DramaWest

DramaWest would proudly like to introduce Belinda Massey for Drama Australia’s Teacher Spotlight. ✨🎉
“Being a Drama teacher is one of the best jobs in the world. One minute you are crawling around on the floor being some subterranean ancient animal with your students and the next minute you are teaching Shakespeare or creating sets or lighting installations or in a discussion on Brecht techniques. The role is diverse and rewarding and to watch students develop confidence and imagination while encouraging them to see their creative ideas develop into fruition is just a pleasure and a privilege.
Teaching is constantly evolving and challenging and requires us as educators to always consider how our students learn as individuals. Several years ago, I completed my Masters in embodied learning, specifically applying approaches for teaching Drama and writing about the process and this exercise reminded me what it was like to be a student again (a humbling experience). It also made me look at my approaches to teaching and learning through several lenses.
Life is never boring as a Drama teacher and in the West we have so many absolutely outstanding educators who are only too willing to collaborate or assist so that you are never alone. The Drama class is my happy place” 🤩

It’s Fusion time! 🎉 This year’s DramaWest State Conference is all about collaboration. We are seeking expressions of interest from anyone who would love to share their practice with the community. Submissions can be workshops, presentations, or a discussion of your academic research papers. If you have anything you are willing to share, please fill out the form below with the details of your proposed session. https://forms.gle/p76kqh45DJ8Ls5MY8 ✨✨

For our ATAR Drama teachers and your students ✨

The DramaWest team wish you all the very best for Term 3, as you approach the WACE examinations! 🪄

DramaWest warmly invites all ATAR Drama teachers to our upcoming professional learning workshop and networking event! ✨🎉

With guest presenters Max Leech (SCSA) and Jodee Lambert (ATAR Drama Specialist).

Event details
* Date: Friday 26 July (Term 3, Week 2)
* Time: 4.45 pm registration and networking afternoon tea, followed by a 5.00 to 7.00 pm professional learning workshop.
* Location: St George’s Anglican Grammar School
* 50 William St, Perth WA 6000  
* Live Teams video call option available to regional/rural attendees only.
* Cost: Free and accessible to all current 2024 DramaWest Members.
Follow this link to register and find out more: https://dramawest.com/member/shop/ATAR-Drama-PL-2024
* Note that you will need to ensure that you have a current 2024 DramaWest Membership in order to log in to register.
We cannot wait to welcome our ATAR community to this event!

The 2024 DramaWest Committee

We are back in business!!! Our website is back up and running. Head on over for all your Drama West needs https://dramawest.com ✨

Please reach out to us via [email protected] if you need to get in touch ✨🧡

Two Announcements in two days… Who are we 🎉 We are excited to announce that our ATAR Drama Teacher Professional Learning & Networking Event is coming Save the date NOW!
Date: Friday 26 July
Location: St George’s Anglican Grammar School (50 William St, Perth WA 6000)
Time: 4.45 pm registration for a 5.00 pm start, concluding at 7.00 pm
Featuring: both practical and written explorations of the ATAR Drama course and examinations
Cost: free for all current DramaWest members
More specific information and a booking link will be broadcasted very shortly. So keep an eye out for that 👀

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, you can prepare to attend this event by ensuring that your 2024 DramaWest membership is up-to-date by visiting: https://dramawest.com/shop/membership ✨👏🏽😍

You’ll never guess what we have been working on! 🤔 Or maybe you can…. Our team have been working really hard to put together our: 2024 Good Answer Guide and it is here and Pre-sale orders are closing soon! 🎉👏🏽
Dive in fast to secure your pre-order copies to ensure that you are included in the very first dispatch delivery of orders. Follow this link to pre-order your copies today: https://dramawest.com/shop/good-answers-guides/pre-order or scan the QR code above ✨

Exciting news for those that have already pre-ordered, your copies are being printed as you read this text and will be dispatched in the next week via parcel delivery! 🥇

Keep an eye out for a glimpse of the stunning print copy and exclusive live delivery progress updates from our DramaWest team. Who’s excited? We are!!!! 🤩👏🏽

WAAE 2024 International Arts Education Week ✨
As advocates for Arts Education, the World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE) invites you to ‘draw a line’, ‘to play a line’, ‘to make a line’, ‘to sing a line’, ‘to dance a line’ that reflects your aspirations, your aims for arts education in your community.
Reflect on your - line in the sand, your bottom line, your end of the line, and determine what needs to be done to maintain and grow arts education. Is a ‘life line’ orland ‘timeline’ required for arts education as we move forward.
Arts education inspires creativity, expression, and thoughtful critique. Arts education articulates and activates culture and much more. Arts education is an essential part of education, but should it not be present, where do you stand on the place of arts education in your community, your school, your home, your life? What will you do to fight for arts education? How far does arts education have to ‘cross the line’ or slip from your school curriculum, your life before you say STOP. Before you say, ‘here is where I make my stand, this is where I draw the line in the sand’.
We at Drama West would love to get our community involved within this event!

