Drama is a wide-ranging subject with varied types of genre and expansive cultural traditions. After gaining a degree in the topic I am more than passionate to widen my skill-set and further my engagement in and around drama in the education and community setting. I have an immense passion for both the practical and theoretical elements of the subject.

I developed my love for drama at an early age and joined a local amateur drama school. The weekly sessions from a young age prepared me with a creative mind, adaptability and versatility. I had the opportunity to perform in larger casts of a wider age range, as well as work with new directors and producers with an extensive range of rehearsal techniques and performance practices. Once carrying on this subject to study a Degree at York St John University I further became educated on how imperative drama in the curriculum is for pupil’s social interaction and confidence. Last Autumn I had been facilitating several workshops in Clifton Green Primary School in York. I was working with 15 boys and 17 girls making a class of 32 Year three children ages 7 – 8. My objective for this project was to engage young people in performance exploring their creativity, building confidence and learning new skills. At all times I held myself with an enthusiastic, professional and polite manner. My aim for the process was to look at the PSHE topic of friendship. I was hoping to explore different aspects of this topic through a creative, exciting and education manner. I successfully achieved this by introducing the children to multiple warm ups and developing simple drama techniques such as freeze frames and thought tunnels each week. Using issues such as family, friendship and forgiveness as a stimulus, I believe I contributed to helping pupils develop their understanding on the challenges and attributes they will face while growing up from an early age. Here, the pupils are being educated about these issues through creative and practical drama workshops facilitated by myself. Immediately i became aware of how important it was to have clear aims and objectives for each week’s session as not only did it give myself guidance, it also allowed the children to see which direction their performance and characters were heading. For me, this was vital as it included the children in the process just as much as myself. Which through research taught me that using the children as co-facilitators is the best way for them to understand, focus and enjoy. My experience at this placement school was invaluable. Watching the pupils bring their creativity to life fully embodying a scenario to such a high standard in their individual groups, then performing back to an audience watching the pupils be proud of the completely unique work they had created massively confirmed for myself that teaching drama is my passion. Although I don’t have specific experience working in a high school setting with pupils aged between 11 and 18 years old, this age bracket appeals to me as those years become such a crucial time in a person’s life for self-growth, developing their learning and begin to shape their futures. I have single handily seen the reproductions of how an individual in their younger life without the freedom, creativity and stability that drama can provide can massively affect the rest of their lives. This reflection comes from facilitating weekly sessions at Wakefield Women’s Prison. Because of having experience working with both younger and older individuals I would therefore like to widen my skillset and focus on the age gap in-between the two. Although both community groups were challenging in their own way, I am always keen to continue challenging myself and pushing my facilitator skills as far as possible, therefore id like experience with older pupils who will challenge myself as well as me challenging the