Half Hour Call

In this month's episode we've done something slightly different, our co-founder Karen Latto recorded the content live from Churchill College at Cambridge University for the ESU's (English Speaking Union) prestigious Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society. It is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson).

The different roles allow students, from Years 9 - 11, to practise and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building.

We were thrilled to be there for the live event and to be able to catch up with Annabel Thomas and interview her to give us more understanding and context to the whole event.

We hope that as teachers and theatre educators you gain some insight into the ESU's work and the opportunities they offer for young people.

In this month's episode, Ali Warren is in conversation with Michael McCabe, Executive Producer for Wicked.

Michael has been the 'custodian' of the production for the last 17 years having looked after the performance since it moved from Broadway to London in 2006. This powerful production explores friendship as the main and overarching theme rather than a performance about romantic connections, it's also a production showcasing women on stage with the main roles.

Michael talks on Half Hour Call this month about his pandemic project 'Wicked Active Learning' which was able to be built when the pandemic closed theatres and Michael could dedicate the time to researching arts education in depth. Through working parties and from conversations with a Drama specialist Headteacher he was able to craft and bring to life 'Wicked Active Learning' to support teachers to re-engage with commercial theatre, making the production more relevant to school 'needs' and demands when considering trips and visits.

"We are all passionate believers that it's [Drama] crucial not just because people might want to come into our industry but because they are tools that can help you in every imaginable aspect of life and employment." Michael McCabe

You can read more about Michael here: https://www.michaelmccabe.net/about-michael-mccabe.php

You can read more about Wicked Active Learning here: https://wickedactivelearning.co.uk/

In this month's conversation, Holly Barradell is in conversation with Alex Scaife (Flood Resilience Engagement Advisor, Environment Agency) and Angela Rogers (Communication Manager, DEFRA) to talk about how they are using the power of theatre to educate communities in the NE of England with the risks that Flooding presents.... think Science and Geography meets Drama and Theatre!

Alex Scaife connected with Corinne Kilvington (Artistic Director of Theatre Space North East) to have this performance created.

"Theatre Space go into communities and take theatre to communities that wouldn't necessarily normally experience theatre" Alex Scaife on why they worked with Theatre Space North East

The creation of 'Washed Away' an object based theatre performance, showing the emotional/sentimentality attachment that we have to things is crucial within the work so that behavioural change can happen when learning about the consequences of flooding - in short, what would you save and why?

The performance has been created, rehearsed and staged through funding from the local levy and it is testament to Theatre Space North East that this hasn't been an expensive project.

"It isn't too hard in terms of thinking slightly outside the box to bring something really good through the arts." Alex Scaife,

In this month's conversation Ali Warren is in conversation with Jacqui O'Hanlon MBE, Director of Learning and National Partnerships at the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

Jacqui talks with great passion and honesty about the work of both the departments (Learning and National Partnerships) she oversees and gives us an insight in to the work that they do to support 2000 teachers a year via approx. 1000 schools. 

Jacqui comments very honestly about the barriers the company can sometimes face, that she refers to as the 'perception barrier' "...what we've got with the Royal Shakespeare Company is you've got 'Royal' in the title, you've got 'Shakespeare' in the title and those are barriers; because people will make assumptions if they don't know us and some of those assumptions will be based on an experience - I hope, from longer ago..." Jacqui O'Hanlon

"for us, the absolute priority is supporting teachers & young people to use Shakespeare as a Trojan horse through which to unlock potential" Jacqui O'Hanlon

To look at the resources and services that the RSC offers follow these links:

www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone

www.rsc.org.uk/learn/schools-and-teachers 

In this month's conversation Ali Warren from Open Drama UK is in conversation with playwright Mark Wheeller. 

Mark opens up about where it all started for him, his passion for David Bowie and why he wants to tell the stories of others through the power of theatre and performance. 

With authenticity and passion he talks us through his reasons for why he does what he does with top tips, how he has benefited from festivals and why he doesn't feel what he does is challenging it is interesting.

"He did it by a simple lighting technique... he was there all along in the shadows... lights on him full blare and he was there" Mark Wheeller and the initial impact performance had on him.