Video and photo social media posts for this global event are encouraged, using the following hashtags:
or simply join in the conversation by commenting below.

More information can be found
at: https://www.waae.online/ring_the_bells_for_arts_education.html

✨ Just one week to go!! ✨

DramaWest warmly invites all primary or primary drama specialist teachers to our upcoming professional learning workshop facilitated by the incredible Dr Gabrielle Metcalf.

About Gabrielle
Gabrielle has been teaching drama in schools and universities for the past 30 years.
She has lectured in Education and Drama at The University of Notre Dame, Curtin University, ECU/ WAAPA, Beijing Normal University and taught in numerous schools and community groups in Australia and internationally. She advocates that Drama has inherent value both as a discrete subject, and as a vehicle for learning across multiple disciplines. She has co-written a book for Chinese primary school teachers (with no experience of teaching Drama) that provides a series of age-appropriate drama programs and lessons for primary students.

Event details
Date: Thursday 16 May (Term 2, Week 5)
Time: 3.45 pm registration and networking afternoon tea, followed by a 4.00 to 5.30 pm professional learning workshop.
Location: Melville Primary School (Primary Drama Classroom space)
Live Webex option available to regional/rural attendees only.
Cost: Free and accessible to all current 2024 DramaWest Members.

Who should attend?
This workshop will be ideal for anyone that is seeking to add to their toolbox of skills and approaches going forward in the Primary Drama classroom.

This might include those who are:
Generalist primary classroom teachers or relief teachers that delve into the drama space here and there.
New or reasonably new to teaching primary drama
Anyone, both experienced and beginning, that would like to network and extend your professional learning in this space.

We encourage you to reach out to any teaching colleagues to let them know about this valuable upcoming opportunity to work with fellow primary drama teachers and an extraordinary practitioner in this area.

In the meantime, you are also very welcome to reach out to the DramaWest team to check in via [email protected]

We cannot wait to welcome our primary community to this event,

The 2024 DramaWest Committee

Follow this link to book:
https://dramawest.com/shop/primary-school-workshop-2024

Have you heard about this opportunity? A conversation with Dr Lisa Seigel, National President of the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE), on the critical role that climate change education plays in our shared futures, followed by a Q&A.

The conversation will be held via one-hour Webinar, at 4pm on Wednesday, 24th April.

Register here:
https://events.humanitix.com/australian-climate-change-summit-and-action-plan-speaker-series-3-lisa-siegel-aaee

Registration is now open for our Primary School PL Workshop!
Please click on the link for more details and to register ⬇️
The 2024 DramaWest Committee are looking forward to seeing you there on Thursday 16th May for 3:45pm registration followed by a workshop with the wonderful Gabrielle.

Primary School Workshop DramaWest DramaWest Members can purchase tickets to the Primary School Workshop event.

Thank you for your patience while our website was undergoing some important maintenance! It is now back up and running for our wonderful DW community 🧡

You can head to https://dramawest.com/ to update your 2024 membership, pre-order the new 2024 Good Answers Guide publication, explore important updates for upcoming PL opportunities and to access the new member's portal resources.

We'll have more exciting updates for you all via email tomorrow morning ☀️

We apologise for any inconvenience while we make some important updates to our new website 👩‍🔧🧑‍🔧

Our emails may go down with this required maintenance journey, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us via direct message here on Facebook if you would like to check in.

We'll be in touch as soon as we are up and running!

Thank you for your patience 🙌

Combined New Zealand and Drama Australia conference: Kia Tōnui - Flourish

An invitation to Kia Tōnui - Flourish
Poipoia Te Kākano Kia Tōnui- Nurture the seed, and it will flourish.
27th - 30th of September 2024

Gather in Aotearoa New Zealand in the embrace of our unique whānau/community to share the riches of storytelling through whakaari/drama and theatre in education, to create new ways to regenerate, revive and thrive as creative educators and artists. In this Drama New Zealand and Drama Australia combined conference we will consider our foundational roots, cast the seeds of the imagination, and nurture the multiple ways to sustain and grow our practice, so that our communities can be nourished by changes much needed for the future. It is time to celebrate the many ways we flourish in our work.

