IN CLASS Workshops
In 2023/24 we’re offering more diverse programming than ever before with something for every class from grade 4-12!
We’ve got new works IN DEVELOPMENT in the fall, a Canadian premiere mainstage production in the spring, and our beloved Finding Your Voice experiences available year-round – including three brand new workshops! Check out our full season of programming to learn how Studio 180 IN CLASS can support your efforts to decolonize your classroom, examine Black and Queer histories, unpack themes of consent and privilege, and more!
MAINSTAGE WORKSHOPS
Experience a full production of a provocative play, featuring award-winning creative teams. Pre- and post-show sessions – delivered at the theatre or in your classroom – contextualize and delve into the themes, big questions, and characters of the play, while fun and generative drama-based activities inspire ensemble-building and student creation. An additional fee of $20 per student will apply when booking tickets to a performance.
FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS
By James Fritz
Directed by Mark McGrinder
$20 student group rate
Weekday matinées April 23 & 30, May 1, 7 & 8 @ 1PM
Tarragon Theatre Extra Space (30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto)
Di and David have devoted their lives to giving their son Jack every opportunity they never had. When a video of a teen sexual assault goes viral, Jack is implicated and Di and David begin to question whether they can trust Jack, his closest friends, or even themselves.
The cornerstone of Studio 180’s 2023/24 season is our Canadian premiere of James Fritz’s Olivier Award-nominated drama. Previous 180 READS presentations of this astounding play have generated powerful audience responses and we are eager to fully realize this mainstage production in April/May 2024.
Deeply provocative, nuanced and thoughtful, this family drama examines issues of consent and privilege and illuminates the insidious opportunities new technologies offer. For youth audiences, it is a humanizing entry into essential conversations about consent and healthy masculinities, with pre- and post-show workshop sessions that foster a brave space to hold these difficult topics with creativity, empathy, and care.
Recommended for grades 9-12
Content Advisory: Very strong language, mentions of sexual assault and cyberbullying, complex themes of gender, class and privilege
Want this play for your first semester class? In-person workshops use our pre-recorded 180 READS presentation of the play, so your students can participate at any point during the school year!
I think people need to know about these important issues. The artist educators gave everyone an equal chance to speak, they gave great handouts to make us understand the topic better, and they were also very respectful … I really liked that activities allowed us to give our own opinions and say what we thought…
Grade 11 Drama student, North Park Secondary, Peel
IN DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
Get a rare glimpse into the theatre creation process with a workshop featuring one of Studio 180’s plays IN DEVELOPMENT. Pre- and post- show sessions focus on the themes, characters, and big questions of a work-in-progress, inviting students behind the scenes to meet the artists, provide feedback, and activate their own creative expression.
This fall we’re presenting live, in-person student matinée readings of all of our plays IN DEVELOPMENT. Looking for an opportunity for your second semester class to engage with a work-in-progress? Some programming is available for in-person workshops around a filmed adaption. Contact us for details.
A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION
Mixing comedy, history and poignant reflection in equal measure, playwright/performer Jonathan Wilson’s deeply personal solo show excavates the lives, loves, and landmarks of his youth. A Public Display of Affection looks back on Wilson’s time as a teen drop-out in Toronto in the late 70s and early 80s and the challenges faced (as well as the community formed) in the face of persecution, ostracization and the onset of the AIDS pandemic. Join Jonathan Wilson on an intimate exploration of the Village he knew, the legacy it left, and the future being forged by a new generation.
For five seasons, students have loved engaging with this eye-opening play at every stage of its development, participating in workshops that illuminate untold histories of Toronto’s LGBTQ+ communities and ignite student creation around themes of identity, community, and storytelling. Due to popular demand, we are pleased to once again share the play’s film adaptation for students to enjoy together with in-person, hybrid, or virtual workshops. And as an added bonus, students participating this year may have the opportunity to return for the world premiere of the live version next season!
