Local schools praise student workshop

13 June 2006

NEWI’s Theatre and Performance students didn’t get the chance to rest after performing at the Wrexham Arts Festival last month as they have had a number of local infant and primary schools visiting NEWI to see the play and take part in a related educational workshop.

Elen Mai Nefydd, lecturer on NEWI’s Theatre and Performance degree and director of the show, has been delighted by the response the play has received. “A lot of hard work went into writing and producing the play but it has had such a positive response from everyone that has seen it that it has all been worthwhile. It has been a real learning experience both for my students who have grown in confidence and have enjoyed performing the play and all the children that have watched it.”

The 12 second year students created the play entitled ‘Small Creatures’ as part of their degree as well as an educational workshop relating to the performance which they put on last week. The play which was aimed at primary school children explained how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly and describes the characteristics of a number of other insects along the way who all help to explain how change happens to everything. The educational workshop taught the children a bit about the creative process involved in designing the play including mime and dance as well as reinforcing the lessons of the science of metamorphosis that they had learnt through watching the play.

The play and workshop as well as the students involved have received a lot of positive feedback from the schools; with many thinking that it was an excellent show that had been really educational for the children. Mrs Young, the head teacher at Holt Primary School said “The production entertained the children with a mix of acting, music and dance. The characters accurately depicted mini-beasts and there was a good balance of knowledge the children knew and new information. The whole activity was well planned and appropriate for the children. It was definitely a valuable and enjoyable experience.”