DRAMA IN EDUCATION

Introduction and Description

Drama in Education is increasingly recognised as a transformative pedagogical approach that enriches teaching and learning across all levels of schooling. Rooted in experiential, embodied and inquiry-based methodologies, drama offers teachers powerful tools to cultivate engagement, deepen understanding, and build inclusive learning environments. This course provides educators and school staff with a rigorous and inspiring introduction to drama as a method for fostering creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and social-emotional development—competences central to contemporary educational systems and strongly aligned with Erasmus+ priorities.

Through a sequence of carefully scaffolded workshops, participants explore drama conventions such as teacher-in-role, tableaux, improvisation, thought-tracking and process drama, learning how these methods can be applied across subject areas to enhance participation and support diverse learners, including those with fewer opportunities. Drama enables students to inhabit multiple perspectives, practise decision-making, negotiate meaning collaboratively, and connect emotionally with learning content—key dimensions of quality education in the 21st century.

The course is offered in both 5-day and 10-day versions, allowing schools and organisations to select the structure that best fits their Erasmus+ project objectives and long-term professional development strategies. The shorter version provides a robust foundation in essential drama pedagogy, while the extended programme offers greater depth, allowing participants to experience and design more complex process dramas, develop interdisciplinary applications, and reflect more extensively on practice.

Throughout the training, educators engage in hands-on experimentation, micro-teaching, collaborative planning and reflective dialogue. They learn how drama-based approaches can strengthen learner motivation, promote inclusion, address behavioural and interpersonal challenges, and create richer connections between curriculum content and real-life issues. The course also supports participants in designing adaptable, learner-centred activities aligned with school development plans, European competence frameworks and whole-school well-being initiatives.

This programme is particularly suitable for Erasmus+ KA1 projects aiming to enhance innovative teaching methods, improve classroom engagement, promote inclusion and cultural awareness, and build school capacity for creative and participatory pedagogies. By the end of the course, participants are equipped with practical strategies, theoretical insight, and renewed professional inspiration to bring drama-based learning into their educational contexts and to contribute to a more dynamic, empathetic and collaborative school culture.

Outcomes

Defining theatre, drama and education.
Understanding drama conventions and ways of structuring them to create meaning and engagement.
Promoting drama and theatre methods as tools for encouraging participation and bringing learning to life.
Improving the participants’ ability to use the language of theatre, the sound, the image and the movement.
Understanding how drama and theatre methods and techniques can be incorporated into lessons.
Understanding the potential drama and theatre methods have for providing context for learning subject specific knowledge and development of skills and attitudes as well as for contextualizing cross-curricular projects.
Developing communication, collaboration, presentation, problem solving, negotiation, critical and creative thinking skills.
Improving the ability to use innovative and student-centered pedagogical approaches.
Boosting participants’ confidence in use of drama and theatre methods for teaching.
Enhancing understanding of the potential drama and theatre methods have in education and opportunities they provide.
Providing and exercising creative ideas and practical resources for successful implementation of drama in education in different school settings.
Improving English fluency (official language of the course).
Enhancing intercultural cognition.
Sharing experiences of drama in education from different countries in order to help each of us to be more effective in our work.
Strengthening the European collaboration among people practicing drama in education in different contexts but unified by similar drama-pedagogical approaches.
Providing insights into different education systems.

Preparation

After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture. The presentation will be delivered on the first day by each participant or group in order to enhance networking possibilities. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience.

Follow up

After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.

5 days programme (25 hours)

course sessions (Monday to Friday)

Introduction of participants, outline of the programme, warm ups and ice breakers
Introduction to Drama in Education
Simulation of a closed type process drama, analysis of key elements
Practical workshop on the use of versatile drama conventionsdeconstruction of situations for analytical study
Individual support
Presentation of outcomes, discussion, evaluation and closing session

cultural and social programme

Teambuilding and networking activities
City tour or a cultural trip

10 days programme (50 hours)

course sessions (Monday to Friday + Monday to Friday)

Introduction of participants, outline of the programme, warm ups and ice breakers
Introduction to Drama in Education
Simulation of a closed type process drama, analysis of key elements
Practical workshop on the use of versatile drama conventions for creating interactive learning environment
Drama games and exercises for development of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills
Practical workshop on the use of versatile drama conventions for creating context for multidisciplinary approach to teaching
Individual support
Presentation of outcomes, discussion, evaluation and closing session

cultural and social programme

Teambuilding and networking activities
City tour or a cultural trip

5 DAYS PROGRAMME (400 €) DOWNLOAD

10 DAYS PROGRAMME (800 €) DOWNLOAD

CERTIFICATE

Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and we will validate the acquired competences on the Europass Mobility upon request. Please note that we have a paperless policy and all the documents will be delivered in digital form.

COURSE FEE

The course fee is 80 € per day. It includes tuition and materials, cultural and social programme, support in preparation and all the administrative work. There are no additional costs or hidden fees. After registration, you will receive a pro-forma invoice which you will have to pay by bank transaction. You will receive the invoice after you attend the course.

SUBSISTENCE

The course fee doesn't include accommodation and meals and participants are responsible to organize them on their own. In some locations we might be able to recommend or organize subsistence for you. Please don't hesitate to contact us to inquire about any specific location.

REGISTRATION

You can submit a non-biding registration and we will reserve a place for you until you are ready to confirm your participation. cancellations are free until you pay the course fee.