Interactive Storytelling & Process Drama Masterclass - Sunday Session

Join us at Shoonya Bangalore for an innovative masterclass and experiential workshop led by Barry Stewart Mann designed to empower educators and arts practitioners to create dynamic, interactive learning environments that foster holistic development and a deeper appreciation for storytelling and process drama in education.

CONTACT:

Surekha Dey Founder / Director iDEA

Call or WhatsApp at +91 8848673884

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn practical techniques for integrating process drama into teaching practices through hands-on activities. Discover how storytelling can enhance learning experiences with Barry's dynamic approach and extensive experience, promising a transformative learning experience for all attendees. Theatre artists, storytellers, arts practitioners, educators, and the public will explore the power of storytelling and process drama in education.

Barry Stewart Mann, a Harvard University graduate with an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of San Diego, has captivated audiences across the USA and internationally at festivals, libraries, schools, camps, and beyond. He has led classes, workshops, and residencies for diverse groups of all ages and backgrounds. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Barry will be conducting his Fulbright-Specialist Workshop on Storytelling and Drama for Teaching and Learning for the first time in India.

Barry's dynamic approach and extensive experience will provide participants with practical techniques for creating engaging and educational storytelling and drama sessions. Educators will leave the workshop equipped with innovative strategies to foster holistic development in their students and a deeper appreciation for the power of storytelling and process drama in education. This masterclass and experiential workshop offer theatre artists, storytellers, arts practitioners, educators, and members of the public a unique opportunity to explore the transformative potential of storytelling and process drama in teaching and learning. Participants will learn how to incorporate and integrate both storytelling and process drama.

• What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning?

Storytelling offers a fun, relevant, and enjoyable context for language exposure, helping children become familiar with the sounds, rhythm, and intonation allowing them to engage in the discovery and construction of meaning supported by visuals, mime, gesture, voice, and characterisation. 

Stories serve as a foundation for activities that promote language development, cognitive skills, positive attitudes, and cultural appreciation and are a powerful way of communicating ideas; they signpost our experiences, make sense of what we know, and create continuity. Educators will gain practical techniques for engaging students in storytelling sessions, boosting their motivation, confidence, and self-esteem as they learn to understand, retell, act out, and create their own stories.

This multi-sensory educational tool not only enriches language learning but also enhances learning strategies and critical thinking skills such as predicting, hypothesising, guessing, and inferring meaning which play a crucial role in developing concentration skills and aspects of emotional intelligence, including empathy and the ability to relate to others. 

Through this workshop, educators will learn to use storytelling as a catalyst for a variety of activities that enhance language development, cognitive skills, positive attitudes, and citizenship, while fostering an appreciation for diverse cultures. They will discover how storytelling can be effectively integrated across curricula, including history, social sciences, and natural sciences. By encouraging students to place ideas in a broader context, storytelling provides a richer understanding and durable memory. Role-play and dramatic scenarios help deepen conceptual understanding and connect existing knowledge with new ideas. Ultimately, storytelling nurtures essential life skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, and a lifelong passion for learning, while significantly boosting students' motivation, confidence, and self-esteem as they develop their abilities to understand, retell, act out, and create their own stories.

• Process Drama Across Curricula

Process drama is a dynamic educational tool that involves participants in improvised, unscripted drama activities designed to reflect real-life situations. This method encourages active engagement, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration among students.

Research shows that process drama can be seamlessly integrated across various subjects to enhance learning. In history, students might reenact historical events, gaining a deeper understanding of the motivations and experiences of people from different time periods. In social studies, role-playing can help students explore complex social issues, developing empathy and a broader perspective on global cultures and conflicts. In science, dramatic scenarios can simulate real-world scientific challenges, encouraging students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical, often collaborative, problem-solving contexts.

By immersing students in these interactive and imaginative scenarios, process drama helps them grasp complex concepts more profoundly. It moves beyond traditional rote learning, allowing students to internalize and apply knowledge in meaningful ways. Additionally, this approach nurtures emotional intelligence, helping students develop empathy and an ability to see from multiple viewpoints advancing concentration, empathy, and social skills.