This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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Understanding Early School Leaving
An overview of the current situation of early school leaving in Europe
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Methodological and Pedagogical Aspects
A definition of what experiential education is
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Theatre as Experiential Learning Tool
The role of theatre as a site for learning in a community context
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Practical Examples of Theatrical Laboratories
15 proposals of theatrical laboratories
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of OFF-Book Project. There are 8 partners from 3 different European countries.
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Schools
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the schools involved in the OFF-Book Project in the 3 European countries participating in the project. The school teachers and students contribute to the testing of all the intellectual outputs.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
Information & Events
Latest News
The students have to deal with maltreatment, possible neglect, bullying and discrimination issues in the...Events
The OFF-Book project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
Conferences
The OFF-Book project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
Press Review
The OFF-Book project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of educationThis section of the OFF-Book portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
Teachers’ Guidelines
Homepage > Teachers’ Guidelines > Theatre as Experiential Learning Tool
The role of theatre as a site for learning in a community context and how it can provide informal learning opportunities for young people experiencing social difficulty
Theatre as Experiential Learning Tool:
Step by Step Process to Implement Theatrical Laboratories in Classroom
4.1 Typology of Locations Needed
In order to organize a theatre laboratory, it is necessary to face some technical issues. If the philosophy of OFF-BOOK and Theatre in education (TIE) in general is to improve students' experience and the school environment, now we need to introduce some technical information about the locations needed.
First of all, make sure the space is not dangerous, especially for physical work. Check the ground, the walls; avoid objects that can become obstacles or barriers. However, it is useful to start the work session by inviting all students to walk in the room and get conscious of the characteristics of the space.
OFF-Book Theatre Labs require empty spaces, not too small or too large. For a middle group of students it takes a room bigger than a class-room but smaller than a school gym. You must consider to have enough space per person, laying on the floor without touching each other, or standing with open arms. It is important to avoid distracting environments, acoustically and visually. It would be good if this room were as neutral as possible.
This place has to become a space in which students feel comfortable, safe and free, as if they were not at school but somewhere else.
Cleaning is also required, especially if you work on the floor or barefoot. Cleaning can also be a little ritual to be done before and after a work session. Students themselves can set up a cleaning schedule.
Obviously, all these recommendations are preferable but not obligatory. Projects and students themselves easily adapt. However, these requirements are useful to keep on mind in any case. For example, OFF-Book Theatre Labs can take place also in the same classroom where students have lessons.
In this case, we suggest to move desks and chairs out of the room - it is safer, to clean the space and change it as much as you can (for example with a different lamp, or laying a carpet etc.).
By creating some rituals (taking off shoes, changing clothes, starting with music... etc...), you can give the students the sensation that they take part in something different from the normal school classes, the possibility to enter in a non-daily space.
Sometimes it can be useful to change habits, for example doing a session outside, for example in a nature context, or even in the school courtyard, to let students have a different experience of the space they spend most of their time.
First of all, make sure the space is not dangerous, especially for physical work. Check the ground, the walls; avoid objects that can become obstacles or barriers. However, it is useful to start the work session by inviting all students to walk in the room and get conscious of the characteristics of the space.
OFF-Book Theatre Labs require empty spaces, not too small or too large. For a middle group of students it takes a room bigger than a class-room but smaller than a school gym. You must consider to have enough space per person, laying on the floor without touching each other, or standing with open arms. It is important to avoid distracting environments, acoustically and visually. It would be good if this room were as neutral as possible.
This place has to become a space in which students feel comfortable, safe and free, as if they were not at school but somewhere else.
Cleaning is also required, especially if you work on the floor or barefoot. Cleaning can also be a little ritual to be done before and after a work session. Students themselves can set up a cleaning schedule.
Obviously, all these recommendations are preferable but not obligatory. Projects and students themselves easily adapt. However, these requirements are useful to keep on mind in any case. For example, OFF-Book Theatre Labs can take place also in the same classroom where students have lessons.
In this case, we suggest to move desks and chairs out of the room - it is safer, to clean the space and change it as much as you can (for example with a different lamp, or laying a carpet etc.).
By creating some rituals (taking off shoes, changing clothes, starting with music... etc...), you can give the students the sensation that they take part in something different from the normal school classes, the possibility to enter in a non-daily space.
Sometimes it can be useful to change habits, for example doing a session outside, for example in a nature context, or even in the school courtyard, to let students have a different experience of the space they spend most of their time.
Online Resources
- Children with no shoes on 'do better in classroom', major study finds.Following the example set in Scandinavia, a decades-long study involving 25 schools around the world found that children were more engaged in a 'shoeless' environment.
- Empathy, key component in moral studiesThere are various definitions of empathy. Various theorists and psychologists have suggested different definitions for empathy like Feshbach, who asserted that empathy has both cognitive and affective components.
