Drama is created through the interrelated practices of:
Making: the roles, responsibilities and approaches of the maker when creating dramatic work. It involves exploration and dramatic play with dramatic conventions, processes and elements to shape intention, experience and meaning. Makers generate, interpret and shape original works and the works of others.
Performing: the roles, responsibilities and approaches of performers when staging and performing dramatic work. Performers craft narrative, sensory, emotional and aesthetic journeys and experiences for an audience by applying elements of drama, performance and production to different forms and styles.
Appreciating: the roles, responsibilities and approaches of the dramatic practitioner and audience. Appreciators describe, analyse and make informed judgements about works of drama and theatre, both in progress and as finished products. They develop understanding of their own and others’ perspectives to strengthen aesthetic knowledge and reflective practice.
Content groups
The content within the focus areas of Making, Performing and Appreciating is organised into 3 content groups: Dramatic Contexts, Dramatic Processes and Dramatic Elements.
Dramatic contexts
Dramatic Contexts are influences on the development of dramatic works and approaches. Contexts develop in connection with and in response to one another.
In Stages 4 and 5 students build their practice through the study of:
- artistic, cultural, social and personal contexts
- identities, values and perspectives
- dramatic conventions, forms and styles
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Knowledges
- language
- devised and scripted works.
Dramatic processes
Dramatic Processes are ways in which dramatic practitioners shape meaning and experiences. The key processes are:
- embodied
- collaborative
- safe
- creative and critical
- improvising
- devising.
Dramatic elements
Dramatic Elements are the tools dramatic practitioners explore, apply and interpret to shape dramatic meaning and audience engagement. The key dramatic elements are:
- Elements of drama: role, character, focus, tension, situation, space, time, structure, language, moment, atmosphere, belief and symbol
- Elements of performance: dynamics, clarity, energy and expression in voice and movement
- Elements of production: set, costume, lighting, props, sound and technologies.
