I’ve been struggling with a few things in these months gone by. As a theatre person, (yes, people see me as that now and I am beginning to warm up to the idea), there are endless opportunities to ‘teach’, children mainly. One came my way and I have happily agreed. And now I am discovering that I have  more questions than answers regarding this.

I work mainly with a bunch of eight to eleven year olds, a very small group of six children in fact. I started the year very happily, doing what I have done in my adult exploration of theatre – playing games, role playing, working with an idea to build a story etc. Somewhere along the way, I found that the things I was doing with the children were asking them to enter an adult world rather than explore and revel in their own. Somehow, I felt I was robbing them of an innate way of self expression, of their imagination; I was robbing them of a natural way of understanding the world and its many mysteries…

Teaching is seemingly simple. But can one school the imagination? I am trying to find a place that comes before organised learning in theatre, before the aquisition of skills, a free flowing space that comes before form.  And then, there is this question of being a ‘teacher’.

In an effort to find that space, I have slowly moved to more basic things now – playing any game, singing, moving to a song, asking the kids to tell or enact a story. (The other day we spent an entire hour playing Dr.Knot which was so fun!)

I find a lot of books talking about art and the benefits of free exploration with art – these are mainly to do with painting and drawing. not much on theatre so far. It’s still early days and I am yet to find what I am looking for.

Pointers anyone?