Project 2 - Devised Children's Theatre

For this project, our team collaborated to design and stage an immersive show for the children of Meller's Primary School, which took place at the Waverley Theatre with a budget of £300. We were inspired by the poem Story is Our Wall by Jane Yolen, and spent a considerable amount of time interpreting the poem both individually and collectively. To further inform our creative process, we visited Meller’s school and engaged the children in a classroom session where we gathered their thoughts and drawings based on the poem. The children’s contributions—particularly their dragon drawings and sound recordings—became integral elements of our show, allowing them to see their own creations come to life during the performance.

After discussing the poem as a group and receiving feedback from the children, we decided to structure the story around the four elements—earth, fire, water, and air—along with the theme of overcoming fear. This led to the development of a plot that included a central "void" representing fearlessness. We then began planning how to divide the Waverley Theatre into distinct areas for each element, ensuring the children remained engaged and moving throughout the experience. The theatre was organized into four chambers for each element, with a central space for the void and a wind tunnel to represent air.

As we designed the layout, we had to be strategic with the use of curtains, gauze, and other materials to define each chamber and facilitate smooth transitions between them. Each chamber was carefully designed to reflect the theme of its element, incorporating specific lighting, sound, and props to create a fully immersive atmosphere. The transitions between the chambers were intended to flow seamlessly, so the children could feel as though they were journeying through different elemental worlds. The wind tunnel added an interactive and physical dimension to the air element, allowing the children to experience air in a tangible way.

In the end, the show was a resounding success. The children were enthusiastic and engaged, especially when they saw their own artwork and sound clips integrated into the performance. By turning their creative contributions into an active part of the story, we created a personalized and immersive experience. The project was a rewarding combination of teamwork, creative design, and audience engagement, offering the children not only a unique performance but also a chance to be part of the storytelling process.

My Job Role:

3D Printing and helping out where is needed, such as lights and SFX, i didnt do as much i would like to have done due to personal reasons, however i still managed to achive 3d printing a successful scale and gluing them to pins to give to the children.