In this month's episode, Jack Beswick (Merseyside champion for Open Drama UK) is in conversation with Cate Hollis, the Founder of Voices of the Holocaust. Jack has first hand experience of how wonderful the work of Voices of the Holocaust is and wanted to share the important work that is achieved with more Drama teachers and theatre educators. Voices of the Holocaust is the only specialist Holocaust theatre in education company in Europe. 

Within the conversation they talk about 'Kindness: A Legacy of the Holocaust' a 1-hour play without an interval co-written by Cate Hollis and Mark Wheeller. You can read more about the text and purchase the script here: https://salamanderstreet.com/product/kindness-paperback/

Read more about the work of Voices of the Holocaust here: https://www.voicesoftheholocaust.org.uk

We released this as our January episode to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), on January 27th, which is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. You can read more about HMD here:  https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/ 

In this month's episode, Carl Dunnington is in conversation with Patrick O'Sullivan, Head of Creative Learning at Mayflower and MAST theatres in Southampton.

This conversation gives us an insight into running an engagement/participation department in a professional working theatre. Patrick is currently writing a 3 year business strategy and shaping his vision for his new team of 13 colleagues to ensure more people engage with the venue... "bringing more people into the venue who might not consider drama/theatre as something for them!" 

Patrick is all about 'evolution not revolution' and is working hard with his new team by listening and 'giving a voice to ideas.'

"If you go in [to a theatre] and have a conversation with someone working in participation they will definitively see themselves in you... this was how we all got in ourselves, some adults creating some programme that existed in order to benefit you..." Patrick O'Sullivan.  

In this month's episode, Holly Barradell is in conversation with Katie Day.

Katie has just started a new role as the Head of Drama at Radnor House Sevenoaks Prep school. Katie qualified as a Drama teacher in 2010 and worked in state, secondary education for 12 years before making the change to independent and primary age teaching. 

Katie and Holly talk openly and honestly about the change in culture, the different demands and considerations working with primary aged children in a fee-paying setting. 

The power of play, creativity and freedom. Katie explains how her move to a new setting in a new environment kept her in the teaching profession, gave her a new lease of life and fortunately for her students retained a wonderful teacher in the classroom. 

"I've been there where I've questioned staying in teaching, questioned whether there is such a thing as a work life balance when you are a teacher" Katie Day, Head of Prep Drama, Radnor House Sevenoaks. 

In this month's episode Carl Dunnington (Dorset Champion for Open Drama UK) is joined by Kerry Frampton to talk all things Splendid!

Kerry is so open, honest, reflective and warm as she discusses her life through the lens of theatre and why she creates the work she does today for young people. 

Splendid's vision and approach is to create theatre that:

Splendid "go in, encourage young people to have an autonomy of their work, to feel powerful, to feel brave, to look after each other" this view is very much what we are trying to do with drama teachers and theatre educators here at Open Drama UK too. 

Favourite quote of the conversation...

"This wouldn't get through 10 minutes in front of 400 year 10's who are there for a bronze arts award... in the gym" Kerry Frampton's laugh out loud comment on how important the power of theatre is and if it isn't good enough for young people - you aren't given them what they need. 

Welcome back to Series 3 of Open Drama UK's Half Hour Call CPD Podcast. 

We start this series with our South London Champion, Quin Golding, in conversation with Sinead O'Callaghan, Head of Engagement at Les Enfants Terribles. Sinead and Quin talk through so much of what Les Enfants Terribles has to offer to support young people and their teachers. 

You can read more about the company here, a company that started with humble roots having met at National Youth Theatre and heading to the Edinburgh Fringe on a low budget and look where they are now!

Sinead talks about how the founders said "[The founders]...weren't in the inner circle, couldn't see the secrets of how that beautiful stuff came to be... united in our belief...we want young people to ask how did you make that... and were going to tell you" hence why they created The Curiosity Index: https://thecuriosityindex.co.uk/register/

"Whatever you bring is the new rule" Sinead O'Callaghan, Head of Engagement, Les Enfants Terribles. 

If you enjoy listening to our podcast and would like to 'buy us a post show drink' please follow this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/halfhourcall