Past Schools Workshops

Date: 22 October 2008

Virgilio Varela, an experienced educationalist, led a dynamic workshop for music students and teachers. The aim of the workshop was to promote cultural understanding and aesthetic sensitivity by bringing the students into contact with different types of musical expression.

Under the guidance of Virgilio Varela, the students listened to and discussed a wide range of traditional and contemporary styles from Portugal, Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa. As well as exploring musical genres ranging from Fado to Hip Hop, students were able to try out and identify new instruments and their sounds. The workshop also included a music-making session by groups which was followed by a performance.

Date: 19 November 2008

This workshop was led by Janitzio Moreno, a sculptor and graphic designer, and focused on the evolution of Mexican art from the Pre-Columbian era through to the XX Century. The workshop.s format was based on group work where students had to identify and discuss examples of artistic styles belonging to different periods in Mexican history, paying particular attention to the influence of the social and historical context of those times.

With the help of the workshop leader students were encouraged to explore the effects of social tensions in artistic expression. At the same time they learned more about the culture and history of Mexico, helping them to have an informed view about this Latin American country.

Date: 19 January 2009

This workshop was organised in collaboration with the Young Vic to tie in with the stage show Amazonia. Participating students attended a matinee performance of Amazonia and then took part in a workshop with the show's assistant director. This picked up on themes and characters from the show and encouraged students to discuss methods of characterization and to act out their own interpretations of central themes. Students also got the chance to learn about some of the Brazilian legends that lay behind the play.s plot and discover how many of its spectacular special effects were achieved.

Date: 22 June 2009

Dr Francisco Dominguez, a senior lecturer at Middlesex University, introduced the students to the socio-political context of 70's Chile before they attended a screening of the movie Machuca, set in 1973 Santiago during Salvador Allende's socialist government and shortly before General Augusto Pinochet's military coup.

The students were able to understand the film not only in terms of the language but also from a historical point of view thanks to Dr Dominguez's talk on the film.s socio-historical context and a follow-up quiz activity in the library.

Date: 30 September 2009

Firewalk Theatre - an international theatre company based in Zaragoza, Spain which specialises in writing and performing plays in Spanish for language students of all ages - performed a fun adaptation of the English classic 'Robinson Crusoe'. The play was entirely in Spanish and provided an hour and half of excellent entertainment. After the performance the students participated in a workshop led by a member of the cast.

Most students who attended the play were taking GCSE Spanish and were able to practice their Spanish listening skills. The beginners among the group were able to follow the plot just as well, as the play was highly visual and they were familiar with the story. Firewalk Theatre's approach was dynamic and amusing, managing to capture the students. attention with witty dialogue and a hip soundtrack.

Once the play had finished, the students participated in a workshop entitled 'Social Realism: Commedia dell'Arte characters and techniques', in which they were introduced to a number of acting techniques and were then encouraged to improvise short pieces of dialogue in Spanish using the techniques they had learned. These exercises gave students from different groups and backgrounds the opportunity to interact with each other while practicing their Spanish.