G D O M SCENE

85

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

‘Dinos has created something really special here. The [Hear Us Out] project makes me happy - it’s a positive, creative, fun group who are interesting and inspiring to be with. It’s unusual and a change for me to look forward to a group and leave the group feeling better than when I came in. He has made me feel part of the community - not outside it.’

Helen B

86

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Dinos Aristidou was a lover of stories and a passionate believer in the power of words.

He was a brilliant playwright whose writing was widely performed in venues across England. He worked, among others, with the International Baccalaureate and Birmingham Royal Ballet as a tutor, director and mentor and served on several voluntary Boards.

His work with the International Theatre Schools Association that empowered and endeared him to thousands of young people across the globe is well documented. Perhaps not quite so well known, was his quiet work giving voice to marginalised and underrepresented communities through the power of their own stories. Dinos had a unique gift and will be fondly and gratefully remembered by the many people whose lives were changed through their work with him.

Using Verbatim theatre, which he believed unlocked something so precious and powerful in participants that it empowered all who took part, Dinos gave us insights into the lives, struggles and dreams of people who have been silenced, ignored and shut out.

Thanks to Dinos I have gained a real sense of belonging to this sweet community of older people, their wisdom, humour, creativity. And it’s important to me, being trans, to find I belong here in a world which is so often hostile.

Persia W

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

87

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

He worked collaboratively with, for example, blind and visually impaired young people in Cardiff using their stories to find their place in the world; prisoners’ families in Sussex, sharing their stories to explain the impact of their loved ones’ incarceration; young asylum seekers and refugees telling their migration stories; bereaved LGBTQ+ people in Brighton finding solace and community in sharing their grief; and throughout lockdown, for New Writing South, with older people celebrating queer lives in the brilliant Hear Us Out project.

This project in particular had a personal significance for Dinos. He loved collaborating

88

SCENE

with such a committed group of people from his own LGBTQ+ community and believed passionately in the power of stories to combat homophobia, transphobia and queer erasure.

Dinos was a trusted, passionate, inspiring writer and teacher and a joyful collaborator.

He empowered the people he worked with to be better than they ever imagined they could be. He will burn bright in the memory of those he worked with and his legacy will endure through the many hundreds of young playwrights he nurtured and encouraged. Noone would be happier than Dinos himself to know that.

◾

www.ista.co.uk

DRAMA MATTERS

A MANIFESTO

Excerpt from 'A Manifesto' by Dinos Aristidou

Drama they say Is all about process Yes, it’s a process A process Of making And creating And seeing And being

www.ista.co.uk

But It’s also a way to process A way to make sense To make meaning To make sense Of the world Together And to share this sense With each other Here in this room And to think about What we do And what we will do And what we need to do And how we’ll be And how we need to be Out there Outside of this room Who we will be And it teaches us How to take action Out there Beyond this room This space Out there in the world How to act With thought Understanding Compassion Responsibility How to act

SCENE

89

Interview

DR. DEBRA KIDD

Helen: Can you tell us why Dinos was chosen and invited to speak at the World Education Summit?

Belgium Educator Dr Debra Kidd met with Scene editor Helen Abbott to discuss her work and the connections with and influence of Dinos Aristidou on her approach and life. Debra was one of the hosts for the World Education Summit 2023 and invited Dinos to speak about Human Potential: Sharing our stories, changing the world. Here we discuss his session, why the topic is so important and some of the myriad learnings from Dinos she

Debbie: I've worked with the World Education Summit since it started and during the pandemic, for the first time, it moved online to be a global virtual summit. I was invited to be an ambassador and to help the organisers curate speakers for the summit at this time.

Then, this year, I was asked if I would host a whole day of speakers around the theme of human potential so of course my mind went to who would be good to talk on this subject. In education it tends to be the same names who keep coming up, the same people who get invited but I really wanted to bring to the fore the voices of people who over the last 20/30 years have helped shape my practice and help to develop the way I think. People who I have seen working in such beautiful and profound ways with young people and that should have this platform. Dinos was obviously top of that list. I wanted to bring Dinos into the picture because I'm not sure if he was as known outside of the ISTA world as he absolutely should have been. I wanted to make sure that he got that chance.

World Education Summit website

holds dear.

90

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

INTERVIEW

Helen: Why do you think this topic specifically, ‘Sharing our stories changing the world’, was of interest? What drew people in to log on and watch?

