Crowdsourcing Your Production

Theater in Education gets frequent requests how to fund drama and theater projects. Grant proposals, arm-twisting and begging usually work, but why not try crowdsourcing? Develop your project, put it on social media, and watch the funding come in. You have to use your network (and get as many people to post it as well), but it really works!

Comparison between Kickstater and Indiegogo:

http://pando.com/2013/10/14/infographic-kickstarter-vs-indiegogo/

Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/ or Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/

There Were Two Brothers by Mark Kydd

Theater in Education and Traveling Teachers is very excited to be a part of theater in Scotland!  TiE and TT has made a contribution to the work of Mark Kydd www.markkydd.co.uk, Edinburgh-based writer, producer and actor.  There Were Two Brothers is a genuine, reflective piece that reflects the values of Theater in Education and promotes independent theater.  The performance premiered at Glasgay!


MarkTrailerTWTB1a from Dermot McLaughlin-Producer on Vimeo.

TWTB=Indie from Dermot McLaughlin-Producer on Vimeo.

Turkish-Armenian Cross-Cultural Drama Project - former English Language Fellows to Turkey and Armenia

The power of theater to engage groups to build bridges and cultivate friendships across cultures and borders never ceases to amaze us.  

The EL Fellow in Armenia (and Traveling Teacher contributor) and EL Fellow in Turkey started discussing and planning a play that their students could present in middle-ground Georgia. The play material metaphorically represented the current situation as both groups arrived as "strangers" in a new town who ultimately cultivated lasting friendships. Both groups started rehearsing faithfully to prepare their versions of the play and a surprise ending. Regional English Officer (RELO) Frances Westbrook was very supportive of the project and worked hard to ensure its success. The play was presented at the Georgian Literary Museum to a group of English students, EL Fellows and the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) from the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.

“Poetry is the Heart of Mine” – the life of Georgian poet Terenti Graneli

Elene Changelia, a teacher of English in the Republic of Georgia, was participating in a teacher-training program in the Samegrelo region of Georgia. Ms. Changelia wrote an original dramatic performance about the life of renowned Georgian poet Terenti Graneli (in English) which had already been performed by her students (and extremely well received in Samegrelo, Georgia). With the help of a proponent of theater in education, the play was performed again with support and attendance by representatives of the US Embassy/Tbilisi. Under Ms. Changelia’s direction, students once again shined in a brilliant performance for an enthusiastic audience in Zugdidi, Georgia.

NEW! ESL/EFL plays for your classroom and teaching guides for movies (PLEASANTVILLE and BANNED MOVIE AND BOOK GUIDE up first)

We're working on building and writing real plays for you to use in your classroom, and are launching new teaching guides and lesson plans for movies.

Our first lesson plan, focusing on writing and reading, is PLEASANTVILLE.  Excellent for older teenagers and younger adults, the film discusses many topics, from censorship to racism, and can be used in nearly any classroom.

The banned movie and book guide is a good cross-reference to get your students to watch the movie AND read the book.

Pleasantville Teaching Guide (Reading and Writing)
Banned Movie and Book Guide

Visit americanenglish.state.gov and http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ from the British Council at your service

http://americanenglish.state.gov/ and http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ from the British Council provide excellent and free resources for drama, theater and material.