Laura Dean (Associate Director)
Laura is a keen advocate for the Arts in Education. A graduate of the Comparative and International Education MA program at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA, USA), Laura’s research interests revolve around how Arts subjects, and Theatre in particular, can play a crucial role to the development of a student’s social and emotional well-being, whilst bolstering their academic attainment. Having lived in numerous places around the world, and worked to support international students in a university setting, Laura is interested in supporting global Education policy. With an avid interest in Theatre & Performance, she is delighted to be bringing her two passions together to lead on Dialogue’s Community Performance for Education work.
Reflections on Theatre for the Early Years
The following quotes represent just small snippets from the many conversations being had during two events on Saturday, May 27th, 2017 which were held as part of the Cradle of Creativity Focus Day on Theatre for...
Healing Through the Arts
On Sunday, May 21st, 2017, Guga S’thebe Cultural Hub in Langa Township played host to a Focus Day on Theatre for Healing. The contributors brought in different and diverse perspectives - the day's activities ranged from...
Education, Education, Education
The following podcast (8 and a half minutes) explores my reflections on the Arts in Education seminars held at the Cradle of Creativity on Friday, May 19th, 2017. These seminars delved into the many...
A Look into Patrice Balbina’s World
The following podcast (6 minutes) explores the collaboratively devised, multi-lingual piece, Patrice Balbina’s Chance Encounter with the End of the World, from the varied perspectives of the Director (Fraser Corfield), some of the Cast...
Dancers of the Cradle
In its second week, the Cradle of Creativity hosted two Focus Days on Dance Theatre for Young People (Wednesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 25th, 2017).
The sessions during these days included a workshop on "Empathy as...
Africa Day – A Cradle Celebration
May 25th marked the annual celebration of Africa Day and, despite the rest of the Cradle of Creativity being in full swing, many delegates still found the time to enjoy a day of entertainment that showcased...
Opening Up to Honest and Candid Art
The three seminars which I attended at the Conference of the International Theatre for Young Audiences Research Network (ITYARN), unpacked interesting research on themes such as diversity, inclusion, intercultural exchange and gender. Not only...
Jump First, Ask Later – A Reflection
Innovative. Inspiring. Groundbreaking.
While watching a screening of Jump First, Ask Later on Wednesday night, I was captured by the creative use of real-life stories from Young Immigrants in Fairfield, Australia. Devised by Powerhouse Youth Theatre,...
Sharing International Drama Games
The following activities were facilitated by members of the Next Generation 2017 cohort during a sharing skills workshop. You can hear the rhythm and sounds of the activities on the following audio recording (6...
Reviving the Art of Storytelling
Storytelling can be traced back through the ages. Prior to written text and literature, communication of stories, traditions, customs and values was often through the oral traditions of voice and song. Yet, despite the...