Register via: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScZ4J76craG.../viewform
More information can be found at: https://www.drama.org.nz/conferences

2024 Drama Australia Communiqué
We welcome our DramaWest community to explore the following PDF that features key updates, recent events and important publications from Drama Australia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/190inmdCDivTli3mL3rJ6goEYzELiCIfD/view?usp=drive_link

We look forward to catching you at the combined conference in New Zealand,
The 2024 DramaWest Committee

Save the date: Primary Drama Teaching Professional Learning and Networking event!

DramaWest warmly invites all primary or primary drama specialist teachers to our upcoming professional learning workshop facilitated by the incredible Dr Gabrielle Metcalf.

About Gabrielle:
Gabrielle has been teaching drama in schools and universities for the past 30 years.
She has lectured in Education and Drama at The University of Notre Dame, Curtin University, ECU/ WAAPA, Beijing Normal University and taught in numerous schools and community groups in Australia and internationally. She advocates that Drama has inherent value both as a discrete subject, and as a vehicle for learning across multiple disciplines. She has co-written a book for Chinese primary school teachers (with no experience of teaching Drama) that provides a series of age-appropriate drama programs and lessons for primary students.

Event details:
Date: Thursday 16 May (Term 2, Week 5)
Time: 3.45 pm registration and networking afternoon tea, followed by a 4.00 to 5.30 pm professional learning workshop.
Location: Melville Primary School (Primary Drama Classroom space)
Live Webex option available to regional/rural attendees only.
Cost: Free and accessible to all current 2024 DramaWest Members.

Who should attend?
This workshop will be ideal for anyone that is seeking to add to their toolbox of skills and approaches going forward in the Primary Drama classroom.

This might include those who are:
Generalist primary classroom teachers or relief teachers that delve into the drama space here and there.
New or reasonably new to teaching primary drama
Anyone, both experienced and beginning, that would like to network and extend your professional learning in this space.

We encourage you to reach out to any teaching colleagues to let them know about this valuable upcoming opportunity to work with fellow primary drama teachers and an extraordinary practitioner in this area.

Want to find out more or register?
More information and all registration details will be published via our socials, emails and website very soon!

Until then, ensure that your membership is up to date by visiting (registration will be available via the DramaWest member’s portal only): https://dramawest.com/shop/membership

In the meantime, you are also very welcome to reach out to the DramaWest team to check in via [email protected]

We cannot wait to welcome our primary community to this event,
The 2024 DramaWest Committee

Our 2024 DramaWest Good Answers Guide is now available for pre-order!

Featuring good answers from the 2023 ATAR Drama WACE Written Examination, this publication will provide students and teachers with invaluable student sample responses and annotations based on the new ATAR Drama Syllabus written examination brief. The Good Answers Guide resource is the perfect assistant in guiding students as they navigate through written examination preparation and encapsulates a variety of ideas and response styles for the different creative team roles and set texts from the latest syllabus.

You can pre-order either 1 or 2 copies, or head to the bulk to pre-order form to order 3 or more (especially handy for ordering a class set for students!).
Pre-order 1-2 copies: https://dramawest.com/shop/good-answers-guides/pre-order
Pre-order 3 or more copies: https://dramawest.com/shop/bulk-order/2024-written-examination/pre-order

Pre-order delivery timeline:
We are hoping to be able to distribute the pre-order deliveries mid-Term 2 and will update all pre-orders when we have a confirmed timeline.

Delivery will occur via express parcel postage to your nominated order address.

Why should you pre-order?
This will ensure that you will get your delivery earlier as part of the first round of distribution and that you can secure the amount of copies that you want to order.

Once printing has occurred, pre-orders will close and general orders will open up, however, leaving your order to this point may result in a later distribution to you or potentially missing out on securing stock. There will be a capped number of additional publications printed for ordering.

