Education and Community Workshop and Training Programme
DNA has an excellent reputation and history of successful workshops
and residencies, particularly for early years groups, juniors, young
people, teachers and professional practitioners.
Me and My Shadow-
working with shadows, shadow puppets and video imagery for
young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder - has been featured
on the government's teachernet.gov website as a model of innovative
good practise
'It's always pleasing to highlight schools that have
shown initiative and creativity in making positive changes
to pupils' lives and the wider school community. School in
Focus celebrates a wide range of innovative achievements that
have helped raise standards in schools. I hope others will
take the opportunity to adapt and build upon the good practice
and ideas available on this site.' - Jacqui Smith, Minister
of State for Schools
Over the past decade DNA has worked in partnership with many organisations
including the Tate Gallery London, Harris Museum Preston, Eureka!
Halifax, Lyric Hammersmith London, The Puppet Centre Trust London,
National Student Drama Festival, Scarborough, Central School of
Speech and Drama, London, Life Education Centres, Creative
Partnerships Salford and Horse
and Bamboo Theatre Lancashire.
to see a History
of DNA's Education Work, click here
Puppetry combines craft, design, movement, drama, visual and
verbal arts,
and its naturally collaborative nature makes it a powerful and
appropriate activity for school and community settings. All
workshops use recycled and recyclable items and materials and
DNA also often work to transform found objects. The company
is committed to recycling and sustainability in all its work.
DNA offers a wide range of participatory activities, performances
and experiences for schools and community events including:
Culturally diverse workshops for all (eg: Indian
puppet-making, African junk animals, creation myths and trad.
folk tales).
Puppetry is widely used for special educational needs. Rachel
Riggs was the outreach special needs development worker for
The Little Angel Theatre, London in 1998.
All our education work is inclusive and equally suitable
for children and young people with special educational needs.
Early Years
DNA’s Early Years work provides stepping stones towards
early learning goals. This first experience of theatre and
family workshops enables family integration and audience development.
DNA
are continuously researching the links between child development
and puppetry. As many believe, all people are born creative
and we believe that all are born puppeteers! A young child’s
imaginative play can turn everyday items into puppets. During
free play with objects and materials, a child uses symbols
(e.g.: a stick for a sword) and creates play props to work
out identity issues. The transformational quality from everyday
objects to extraordinary props is at the heart of DNA’s
work.
DNA offers a shadow play activity
for the very young. In development is a new 3-year project
imaginary leaps investigating new
approaches to bring creative performing arts activities into
early years settings.
Junior
DNA
understand how puppetry can apply to curriculum attainment
targets, whether for Key stage 1,2,3 or above. Each of our
workshops can be specifically designed for a day, 2 day or
week long residency, making and performing. DNA explain how
puppetry is used in creating theatre and demonstrate traditional
puppetry techniques eg glove, rod, marionette or shadow puppets.
Puppetry in story telling can be used for a variety of themes
eg Literacy - poetry, Shakespeare,script writing.Personal
& Social Education - bullying, safety, sex & relationships.Multicultural
Celebrations - religous festivals, creation myths.Workshop
techniques also include Shadows,
masks, Play in a day puppetry sessions
in design and performance
and greek myths are all available.
Serious social and emotional issues can also be explored with
animated issues.
Animation workshops with artist Parminder Kaur using simple
stop frame animation techniques are also in development.
Youth
DNA
works with youth theatres and groups in puppet making and performance,
devising original work and introducing traditional techniques
and contemporary practice. Genie in A Bottle
explored genetics and nanotech in pertnerships with the Green
Room Manchester, Contact and Manchester Museum. Teenage puppets
The Hoodies were filmed for DVDs
in Rochdale and Burnley Youth Groups. Masks
in performance have been used in the woods near Marlborough.
Young women in Blackpool explored their feelings about boys
and intimacy in Fusion:Esteem. A group
of 14 year olds devised and presented work about sex, pregnancy
and young parenting in Sex'n'Chips.
Professional Education
INSET sessions showing how puppets can be most effectively
used in the classroom are always available in our teacher
training section.
DNA
regularly host training sessions for artists and performers
to develop specialist skills in puppetry techniques. A puppetry
encouragement subsidy from the Arts Council of England funded
a Professional Development Season in 1997 for which the top
U.K. puppetry and visual theatre directors ran workshops. DNA
facilitated a four day professional development
workshop for the Edinburgh Puppet and Animation Festival 98
at the Traverse theatre. DNA regularly conducts a two-day sessions
at Horse and Bamboo Theatre, Rossendale, Lancs.
.jpg "INSET sessions for primary and secondary teachers")
,
and its naturally collaborative nature makes it a powerful and
appropriate activity for school and community settings. All
workshops use recycled and recyclable items and materials and
DNA also often work to transform found objects. The company
is committed to recycling and sustainability in all its work.
DNA
are continuously researching the links between child development
and puppetry. As many believe, all people are born creative
and we believe that all are born puppeteers! A young child’s
imaginative play can turn everyday items into puppets. During
free play with objects and materials, a child uses symbols
(e.g.: a stick for a sword) and creates play props to work
out identity issues. The transformational quality from everyday
objects to extraordinary props is at the heart of DNA’s
work. 
DNA
understand how puppetry can apply to curriculum attainment
targets, whether for Key stage 1,2,3 or above. Each of our
workshops can be specifically designed for a day, 2 day or
week long residency, making and performing. DNA explain how
puppetry is used in creating theatre and demonstrate traditional
puppetry techniques eg glove, rod, marionette or shadow puppets.
DNA
works with youth theatres and groups in puppet making and performance,
devising original work and introducing traditional techniques
and contemporary practice. 
DNA
regularly host training sessions for artists and performers
to develop specialist skills in puppetry techniques. A puppetry
encouragement subsidy from the Arts Council of England funded
a Professional Development Season in 1997 for which the top
U.K. puppetry and visual theatre directors ran workshops. DNA
facilitated a four day