Drama students at Solihull Sixth Form College entertained family and friends with a Drama Showcase at the College this week.
Year 13 A level Drama learners covered hard-hitting issues in their original theatre, which was created in the style of the contemporary company The Paper Birds, who specialise in verbatim storytelling. Students selected social and political issues that they felt passionate about and as part of the devising process, they collected in-depth research in the form of interviews, questionnaires, case studies and videos to inspire and influence their work.
The performances included a piece called ‘Sub Imperium’ about being in a cult, a production entitled ‘Rejection’ about violence against women and a piece called ‘Stitched’, which was an educational look at female genital mutilation (FGM).
This follows a workshop in College, delivered by The Paper Birds recently. This workshop was designed to help students develop their knowledge and understanding of the company’s devising process and rehearsal strategies. Following the workshop, students have worked incredibly hard to emulate the practitioner’s style and create a piece of theatre that they feel proud of.
Drama teacher Nadia Kouhi commented:
“I’m proud of the students for the hard work they have put in. These pieces of original theatre form part of their A level assessment, so there is a lot riding on it, but they are also very emotionally invested in the work they have produced and that showed in their performances.”
18 December 2023