This project is designed to support the teaching of drama in The Arts in New Zealand Curriculum for years 12 and 13. It is expected that at year 12, students will be predominantly concerned the exploration of the issues that arise through the project, and that at year 13, they will be more analytically critical.
Overview statements
The introduction to The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum begins with the following statements:
The arts are powerful forms of personal, social and cultural expression... As expressions of culture, the arts pass on and renew our heritage and traditions, and help to shape our sense of identity.
All art works are made, used, interpreted, and valued within social and cultural contexts, and may be regarded as texts or commentaries that reflect history, tradition, and innovation. (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 9)
The drama overview develops this as follows:
As they participate in, and interpret their own and others' drama, students develop cognitive skills and gain understandings about themselves and their wider communities. They investigate the forms, styles and contexts of drama and recognise that it can affirm or challenge attitudes and values...
... In Aotearoa New Zealand, all students should have opportunities to learn about contemporary Māori drama, which draws on traditional knowledge, beliefs, and ritual forms. (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 37)
These statements provide the context within which this project operates.
The strands
The aims of this project fit into the following parts of the four drama strands:
Understanding Drama in Context (UC):
Students ... investigate how people use drama to express identity and to comment on personal and cultural values... They investigate how society and culture contribute to changes in dramatic forms.
Students recognise that drama encompasses both everyday experiences and the interpretation of social and cultural histories. They appreciate how the development of contemporary theatre in New Zealand has been shaped by diverse cultural influences, especially those of Māori, Europeans, and people from Pacific nations. (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 39)
Developing Practical Knowledge in Drama (PK):
Students use the elements, techniques and conventions of drama to discover how meaning is shaped and communicated... (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 39)
Developing Ideas in Drama (DI):
In a safe and co-operative environment, [students] contribute stories from personal and shared experience. They express ideas and feelings, negotiate shared understandings, and explore and reflect on their own and others' perspectives...
[Students] develop ideas for performance by interpreting existing dramatic
works or devising drama based on a wide range of sources... (The
Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 39)
Communicating and Interpreting in Drama (CI):
As performers and responsive audience members, [students] interpret and respond to diverse dramatic forms and styles from their own and others' cultures... (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 39)
The relevant Achievement Objectives within each strand are given below.
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