The Arts · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Theatrical Styles: Western Traditions and First Nations Performance

Active learning works for this topic because it requires students to embody multiple perspectives, not just analyze them. By physically performing conventions from both Western and First Nations traditions, students move beyond abstract comparisons to feel the emotional and cultural weight of each style.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9ADR10R01
• AC9ADR10C01

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Improv: Absurdism vs Storytelling

Pairs read a short Absurdist text like Beckett's dialogue and an Aboriginal narrative excerpt. They improvise 2-minute scenes highlighting conventions such as repetition or communal chorus. Pairs share and note philosophical contrasts in a quick debrief.

Compare the theatrical conventions and philosophical underpinnings of Western styles such as Absurdism and Epic Theatre with Aboriginal Australian storytelling, ceremony, and performance traditions.

Facilitation Tip

During the Pairs Improv activity, remind students to stay in character for the entire exchange to fully experience the tonal shifts between Absurdism and storytelling.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Compare a specific convention from Epic Theatre (e.g., direct address, placards) with a convention found in a First Nations performance tradition you have studied (e.g., use of song, dance, or specific storytelling structure). What is the intended effect on the audience in each case?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Epic Tableau Adaptation

Small groups select a realistic scene and create Epic Theatre tableaus using placards and gestures for alienation. They then adapt it to First Nations style with circular formations and vocal layering. Groups present both versions for class feedback.

Analyze how contemporary First Nations theatre companies, such as Ilbijerri Theatre Company, integrate traditional performance practices with contemporary dramatic forms.

Facilitation Tip

For the Epic Tableau Adaptation, give groups exactly 10 minutes to plan then another 10 minutes to rehearse before presenting, keeping the focus on precision of Brechtian techniques.

What to look for

Students write responses to: 'Identify one ethical challenge a director might face when staging a play that draws on First Nations cultural elements. Suggest one strategy to address this challenge responsibly.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Directing Protocol Simulation

As a full company, students role-play a production meeting for a First Nations-informed play. Assign roles like director, elders, and actors to debate protocols, ownership, and representation choices. Vote on decisions and reflect on ethics.

Evaluate how a director might responsibly stage a work informed by First Nations theatrical traditions, addressing cultural protocols, community ownership, and the ethics of representation.

Facilitation Tip

In the Directing Protocol Simulation, assign each student a specific role (e.g., cultural advisor, actor, designer) to ensure accountability in the collective decision-making process.

What to look for

Present students with short video clips or written excerpts from Absurdist, Epic, and First Nations performances. Ask them to identify key stylistic features and label which tradition each example belongs to, providing one piece of evidence for their classification.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 20 min · Individual

Individual Research: Ilbijerri Analysis

Students research one Ilbijerri production online or via provided clips. They journal how traditional practices integrate with contemporary forms, noting specific conventions. Share key findings in a gallery walk.

Compare the theatrical conventions and philosophical underpinnings of Western styles such as Absurdism and Epic Theatre with Aboriginal Australian storytelling, ceremony, and performance traditions.

Facilitation Tip

For the Individual Research task on Ilbijerri, provide a scaffolded worksheet with headings like ‘Cultural Context’, ‘Theatrical Style’, and ‘Audience Effect’ to guide focused analysis.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Compare a specific convention from Epic Theatre (e.g., direct address, placards) with a convention found in a First Nations performance tradition you have studied (e.g., use of song, dance, or specific storytelling structure). What is the intended effect on the audience in each case?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should begin with embodied experiences before theoretical discussion, as this topic demands emotional and cultural engagement. Avoid overloading with historical context early; instead, let students discover thematic connections through performance. Research shows that when students physically embody different styles, their subsequent analysis becomes more nuanced and less reductive.

Successful learning looks like students confidently contrasting stylistic features and explaining their social or cultural purposes. They should articulate how Brecht’s techniques differ from First Nations storytelling structures and why those differences matter in performance.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Improv, watch for students who dismiss one tradition as ‘less developed’ in their exchanges.

  Prompt pairs to physically exaggerate their performances, then ask them to explain the cultural and philosophical roots behind each style before they debrief.

• During Epic Tableau Adaptation, watch for students who flatten Brechtian techniques into ‘no emotion’ displays.

  Have groups present both the alienation effect and the underlying passion they intend to provoke, asking peers to identify which Brechtian technique they used to achieve this balance.

• During Directing Protocol Simulation, watch for students who assume First Nations performances lack structure due to their non-Western forms.

  Guide students to map the ritual steps of the simulated ceremony on the board, labeling each part with its cultural purpose and how it serves the whole.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis