The following page offers a number of drama based activities to enable further exploration of some of the themes and issues appearing in Pool of Memories.  They do not require specialist skills but descriptions of the basic techniques are included for those who have not used them before.  If class control is an anxiety for teachers inexperienced in drama, plan your lesson well in advance and ideally run the session with the support of another colleague or a classroom assistant.

Drama is a good distancing technique for young people as it allows them to explore situations that they may encounter in real life but from within the safety of a fictional context.

Hot seating

Someone takes on a particular role or character and is interviewed by the rest of the group.  This activity allows a character’s motivations and emotions to be examined in more depth.

Suggestion
With the children in role as journalists place the teacher in the hotseat as the caretaker talking about his/her experiences of working in the baths and the strange ‘ghostly’ happenings since the pool came under threat.  Use this interview as a basis for writing an article – think of a title for the piece such as ‘Ghoul of Memories’

Still image

This is the creation of a still or frozen image using a group of people who ‘freeze’ in a pose to capture a particular moment, idea or theme, as in a photograph or painting.  This technique has distinct advantages when a teacher is exploring ideas or themes which pupils find complex or vague.

To create a single concrete image requires thought on the part of the students so that their image is precise and not misinterpreted.  Particular attention should be given to body posture and facial expressions.  How do others interpret the still image?  Who do they think is depicted and what is happening?  Allow time for adjustments for clarity and dramatic effect.

Suggestion
Create still images drawn from the experiences of the class of swimming and playing in water.  Use these to open up conversation about their memories and feelings associated with these activities.  This can feed into a debate about whether we should protect places such as the Moseley Road Baths.

Role play

Individuals take on a character role and rehearse a scene that deals with a particular situation.  This technique allows young people to explore situations from a different perspective and to practice skills.

Suggestion
Set up the teacher in role as the local councillor who is visiting school to hear children present their ideas and opinions from the children’s consultation featured in the programme.  The Councillor brings the news that they also need to spend their money on other essential services and buildings (pick those that the children can relate to) and will have to be presented with a very strong argument by children to be convinced that any money should go to the baths.

Teacher in role (see role play and hotseating)

This is when the teacher adopts a role in order to deepen the young people’s understanding of the ideas and themes within the drama, to pass on important information or to shape the drama from within.

The young people can also be put into role.

Where do you stand?

The following exercise can be used to begin exploring abstract notions.

Imagine that there is a line between two contrasting statements. Place yourself on the line according to which one you agree with more. This can be done as a drama exercise with one end of a space representing one statement and the opposite end representing the other.  It can also be done as a paper exercise with a line drawn between the two statements.

It would be possible to do this exercise with a single statement if there were pieces of paper spread out on the floor with the words “Agree”, “Disagree” and “Undecided” (perhaps add “Strongly agree, “Strongly disagree”)

The exercise encourages discussion and debate when students are asked to explain why they chose to stand where they are

Take the following statements:

• Old buildings have got little to offer and should be knocked down to make way for the new
• People are more important than places
• If we want our old buildings to survive we have to be prepared to pay for them ourselves