Global Citizens
In association with UNICEF in Scotland, the TAG Theatre Company has developed a programme of workshops for children ages 8 to 11 on issues surrounding global citizenship. Launched in August 2004, the Global Citizens project is an effort to use drama as a tool to explore complex political issues with students. The purpose of the initiative is to give students the interpersonal tools to work together to explore human rights and responsibilities, ethical enterprise, and society on a global scale - hopefully in the process motivating Scotland's children to grow into engaged and aware global citizens.
Communication Strategies
The central programme strategy is using drama activities and role-play to enable children ages 8 to 11 in the year P5 to P7 (corresponding USA grades: 3 to 5) to participate together in the creation of an 'ideal community'. During an 8-week period of weekly workshops, the pupils take on specific roles within this fictional community, acting as advisors to other communities all over the world.
The pupils are also given a TAG Task to complete after each session which involves them taking action to make an actual change in their own local community and the global community. After 8 weeks of investigation and experiences, the pupils are invited to present their findings in a creative way at their school assembly.
The creation of a toolkit of techniques for teachers is a strategy for ensuring the sustainability of the project. In order to help build teachers' capacity to carry out related activities beyond the workshop period, teachers participate in an in-service session and are provided with a printed Global Citizens Handbook and an audio CD of the 'TAG Task Master', a fictitious ageing leader of the world who seeks the help of the children in creating a better global community. Intergenerational cooperation is a theme here.
The pupils are also given a TAG Task to complete after each session which involves them taking action to make an actual change in their own local community and the global community. After 8 weeks of investigation and experiences, the pupils are invited to present their findings in a creative way at their school assembly.
The creation of a toolkit of techniques for teachers is a strategy for ensuring the sustainability of the project. In order to help build teachers' capacity to carry out related activities beyond the workshop period, teachers participate in an in-service session and are provided with a printed Global Citizens Handbook and an audio CD of the 'TAG Task Master', a fictitious ageing leader of the world who seeks the help of the children in creating a better global community. Intergenerational cooperation is a theme here.
Development Issues
Children, Political Development.
Key Points
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, TAG Theatre Company produces professional theatre and educational activities for children and young people aged 5-21. Having run the Global Citizens project in 11 schools throughout the autumn term 2004, TAG plans to work with more schools throughout 2005.
Global Citizens builds on TAG Theatre's Making the Nation project (1999-2001), which exposed approximately 25,000 young people aged 7-25 throughout Scotland and abroad to issues of government, democracy, and the Parliament. This project, which was an effort "to give Scotland's young people the opportunity to feel it is their Parliament too", examined citizenship at a local level through a series of 8 performance and participatory projects. The goal was to spur debate among young people by engaging them both intellectually and emotionally in issues surrounding the developing nation and by exciting them through the mediums of drama and theatre to engage with the political process.
Global Citizens builds on TAG Theatre's Making the Nation project (1999-2001), which exposed approximately 25,000 young people aged 7-25 throughout Scotland and abroad to issues of government, democracy, and the Parliament. This project, which was an effort "to give Scotland's young people the opportunity to feel it is their Parliament too", examined citizenship at a local level through a series of 8 performance and participatory projects. The goal was to spur debate among young people by engaging them both intellectually and emotionally in issues surrounding the developing nation and by exciting them through the mediums of drama and theatre to engage with the political process.
Partners
UNICEF Scotland and TAG Theatre Company.
Sources
Email from Helen Black (Marketing & Press Co-ordinator, TAG Theatre Company) to The Communication Initiative on September 1 2004; and the Global Citizens page and Making the Nation page on the TAG Theatre website.
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