Theme: Decolonising the drama curriculum Continuing the conversation

A virtual meeting for secondary drama teachers and arts and cultural organisations.

Time: 4:15 – 5:45pm

Date: Tuesday 8th June 2021

The session will take place on Zoom and is Chaired by Hugh Blackwood, Head Drama Ark Victoria Academy.

Performances and Practitioners led by Bhavik Parmar, Head of Education Birmingham REP A session about sharing ideas of performances and practitioners that embrace issues of race, identity and culture. The breakout space will promote conversations and questions surrounding diversity with young people. Participants will discuss practitioners/artists who add value to the school curriculum and enrich young people’s understanding of the cultural and ethnic make-up of the UK.

Texts that reflect our global community led by Romana Flello, Participation Manager Royal Court Theatre The session will be about using texts that reflect the cultural and ethnic make-up of the UK and the global community in which we live. It is vital that the texts that we use in the drama curriculum are more representative and engaging for all young people. This session will explore set/performance texts by global majority playwrights and approaches to using them in the classroom.

Advocacy in schools led by Hugh Blackwood, Head of Drama Ark Victoria Academy This breakout room will give those attending opportunity to question what global majority representation looks like in their school/organisation. How is Black History Month celebrated? Are there inclusivity/diversity working groups? What images/testimonies are represented? Discussion will look at key words and language – what is the right term to use to empower us when having, sometimes difficult, conversations with colleagues and young people?