WORKSHOPS

Workshop leaders

We looked at what it meant lead a workshop and what an individual needed to lead a successful workshop. To do this we got into groups and had to run a short workshop on a drama game or warm up with the rest of the class. I found that this was really helpful because it allowed us to learn through practise what is needed to run a good workshop and to be able to have experience doing it instead of simply talking about it.

 

Whoosh
 

Our game Whoosh was a really good company game and warm up game as it got the group energy up and ready to rehearse/ perform. It also made the group focus and work together to make the game successful and fun at the same time.

 
From the feedback we received, what was good about our group and the way we lead the game was that we were all really enthusiastic and full of energy meaning that the people in the company felt like they could get more and be more involved as we had already set the standard of the energy as high, meaning that they wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or venerable by giving 100% energy. Also the instructions were clear and loud so that everyone could understand clearly what was happening and keep up with the rules of the game. We also taught the game in stages, we did this because there were a lot of different elements to the game so by teaching it and practising it in stage meant that it could be taken in by the whole group easier. It also meant that if we felt that we had enough levels to the game and any more would make it too difficult we didn’t have to put them in, this meant that the game could be made to fit all abilities, and equally if we wanted to we could challenge groups further.  The practises also made sure that everyone understood the game before we started playing it for real so that no-one got left behind or felt uncomfortable in what the were doing.

However there were certain elements to the piece that didn’t work so well and that could be changed to make the workshop better and more accessible to everyone. One of the things was that we would need to make a judgement on the amount of instructions to put into the game and be able to read the people in the group well to see if they were okay with the different levels of the game or if we need to make it simpler or more complicated to suit their needs. Also when we did the practise round everyone had to do it by them selves rather than everyone doing it at the same time together. This would have been better as it would have been less exposing for the people who didn’t feel comfortable or sure about what they were doing and it would have given them the support and comfort to get involved.

Swap

 At the very start of this workshop each member of the group introduced themselves and explained the space that they wanted us to be in. This was really helpful to start with as it added a personal element to the group and made those involved feel more at ease because they had presented themselves as people who wanted to get involved as well. Also it made it really clear to all of those involved what was expected of them from the spacing and how we should be, instead of us floating about feeling unsure. The language that the members of this group was really inclusive which was really important when working in a group of people with a range of abilities as saying “stand in a circle” could make some people feel excluded and insecure, however this group used language that included everyone in the game.

 
Similarly to our group, this group did a practise round so that everyone was sure of what was happening and felt comfortable, but before this they did a demonstration so that they could visually see the game and if they hadn’t understood the explanation of it the demonstration would make it clearer to them. The game was also very simple, this made it achievable for everyone involved and the instructions were given out clearly to make it understandable.

However their were some elements of the game that were left unclear, for example some people weren’t sure who the last person was in the circle and this meant that the game became broken and it wasn’t as easy to follow as it could have been. To make it clearer everyone could have had chairs to sit on and the person at the end that didn’t have a chair would be in the middle, or you could have to walk in a clear pathway or even allocate one person in the group to be the decision maker and be in charge of saying who was last. These all would have made the game clearer, more fluid and easier to play.
 
Also there was a point in the workshop when everyone started to ask questions at once and it was just a rabble of noise. To avoid this they could have asked if anyone had questions before the game started and said that people had to put their hands up to make it more controlled and organised.

Slapathon

This workshop was really good as everyone leading it was really energetic; making everyone else put more energy into it, so that everyone was involved. However nearing the end of the session everyone got a bit out of control and the energy wasn’t being just focused into the game, even though the amount of energy was really good the group could have channelled and controlled it more by adding a rule of not talking so that people stayed focused throughout the game.
 
The game was based around a team effort, this meant that everyone had to get closer physically but also in working together to understand and tune into each other and make the game successful.

Some of the instructions weren’t always clear and the group could have added them in and put in a practice rounds so that everyone was on the same page and understood what was happening in the game. This could also have been done if the basic rules had been clearly established at the beginning so that everyone could start in the same place. Also sometimes the instructions went quite fast, to improve this, the game could have been slowed down or broken up more so that people could get used to it and gain confidence in it before speeding it up to challenge people.

Zip Zap Bong

 Similarly to the other games, this one was presented in an energetic and lively style making all the other people feel more comfortable and want to get involved with the game as it gave off the energy of fun. From seeing all the games, it really highlighted the importance of being enthusiastic about the workshop you are giving as it can have a large impact on the people involved as it gives them the confidence to get involved and you can’t expect people to be enthusiastic about your workshop if your not. Also when they had practises of their game, firstly everyone did it at the same time, this was so that no-one felt exposed and everyone could understand what they needed to do without being put under pressure.

 
However the instructions of this game were given in a bit of a splurge and this made it very unclear as to what we were supposed to be doing. Also there was a reference back to another game which confused those involved as the games began to be mixed and no-one was sure what we were doing or play. The group needed to be clear on their own rules and instructions so that everybody was focused on this game rather than mixing the two.