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SACRED HEART COLLEGE’S DRAMATIC ARTS WOWS CHILDREN IN TEXAS AND FLORIDA
The videoconferencing facility at Sacred Heart College has given learners the
unique opportunity to be the only school in Africa to collaborate internationally in
Performing Arts. A programme called TheatreLink run by the Manhattan Theatre
Company in New York has made this a possibility.
The Grade 11 Dramatic Arts Class of Sacred Heart College produced The
Disappearance for the Theatrelink Project. Only 20 schools worldwide participate
in this innovative and exciting initiative. Schools write original plays for their partner
schools to produce, and watch each other’s work via live video conferencing. The
classes in geographically remote locations then discuss the streamed performance
with their partner school. The Disappearance was written by a school in Texas,
and produced by the Sacred Heart College learners. In turn, the school in Florida
has produced a play called Amandla written by Sacred Heart College. The Sacred
Heart College Grade 11 class performed The Disappearance to fellow learners and
visitors in the school’s Old Chapel Theatre on Friday 30 May. The play revolves
around a disjointed family dealing with an abusive relative, and a terrible mistake
that two sisters make in order to protect their grandmother from her son’s actions.
The play was completely run by the Grade 11 class of Sacred Heart College. By
attending videoconference lectures, the class learnt about (and were assigned)
theatre jobs, such as: acting; stage managing; set and costume designing; makeup and marketing.
“TheatreLink provides a cross-cultural experience for the learners,” says Sacred
Heart College drama teacher Tamara Schulz, “and it is a fantastic opportunity for
them to go through the entire play-making process, from writing through to directing,
acting, designing and doing the technical work. It gives them a hands-on experience
that exposes them to career opportunities in the Performing Arts at an international level.”
Visit the TheatreLink Website here
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