Debbie: I think it was twofold. Personally, that's been the driving force of my practice. I feel that narrative and storytelling should be the beating heart of education and I think it's the way that doors open up in children's minds and hearts to understand the world and express themselves and take their place in the world. Of all the people I've ever met, Dinos has been at the forefront of that work and that practice alongside people like Dorothy Heathcote, those huge names in education, who genuinely understood that story is a vehicle for learning and a vehicle of being human and becoming human. So that was an important thing for me.

www.ista.co.uk

Helen: During the post speech talk between you and Dinos, you use the words ‘safety blanket’ when talking about the ISTA ensemble method and specifically about the way it was used in Amala for example. I wonder if you can elaborate on why it's important to put care and safety measures in place within the work that you do with young people.

Debbie: If you're going to put young people in a situation where they are being asked to share their own stories or to take onboard other people's stories and find a way of expressing them, you're asking them to take a big personal risk. When you're working with that risk is profound. They feel peer pressure very deeply.

They feel embarrassment and humiliation very deeply. The work of neuroscientists like Sarah Jane Blakemore points out the fact that the

SCENE

91

INTERVIEW

adolescent feels shame so deeply, even just in anticipation, that it can be the most inhibiting factor on whether or not they decide to participate. So you have to wrap them in this safety blanket to make them feel safe enough to take those risks. So there's a personal element there. But I think there's also an ethical element, because when you tell the story of another human being or you ask another human being to trust you enough to tell their story, you have a moral duty and a moral responsibility to treat that with care. I think what Dinos did really profoundly, along with others who've worked with ISTA for many years, is to think about what that looks like, how you break that down, how ISTA artists have to have this understanding that the first standpoint we take is trust and safety and care.

‘...you have to wrap [young people] in this safety blanket to make them feel safe enough to take those risks.’

92

SCENE

Helen: You've worked with Dinos a lot over many years and in lots of different capacities.

How has Dinos inspired you and other educators to build in good rigorous pedagogical practice into your teaching spaces and techniques?

Debbie: The first first time I met Dinos was before I'd even heard of ISTA - He worked with young people at our school focusing on developing theatre practice through our community arts work. So the first word I associated with him was beauty because his work was just spectacularly beautiful, beautiful as a writer, beautiful as a director. Then it was when I became part of ISTA and I began developing my own practice within ISTA, that I really started to see how profoundly and carefully he unpicked the process. He was incredibly intellectually astute, he was really well read. He had this brilliant capacity to break things down simply and to start understanding the ‘why?’ of why we might say this word. The why of why we might stand in this place, the why of why we might use this gesture or this facial expression to communicate something to young people. When I worked with him on developing this pedagogy for the different phases – primary, middle and high school – we had two glorious days just sitting here pulling strands of thinking out of each other's heads and piecing this together with this understanding of the different developmental phases and the different kinds of pressures that young people find themselves with at different points in their lives. It was such a privilege to have that time just sitting with him where we were literally spewing out ideas and thoughts and bits of research and then trying to come up

www.ista.co.uk

INTERVIEW

‘He taught me a lot about just trusting in the process.’ with a format. It was a wonderful privilege, seeing how beautifully he crafted theatre but also how carefully he worked with thought.

And with ethics. He was such a deeply ethical person.

Helen: You've already touched upon this but what are some of the key techniques or messages that remain with you?

Debbie: It goes back to that sense of ethical care. He was very playful and he was hugely energetic. You watch him interact with young people and it was beautiful. Every decision he made and everything he did was quite deliberate. I know that doesn't sound very www.ista.co.uk

creative but it is. He was able to put deliberate, informed, intelligent practice into a playful space. He had trust in the process.

He taught me a lot about just trusting in the process – I tended to over plan and over prepare and he would say ‘trust in the process’.

I think that's what he did for me, he showed me how to break it down and he showed me how to build those building blocks of an ensemble that he's written about. In lots of things he's written about belief, the belief in that process and the critical importance of pulling everyone together into this bubble of trust. I think that was something that was essential to his work. And that's lovely, the idea of a bubble of trust. Beautiful.

SCENE

93

INTERVIEW

Helen: And finally, please can you tell me a bit about your work and how it connects to what Dinos was speaking about at the World Education Summit?

