RECENTLY, I visited the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in north-east Johannesburg, South Africa.
It caters for children from Grade Zero to upper primary.
Every Saturday, children between Grade Zero and upper primary spend time at this centre.
There are no entry requirements to this academy, no special requirements except the child’s interest.
Children enter the academy any time of the school year, as long as there is a vacancy, their background or experience in drama is not an issue.
This I found fascinating because what it means is that the programme is flexible enough to take in and accommodate each child regardless of his/her background in drama, whatever experience he/she brings, at any point of the programme in the year.
There are no pre-requisite courses no matter what level the child comes in at, thus the child who comes in whenever there is room, will never be out of place, will never feel out of place.
In accommodating each child, they make each one of them feel special, which is the first step in getting the best out of anyone.
Such flexibility in programming means there are multi-levels within each grade, so that each newcomer can pick up the reins at the level he/she is at entry.
This multi-level structuring allows each child to progress as best as he/she can, according to the level of development of each of their intelligences, their response to stimuli and the effort each puts into activities, whether this be in their linguistic, bodily kinesthetics, musical, intra-personal or inter-personal skills, the intelligences mostly called upon in drama and related activities.
In their own words: “We’re a place where all our students, from the shy to the outgoing, can develop at their own pace, with plenty of positive encouragement. The Academy’s aim is to bring out the inner ‘star’ in all its students!”
Doesn’t this sound like paradise?
The paradise we dream of when we are in theory of education classes, that each child is endowed with all the nine intelligences, the level of development for each intelligence differing per individual and that these will develop dependent on the stimuli they receive and the effort each child puts into its learning activities (Multiple Intelligences Theory).
In school, they teach us that children are active meaning-makers, their creative and spontaneous ingenuity should be given every opportunity to flower, that development should not be forced because there is an intrinsic drive in children and this should be nurtured so the child can reach his/her fullest potential.
We are also taught that children should be allowed to flower and not be railroaded into some misconceptions of who they truly are.
Well and good, but what happens when we hit the ground and the landing is not so soft?
Even pre-school children are compared, they get prizes for beating everyone else, they are ranked, already so early in life, contrary to who they are.
But at this drama school, it is different; there is no ranking, no competition, instead, everything is done to involve each child to the utmost. To stimulate them, the children are immersed in various activities, such as storytelling, improvisation, devised theatre and play, mime and dance.
Creativity is maximised, instead of prescribing lines for children to memorise. Children create their own stories. What they get are broad guidelines such as ‘An accident at work’, the rest of the story is up to them, the whole drama is their creation.
Isn’t this paradise?
What limits our potential as education professionals and those of the children we teach is that everybody, everything is choreographed to a particular end — exams.
Whatever you do, even the littlest ones will be examined and everything is subjected to this — there is no escape.
But among these children are poets, clowns, actors, dancers, singers, drummers or marimba players, the list is long but if the end goals are narrowed to exams, how will we ever know and learn of the individual potential in each child, the special nuances each is endowed with?
How will we ever discover these varied intelligences, these capacities?
Allow the children to show you who they are, what they are, what they are endowed with, let the children draw the road map to their excellence.
This is the pedagogy at this drama academy. Children are not put through exams; each child is given plenty of opportunities to develop and showcase his/her abilities.
Certificates are given to mark years of participation. When a child clocks two years, three years, and so on, this is not in any way a form of grading.
What this says to the children is: We work with you to achieve the best that you are and we are assured you have accomplished something special. Isn’t it paradise to learn without being judged?
This does not mean that children are not taught. The teachers are very busy working with each child, exploring each child’s abilities, providing all the necessary stimuli for development, and nurturing them to give their best.
The children create, they laugh, they enjoy, they develop, they are home, they are at peace.
The teachers know each child so well, they are friends with the children. The children are not afraid of anything, they can never fail, they can only soar.