This year for CAS Drama, we partnered with a retirement home and created a number of short skits reflecting stories shared by their residents. We began the year with drama games every week at school then explored ethnography and how to share, document and act out our own stories, and the sensitivities and care needed in this process. Then we visited the retirement home to talk with the elders and we collected fascinating stories about their experiences. This allowed us to learn about their lives and think about the privileges we have today. It also helped us to form meaningful connections with some incredible people.
Back at school, we spent Term 3 turning their stories into short plays, which we then pieced together and rehearsed. We returned and performed this for them. The residents had the option to join us on stage in their role, and in one case this happened, and it was great, involving quite a bit of improvisation. The elders were really excited when we came back and loved our performances about their lives. Their laughter and their thanks afterwards made us feel like we had done something truly important.
Nur Medina Ahmad Hizwani - Year 10 Student