Friday, October 27

8:15am - 8:30am

Lobby

Registration

8:30am - 9:00am

Keating Hall

AGM

9:00am - 10:15am

Keating Hall

Keynote

Dramatherapy and Building Resiliency

Bill Wood

Bill Wood is a magician, comedian, actor and therapist. As a theatre artist he has written and directed in collaboration with Neptune Theatre, Shaskspear by the Sea, and Misery Loves Theatre Company. He has worked in film and television in various capacities and appeared on CBC's Mr. D as Frank the guidance counsellor. After a successful 20 year career as an actor Wood returned to School and pursued a Masters of Creative Arts Therapy and now works full time as a counselling therapist. Blending these two career paths led to the creation of "Magic and Mental Health" a performance and workshop presented in schools across NS in partnership with Perofrom and "Improv for Anxiety" a 4 session theatre workshop that focuses on the core skills of improvisation and how they can help foster resiliency and decrease symptoms of anxiety. Bill has worked with Adults, teens, children and families to help build connection and a felt sense of safety to aid in growth and change.

10:15am - 10:30am

Break

FULL DAY SESSIONS

10:30am-2:30pm

FD1: Truth, Dance, and Reconciliation

Capacity: 25

Sarah Prosper

As part of moving into the future as dancers and as people, Sarah Prosper of Mi'kmaki has created a class in which you may discover your inner reconciliation through dance and movement. This workshop will offer you an opportunity to find a deeper meaning in reconciliation and what that means in relation to Mi'kmaq culture, Mi'kmaq ways of knowing, and our connection to the land. You will need paper (journal) and pen, and a blanket or scarf.

Wisunn na Sarah Prosper (she/they/nekmow), Mikmaw/L’nu e’pite’s of the We’kwistoqnik (Eskasoni) First Nation, tu’s, nuji’j, kwe’jij, nsim, sukwis, aq nitaptut. "Amalkewinu", began dancing at young age, now a Therapeutic Recreation specialist and MA Leisure student, artistic director of Samqwan and facilitator/curator of workshop "Moving in Mi'kma'ki". Sarah collaborates, creates, and moves with ms+t no'kmaq, all her relations, in a fluid identity uplifting pursuit, as an Indigenous movement artist. A necessary decolonized approach, in research and in life, Sarah is learning and sharing the sacred knowledge of Indigenous/Mi'kmaq peoples in respect and reciprocity to dance, movement, social sciences & mental health in Mi’kma’ki.

FD2: How to Host Improv For Anxiety, a trauma informed approach to teaching improvisation

Capacity: 25

Bill Wood

In this experiential workshop participants will learn about PolyVagal theory and how the patterns of the human fight or flight system impacts an individual's ability to regulate their emotions, make informed choices, engage with creative risk taking and connect with others in order to co create improvised theatre. Participants will be guided towards connecting with their own feelings in order to be able to notice and support dysregulation in their students. Participants will learn how to blend modern approaches to psychology and time tested rules of improvisation in order to help their students regulate their own emotional states in order to be able to take appropriate social and creative risks in the theatre studio in order to build these skills in the real world

Bill Wood is a magician, comedian, actor and therapist. As a theatre artist he has written and directed in collaboration with Neptune Theatre, Shaskspear by the Sea, and Misery Loves Theatre Company. He has worked in film and television in various capacities and appeared on CBC's Mr. D as Frank the guidance counsellor. After a successful 20 year career as an actor Wood returned to School and pursued a Masters of Creative Arts Therapy and now works full time as a counselling therapist. Blending these two career paths led to the creation of "Magic and Mental Health" a performance and workshop presented in schools across NS in partnership with Perofrom and "Improv for Anxiety" a 4 session theatre workshop that focuses on the core skills of improvisation and how they can help foster resiliency and decrease symptoms of anxiety. Bill has worked with Adults, teens, children and families to help build connection and a felt sense of safety to aid in growth and change.

FD3   Elementary Focus: Not the Same Old Thing! (FULL DAY)

“We know that students benefit from having different ways to learn curriculum content but coming up with new ideas can be difficult on top of everything else teachers have to do. While Language Arts naturally lends itself to creative exploration, it can seem daunting to apply creativity to other, more empirical subjects. Join us in this workshop and explore a variety of simple ways to infuse the arts into subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Heath, Technology, etc.”

