past projects: education

Dundee Rep Theatre

Between April 2012 and July 2019, I worked on staff at Dundee Rep Theatre within the Engage department:

EDUCATION AND PATHWAYS ASSOCIATE

In 2017, we rebranded the Creative Learning department as Rep Engage, and I was promoted to the new post of Education and Pathways Associate, a post I held from September 2017 - July 2019. As the strategic lead for all elements of this strand, I was responsible for managing budgets, fundraising, recruitment and line management of freelance staff. Key projects included:

• ASPIRE - As detailed in current projects, this artist in residence programme launched in August 2018, in partnership with Dundee City Council. I designed and produced all elements of the programme as well as line managing the freelance team. We delivered previous versions of ASPIRE between 2013-16.

• GIFT - A festival of devised performance by P4-7 classes, incorporating a comprehensive CLPL programme for teachers, regular visits to in-school rehearsals, and a fully supported production week at Dundee Rep.

• EXPLORE - Bespoke topic-based Primary drama workshops which link directly to the Curriculum for Excellence’s Expressive Arts Experiences and Outcomes and also target other curricular areas such as health, wellbeing, literacy, numeracy and social studies.

• CREATIVE PATHWAYS - A varied programme of work experience, shadowing, paid traineeships and volunteering opportunities for pupils, students and graduates, including flexible placements for pupils with additional support needs. In 2018-19, we worked with 180 participants through this programme.

• ENTERPRISE @ THE REP - In 2019, we celebrated 10 years of this intensive programme which, in its latest edition, gave 80 S4-6 pupils the opportunity to spend two days working with staff across the building following an application, interview and selection process. In the 7 years that I produced this project, I doubled the number of opportunities and extended the range of departments to include photography, film, dance and composition. Watch a short film about the project on the resources page.

• OPEN HOUSE - In 2018, I launched a bespoke public engagement programme, including backstage tours, design for theatre workshops, and post-show Talkbacks with members of the Creative Team and the Ensemble.

EDUCATION, SKILLS AND TRAINING FACILITATOR

My role as Education, Skills and Training Facilitator between April 2012 - August 2017, comprised a diverse remit across the Education, Participation and Community strands, involving extensive work in schools, managing the building-wide Creative Pathways programme, delivering participatory work with youth theatres, the adult community company and family groups, running CLPL for teachers, delivering technical theatre and design for theatre workshops for secondary pupils in collaboration with the Production team, coordinating workshops, producing educational resources, and various other projects as required.

FREELANCE DRAMA PRACTITIONER

Prior to joining Dundee Rep full-time, I was employed on a freelance basis from November 2009 to February 2010, delivering performance creation workshops in a local primary school as part of Spark, a UK-wide education initiative. The aim of Dundee Rep’s Spark project was to creatively engage with P4-7 pupils and teachers in schools situated in difficult socio-economic locations, working with them to enhance and improve levels of confidence, teamwork and communication. The theme for Spark 2010 was Scottish myths and legends, and it culminated with a celebratory sharing event on the Rep’s mainstage, where all the participating schools had the chance to see each other’s work.

For further information, visit participation, directing and resources.

National health service

INTER-ACT DRAMA FACILITATOR, DIRECTOR AND TEAM COORDINATOR

Max in the Middle was a week-long experiential Health and Wellbeing project for P6-7 pupils in the Forth Valley area. The project encompassed drama, dance and cookery, and encouraged pupils to be active in making choices for health and happiness. Our residency in each school concluded with a performance for an invited audience of parents/carers and members of the local community. This project regularly involved partnership work with, for example, parental volunteers, community initiatives, Active Schools and other NHS departments. Between January 2009 - March 2012, I delivered this project with nearly 40 Primary classes across Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.

INTER-ACT DRAMA FACILITATOR

In 2007-08, I delivered various projects for NHS Forth Valley’s Inter-Act initiative, including:

• March 2008 / Alcohol and Cigarette awareness day-long workshops for thirteen P7 classes, with sessions jointly facilitated by the Inter-Act Drama Facilitators and the Class Teachers who participated in our pre-project training.

• April - May 2007 / Over four weeks, I worked with a group of ten S3 pupils who were having difficulty engaging with school. We worked outside the school campus one day a week, using drama to improve their confidence and develop their skills. The group went on to make short films and video diaries about their school experiences.

• February - March 2007 / I co-delivered a gameshow-style drama workshop tour which involved P6-7 pupils exploring topics such as health, body image and happiness. This ran as part of a pilot project for Max in the Middle (see above).

national theatre of scotland

CREATIVE LEARNING PRACTITIONER - MEN SHOULD WEEP

In my role as Creative Learning Practitioner on Men Should Weep, I was responsible for co-designing and delivering all the Learning and Outreach elements for the production, suitable for S4-6 pupils, college students and youth theatre participants. Through the workshops we aimed to give participants an insight in to the methods employed by Director Graham McLaren when approaching the text with the actors and the creative team. Specifically, we explored Stanislavski’s process of Actioning, looking at how an actor’s personal interpretation of a character can impact on the aims and objectives of each character in a scene.

