WORKSHOPS
Theatre Exchange aims to support schools to build creative practice into their curriculum and support their approaches to teaching and learning. Our History workshops pay close attention to the National Curriculum and are updated regularly to keep in line with government changes. We hope to give children a different perspective on historical topics, using roleplay to access the subject from an imaginative standpoint.
The workshops have a similar format - theatrical exercises, play, discussions and reflection built-in to each, and usually lasting 2 hours straight through for a maximum of 45 children. We also cater for other age-groups and subjects, covering Maths and Storytelling for Years 1 & 2, and Shakespeare workshops for Years 3-6. We recommend the full two hour format of the workshops, but if you cannot accommodate the full two hours into the school day and still wish to book the workshop, then we are able to adapt the workshops to fit your requirements.
Please find a list of the workshops we offer below. If you need any further information about any of the workshops, full workshop breakdowns are available for request by emailing: theatreexchange@hotmail.com
EGYPTIANS
This workshops sees the children interacting and investigating life as an Ancient Egyptian: religion, day-to-day peasant life, the importance of the Pharaoh, and their distinctive burial rituals.
The final section sees Howard Carter tell the story of how he discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb with Lord Carnarvon and the ‘Curse of the Mummy’.
GREEKS
Experience the story of Athens from the eyes of its citizens, as the city state becomes the most powerful in Ancient Greece.
Pupils will create their own Athenian characters, debate in the city’s Nux, build the Triremes and battle the Persian forces!
The workshop also covers Ancient Greek religion, customs and the birth of theatre.
VIKINGS
In this workshop the children explore the ingenuity and craftiness of the Viking warriors.
Following the course of history from the first Viking raid on England to the rise of King Canute, the children learn the pioneering customs of the great conquerors and how they changed Britain.
GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
This workshop for Year 2 focuses on examining history from an emotional perspective.
The children are led through the timeline of London’s most devastating fire by none other than
Samuel Pepys.
From his trusty diary, Pepys retells how the fire started in a small bakery, demolished the majority of the city, and what finally quenched the blaze.
PRE-HISTORY
Join archeologist Tim Flint and his intern Skye as they investigate the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.
The children are encouraged to approach the subject as archeologists, piecing together clues to figure out how the pre-Britons lived. From hunting and gathering, to Stonehenge to Danebury Hillfort, this workshop covers 4000 years of history before written records began.
SECOND WORLD WAR EVACUEES
‘Waving Goodbye’ focuses on evacuees during the Second World War. This workshop is unique in that it gets the children to experience history that affected people of their age: learning the different expectations of a 1930s school, other government preparations for war, and life during the Blitz.
AZTECS / MAYANS
This workshop explores the creation of Tenochtitlan and life in this incredible city, Aztec religion and sacrifice, ending with the the arrival of Cortez and his Conquistadors. Participants will reflect on the customs of the two peoples and how the Spanish explorers brought about the destruction of Montezuma and a civilisation advanced beyond its years.
ROMANS
Experience the might of the Romans in this exciting workshop, exploring the traditions and societal hierarchies of the empire, and how their tactics in battle made them a formidable force. The children will explore how Rome invaded Britannia and fought against the legendary Boudicca and the Iceni tribe, as well as life as a Romano-Briton.
VICTORIANS
In a time of hardships, this workshop uncovers life in a Victorian school, the wonders of technological advancement and The Great Exhibition, as well as the ‘upstairs/downstairs’ hierarchy of a stately home.
THE TUDORS
Possibly one of the most famous families in history, the Tudors covers the memorable monarchs of the period, their conflicting beliefs and the customs of the time: Tudor fashion, conditions in a Tudor street, witch-hunts, travelling theatre companies and life in the Tudor Royal Court.
SHAKESPEARE
Theatre Exchange provides a number of Shakespeare workshops that investigate the Bard’s plays from a number of different perspectives: analysing text; actors performing scenes with the help of volunteers; restaging dramatic moments; and using theatrical exercises to get a better understanding of the characters.
These workshops are run in a very similar format to the history workshops and cover:
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo & Juliet
MAKING MATHS
Pupils travel to the village of Sums-on Sea, where they discover all the numbers in the village have become mixed up.
The children must use their Maths skills to help Mrs Measure get all her parcels ready for posting, Farmer Times-Sign work out which shapes his animal pens should be, and helping to host the Sums-on Sea Village Auction.
A fun, creative and enthusiastic approach to maths.
STORYTELLING
This project was developed by our creative team in conjunction with local primary school teachers, to explore how drama and theatre can help children to build stories and develop their composition and comprehension skills.
Children create their own characters through a series of exercises, leading to the ‘Annual Story Character Conference’ where their characters are brought to life and their stories are explored.
This workshop is a great springboard for children to develop their imaginations and creative writing skills.
INVADERS
This workshop brings together three eras of conquerors: the Romans, Saxons and Vikings. The children will see how each force brought with them their own customs that helped shape and influence British society as we know it today.