 Capacity: 25

Becky Lytle and Teena Turner have over 40 years of combined experience teaching the arts in schools. Currently they are Fine Arts Specialists with Halifax Regional Arts, where they work with teachers from primary to grade 12 to bring the arts into their classrooms. With varied backgrounds (that of course include lots of drama!) these two ladies have other specialties such as yoga  and French that combine to form a unique perspective to arts teaching in Nova Scotia.

FD4: Film and video workshop (FULL DAY)

Dan Hennigar

In our full day session, participants will discuss the blended model of learning within the film classroom, explore the course set up used for film at WHS, get hands on with some of the equipment used in class, review student films and discuss funding via options such as PDAF grants. With a focus on student centered, blended learning in the film classroom, the hope is that participants will be able to find some activities, materials and/or approaches that may be useful in their own film classroom. The majority of the session will allow participants to explore the film Google Classroom, review assessments and activities and to ask questions.

Dan Hennigar (he/him) is a technology and fine arts teacher and department head at Woodlawn High School. Dan has worked in film both in and outside of education, through various web series, collaboration with NSCAD's film department and teaching film with the HRCE. As a practiced film teacher of FVP12 and IB Film, Dan has been exploring technology integration and the use of film as a learning medium most of his career.

Morning Sessions:

10:30am - 12:00pm

Capacity: 25

Session A

A2: Object Storytelling through Puppetry (Elementary)

Logan Robbins

In Object Storytelling participants will explore the fundamentals of using puppetry as a tool for communication, collaborative creation, and self expression (with a focus on implementing the work in elementary classrooms)! Through a series of crash-course puppetry exercises, participants will be given the tools required to recreate their favourite fairytales using found object puppetry while diving deeper into the power of objects as a vessel of storytelling and its applications for creating engaging and immersive classroom experiences. Comfortable clothing is recommended (and an open mind and playful spirit are too)!

Logan Robbins (he/they) is a queer environmental theatre maker, improviser, puppeteer, educator, musician, writer, sound designer, and creator of exhaustive lists- most recently based in the Sipekne'katik region of Mi’kma’ki (colonially known as Dartmouth, Nova Scotia). Logan is the co-founder and Artistic Director of The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company, with whom they create immersive, sustainable, and accessible theatre- including most recently an amphibious musical that they wrote/directed/produced called Hippoposthumous- which toured around NS and PEI in the summer of 2022!   Other recent credits include as an actor/improviser in Outside the March’s production of The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries- an adventurous theatrical experience that takes place over the phone! Logan also just wrapped up an eight month international puppetry tour of It’s Okay to be Different with the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.

10:30am - 12:00pm

Capacity: 25

Session A

A3: Yoga for Wellness with Peggy

Peggy is an experienced Yoga instructor at Auburn High. This full session yoga practice will relax and refocus teachers for their classroom practices. Bring your mat if you have one!

10:30am - 12:00pm

Capacity: 25

Session A

A4: Accessibility in Theatre and Creative Spaces

Sarah Graham

What does accessibility look like in the theatre world, past and present, and where is it headed in the future?  How can we prepare youth for future academic institutional settings whiles creating accessible and welcoming spaces to exist in now? How can we empower youth to identify and express their needs in safer spaces programming? Through this Accessibility in Theatre and Creative Spaces workshop, Sara will look at tools and resources to help answer the above questions (and maybe leave you with more questions by the end!) There will be active participation and examples of accessible theatre practices, tools and resources to move forward, and the hopeful future theatre spaces are moving towards.

Sara Graham (she/they) is a deaf and disabled accessibility consultant, comedian, activist, improviser, actor, workshop educator, and executive director of the Halifax Fringe Festival. Sara uses her work to advocate for wholeness in accessibility. Sara’s goal is to create art and spaces that acknowledge and address the need for inclusivity and accessibility for all. Sara graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Gender and Women’s studies. Sara is currently in the process of recording her first comedy album and produces sold out comedy shows monthly throughout Halifax. Over the last two years, Sara has worked on over 60 productions and workshops with the intent to create more accessible art.