Between September - November 2011, Men Should Weep toured to Glasgow, Arbroath, Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Perth.

DRAMA ARTIST AND COMMUNITY DIRECTOR - THE CRUCIBLE

Between October 2005 and April 2006, I worked as one of the first artists employed by the National Theatre of Scotland. Working within the Learn Department, I was the Drama Artist in the Lothians Team. We were commissioned to deliver a programme of workshops and events in both Secondary schools and the wider community, around the National Theatre of Scotland and TAG Theatre co-production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

As part of my role within the NTS Lothians Team, I also worked as the Community Director on the Livingston version of The Crucible. For further information, visit directing.

FOCUS WEST / GOALS

From 2004-10, I delivered the GOALS Project with both the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Glasgow Caledonian University. GOALS was a scheme which aimed to widen access to Higher Education at University or College by encouraging pupils to be ambitious about their futures, viewing Higher Education as a realistic and exciting prospect. A number of educational institutions in West Scotland ran programmes as part of this scheme between 2000-08. Out of this grew the FOCUS West Project, which built on the lessons learned from GOALS.

DRAMA WORKSHOP LEADER - ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND

The Envision Your Future interactive drama workshop was designed to challenge S1 pupils to consider their personal potential, their future education and career paths, and how best to go about achieving these ambitions. Through the in-school workshop, pupils followed the fictional life of a character called Charlie and thought about this in relation to their own lives. By actively engaging with ‘Charlie’ the pupils learned how they could tackle the challenges they might personally face as they approached a critical stage in their educational and social development, informing decision-making about their continuing education, training and employment. I was part of the team who first developed this workshop in January 2004 and delivered it until the project ended in June 2010.

DRAMA WORKSHOP LEADER - GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY

These drama workshops ran as part of P7 visits to Higher Education Campuses in East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow, during which the pupils also participated in an environmental science workshop and got a tour of the campus. For the Drama component, schools could choose between a workshop on fairtrade or one on recycling. I facilitated the P7 drama workshops from May 2006 to June 2008.

north Lanarkshire council

FREELANCE WORKSHOP LEADER

Up, Up and Away was a project which I delivered between April and June 2009, with the aim of promoting confidence and independence in children facing the transition from nursery to primary school.

Over a six-week period, I worked with several nursery groups using storytelling, drama and puppetry, to explore ideas around journeys, routines, friendships, emotions, identifying people who help us, and thinking about the positive things that are brought about by change and new experiences.

CATHERINE WHEELS THEATRE COMPANY

EDUCATION FACILITATOR

A Town Called Elsewhere is a fantastic example of the success of the work Catherine Wheels produces for schools, with a programme that included a pre-show workshop for pupils, a live performance in the school hall and a professional development session for teachers.

Exploring ideas around citizenship, belonging and culture, A Town Called Elsewhere followed a boy called Joe as he went on an adventure to a new town, where everything was not quite as he expected.

As Education Facilitator for Catherine Wheels, I led pre-show workshops with P1-3 pupils and also delivered CPD training for teachers.

The project originally toured in February and March 2007. Following great success, Catherine Wheels was awarded generous support from the Wood Family Trust to tour to a further eleven areas in Autumn 2008. This saw me working with pupils and teachers in East Lothian, Moray, Fife, the Highlands, Aberdeen, West Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Shetland.

REeling and writhing

EDUCATION OFFICER AND PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR

Between June - November 2006, I worked as Education Officer and Project Administrator on Reeling and Writhing’s tour, My Dark Sky. The production told the harrowing true story of The White Rose who were a group of young University students from Munich who protested against Hitler, the Nazi Regime and the Holocaust, through artistic and creative means. They wrote, printed and distributed leaflets across Germany, organised secret meetings to discuss the banned music and art that inspired them, and defaced Nazi buildings with graffiti slogans, taking enormous risks to be the voice for those who could not speak up for themselves. In 1943, the key members of the group were tried and executed by the government.

In the post-show Education workshop, we explored the issues raised in the play, using drama, discussion, art, poetry and creative writing to consider ideas of citizenship, individual and collective responsibility, and the parallels that we can draw with current world events. I also assisted in CPD sessions for teachers.

The production and education programme toured to Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Angus, Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, engaging with over 3500 S1-6 pupils and 200 secondary teachers.

TOUR PROGRAMMER

Between September 2005 and February 2006, I programmed Reeling and Writhing’s first Scottish tour, Good Reason, playing 19 dates across the country.