Volume 1 Number 30
Hi Folks,
Kim's Drama Blog
Well, I got off the plane from Brisbane about an hour ago. What
an amazing week. The Drama Australia National Conference was held
in Brisbane and hosted by Drama Queensland. I just want to start
this week by thanking all the Drama Queensland committee and helpers for
a wonderful week. And all the Drama Australia committee for
the support they showed me during the week.
I have decided to stand down from committee responsibilities for the
coming year and will miss being part of such a dynamic group.
I presented my workshop "Cyborgs, Improv and Digital Drama
in the Classroom" on Thursday and had a very large group of
people turn up. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, the
technology caused a few problems and we were unable to do the hands on
component. Nevermind, anyone who attended is welcome to check out
the Activeworlds Educational Universe (http://www.activeworlds.com/edu),
download the browser and have a tinker and play with the
environment. I'm happy to share my ideas and if you'd like to meet
in the environment just drop me an email
and tee up a time.
I had a great time at the conference, and had some really interesting
sessions with Helen Cahill on partnerships between pre-service teachers
and school students, Erica McWilliam and Brad Haseman really entertained
and challenged with their keynote addresses on Thursday, and Wesley
Enoch's keynote on Friday provided for me a personal revelation that has
me thinking deeply about the direction my future holds. John
Carroll and Hayley Linthwaite gave us some great insight into the
potential for technology in Drama Education (Thanks Tim and Basil for
keeping schtum about the process you've been involved with ;-(
... just down the road and I didn't hear a word about the
"cabbage" and the rest of the work... would loved to have seen
how it developed!)
The closing performance by Queensland drama students and Zen Zen Zo
as part of the XL-D production based on the best selling Mayne
Inheritance was an astounding piece of physical theatre, a chilling
story of one of Brisbane's early "founding"
families. Personally, I thought it needed a little editing
in a few scenes, but only a little. I'd be happy to have classes
generate even a few minutes of the type of work that was presented.
Planning is already underway for the Drama Australia 2004 Conference
in CANBERRA.
Commedia Masks
Discussion List Issues
Very little on the list this week.
LESSON/ACTIVITY IDEA
STARTING TO STRUGGLE FOR IDEAS - PLEASE
SUBMIT SOME LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES I CAN SHARE WITH THE READERSHIP!!!
It's nearly midnight and I was up at 5 am in Brisbane today - now
I'm back herein Perth... I don't know what to write about this week...
so please my call for contributions is genuine... days like this would
be much easier if I had a little repository of lessons and activities
from you guys to share.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
Transient Company is a
company which creates and tours movement based performance.
Physical theatre, mask,
mime, & contemporary dance are focused into powerful theatre which
is engaging, spontaneous and timeless in appeal. The company has
toured consistently over eight years, developing works for
experimental, festival, metropolitan and regional venues.
Transient brings together
the experience of a partnership between Julieanne Hansen & Tony
Kishawi.
-
ABOUT
DRAMA QUEENSLAND
Drama Queensland is committed to providing
professional support to drama teachers and other drama educators in
Queensland through publications, professional development,
curriculum support, networking and advocacy.
PROFESSIONAL NEWS
Just to let you know that Juliana Saxton and Carole Miller
have
extended the final date for proposals for the IDEA 2004 Congress to
October 20th. This is partly to accommodate us, given the date of our
DA conference. This will enable us to promote the IDEA 2004 Congress
in Brisbane and to talk amongst ourselves about ideas for
papers
and workshops for Ottowa!
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
- There were many wonderful resources presented at the Drama
Australia Conference - including Madonna Stinson's book "Dramactive",
a new CDROM from Drama Queensland, Transient Theatre, Evolve
Productions and much more. I thoroughly advise keeping an eye
on the Drama Queensland site for the special conference edition of
the conference proceedings.
THE
MAYNE INHERITANCE
This is the book that inspired the XL-D performance I mentioned
above.
Rosamond Siemon tells the story of the mysterious Mayne family,
original owners of Moorlands (still towering over Coronation Drive) and
much of the Brisbane CBD and donors of the land for University of
Queensland. Based on murder, money and madness, their inheritance
involved guilty secrets and good intentions, and ended in ostracism and
loneliness.
Opening with a macabre mid-nineteenth century murder,
The Mayne Inheritance unfolds like a gothic thriller.
Was it the murder victim's money that founded patriarch Patrick
Mayne's Queen Street business empire? And were the whispered accusations
true?
It might prompt you to start looking for the untold stories of your
home.
More information about the story can be found here
ALSO AVAILABLE
eBOOKS - Can be downloaded immediately - A
full listing of available eBooks.
Kim Flintoff
Copyright © September, 2004