Recommended for grades 11 & 12
Content Warning: Very strong language including homophobic slurs; themes of death, loss, sexuality, sex work, homophobia, transphobia, and mentions of violence including sexual and police violence, and violence against children
I am part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and I didn’t know all of the history related to it, so I was glad that I was able to see a bit of the past through the play. Jessica and Jonathan were amazing, they had very engaging activities for us to enhance our understanding of the play. I really liked being able to ask questions after watching the play to the actual creator of the play.
Grade 12 Drama student, Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School, Peel
DEATH TO THE PROMETHEANS!
During this live reading and multi-session workshop, students will meet up-and-coming RBC Emerging Playwright Camille Intson and drop into the early development phase of her newest play. Death to the Prometheans! weaves the ancient tale of Prometheus’s plot against Zeus with contemporary scenes about an undergraduate drama class. The simultaneous unfolding of these two narratives, played by a doubled cast of characters, tells a story of youth revolt and resistance, intergenerational teachings, and the quest for knowledge and truth in societal systems that promise young people agency and freedom just as they foreclose it. Can authority really be challenged from within? How can young people imagine systems of education, governance, and political power outside of that which they were taught?
Recommended for grades 11 & 12
Content Advisory: Some mature language
DISCOUNT DAVE & THE FIX
RBC Emerging Playwright Rebecca Auerbach writes and performs this coming of age solo piece that delves into the harrowing world of trauma and addiction. Disturbing, funny, and deeply personal, senior students will be invited into the development process of Auerbach’s autobiographical play charting a journey from self-destruction to healing and redemption.
Recommended for grade 12
Content Advisory: Very strong language and very mature and potentially disturbing themes including drug use, addiction, overdosing, sex and sexual violence
finding your voice workshops
Looking for an explicit focus on student writing and creation? Our popular Finding Your Voice workshops amplify student voice and offer a diverse range of theatre practices from which to choose. Flexible and adaptable to your class’s needs, our standard model includes three sessions culminating in the creation of a solo piece. Our process-oriented approach nurtures a brave, judgment-free space in which students can build trust and take creative risks. Teachers also love using this work to launch final assignments and performances!
Finding Your Voice workshops are customized for each class and grade level, recommended for students from grades 7 – 12.
Finding Your Voice: Identity, Culture & Community
In these empowering and uplifting sessions, students reflect on themes of culture and community, excavating their own responses and opening themselves up to the experiences of others. Through ensemble-building, improvisation activities and other innovative drama-based exercises, we collaborate to foster trust and nurture a brave space for creation and sharing.
I felt closer to my classmates and felt more confident in myself which I really needed ever since the starting of my high school journey.
Grade 10 Drama student, Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School, Peel
Finding Your Voice: The Monologue
This skills-building workshop emphasizes self-discovery and personal storytelling through drama-based activities that promote confidence, foster empathy, and amplify student voice. Participants will play, reflect, and share as they engage in a variety of creative activations rooted in improvisation, ensemble-building, playwriting, and dramaturgy. A perfect way to introduce younger students to the dramatic form or to support senior students as they hone their craft.
Mark and Ngabo were fantastic and inspiring. They brought passion and competency to their instruction. And they honoured the lived experience and humanity of all students in the class.
Sharon Connelly, Drama Teacher, Mississauga Secondary School, Peel
Finding Your Voice: Storytelling & Land-Based Creation
In this multidisciplinary workshop, acclaimed theatre-maker and beloved Artist Educator Yolanda Bonnell introduces students to a variety of storytelling and creation techniques including working with land-based techniques, poetry and the heartbeat of stories. By discussing land memory, uncovering stories from their past and what inspires them, and engaging in a range of artistic disciplines, participants will expand their skills and recognize their own creative potential.
Yolanda did an amazing job. I always felt accepted and that my thoughts were valid. Everyone got the opportunity to share what they felt if they wanted to… I learned more about the people in my class and I learned more about myself.
Grade 10 Music student, Hammarskjold High School, Thunder Bay, ON
Finding Your Voice: Sound Design
This brand new workshop inspires student creation while introducing technical sound design skills. During hands-on sessions created and led by sound engineer and voice talent Andrew Johnson, participants will learn how to use specialty design software, develop sound-based scenes and monologues and utilize auditory cues as creative inspiration. This unique experience illuminates a fascinating and essential element of theatre-making that rarely gets the spotlight.
