We are thrilled to announce the Shoebox Theatre 2023 Winner for Outstanding Scheme of Learning! The winning scheme will receive £100 of vouchers for Hobbycraft. In this Blog we would like to showcase all of the amazing schemes developed by teachers, using the Shoebox Theatre resources. Here we go....
Winner- The Island Free School
Outstanding Scheme of Learning- Harry Potter
Drama Teacher- Cayte McCarthy
Congratulations to Ms McCarthy and The Island Free School for winning with their amazing Harry Potter Scheme! We were very impressed with how Shoebox Theatre was incorporated into this diverse scheme, encompassing many different design elements and incorporating a theatre visit and a trip to Warner Brothers, making it a whole, wrap-around experience for the students. Here's some of the work created from the scheme:
Here's what Ms McCarthy says about the scheme:
"Our school runs activities week where pupils participate in a range of trips/workshops. Our Drama/Media department ran a Harry Potter themed week. We created storyboards of the opening of the book and compared it to the film. As a pre-theatre visit workshop to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, pupils made wands for prop making, created Special Effects make-up for Harry's scar and battle wounds and created a wand combat scene. For our set design workshop pupils were given various locations from the Harry Potter world and the play, to create using shoeboxes and craft materials. Following our theatre visit we reviewed their ideas and compared to the actual set and pupils were taken to WB Studio Tour."
"The week was magical but one highlight was seeing the creativity of the pupils when working with minimal resources and time to create their set models- they were impressive!"
Special Commendation 1- Cramlington Learning Village
Scheme of Learning- Peter Pan
Drama Teacher- Danielle Jackson
We were so impressed with this Scheme, we wanted to give Cramlington Learning Village a special commendation for 'Peter Pan'. The scheme combines shoebox theatre with 'Jelly Baby Lighting Design' to create a scheme which is creative, accessible and engaging for the students. Here's a snap shot of the slide deck which accompanies the scheme:
Here's Drama Teacher Danielle Jackson talking about the scheme:
"Students have been studying Peter Pan performed by National Theatre to get them ready for their Component 1 next year. Students had free reign of what scene/kind of set they used from the production. I wanted a fun practical, hands on task for students to explore set and lighting and I thought ShoeBox Set Design would be the best. I thoroughly enjoyed the training, creating and delivering these lessons to my Yr 13 and Yr 10.
Students have thought outside the box throughout this topic and really thrown themselves in. They have put their own twist on to these productions as well as taking inspiration from other productions. Students will continue this in the new year by creating different kind of lighting and using jelly babies to make their shoe box come to life."
Special Commendation 2- Wooton Park School
Scheme of Learning-
Drama Teacher- Julia Blain
Finally, we would like to award a second special commendation to Wooton Park School, whose Year 9 Technical Theatre Club created the winning model box. On World Theatre Day, Shoebox Theatre was launched as a whole school competition! Here is a selection of the amazing work created from this school:
Drama Teacher Julia Blain says:
"Over the course of the academic year I have held a technical theatre club during a Friday lunchtime. We have spent a half term focusing on the following: Lighting, Sound, Puppetry, Costume. Then for World Theatre Day I launched the Set in a Box competition with the whole school as well as the Technical Theatre Club. We had 60 set designs entered in total with 2 individual entries and 2 school entries submitted to this competition."
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And that's a wrap for Shoebox Theatre 2023! Thank you to everyone who has participated this year. Keep designing, keep making...Sam and I look forward to seeing what you and your students produce next year.