There is something incredibly moving and inspiring about Bodyscapes and Soundscapes.
In case you have never experienced these activities, let me explain. We’ll start with a Bodyscape.
Imagine a group of children working together. They use their bodies to create a representation of something chosen in advance. It could be a chair and a desk. It could be a car. It could be a computer with wireless broadband.
You only have to watch the young people debating how to turn themselves into a representation of the chosen object to realise how wonderfully productive such an activity is.
The individuals involved have to be part of the group – for if they are not, the whole thing falls apart. They have to work within the team, and they have to think about themselves and the objects they are symbolising in the Bodyscape.
Such an exercise can be complete in itself, or can be used within a play. In the latter case you can be utterly certain of an audience reaction, as the watchers come to term with people as props. Spontaneous audience applause for the effect is quite common.
As for Soundscapes they are used when a set of sounds, noises or rhythms are used to create an atmosphere or mood within a drama. The Soundscape creates an imaginative picture for the audience, which helps transport the watchers into the setting.
The ideas behind Soundscapes and Bodyscapes are incredibly simple, and yet they embody wonderful learning experiences for those taking part, and are very expressive elements within drama.
We are offering free creative resources for schools – resources which will be of value to all teachers working in years 3 to 5.
To access these resources, including videos demonstrating the concepts, you just need to get a password to our secure teacher’s area.
If you already have a password then click here to log in with your password, and access the free resources directly.
by rss