Debbie: Dinos and I both came from a similar strand of thinking. He did his PGCE with David Davis in Birmingham who was a close friend and associate of Dorothy Heathcote and so I think his understanding of process based drama and my understanding of process based drama have been rooted in that group of people who emerged out of Dorothy Heathcote’s practice. I think what Dinos did was he took that practice, which might manifest itself in the classroom through Mantle of the Expert or through exploring a story through drama or exploring science through drama or whatever it is, he took it into the theatrical world. Process based drama tends to sit aside from the practice of theatre and I think what Dinos did was to merge those things and I was really interested in that. I was always really interested in the crossover between those two areas of thought. His rehearsal process and hopefully my rehearsal process, which has largely been inspired by him, brought those two things together. So it was always about the learning as much as the outcome at the end.

Click the link below to watch the video of Dr. Debra Kidd and Dinos Aristidou's discussion at the World Education Summit.

CLICK TO WATCH

◾

'I feel that narrative and storytelling should be the beating heart of education and I think it's the way that doors open up in children's minds and hearts to understand the world and express themselves and take their place in the world.’

94

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

Advertisement

United Kingdom

SPOTLIGHT

JULIA ROBERTS In this article artist, theatre director and CEO of Culture Shift, Julia Roberts, looks back at a recent project which saw her direct a new play, written by Dinos Aristidou, based on verbatim stories of prisoner families. Julia breaks down the process examining the importance of the human element and the role of story-gatherer.

96

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

REFLECTING ON A PROCESS Late 2020, Dinos Artistidou and I started planning a new project together. We were coming out of the weirdness of lockdown and feeling a renewed enthusiasm for working in person (we had worked together through COVID in a mix of online and occasional in person workshops) and it felt good to be embarking on something new, with ambition and purpose.In partnership with a small charity called Sussex Prisoners Families (SPF) and with funding from Arts Council England (ACE), we planned to create a Verbatim play. Dinos would write and I would direct and we would work with a company of professional actors we had

both worked with before, Uninterrupted Theatre Collective, based in our home town of Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom.

As I look back now, through a veil of time and grief for the loss of my dear friend, the following is my attempt to articulate my memories of this process and the resonant learning.

IDEAS MATTER It is vital to have a starting point which interests, inspires and motivates you. The initial exciting, joyous and chaotic stage of the creative process is the time to explore ideas and test the boundaries of what is and isn’t possible. In this instance, this stage

‘Our idea was simply to reveal the trauma and stigma experienced by innocent family members.’ www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

97

SPOTLIGHT was characterised by lots of coffee and conversation!

Dinos and I shared a belief that theatre provides a powerful platform for important ideas, to inform and shape opinions and we were driven by wanting to share what we had learned from hearing the stories of the staff and family members at SPF, stories which we believed were largely unheard.

Our idea was simply to reveal the trauma and stigma experienced by innocent family members.

LISTENING MATTERS Over recent years, Dinos had developed a particular interest and specialist expertise in Verbatim Theatre and it was clear to us that this was the most appropriate form for this project.

Stories were precious gold to Dinos. He grew up on a diet of stories which he overheard whilst watching his mother at work in the hair salon she had in their home in North London, frequented by an army of ‘aunties’ from the local Greek community. He loved them, he loved their stories and they inspired a lifelong appetite for new stories and new ways of storytelling. This project was the latest opportunity for Dinos

98

SCENE

'It is vital to have a starting point which interests, inspires and motivates you.’ www.ista.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

to sate his appetite for storytelling and develop his practice as a playwright. He relished the process of gathering the stories. He was like the proverbial child in a sweet shop.

I worked alongside Dinos, inviting women to share their stories with us and he provided clear and strict guidelines ensuring that all parties were prepared, confident and secure. We conducted interviews via Zoom and our conversations were framed by a series of questions which the women were given in advance. Dinos outlined an ethical code which our process was governed by which is vital in relation to Verbatim Theatre.

Our job as ‘story gatherers’ is simply to listen well, carefully, respectfully, trusting in the process and allowing the gems of ‘real’ words to emerge naturally.

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER Theatre is a collaborative art form demanding strong communication skills, emotional intelligence and high levels of empathy, combined with of course - imagination and creative skills. Dinos balanced all of these with apparent ease and consistent humour, demonstrating that it is possible to be serious about your work without being serious all the time. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

99

SPOTLIGHT Our friendship and all the relationships with partners and contributors nurtured through this process were strengthened as a result of our shared experiences.

