Learning goals The aim of this course is to develop communication skills, both nonverbal and verbal, through a journey of discovery of theatre and improvisation games, leading to the creation of a piece to perform. Students can expect to improve skills such as self-confidence, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, intercultural awareness, empathy and reflexivity. Working towards a final performance, students can also practice their project management skills. Improvising in English aims to help students develop skills to be more at ease in new or unpredictable situations. Learning objectives Through a wide range of physical and vocal theatre games, (Agosto Boal, Jacques Lecoq), students will explore and improvise, learning how to use body and voice effectively for clear communication, paying particular attention to nonverbals, an essential life skill. By using half-masks, students will be able to embody a range of characters, as well as improving their diction, pronunciation, intonation and prosody. Based on their improvisations and choice of theme, students will devise work to perform in front of an audience, and share with the partner universities. By reflecting on their process, students will be encouraged to make links between the skills they are developing, and their future professional lives. Course Expectations Group exercises, individual exercises, pronunciation exercises, pair-work, team-work, devising and rehearsing a show, journal writing, discussions and a final performance. A video will be produced to share with the students in Portugal and Brazil. This course has received a grant from IDEA, (“initiatives pédagogiques innovantes”) It is also part of an international research project with universities from France, Portugal and Brazil (PICNAB), aimed at developing innovative practices in education through the arts. |