Andrew was fabulous. Kind, friendly, encouraging, open, supportive. He encouraged the students to be open with sharing their own experiences and provided a space where students felt safe creating and sharing their work. I can’t say enough good things.
Allyson Bradley, Drama Teacher, Chinguacousy Secondary School, Peel
Finding Your Voice: Spoken Word Poetry
Looking to ignite authentic self-discovery in your classroom? This second-semester workshop, helmed by multidisciplinary theatre artist Marcel Stewart, blends decolonial insights with rhyme, poetry, and spoken word. Together we will be empowered to reject conformity and embrace our unique, individual narratives. This workshop will nurture self-expression, challenge norms, and amplify confidence through discussions and hands-on activities that prompt student creation. Join us on this transformative journey.
Marcel made me feel comfortable and very involved. It felt like we were both teaching each other while having lovely conversations… I felt appreciated and listened to.
Grade 11 Drama student, St. Anne Catholic Academy, TCDSB
Junior Drama Workshops
With so many requests for drama-based programming for younger learners, we are pleased to expand our workshops to include students in grades four – six. Based on our popular Finding Your Voice model, customizable sessions cultivate a brave space in which to nurture drama, movement, voice, improvisation and writing skills, while building community, fostering empathy, encouraging self-reflection and inspiring creativity. Artist-educators specializing in arts education for junior learners lead these fun and active creation-based sessions with enthusiasm and care.
Our students loved the workshop! There was so much positive feedback from both staff and students – particularly around how much they appreciated the enthusiasm of the educators. The team was fantastic and the activities were relevant and fit our students so well.
Rosemary Skea, Teacher, Earnscliffe Sr. PS, Peel
B CURRENT PERFORMING ARTS
Reclaiming Black Canadian History
We are proud to partner with b current performing arts to deliver this brand new workshop that harnesses the creativity, curiosity and imagination of young people and guides them in researching Black Canadian historical figures and spaces through a dramatic lens. Students will develop skills in research, creative writing, acting, and storytelling through the body and voice and create short theatrical pieces based on their learnings.
Recommended for grades 7-12
professional development
Workshops for Teachers
Having engaged with thousands of young people across diverse contexts, we are here to support educators in hands-on, participatory sessions where we share tools and techniques and foster a brave space for dialogue. Whether you are seeking support with online engagement, or the challenges of holding space for difficult conversations, our professional development workshops provide a supportive and empowering opportunity to learn, connect and share with artists and colleagues. All sessions include a pre- workshop participant survey and are custom designed to suit your needs.
With the help of our sponsors we offer a limited number of three-session workshops with a 60% subsidy for each successful applicant. Spots fill up quickly. Contact Jessica Greenberg, Director of Youth & Community Engagement for more information or Apply now!
How can teachers best support IN CLASS Artist Educators?
- Please direct all communication to Jessica Greenberg, Director of Youth and Community Engagement
- Your enthusiasm leading up to the first workshop session will be infectious. Please take some time in the days leading up to Session One to familiarize your students with Studio 180 Theatre and the Artist Educators.
- Your leadership during the class is essential. By modelling attentiveness and participation, you lead by example and empower the students to be brave and participatory. Being physically present in the circle or having your camera on during virtual sessions goes a long way to support both the students and guest artists.
- Most workshops are self-contained with very little preparation required on the part of teachers. In some cases, background resources will be shared a week prior to the first session. We appreciate you encouraging your students to engage with these materials before Session One.
- Most workshops include a creative writing component. Please make sure students are equipped with notebooks/paper and writing implements or tablets/laptops. Cell phones do not make good creative writing tools and we request that all phones be put away during performances and workshops
- We are constantly adapting and innovating our workshop models to meet student needs. Please designate time following the final session to have students complete our online Student Feedback Form. We also encourage teacher feedback to help us know what is working and where we can improve.