Through collaboration, we simply understand ourselves and each other better.

WORDS MATTER

One of our main aspirations was for Invisible Sentence to raise awareness of the circumstances surrounding an individual in prison. This was explicit in the final scene of the play where the characters directly address the audience about the need to talk about the issues, which serves as a call to action:

With utmost respect and care, Dinos transcribed our recorded interviews with six women and these formed a collection of stories. He then read and re-read these stories undertaking the painstaking process of collating themed fragments of text and eventually the stories began to merge as three characters - a young girlfriend, a mother of a son and mother of a daughter.

These characters were given fictional names and all other recognisable references from the original verbatim accounts were anonymised.

MEG You see, when you sit there in silence…

The final script for Invisible Sentence contained less than 20 words which were not verbatim material. It was a brilliant and compelling script which Dinos himself believed to be his finest play to date. One of the female contributors shared with us some poems that she had written for her partner when he was serving his prison sentence. We loved the poems but as they were not verbatim they could not sit within the body of the play. We commissioned a musician to use the poems and the music he produced greatly enhanced the play.

SUZIE … like with people…

We have a responsibility to cherish unexpected ‘gifts’ of material and use them creatively.

100

AUDIENCE MATTERS

SCENE

SUZIE … when you sit there in silence, you’re invisible.

WILLOW And it feels like you're the only one living this.

MEG But if you, if you’re talking about it…

WILLOW I suppose it sort of helps heal.

We decided to initiate this ongoing conversation through an after show Q&A, inviting feedback and questions from the audience. We worried that most audience members may not be keen to stay but we were proved wrong in this and, at the premiere and subsequent three public performances, the Q&A was attended by almost the entire capacity audience and vibrant conversation ensued.

www.ista.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

‘Our job as ‘story gatherers’ is simply to listen well, carefully, respectfully, trusting in the process and allowing the gems of ‘real’ words to emerge naturally.’

Dinos was a strong advocate for reflective practice and this was a gratifying and reassuring reminder that reflection is an important element in theatre, for audiences as well as practitioners.

The audience feedback we received was extraordinary. People consistently said that they had never heard or thought about the stories of prisoner families and numbers of potential SPF volunteers were boosted as a result.

Invisible Sentence illustrated to me the inherent value of after show discussion and other feedback forums, such as audience surveys.

ACE encouraged us to create a further two plays to complete a trilogy; adding the perspectives of male family members and children to the female perspective of Invisible Sentence. There were plans for a tour including a potential trip to New York.

An Oscar nominated film director saw the play and offered to fully fund and produce a film of it. The resulting condensed film version of the play (20 minutes long) was seen at an online conference of the Scottish Prison Service, thereby reaching new audiences. You can view this version of the play at the link below.

CLICK TO VIEW We need to create active engagement with our audiences, not simply seek passive observers..

DRAMA MATTERS When a creative process is complete we often experience a sense of sadness and loss and this was definitely true for all of us who worked with Dinos to create Invisible Sentence. It felt like we had created something of value and purpose.

www.ista.co.uk

We were reminded of how powerful theatre can be, conveying a message and provoking both thought and action. Together we had created a script, a film and myriad potential new projects waiting to be started.

And then, sadly, we lost Dinos - who had been the expert driving force in writing Invisible Sentence.

The ambition to create a trilogy hangs over us like a piece of overdue homework and I am not yet sure if it will be possible to complete the task without Dinos at the heart of the creative team. And yet, I remain convinced that this project provides a clear illustration of why Drama matters on so many levels; a legacy of ideas, relationships, shared experiences and learning.

This is what Invisible Sentence represents to me.

◾

SCENE

101

A MANIFESTO DRAMA IS LIVE It brings the world close Here into the room Into the here and now The world Here In the now Not hidden behind a screen Or projected onto a wall No The world is here In this place Here in this space Whether it’s the elephant In the room Or the wind outside A broken chair Or a broken heart A half filled glass Or a full embrace A dancing shadow Or a beam of light It’s here Present In this place In this space Now Come and look!

