Peter Slade

There does exist a Child Drama, which is of exquisite beauty and is a high Art Form in its own right. It should be recognised, respected and protected. (Slade, 1954, p.68)

• The teacher 'a loving ally'
• The teacher suggested 'what', children created 'how'.
• The teacher is the gardener 'watering the flower' (the teacher should not disrupt the play of the children)
• Distinguished between personal and projected play.
• Theatrical values of secondary importance.

 

The Sixties

Brian Way

Drama is concerned with individuals; drama is concerned with the individuality of individuals, with the uniqueness of each human essence. (Way, p.3)

• Combined a sensitive and intuitive approach with an anti-establishement stance.
• Stressed the 'uniqueness of the individual' - a child centred approach.
• Stressed also the development of the child through drama
• Tried to apply the individual development of each child to whole group situations.
• Idealistic - everything depended on the readiness of the child.

 

The Seventies

Dorothy Heathcote

Drama is about shattering the human experience into new understanding. It uses the facts but, in addition, it fuses the new understanding all the time. (Heathcote, p.120)

• Advocated a detached and distance approach where children could consider universal truths in the drama.
• Children should form a new understanding through their dramatic experience.
• The teacher has the responsibility of facilitating the experience with the children.

 

The Eighties

Gavin Bolton

Ultimately, drama is concerned with engaging with something outside of oneself. (Bolton 1984, p.154)

• Drama creates an opportunity of knowing from 'inside'.
• There are multi-layers of meaning for participants.
• Argued three layers of meaning existed in drama - the 'represented' meaning, the 'universal' meaning and the 'personal' meaning.
• Allowed children to share with him in the planning of the content of the drama.

 

The Nineties

Cecily O'Neill

(Teachers) must be prepared to build on the knowledge and experience which pupils bring with them to the work and they must value their pupils contributions to the lesson more than their own. To some extent, they must be prepared to put themselves in their pupils' hands while retaining the functions, duties and responsibilities of the teacher. (O'Neill and Lambert 1984, p.21)

• Established the idea of 'pre-text' and 'process drama'.
• Build on the work of Heathcote and Bolton

References

Bolton, G. (1984). Drama as Education. London: Longman.

Heathcote, D. (1984). Dorothy Heathcote: Collected Writings on Education and Drama. London: Hutchinson.

O'Neill, C. & Lambert, A. (1984). Drama Structures: A Practical Handbook for Teachers. London:Hutchinson.

Slade, P. (1954). Child Drama. London: London University Press.