Getting Everyone Involved!

Pioneering theatre company Chickenshed believes that there is a place for everyone

For over 30 years, North London theatre company Chickenshed has been providing opportunities for young people of all ages, backgrounds, races and abilities to participate in theatre activities.

Using a unique process that harnesses the creativity of every individual, the company's musical theatre productions are consistent successes, proving that anyone can thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome.

It's important to be inclusive. Everyone must be interested in the performance, inspired by it and connected to it. Chickenshed unites performance and teaching. The performers are teachers, and the teachers are often performers. Students are constantly exposed to examples of enthusiastic, high-quality performance and performers, and being inspired by them. Dramatic performance is demonstrated in workshops, with children and students encouraged to create their own versions.

No piece of direction is ever just given without the unique input of the child or student added to it. And acting is never just acting - it's reacting and interacting!

Bring out the best

Chickenshed believes that acting and drama are not about 'main parts' and 'supporting casts'. The inclusive creative process means that Hamlet needs his fellow cast members just as much as they need him. This means that there are no 'more important' or 'less important' parts, only vital contributions to the whole piece from everyone.

Sometimes we can become obsessed by whether one person's creative contribution is better or worse than someone else's. At Chickenshed, education courses are a fair as possible and aim to pick up on abilities that might be missed. The main point is to celebrate and encourage the widest and most different forms of creative ability.

Secrets for success

Chickenshed's advice to teachers of any subject is quite radical: use performing arts and drama in everything. We all think in pictures and learn through communication, so we think performing arts is the best learning tool for creating pictures and promoting communication. Take advantage of inclusive opportunities in your groups. Try working across age groups - Year 6 supporting Reception, Year 11 supporting Year 7. This mentoring benefits everyone, complementing the work they do in their own age groups. To encourage groups to connect to a scene, you almost need a 'reaction' script as well as an action script. Avoid too many 'routines' in dance work and encourage individuals to explore their own ways of moving.

Split parts if necessary to create more opportunities, and create characters around the individual communication styles of the participants - one might talk a lot, one might mime, one might echo words, one might sign and one might finish off people's sentences. This is what acting and performance has always been, when we allow the discipline to breathe; the acting to throw off its chains and genuinely involve everyone. Chickenshed's groups do this with amazing results.

That concept of 'everyone' is there in your classroom - release it and enjoy the creativity.

Words: Paul Morrall, Director of Education & Outreach, Chickenshed

Take Note:

Chickenshed builds teamwork and inclusivity into all its work to create inspiring holistic performances. It runs workshops with schools, a BTEC National Diploma and a Foundation Degree in Inclusive Performing Arts. For more information, including videos of past performances and details of its shows and tours, visit here.