CULTURE Nikki walks the boards in London
Lucky enough to be selected as one of eight teachers representing New Zealand at the SGCNZ Teachers Go Global 2018 course in London this year, I have returned triumphant from what has been the most fulfilling and inspiring professional development I have ever undertaken.
But before I get into the nitty-gritty delicious details, I must extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the funding for this trip, especially Christ’s College, the Rolleston family, Dawn Sanders, and my own generous family, friends and colleagues. Without your donations to the Boosted campaign, or in private, there’s no way I would have been able to experience the full joy of life in London. So, THANK YOU! Teachers Go Global offered everything I expected: mainly the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of theatre, to learn about and explore Shakespeare’s life and works, all in a remarkable two-week rendezvous in the most iconic of theatre spaces – Shakespeare’s Globe. I have had a love affair with the Globe Theatre ever since I was a high school student, and the opportunity to work with 24 school students and seven like-minded teachers from all over NZ on the course, was incredibly energising and inspiring. We were offered a smorgasbord of comprehensive and stimulating workshops on voice, movement, text, singing, dancing, theatre production, storytelling, teaching and so much more, through sessions with renowned Globe Education practitioners, theatre directors and actors. As a professional working
with English and drama students on a daily basis, I was more than happy soaking up all this culture and knowledge in order to further my own professional and personal development as a teacher, actor and director. I have learnt countless exciting new strategies to apply to drama and English classes and help students find their feet with the Bard, many of which I have already put into practice.
London allowed me to immerse myself in 12 different productions, including three Shakespeare productions at the Globe, a West End play starring Orlando Bloom and another at the National Theatre where they literally tore up the stage floor and set a moat on fire! Most notably, however, our tour culminated in our own performance of The Winter’s Tale on the Globe stage at midnight. To say that
Christ’s College Canterbury
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