10:30am - 12:00pm

Capacity: 25

Session A

A7: Drama 10 Activities

Melanie Kennedy

So, you’ve become the new drama 10 teacher, and you need a big picture and some key basic activities to help you shape and plan your course. This workshop is guaranteed to get you started, and have some milestone steps along the way; whether you are a first timer, or if you simply want some more activities, warm-ups, and performance pieces to enhance your program. The workshop will run like a drama 10 classroom, so be sure to wear comfortable clothing and footwear, because we’ll be very active as we learn.

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Lunch

Afternoon Session

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Capacity: 25

Session B

B2: Radical Puppetry/Mask (High School)

Logan Robbins

In Radical Puppetry/Mask participants will explore the fundamentals of using puppetry and object theatre/mask as tools for expression, protest, and social commentary (with a focus on implementing the work in elementary classrooms)! Through a series of explorative exercises using discard- puppets and character masks, participants will be given the tools to engage in meaningful conversation and playful discovery of how these mediums can be used to create art with conviction. We will dive into some of the ways in which puppetry and mask can be used to create radical theatre and encourage student exploration of the intersections between physical performance, objects, and activism. Comfortable clothing is recommended (and an open mind and theatrical angst are too)!

Logan Robbins (he/they) is a queer environmental theatre maker, improviser, puppeteer, educator, musician, writer, sound designer, and creator of exhaustive lists- most recently based in the Sipekne'katik region of Mi’kma’ki (colonially known as Dartmouth, Nova Scotia). Logan is the co-founder and Artistic Director of The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company, with whom they create immersive, sustainable, and accessible theatre- including most recently an amphibious musical that they wrote/directed/produced called Hippoposthumous- which toured around NS and PEI in the summer of 2022!   Other recent credits include as an actor/improviser in Outside the March’s production of The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries- an adventurous theatrical experience that takes place over the phone! Logan also just wrapped up an eight month international puppetry tour of It’s Okay to be Different with the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Capacity: 25

Session B

B3:  Empowering Your Ensemble! Music Theatre with Laura Caswell

Laura Caswell

In this 90 minute workshop that explores how to create a musical theatre number. Considerations will include:

- how to create a clear story

- how to create interesting patterns and shapes

- how to feature and enhance characters

- communicating and drafting plans

- consider tech, set and props

- working with different abilities to create the best number

- scheduling and planning

- anyone can be a choreographer

We will look at popular and interesting group numbers from Broadway (Hamilton, Come From Away, West Side Story) and use that to inspire us. We will use Good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray as a template to create our own group number exploring the in's and out's of creating a challenging opening number.

Laura Caswell is a performer, director, choreographer, cabaret artist, producer and arts educator currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Born and raised in Ottawa, she has performed all over Canada and trained in New York and London, UK earning a Masters in Performance. She has also studied puppetry, dance, comedy and singing extensively and loves to explore different types of theatre. Now adding Zoom teaching and facilitation to the list, Caswell is eager to learn and grow with different communities. Laura has been the Director of Education at Neptune Theatre since 2017.

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Capacity: 25

Session B

B4: Yoga for Wellness with Peggy

Peggy is an experienced Yoga instructor at Auburn High. This full session yoga practice will relax and refocus teachers for their classroom practices. Bring your mat if you have one!

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Capacity: 25

Session B

B6: Drama 11/12 - What Works! What Doesn’t?

Jonathan Grady

Does your teaching assignment include a split class of Drama 11 and Drama 12: Theatre Arts? Join Jonathan as he shares the best ideas of what works (and what hasn’t!) with this unique blend of curricula. Even if your assignment includes only one of these courses, you will still leave with some concrete plans for making your Drama class a more engaging, inclusive and memorable experience for all!

Jonathan Grady is a passionate and energetic educator who has had the wonderful privilege of teaching drama for most of his career. As the Fine Arts Drama Specialist for the Cole Harbour High Family of Schools, he works with children from grade primary to twelve. He spends his days encouraging youth in his drama classes to "hang up their cool" and to remember not only how to play again, but why play is so important.

Closing