Here Present Be present

DRAMA TRANSPORTS It brings The faraway The world Into here Into the now Here In front of us Into this space Into this moment The world is here

102

SCENE

by Dinos Aristidou

Drama brings the there to here The faraway near But it also moves us Takes us Transports us From here to there So that we can See Feel Think about There Rather than Here

DRAMA IS WONDER Wondering It asks questions Of us Here In this room In this space It demands Scrutiny Investigation Exploration Explanation Understanding It asks Why? When?

How? Who? Where?

With whom?

Why? Why? Drama is curled snugly Around a question mark Recognising that questions don’t always Have straightforward answers That the world

Is a complicated ball of string That undoing a single knot, finding a thread, following a direction Is a start Is a beginning Drama helps us Make sense It’s the art Of making sense

DRAMA IS HUMAN Whatever we do Examine Think about Wherever drama takes us It always brings us back to this; What is it to be human?

What makes us human?

How to be human Why we do what we do How we connect and disconnect How we feel and think and laugh and cry Why this happens And this doesn’t It’s about me, you, them, us

DRAMA IS TOGETHER It teaches us to live together To work together To be together To be kind to each other Oh we need to be kind We need to learn kindness Teach it Understand why We need kindness Why we need to care

www.ista.co.uk

A MANIFESTO Because that’s the only hope we have It teaches us hope It teaches us how to hope It teaches us how to make The world we hope for Happen

DRAMA IS IMAGINATION Imagination builds It builds worlds Constructs realities It gives us the toolsNot hammers and nails Or bricks and mortar Not pen and paper Or needle and thread No, it gives us Possibility Aspiration The ability To create To build To shape To see it in our mind And make it happen It teaches us action It gives us the ability Here In this space In this room Together To imagine what can never be To imagine what could be and isn’t So that alone and together we can Create Mould Change Shape new worlds And fix the old ones Let’s fix these old ones Together www.ista.co.uk

by Dinos Aristidou

DRAMA IS POWER Gives us the power The confidence The ability To have a voice To know ourselves To know others To see the world clearly Through different windows Through different doors Through the eyes of others It gives us the power To know what to say And how to say it So that we are heard Here In this space In this room Together Drama gives us not only a voice But also an ear The ability to hear And to speak out Not only with breath But also with muscle and heart To speak, to listen, to see, to understand With all of our being

DRAMA MATTERS Drama they say Is all about process Yes, it’s a process A process Of making And creating And seeing And being

But It’s also a way to process A way to make sense To make meaning To make sense Of the world Together And to share this sense With each other Here in this room And to think about What we do And what we will do And what we need to do And how we’ll be And how we need to be Out there Outside of this room Who we will be And it teaches us How to take action Out there Beyond this room This space Out there in the world How to act With thought Understanding Compassion Responsibility How to act

◾

SCENE

103

Advertisement

FAQs

FAQs How is the Virtual TaPS experience different from face-to-face TaPS events?

VIRTUAL TAPS INSPIRATIONS The Virtual TaPS Inspirations experience engages young people with the philosophy of the DP Theatre course, its core components and the assessment tasks. It acts as a launchpad for students’ explorations of theatre within the context of the course. The Virtual TaPS experience is designed for a single group or cohort of students from a single school to explore the programme with a dedicated IB DP Theatre specialist and world theatre traditions/theoretical specialist for their additional workshop.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS About Virtual TaPS Inspirations One of ISTA’s long-standing programmes for IB DP Theatre students adapted to a virtual setting. The course is delivered through online live artist-led interactive sessions and teacher led sessions with accompanying resources provided. It also includes a 90 minute specialist workshop. www.ista.co.uk

FACE TO FACE TAPS PERSPECTIVES TaPS Perspectives events in Hong Kong, London, New York and Singapore follow a different format. This programme gives IB DP Theatre students the unique opportunity to work intensively with a series of 4 current and practising theatre professionals who each specialise in: Collaboratively creating original theatre Staging play texts Exploring world theatre traditions Performing theatre theory And also an IB DP Theatre specialist Students work with other IB DP Theatre students from different schools. ISTA TaPS Perspectives provides students with an understanding of how the syllabus areas of the IB DP Theatre course are applied to real-life, current theatre practice. It provides a launchpad for students’ explorations of theatre to further pursue once back in their own schools.

SCENE

105

FAQs

What does a typical Virtual TaPS look like?

