UK Trip 2016

英國戲劇交流團2016

Shakespeare Theater and drama education
英國莎士比亞及戲劇教育之旅2016
 
24/7/2016 – 6/8/2016
 
Works of Shakespeare and the development of drama education in the UK are the focus of this two-week trip. Visiting different organization, museum and theatre has given the group a lot of inspiration. The followings are the highlights of the trip.
 

適逢莎士比亞逝世400週年，本會計劃帶領教育同工們遠赴英國，感受濃厚的藝術氣氛，到訪莎士比亞的故居斯特拉福、充滿古老建築的愛丁堡、約克等，到當地劇院觀看國際級水準的歌劇，進深同工的藝術觸覺。

 
  • Kendal, a small town in the Lake District
 
Kendal Yarns – Festival of New Plays, held by Kendal Community Theater Company, was a local function that Kendal residents of all ages could participate as an actor/actress, playwright or director. 
 
Plays were performed during the festival in different places in Kendal, such as library, art center, town hall and etc. 
Despite of not being professional or having any acting experience, the participants still put on a great show and had a lot of fun.
 
  • Stratford-upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare the greatest English poet and playwright was born and raised.
 
The tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace gave us imagination of how this poet’s life was like back to hundreds of years.
 
His grave in Trinity Church reminded us how much English people value their national poet.
 
The theater operated by the Royal Shakespeare Company has provided us an opportunity to watch the plays written by Shakespeare in an authentic traditional theater.
 
The setting and characters of Hamlet (left) and Cymbeline (right) are modernized to a certain level as works of Shakespeare are regarded as everlasting in the eye of English people.
 
  • Visiting Sainsbury’s Singer for their rehearsal of the musical
 
Sainsbury’s Singer, a local singing and acting group that aims to bring the performing art enthusiasts in the community together. None of the member get paid for running and performing, yet they enjoy doing what they do and show us a professional attitude towards performance.
 
  • Sharing from a secondary school drama teacher
 
Marek, a local drama teacher shared some insights regarding the drama education in the UK, expressing his enthusiastic love for drama and teaching. We learned that how British value their culture and art. Despite the growing importance of academic result in England, Drama and other art subjects should never be diminished, according to Marek. 
 
  • Visit to the Dartmouth house, the headquarter of the international historical non-government organization English Speaking Union (ESU)
 
ESU focuses on educational charity, building students’ confident and critical thinking through debating, public speaking and a variety range of competitions. National Shakespeare Competition is one of the highlights of the charity organization. Participants from all around the United Kingdom would gather and compete by doing monologue or duologue, choosing from one of their greatest dramatist Shakespeare. We learned the way they run the competition and the fact that the education curriculum requires every students to study Shakespeare’s works in their English lessons. 
 
  • Shakespeare Globe Theater
 
Exhibition and tour
 
  • Piccadilly Theatre in London 
 
 
Jersey Boys, a musical about the story of the famous rock band, Four Seasons. 
 
Conclusion
The connection between Drama and life of English people
 
 
Popular among all ages
 
Going to the theater is common as a leisure and social activity in all walks of lives. Students can get in touch with drama in their early age in school and as we drive to here and there, lots of theaters can be found during the ride. We can see that drama is something that has been merged to English people’s daily life.
 
Usual means to link up the community
 
Cases of Kendal Yarns and Sainsbury’s singer got us to realize that drama can actually link up the community as it requires a lot of personnel involved to put on a show. The bonding and relationship of the society could thus be established. Drama could be also promoted to the general public during the process of gathering the community and performing to the public. 
 
“Art is an effort to create beside the real world, a more human world.” Hope that drama could bring more people together and get to show its power.