Drama and the Continuum

Briefly describe how you have integrated these themes into your module

The drama specialism module approaches principles of Global Citizenship Education, Human Rights Education, Development Education, and Education for Sustainable Development through its content and its participatory pedagogical approach. The module begins by introducing students to key concepts surrounding children’s rights, social justice, sustainability, and applied theatre practices. Students engage with local and global issues including climate change, homelessness, poverty, gender equality, war, inequality etc, examining how these issues impact peoples lives and the future.

A central component of the module involves collaboration with sixth-class children, who participate at the beginning of the process by sharing their interests, concerns, and perspectives on issues that matter to them and the world around them. These discussions help shape and inform the devising process from the outset. Working alongside partner organisations including Fighting Words, Ombudsman for Children’s Office, and World Vision, BEd students devise a theatre piece that responds to these themes.

Pedagogically, the module is grounded in applied theatre, process drama, and the work of Augusto Boal, particularly Theatre of the Oppressed and forum theatre methodologies. Classroom practice emphasises dialogue, participation, reflection, collaboration, and experiential learning through devising, improvisation, role-play, image theatre, and process drama techniques. At the end of the module, the 6th class children return to attend the performance and engage in a post-show discussion and forum theatre workshop. Using Boal-inspired techniques, they are invited to actively engage with the performance, step into scenes, question systems of oppression, and suggest or enact possible alternatives to the injustices presented within the play.

Through these approaches, the module supports the development of key skills and competencies including critical thinking, communication, creativity, empathy, ethical awareness, collaboration, and civic engagement, while encouraging students to become reflective, socially conscious, and rights-based educators.This process encourages both the children and the BEd specialism students to see theatre not only as performance, but as a space for participation, dialogue, and imagining social change.

Briefly describe the impact you hope integrating these approaches will have on students who complete the module

It is hoped that integrating these approaches will enable students to become more reflective, empathetic, and socially conscious educators who recognise the importance of children’s voices, participation, and rights within educational practice. Through engagement with Global Citizenship and Human Rights themes in Drama, students are encouraged to critically examine social and global issues and to consider the role education can play in promoting equity, agency, inclusion, and social justice.

By participating in collaborative devising processes and applied theatre methodologies inspired by Augusto Boal, students develop key competencies including critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, ethical awareness, and civic engagement. It is also hoped that the module will equip students with practical, participatory, and arts-based pedagogical strategies that they can bring into their future classrooms, empowering them to foster dialogue, critical reflection, and active citizenship among children and young people. 

Related Sustainable Development Goals

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