DRAMATIC ARTS

All the world’s a stage at CLK!  Clarkson’s drama program offers students diverse opportunities for academic, social and creative growth.  Drama at Clarkson simultaneously engages learning, develops language and literacy skills, promotes self-confidence and strengthens students’ social skills. Students involved in drama at Clarkson can expect to be challenged to work creatively as they discover and explore new ways of communicating and expressing themselves, all within a cooperative and collaborative environment. Our courses are challenging on both academic and artistic levels, and help to ensure students develop critical thinking and creative problem solving skills, as well as an improved sense of artistic independence, responsibility and self-discipline. Drama enhances oral language as students use and develop their linguistic resources; they talk to learn, influence, persuade and interpret. Students also work on articulating and expressing their thoughts, including second language learners who benefit greatly in their verbal expression. Clarkson’s drama programme also offers students a place to take risks and experiment without the pressure of being judged, which is important for boosting self-concept and confidence, and contributes to students' ability to be self-directed learners. Well-developed Drama courses in schools are the only courses that can simultaneously engage learning, develop language and literacy skills, promote self-confidence and strengthen social skills - all essential tools for aiding the growth of the total human being.

Here’s what some of our grade 9 students have said about Drama at Clarkson after being in class for only two weeks!

“I enjoyed this drama class a lot because it’s really fun working with different people in different things.  Whenever I am sad or stressed, I get happy again because drama class takes away all my worries.”

“This class is actually helping with my self esteem a lot because being able to talk out loud without being judged so much is making everything so much easier...”

“I think drama class is a really good class and even though we have only been in school for a couple of weeks I have already noticed a different thing about me, which is that I’m not as shy as I used to be.”

“I really enjoy how comfortable we have gotten together considering we were almost all strangers when we first walked in the door.  Drama has made us more comfortable, outgoing and even more friendly.”

April 2013

Drama

Drama students have been busy this semester learning new skills and developing their talent. Grade 9 students have explored how to communicate story through still images or tableaux and are now preparing mime scripts for performance. Grade 10 students have worked on developing their leadership skills and are currently working on exploring movement and non-verbal communication through the use of mask—challenging,  but great fun! Senior drama classes have been focusing on developing character, preparing scenes for presentation, and, as for the grade 12 students, they are exploring Greek Theatre and Oedipus Rex.  Keep up the great work, everyone and remember to continue taking those creative risks!