Virtual TaPS consists of a combination of: a) ‘live’ interactive workshops run virtually by an experienced IB DP Theatre practitioner with students to complement the course. The time period is set by the teacher and in consultation with ISTA. b) a collection of slides, sent to teachers in advance with activities for them to run with their students between the virtual sessions. Each collection of slides contains video, audio material and resources as well as 90 minutes of activities pertaining to the IB DP Theatre syllabus areas.

It is an exciting opportunity to supplement your teaching, provide teachers with new resources and inspire their IB DP Theatre students with different approaches, ideas and strategies.

How long does it take?

Many teachers enjoy booking virtual TaPS Inspirations due to the flexible scheduling that it offers. Virtual TaPS can span over a few days, weeks or even months depending on how the teacher would like to set it up.

106

SCENE

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

www.ista.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the world's great companies, a true powerhouse in classic ballet and contemporary dance. We’re proudly rooted in Birmingham, our home since 1990, and we cherish our connections with the diverse people of our city. At the same time, we tour around the UK and internationally, bringing world-class ballet and live music to the widest range of audiences in our nation and beyond. https://www.brb.org.uk/

AMY LUSKEY-BARTH Amy holds a Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Trinity College of Graduate Studies and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from USC. An award-winning theatre director, producer, teacher and coach whose career spans thirty-five years in educational theatre, Amy founded Tri-School Theatre Conservatory for Servite, Connelly and Rosary High Schools and served as Executive Artistic Director. She recently retired from her position as Artistic Director for Talon Theatre at Santa Margarita Catholic High School . She was the recipient of the University of Notre Dame Great Teacher Award and was named one of the Top 25 Teachers in Orange County by OC Parenting Magazine. She is Executive Director of Theatre on Purpose, a non-profit organisation that supports theatre educators and administers Project Speak UP! a nation-wide suicide prevention program. Amy resides in Long Beach, California. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

107

CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE BINDON Mike trained in arts education at Bretton Hall College (United Kingdom) and taught Theatre and Film in secondary schools for many years. He has worked as an Arts Curriculum Manager for the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 2012 and oversaw the development of the Diploma Programme (DP) Theatre and Film courses.

Mike is director of Red Curtain Studio, a video and creative media production studio based in The Hague, Netherlands. Mike is currently completing a doctorate at the University of Bath, focussing on the barriers to the uptake of DP Arts subjects in the IB.

ANGELA DAVID I have been learning through play all of my life. The play making that started in my parent’s backyard in Saskatchewan, Canada became a lifelong passion for telling stories. I have since made this my career, having created theatre and taught on five continents. It’s a great way to find truth. That truth is what inspires me about theatre.

Primarily I work through physical theatre, aided by Meisner methods but technology and postdramatic theatre intrigue me as well. I have worked as a teacher leader and administrator at the Teacher Capacity Building Workshops in Moshi, Tanzania. These workshops were a sharing of best practice and teaching pedagogy. I have been an instructional leader since 2002, working with teachers to develop their curricula and teaching practice. I have worked with IBDP Theatre examination since 2009 and have been a Team Leader for the Collaborative Project Portfolio since 2019.

108

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

ERIN HOUSAM-UMICEVIC I am a traveller, theatre-maker, teacher, learner, story collector, storyteller and animal advocate, although not always in that order.

After being fortunate enough to teach IB Theatre in Zimbabwe and Morocco, I am back in the US, teaching and enjoying the collaborative artistic journey as ISTA evolves to the changing times.

Artistically, I am particularly enamoured with staging Shakespeare with students, Commedia dell’Arte, Verbatim, Deaf Theatre and engaging students with movement and body work on stage.

DR DEBRA KIDD For 21 years I've taught drama to 4 year olds up to university age.

Now I work with teachers and students in schools around the world, exploring how drama can bring learning to life. This includes leading them through curriculum development and talking about leadership.

Over the past 30 years I have worked with schools all over the world to develop humanity rich practices that are inductive and agentive, and allow young people to feel like they are empowered to make change, drawing on research in the areas of empathy, active compassion, happiness and wellbeing. Knowing how important the arts is to human development drove me to do my doctorate in education and to write four books about education placing the arts, creativity and humanity at the heart of learning. I believe that the arts have many benefits for wellbeing and for learning, but most of all, I believe that the arts have the power to change the world and so most of my work centres around empowerment. A pedagogy of power. www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

109

CONTRIBUTORS

JENNIFER LAGASSE Jennifer Lagasse is the Director of Education Programs at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, where she oversees the planning and administration of school, teacher, youth, and family programs. She holds an MFA in Acting from the New School for Drama and is deeply interested in exploring how storytelling can be used to help students and educators confront difficult histories.

