Poetry Master ClassDJ Charlie Dark Workshop in PerformanceOrange Tree Studios, RichmondOn Wednesday 23rd November 2011 14 year 8 and year 9 Drama students were selected to visit the Orange Tree Studios in Richmond to work with Charlie Dark, a performance poet. This amazing workshop was offered to Hampton Academy free of charge from Richmond Arts Service as part of their November ‘Literature Festival´. Students who were offered places were given this opportunity to reward their dedication to the Arts throughout their drama lessons and in extra-curricular clubs after school.  Captivated Audience: Key Stage Three students from Conrad and Wordsworth had a great time. space
The group looked at using words to express themselves and combined many drama skills to create performance pieces. Drama skills covered were voice control and projection, volume, pitch and texture. Students were also looking at improving their observational skills, improving movement skills and were trying to show a different range of emotions. An inspirational motto of Charlie Dark´s throughout the workshop was:
“Your heart and creativity go well together, brains and creativity do not go well together — be spontaneous and do not let rational thoughts get in the way of your originality" Charlie Dark space  Move with the times: Charlie Dark used innovative techniques to engage our young learners
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Session one of the workshop involved warm up and ice-breaker exercises and a story expertly told by Charlie Dark. The second session of the workshop saw the story being extended and added to by Charlie Dark and all students together. Through this session students worked on performance etiquette, confidence and projecting on stage. During this section students were also looking at the drama devise of impersonation. During session three the students worked in small groups to devise a “what happened next" scenario, where all students came up with crazy and innovative ideas. The students shared ideas and feedback and discovered they can create poetry, without even knowing it. Charlie Dark shared: “Poetry does not have to rhyme, it does not have to make sense, it just has to be legible."space  Work & Play: students enjoyed physical activity and a poetry-writing masterclass space  United Front: the students shared a love of poetry and had a fantastic day together |