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Previous 2019 to 2021 Written and Practical Good Answers Guides
These are now available to all DramaWest 2024 current members via our new online member’s portal: https://dramawest.com/member/home

Haven’t updated your 2024 Membership yet? Follow this link to update your membership to access this member’s portal: https://dramawest.com/shop/membership

Please note that these previous Good Answer Guide publications are based on the old SCSA ATAR Drama Syllabus and examination briefs. The current SCSA ATAR Drama syllabus and examination brief should be consulted in conjunction with the use of these previous resources: https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/drama

We are over the moon to share this resource with you all,
The 2024 DramaWest Committee

A wonderful article on the power of puppetry! ✨

This article explores the impact of puppets when looking to make classrooms and education inclusive and safe. Some interesting ideas and reminders of the powerful tools we have to break down barriers through dramatic practices. Check it out here: https://blog.aare.edu.au/why-a-puppet-can-change-your-school-for-good/?unapproved=234210&moderation-hash=45f4b838a8f9a0e5deef1018012ccc1b -234210

Psst...Our new DramaWest website is now live!

It is with great excitement that we announce that our new DramaWest website is now live: dramawest.com

This website features new and improved ways to:
- Complete your annual membership renewal.
- Share, access and order resources.
- Keep track of important news and updates.
- Register for professional learning and networking events.

Member's Portal:
In keeping our members at the heart of what we do, the new website features a member's portal. Here, active members can access a variety of resources and exclusive information that is all-inclusive of your yearly membership. The portal will continue to grow as we generate more resources, and it will also enable you to keep your details up-to-date, from year-to-year.

Immersing in the new website:
In the coming days, all active 2024 DramaWest members will receive automated emails welcoming you to the membership community and informing you of how to set up your membership portal log in.
If you still need to update your membership for 2024, you can do so via our new website. You will then also receive this automated email: https://dramawest.com/shop/membership
We highly suggest that you set your member's portal up and log in to check and update or fill in your details.

As your membership comes to a close each year, you will receive friendly reminder emails and will then be able to renew your membership in a much more efficient and automated way.

One more exciting announcement:
Our 2024 DramaWest Written Good Answers Guide is now available for pre-ordering (based on 2023 Written Examination).
You can place your pre-order via our new website: https://dramawest.com/shop/good-answers-guides/pre-order

We are predicating that the publication will be available ready for delivery approximately mid-Term 2.

Experiencing a glitch in your experience with our new website?
Please reach out to us via [email protected]
We are more than happy to assist you with your experience or take on board your feedback/suggestions as we navigate through this first public phase of the new website platform.

We hope that you enjoy this new interactive website and we cannot wait to announce more updates in the coming week regarding our first Primary Professional Learning event for 2024 that will take place early in Term 2.

Wishing you all a magical conclusion to Term 1,

The 2024 DramaWest Committee

ADEM (Australian Drama Education Magazine) The Australian Drama Education Magazine (ADEM) is a free digital publication for Drama Australia members. Statement of Purpose ADEM is a practice-based publication for teachers in Early Childhood, Primary, Middle & Senior School, and Tertiary, as well as for drama practitioners. ADEM aims to provide...

✨ The DramaWest Committee and community would like to extend a special thank you to Felicity and Brooke.

After 5 years of inspirational leadership, Brooke steps into the role of DramaWest Drama Australia Liaison Officer (DALO). We wish Brooke all the very best as she embarks on her 2024 journey in this new role.

Flic is taking flight into other opportunities in 2024, after an admirable long service and dedication to DramaWest in a variety of committee roles. We will miss your gorgeous calm nature, passion and insightfulness at our meetings dearly!

These two leading lights have made an ever-lasting contribution to DramaWest in their roles, and we are truly grateful for their contributions, creativity and sheer talent to see DW through even the toughest of setbacks!

Thank you 🧡💙

✨Introducing our 2024 DramaWest Committee!
Congratulations, and a heartfelt thank you in advance for your dedication and support. We'll be bringing our amazing DW community more 2024 updates after our very first committee meeting next week 🧡

Have you registered for our upcoming Annual General Meeting on Saturday 24 February?

For those attending, or for anyone who may be interested in coming along, click on the link below for all booking information, logistics and a map to assist you with where to head when you arrive at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

It also includes key information for our post-AGM workshop, networking and performance attendees.

Bookings are essential 🎟

We hope to see you there on Saturday to join our DramaWest community to kick-start 2024 🧡

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b_GRriyzpZze55hZtEuTQQSYprlnEbh8/view?usp=drive_link

Wednesday is your final chance to book for our incredible February professional learning workshops that are taking place in collaboration with Perth Festival in conjunction with our 2024 AGM.

