Enhancing early learning through drama
One of the main challenges in science communication for and with children is to ensure we are not just sending messages, but actually getting them across. Drama-based learning offers the opportunity to deliver scientific-content in a stimulating and engaging way. Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums has gathered a panel of speakers from children-focused cultural organisations to offer you fresh perspectives on theatrical learning.
This lively session will explore unique programmes which use theatrical elements to convey knowledge to children, such as puppets, role play, interactive performances and dance. The speakers will share their approaches and methods in creating immersive early learning experiences. Together we will discuss the opportunities, benefits, obstacles and limits of theatrical science engagement.
Facilitator
Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums
Session speakers
Content developer and educator
Naturalis Now’: This interactive news show features multiple news inspired segments. Each episode is made up of different items like: digging up dinosaurs, a new kind of insect found on a rooftop and of course the museum weather.
This best practice presentation, exploring the process and lessons learned of creating an interactive format will be spiced up by a live performance of some elements of the programme.
At FRida & freD children's museum interactive programmes are to designed to appeal to all senses and encourage children to engage into different forms of play. Our storytelling approach uses stories as framework, guiding system, impetus for learning, encouragement for participation and inquiry-based learning an as the emotional connection necessary to achieve lasting learning experiences for young children. We will offer insights into how we create our drama-based educational programmes, the challenges of these formats and will present elements of our Forscherixa programme.
Forscherixa
An interactive story in a (puppetry) theater-like setting. The Forscherixa programme breaks down scientific content and experiments for preschoolers. The main character princess Forscherixa leads through different adventures, animates children to conduct scientific experiments, trains critical thinking, and to work together as a team.
Families Producer for Performance
Victoria and Albert Museum
Pop-up Performances
The V&A is home to the UK’s largest Theatre & Performance collections. In response to this unique collection the Families team run a intergenerational performance programme. It is interactive, sensory and participatory and is designed to provoke curiosity and creativity in our learners.
The programme is led and produced by innovate professional performance practitioners, often working with young people, covering a board range of performance styles. Everyone is encouraged to be playful together and to share their ideas and stories with us, through a variety of drama techniques, including: games, improvisation, physical theatre and storytelling.
We would like to present elements of our performances and share and discuss the opportunties and challenges of our approach and its possible application in science communication.
