November 2020, 40 educators came together for DSA’s last Professional Learning (PL) event, the Senior Drama Teachers’ Forum. Even with the last-minute change from face to face to online, this extremely successful event saw Stage 2 drama educators work collaboratively to discuss and begin the planning process of tasks for the new Stage 2 Drama Course in 2021.
The day began with a panel discussion with three practitioners from Windmill Theatre Co, Nathan O’Keefe, Tim Overton, and Elizabeth Hay. The panel was facilitated by Georgi Paech, Associate Producer at Windmill. The discussion gave delegates a rich insight into the experiences of the practitioners when building trust in an ensemble, how to build character, and problems encountered in performing or working in the Theatre. At the end of the panel discussion there was an opportunity to ask questions. Their discussion provided delegates with a rich and invaluable understanding of collaborative theatre practices and acted as a springboard into the next part of other sessions during the day.
Delegates met in zoom break out rooms to work in small groups to discuss and start to build and write tasks for AT2 - Evaluation and Creativity. The focus of discussion centred around the structure of the task; including whether to split it into smaller tasks, the order of the tasks and then the various ways the criteria could be met while providing students with choices.
SACE officer Martin Gray was on hand to answer questions and comment on the various ways teachers were viewing AT2 and his main response was around the flexibility and versatility the new tasks now provided.
The AT3 - Creative Presentation was the focus of the third session of the day. This discussion centred around the content of the presentations as well as the demands within the task.
Finally, delegates came together in an open forum to discuss AT1 - Theatre and Company. This session was facilitated by Anna Watt, DSA Professional Learning Officer, who began the session by discussing her experience in Theatre and of running her own Theatre Company.
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the day and to Windmill Theatre Company for providing four brilliant and experienced practitioners.