Previously, she spent five years working as a Museum Educator at the New-York Historical Society. She currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband and 2 cats.

JANE LATHAM Jane Latham is Development Director and co-founder, along with her husband Bernard Latham, of UCAN Productions. She has been an Arts and Media development Manager since 1995. Clients have included BAFTA Cymru, The Welsh International Film Festival, BBC Wales, Channel 4, The Sherman Theatre and The Gate Arts Centre.

Jane was awarded a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship in February 2012. This Fellowship enabled Jane to travel to the USA and research organisations that support blind and partially sighted young people and to build links between UCAN members and young people in America. In the 2019 New Years Honours list, Jane was awarded a British Empire Medal for her work with blind and partially sighted children and young people in Wales.

110

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE LUDWICK Mike Ludwick is an American educator, entertainer, and entrepreneur with more than 15 years’ experience in China, where he worked at the American International School of Guangzhou as a drama teacher and then as the school's first Development Director.

Mike ( ) is also a singer/songwriter, actor and TV personality who has appeared on dozens of programs, including the Beijing TV “International Spring Gala,” and CCTV's “New Year Gala Talent Show.”

乐小虎

Mike has combined his passions and talents as the founder and President of the Near West Group, dedicated to Bridging China and the West through Entertainment, Education, and the Arts.

MIKE PASTERNAK Mike Pasternak was Chairperson of the PA dept. Ecolint, La Châtaigneraie campus, Switzerland from 1973-2010. He has taught in the UK and Canadian state system and Research Fellowship in Teacher Education at the CGE, University of York, UK specialising in the development of the Arts in Interactive teaching and learning approaches across a range of disciplines He has been actively involved with ISTA since 1978 [Board of Trustees 1983, Executive Secretary 1985, President 1998 and HLM present]. Mike has worked with ISTA as an Ensemble leader at both HS and MS Festivals throughout the world; as a workshop leader on ‘The Stratford Experience’ and IB TAPS; and, as co-Director for the ISTA Travelling Troupe. Mike has been involved in a series of ISTA developments including IB TAPS, Performance Appreciation and Teacher Enrichment programmes in the Arts

www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

111

CONTRIBUTORS

JULIA ROBERTS I strongly believe that creativity has an immensely powerful impact in our lives and this is true for me on a personal and professional level as actor, singer, director and television producer within organisations such as Glyndebourne Opera and Chichester Festival Theatre and training Performing Arts teachers for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

Recent work includes founding Uninterrupted Theatre Collective, directing a new play based on verbatim stories of prisoner families.

As Director of Culture Shift, I work with diverse artists and community participants, including disabled musicians, Delta 7, reaching international audiences through a BAFTA shortlisted documentary in 2021.

TODD SESSOMS Todd Sessoms is a teacher, actor and director who has been enthusiastically bringing students to ISTA events across the world for 12 years. Originally from the United States, Todd has taught drama at schools in Seattle, Washington; Shanghai, China; Amman, Jordan, and has spent the last six years as a Drama Teacher and Director at the American School in London. When not teaching or working with young artists on a production, Todd can often be found cooking and exploring nature with his partner and daughters.

112

SCENE

www.ista.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

ROBIN WILLIS Robin Willis is a theatre artist and educator who believes in the power of stories to make the world a better place. When not directing plays, building revolving stages or working in communities, she is probably bird watching.

Robin has worked in the United States, South Africa, South Korea and now Kenya. She is currently the Middle School Theatre Teacher at the International School of Kenya.

LESLEY WOOD Lesley Wood is the CEO of New Writing South, a small writing development agency based in Brighton, England. She has worked in the arts for over 30 years, as a sound engineer, site-specific theatre manager and, latterly as the Programme Director for The Coast is Queer LGBTQ+ Literature Festival. She believes passionately that the arts change lives, foster understanding and enhance our wellbeing.

If you are interested in writing an article for Scene please contact our Editor, Helen www.ista.co.uk

SCENE

113

Global learning through theatre www.ista.co.uk