Don’t we all love a freebie? There are so many amazing resources online at the moment, here's a round-up of the most useful ones...
1) Essential Drama Resources
On the Essential Drama site there is a free downloadable practitioner pack which has been produced in conjunction with Warwick University. It is incredibly detailed with a useful 'Theatre Recipe' section, gives some ideas for creating work inspired by Joan Littlewood's legacy-perfect for using with A-Level and BTEC students when they're devising! There is also an interview with Nadine Holdsworth, who wrote the Routledge Practitioner Book about Littlewood here. There is a suggested donation of £5 to support Essential Drama but there are a whole host of interviews and resources on this website- a real treasure trove!
Access the website here: http://essentialdrama.com/
2) Performing International Plays
In 2022, Performing International Plays was a finalist in the Outstanding Drama Resource category of the Music and Drama Education Awards. Performing International Plays is a not-for-profit, open access website which aims to empower and support teachers in their effort to diversify the curriculum and make sure the content they deliver speaks to and represents all students in our diverse classrooms. The perfect website to visit if you're considering ways to diversify your drama curriculum.
Access the website here: https://www.performinginternationalplays.com/
3) Paperbirds- Music for Devising Spotify Playlist
I love Paperbirds and am so pleased they are now on the AQA A-Level practitioner list! They really understand the needs of students and teachers, plus the work they create is an amazing, accessible way for students to explore non-naturalistic forms. There are so many resources and clips on their website here. Their Spotify Playlist consists of over six hours of atmospheric, instrumental and emotive tracks from artists such as Philip Glass and Penguin Cafe. You just need to set up a FREE Spotify account in order to access it.
Access the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13fExYK1hyrrwTR4Ocromd
4) Frantic Assembly Warm-up Video
This is a really useful video which can be used again and again. It provides students and teachers with a step-by-step guide to warming up in the 'Frantic' style and is divided into different warm-up activities. One of the first tasks I set my Year 12s in the Autumn Term is to lead a warm-up to a practical session, in the style of a particular practitioner, as it starts to get them thinking about leading warm-ups and becoming more autonomous in their practice.
Watch on You Tube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYcRo0EwfeA
5) Matt Kizer's Scenic & Lighting Design Website
This is a really useful website for teaching technical theatre and design. There are lots of interactive activities which students will love, many of them free to access. We particularly love the Drama Machine acitivity, which makes provides given circumstances for a production and students must problem-solve to create a stage design!
Take a look at the website here: https://scenicandlighting.com/lightlabs/
6) WTD Resource Library
We couldn't write a Blog about free resources without mentioning the We Teach Drama Resource Library! 😉 Did you know? We now have over 150 free resources in the library. PLUS, it's all divided into folders so that it's easier to find what you need, whether you're looking for something for a drama cover lesson, writing templates or posters for displays. Drama teacher Lou has been using the Library since we launched. Here's what she says:
#freeresources #teachingdrama #practitioners #ALevelDrama #GCSEDrama #freedramaresources #FranticAssembly #ThePaperBirds #MusicforDevising #physicaltheatre #warmups #technicaltheatre #sounddesign #lightingdesign #setdesign #costumedesign