Creative Drama Groupwork for People with Learning Difficulties

Anna Chesner

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780429942204
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: European Drama
• Index: Literature

The revised second edition of this practical manual is filled with easy-to-follow exercises and activities designed to facilitate creative drama sessions for people with learning difficulties. The activities in this book bring together music, theatre, movement and storytelling to not only develop fun and engaging group sessions, but to build confidence, increase self-esteem, and develop social and emotional awareness in group members. Highly sensitive to the range of learning needs and physical abilities of group members, the activities have been created to be engaging for a broad range of individuals regardless of age and ability, and can be adapted for use in a multitude of sectors such as education, psychology and speech and language therapy. Key features of this edition include:

• New chapters exploring mindfulness, and the importance of reflection

• Fully photocopiable resources including a session notes template to evaluate the impact of the creative drama group and collect useful data for the writing of reports

• Activities organised around key elements of creative drama, such as sensory work, life skills role-play, improvisation and de-roling

With its wealth of guidance, practical and adaptable activities and easy-to- follow structure, this is an invaluable resource for anybody leading or supporting children, young people and adults in creative drama.

Coming together

Preparation

A circle of chairs, bean bags or cushions is laid out in the drama work space. Include an appropriate space for each wheelchair user. There should be a defined place for each group member, including group leaders and helpers.

Activity

As each person arrives they join the circle, perhaps after hanging up their coats, going to the toilet and so on.

Purpose

This structure is particularly useful if group members arrive for the session separately and over a period of a few minutes. If possible, the group leader should already be sitting as each person arrives. There is a clear focus in the space and a place to experience the coming together of the group. The activity of waiting is given a structure, and the moment when the group is complete is visible and clear. This moment is anticipated by those already in the circle, and helps to give a sense of group identity.

Further development

1 Informal discussion. It is natural, while sitting waiting for the group to begin, to share any news informally, or to talk about hopes and fears for the coming session.

2 The group leader can also ask specific questions or make specific comments relating to the here and now situation of waiting and arrivals, such as “Who’s here?”, “Who are we waiting for?” or “Who is absent?”

3 It is interesting to notice who sits where in the group. Do some group members always choose to sit next to or opposite the same person? Over a longer period of time, do they become more flexible or more assertive about these choices? NB This level of change tends to happen very slowly, so you may wish to include observations such as these when taking notes after sessions. Such notes contribute to evaluation and building an evidence base (see Chapter 14).

Who’s here?

Activity

The group leader invites everybody to look around the circle and take a moment to notice who is in the group. Each person (including the group leader) then takes it in turn to introduce themselves to the group, by saying their name or signing, or making a gesture of introduction.

Purpose

The exercise is a simple ritual in which each person is the focus of attention for a short moment, and is seen and heard by the group. It serves as a reminder of the membership and identity of the group. It introduces the idea of turn-taking early on in the session. It involves both active and passive participation as each person makes their personal contribution to the round and also pays attention to the others in the group.

Further development

1 The greeting. After each person says their name (or makes a gesture of arrival) the group responds with a greeting. For example:

● Individual: (I’m) Dev.

● Group: Hello/Good morning/Hi, Dev.

2 After the initial going around, the group leader asks if there is someone in the group who can remember everybody’s name. A first volunteer stands and introduces each person; and receives praise or applause for the achievement. Other volunteers may also feel like having a go. If someone has difficulty in remembering, they can be encouraged to ask, “What’s your name?”, or other group members can help them out.

3 In a second going-round, each person is invited to say one other piece of information about themselves that they would like the group to know. This can be something factual, such as

“I’m Dev and live with my parents and sister”, or something more related to feelings, such as

“I’m Dev and I feel sad today.”

Hello song with handshake

Activity

In this song a handshake is passed around the group. A shakes the hand of B, who then shakes C’s hand, and so on until the last person shakes A’s hand and the circle is complete. As each pair shakes hands the whole group sings a simple refrain that is repeated with each new name:

Babs is shaking hands with Cheryl

Babs is shaking hands with Cheryl

Babs is shaking hands with Cheryl

It’s good to see you here.

Cheryl’s shaking hands with Dev, and so on.

When the handshake has found its way all round the circle, all hold hands and sing together:

We’re all shaking hands together

We’re all shaking hands together

We’re all shaking hands together

It’s good to see you here.

Any tune that is easy to remember will work. If this activity becomes a regular structure, there will be plenty of opportunity for repetition and practice, so even slightly more difficult tunes can be mastered.

Purpose

The song provides a ritualized form of greeting that soon becomes familiar in a group. Group members get to hear their own name sung and to practise the names of the other members of the group. Each person contributes to the whole ritual by receiving and giving a handshake. It tends to be popular with all age groups and creates a fun and friendly atmosphere at the start of a session. It helps to give people a chance to arrive and focus on being together in a mindful, present way.

Further development

1 Use the song to work on eye contact, encouraging each pair to give eye contact while shaking hands.

2 Ask for someone in the group to volunteer to begin the song and the handshake. This can provide group members with a framework for taking initiative and trying out a moment of leadership once they feel confident with the form.

Hello circle song

Activity

The group holds hands in a circle, takes a moment to look at each other, and sings:

We are a circle

We are friends

Sitting here together

Holding hands.

Hello Babs, hello Cheryl, hello Dev …

Sitting here together

Holding hands.

Purpose

This is an alternative to the handshake song above, useful for ringing the changes. The focus is more on the group as a whole. Each person’s name is sung in turn by the whole group, while the circle of hands is maintained throughout the song. The continuous circle is particularly helpful for a sense of containment, wholeness and focus in a restless or anxious group.

Further development

1 Instead of holding hands, everyone can clap hands together in an appropriate rhythm, and change the final line of both verses to ‘Clapping hands’.

2 For a variation with more movement, change the last line of both verses to ‘Waving hands’. Wave both hands in the air for the first verse; then wave alternately with left and right hand to each named individual in the second verse; and again with both hands and much energy for the last line.

3 Where direct physical contact is difficult, try using a circular communiband or long cloth, so that people can connect as a circle by each holding the cloth. In this way the connection is concretized and made visible and tangible, b...