References
Peter Slade 1912 - 2004
Slade. P. 'An introduction to Child Drama' (1958) University of London Press
Hornbrook, D. 'Education and Dramatic Art' (1989) Blackwell
Flemming. M. 'Starting Drama Teaching' (2011) Routledge
Jackson, A. ARCHIVES OF AN EDUCATIONAL DRAMA PIONEER: A SURVEY OF THE PETER SLADE COLLECTION IN THE JOHN RYLANDS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF MANCHESTER (1998)
http://www.sesame-institute.org/peter-slade
http://www.education.auckland.ac.nz
"Child Drama is an art form in its own right; it is not
an activity that has been invented by someone, but
the actual behaviour of human beings" Slade
Sladian practices in the classroom
- Move away from 'Theatre' and into 'Drama'
- Do not use a stage
- Educating students in the process not teaching them to be actors.
- Polished improvisations
His philosophy behind 'Child Drama'
"Play is an inborn and vital part of young life. It is not an activity of idleness, but is rather the child's way of thinking, proving, relaxing, working, remembering, daring testing, creating and absorbing..."
- The best child play takes place where there is an adult to offer encouragement NOT interfere
- Clear moments of characterisation and emotion
- Improvisation relates to children's natural ability to play
- Polished improvisation was a step closer to a play
Peter Slade 1912 - 2004
Personal & Projected Play
- Born in Fleet, Hampshire in 1912
- Educated at a Lancing College in Sussex
- Studied Economics, German and Philosophy at the University of Bonn
- In 1932 he returned to London and worked with theatre companies as well as setting up his own
How 'Child Drama' came about...
"Play is fluid, containing moments of everyday life" (Slade, 1966)
Slade believed the only true distinction in play that of personal and projected play.
- Post War Theatre industry was bleak
- Drama: The doing of life
- Theatre: The scripted
- 'Child Drama' published in 1954 was seminal in the post-war curriculum
Projected Play
Personal Play
- Play in which the whole mind is used but the body isn't
- 'Treasures' are used (props/toys)
- The child stands, sits or lies and mainly uses their hands
- Tendency towards quietness and stillness
- More evident in the early stages of a young child
- Play in which the whole self is being used
- The child takes on responsibility of playing a role
- Tendency towards noise and phsyical exertion
- It is apparent by the age of 5 and becomes easier as they can control and master their bodies