The professional learning experience includes a catered post-workshop networking session on the beautiful His Majesty's Theatre VIP Circle bar and a ticket to see 'FOOD' with Perth Festival.

There are limited places left, so get in quick to secure your spot via the link below! ✨✨

2024 DramaWest AGM + PL Industry Workshops, Networking Event and Show - in collaboration with Perth Festival | Humanitix Register on Humanitix - 2024 DramaWest AGM + PL Industry Workshops, Networking Event and Show - in collaboration with Perth Festival. The Art Gallery of Western Australia | AGWA, Perth Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Saturday 24th February 2024. Find event information.

✨Friday 2 February (COB) is your final chance to book for our incredible February professional learning workshops that are taking place in collaboration with Perth Festival in conjunction with our 2024 AGM.

The professional learning experience includes a catered post-workshop networking session on the beautiful His Majesty's Theatre VIP Circle bar and a ticket to see 'FOOD' with Perth Festival.

There are limited places left, so get in quick to secure your spot via the link below! ⏳

2024 DramaWest AGM + PL Industry Workshops, Networking Event and Show - in collaboration with Perth Festival | Humanitix Register on Humanitix - 2024 DramaWest AGM + PL Industry Workshops, Networking Event and Show - in collaboration with Perth Festival. The Art Gallery of Western Australia | AGWA, Perth Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Saturday 24th February 2024. Find event information.

Have you booked your tickets to our upcoming 'DramaWest + Perth Fest.' collaboration that offers an immersive professional learning and production experience?

Get in quick to secure your spot, as tickets are selling fast!

On Saturday 24 February, 2024, after we wrap up our DramaWest Annual General Meeting at the Art Galley of WA, in partnership with Perth Festival, we will be offering post-AGM Perth Festival industry professional learning workshops at the Blueroom Theatre, followed by a sundowner networking event at His Majesty's Theatre VIP Circle Bar AND an immersive theatrical experience with Perth Festival's production of 'Food'!

We welcome our whole DramaWest community to the 2024 AGM, however, tickets for the post-AGM all-inclusive 'DramaWest + Perth Fest.' partnership package are limited, so get in fast to secure your spot!

Our DramaWest website is currently under an exciting re-construction, but never fear, if you click here, you can secure your spot for the AGM and/or the whole package:

https://events.humanitix.com/dramawest-2024-agm-in-collaboration-with-perth-festival

Please note that all invoices are required to be paid by Friday 2 February in order to secure your spot.

⭐️ Reminder: 2024 State Conference Registration & Workshop Selctions ⭐️

Don’t forget to register and complete your workshop selections for our 2024 State Conference ‘Momentum’!

Follow the link below to select your choices:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpNBF1oySRNvDLeURbBbJBXTZ39RpB1WdZ8HiNSdR6reREtw/viewform

And if you are yet to register for the conference, tap on this link to secure your ticket:

DramaWest 2023 State Conference - Momentum DramaWest 2023 State Conference - Momentum .

DramaWest 2024 State Conference Keynote speaker: Shona Erskine

Dr. Shona Erskine is a dance practitioner and Registered Psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the Australian contemporary dance scene. Her current arts practice is a unique mix of contemporary dance and psychology. Among other roles, Shona coaches senior leaders in the skills of creative leadership and leads workshops on the neuroscience of creative practice, spanning corporate, not-for-profit and creative sectors.

Shona's keynote will focus on how teachers can help groups think creatively and achieve the best solutions to the problems they are grappling with. The presentation will take a bird’s eye view of a whole process that outlines factors to consider and actions to take.

For those of you with sticky problems to solve creatively we need to master techniques. And this is where neuroscience research comes into play. Researchers have developed science-based creativity techniques that are simple and can be applied immediately. These techniques generate an increase in creativity thinking and outcomes for groups.

As part of the keynote, delegates will be provided with a Companion Document which contains information on the skills, what they look like in practice, and some questions to consider as you design your own creative problem-solving processes.

⭐️ The 2023 Conference at a Glance ⭐️

Follow the link on our website to browse the program:
https://dramawestblog.wordpress.com/

The countdown for the DramaWest 2023 State Conference “Momentum” is officially on!

We look forward to seeing you on the 2nd of December 🎭✨

Click here to register your ticket:

DramaWest 2023 State Conference - Momentum DramaWest 2023 State Conference - Momentum .