Create, Speak, Thrive — Learning to enjoy the playful unknown

Over the last 25 years, I’ve worked as a drama facilitator in schools but, as an artist, working with Trestle Theatre on their two-year TDF programme was an entirely new voyage of collaborative and creative discovery. So, what made it so special?

As a freelance educator, my work often involves visiting a school for a day or two to deliver a workshop on a specific theatrical technique (e.g. mask or physical theatre) or to use drama as a tool to develop an understanding of a curriculum area, such as The Romans. I’m ​‘parachuted’ in to deliver a high-impact session but can often only glimpse any possible longer-term impact.

The duration of the TDF meant that each artist and teacher partnership had the opportunity to combine a wealth of knowledge and experience. This enabled us to discover new creative approaches together and then grow and develop these over time. For me, this was far more exciting than preparing and delivering a set workshop. Plus it involved working with four different teachers across three different primary schools.

All the teachers I worked with were at very different stages of their careers, from being relatively newly qualified to those who had spent time as part of their school’s SLT. They were all looking for something different to add to their teaching practice whilst exploring universal approaches to supporting children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) – the focus of our programme.

Many admitted that, initially, they were nervous about an ​‘outside eye’ being in their classroom. It was both exciting and daunting but, like any relationship, the trust between us grew the more open and honest we were and as we learned to plan, deliver and reflect together. 

The key remained to take risks and have fun whilst a clear research question guided our explorations.

And, of course, this created a very playful atmosphere in the classroom which the children relished, encouraging deeper engagement whilst also inviting them to reflect on our approaches too.

It was a delight to observe the teachers grow substantially in confidence and become more adventurous in their teaching, as well as observing those who were sceptical in the beginning become huge advocates of the work by the end. And, in those schools where the leadership team kept in touch with our work throughout, there was an openness to taking the discoveries and approaches across the school – creating a vital sense of longevity to our work.

Poet and artist William Blake once said ​“unknown, not unperceived.” I have to admit it was impossible to know at the start of this project what was going to be most beneficial for each teacher, but we all sensed that there was something to be discovered and, in each partnership, we found it together.

I have also learnt a lot from the teachers and the Speech, Language, and Communication specialist involved in the project – such as making my teaching more visual (visual timetables, props, clear and simple gestures) whilst also adjusting the amount of information given in one go (vital for those with SLCN). I think it is also important, however, not to forget the other ever-present collaborators – the children. Always open and true, they were a vital, informative part of our joyful journeys and a daily reminder that play, even as an adult, is where the most interesting discoveries begin.