So, what exactly IS Drama for Learning and Creativity?
D4LC started in the UK 2005 and is a thriving, evolving partnership model that improves whole schools through the strategic use of drama as pedagogy.
D4LC is a growing national and international network and movement of teachers, schools, subject association and local authorities. Together they have proved through research and evaluation, the positive impact of drama on both learning and creativity for children and teachers in UK schools.
D4LC is providing an evidence base for advocacy to policymakers about the importance and power of drama as a humanistic, holistic and inspirational pedagogy that effectively supports the learning and creative imaginations of children in the 21st century.
D4LC promotes whole class drama and the use of role (including teacher in role), as a powerful learning and teaching medium for children and students of any age. Before children start school they are learning about themselves, their lives and worlds through voluntary and frequent dramatic play. D4LC sets about ensuring the continuation throughout their formal education of this “imagined experience” approach that uses “working in role” with an empathetic adult (teacher) alongside as a mediator and facilitator of the learning experience.
Drama pays attention to and builds on what the brains of young children are motivated to do naturally to learn …. to ”pretend” alone and with others meaningfully.
Drama is enjoyable to children and therefore highly motivational. Drama is multi-sensory, uses and develops multi-intelligences and links cognitive and affective learning.
Drama holistically supports and enables creative, cultural, social, emotional, physical, spiritual, moral and aesthetic development and aspects of learning .