There’s a storyteller in each one of us, and the entire world is our stage. Hands-on Rhetoric and Dramatics workshops for Students of TonsBridge Residential School at the Young Creators Programme by Earthlab Club focused on nurturing confidence, critical thinking, and structured argumentation in the students. The workshops were guided by Mr. M.H. Farooqui, whose career spans over three decades. He has held positions as Housemaster, Head of Department, and Theatre-in-Charge at The Doon School and currently heads the critical thinking and writing centre at The Doon School. He has significantly impacted theatre, education, and literature, leveraging theatre and creative writing for positive change.
Rhetoric Workshop
The rhetoric workshop was attended by all the junior sections, where the students were introduced to the basics of communication and storytelling. To make the stories more relatable and meaningful, students were encouraged to draw inspiration from family, friends, and real-life experiences, blending it with their imagination.
The workshop began by introducing students to key elements of a story like context, characters, structure, plot, and more. As students worked in groups to develop their own skits and scripts from prompts and scenarios given to them, they learned to understand different viewpoints, work together, and create something unique.
The stories created by the students were later developed and brought to life by the Dramatics Club participants. The Rhetoric Club workshops honed their public speaking abilities, writing, and debating skills, making them confident in self-expression and providing a fun, interactive way to explore their creativity.
Dramatics Workshop
Drama and theatre have been an inseparable part of human history, from ancient Greece to Sanskrit texts written eons ago, we find evidence of theatrical performances. The Dramatics Club equips students with confidence and expression through performing, scriptwriting, and directing, building essential communication skills.
A study by the Educational Theatre Association reports that students who engage in theatre activities develop emotional regulation and public speaking skills, which are a key to leadership and confidence.
Building on this, the Young Creators Programme at TonsBridge Residential School conducted theatre workshops, providing students with hands-on experience in acting, scriptwriting, and performance. As stated above, the Dramatics Club, in collaboration with the Rhetoric Club, develops and brings to life one of the scripts.
Under the guidance of Mr. M.H. Farooqui students first worked on developing a compelling narrative from the selected piece. They later learned about key elements of theatre like voice modulation, vowel and consonant clarity, mind-body control, stage presence, blocking, and stage movements, mastering the art of storytelling through physicality and expression.
As students delved into improvisation tactics, they embraced being quick on their feet to adapt accordingly. Conducted in group settings, these activities fostered a sense of teamwork, collaboration, and coordination in the students. The students performed their refined skit as a mini-production, showcasing their hard work and talent in front of other clubs. The success of this performance was a testament to the commitment and creativity of students from both the Rhetoric and Dramatics Clubs. Curated by Earthlab Club, these Rhetoric and Dramatics workshops provided students with an enriching, multifaceted experience that fostered personal growth, self-expression, team collaboration, and an appreciation for the complexities of storytelling, theatre, and performance.
Interested in bringing such creative workshops to your school? Reach out to Earthlab Club today:
📩 Email: info@earthlab.club
📲 WhatsApp: 999701466