The following article was published in the Prompt magazine in December 2022 as a celebration of

Scenario Arts

 

 

 

A FAREWELL SCENARIO – 1996-2022

Scenario Arts in Personal Development was founded in 1996 as a platform for prospective students to learn about Dramatherapy. It offered a broad introduction to the different modalities and methods of drama as a healing medium whilst providing information and direction for those considering a career in Dramatherapy. But it was so much more than that. For me personally, it was a profound journey of creative and business learning but also a wonderful window into the lives of many special individuals and their heart felt stories. I feel truly honored to have been witness to such a diverse mix of humanity in all its guises, masks on and off and to the giant leaps of faith and soulful awakenings many opened themselves to. Character forming and growthful, often sad, always uplifting and ultimately transformational, each journey has been unique and personal.

It was these people who breathed life into Scenario Arts for 19 years in the form of a Certificate Course, accredited by Worcester University and tenderly held by the beautiful residential Hawkwood College in Gloucestershire. Drawing interest from people from all over the world (youngest 18, oldest 76) with positive feedback year after year, it was the only course of its kind to offer students an experience of themselves through dramatherapy whilst also serving as a feeder programme to professional training.

Of course it was made special by the unique and high caliber expertise of my colleagues and fellow tutors. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their input, from models of Dramatherapy, Psychodrama and Voice Therapy, to Playback Theatre, Mask work, 5 Rhythms, Stanislavski and Boal to name a few of the many offerings. An extensive guest list of tutors (too many to mention here) visited including Phil Jones, Sue Jennings, Dawn Miller, Mary Smail, Mike Chase and Adrian Jackson but my special thanks must go to my friend and co worker Martin Gill who in 1987 as a then student of Sesame, introduced me to Dramatherapy before I even knew it existed. He was there at the start of Scenario and remained a tutor on the course delivering the Sesame and Psychodrama modules for 16 years. We both saw many changes and rode many waves in that time but it only added to the richness of the learning experience. I am happy to still be able to call him my friend!

Others who were also regular tutors deserve a mention; Philip Clarke who inspired me with his wonderful mask work when I myself was a student at South Devon College in 1990 and Colin Edwards, a skilled theatre director and teacher of the Stanislavski Method who was also my support and co marker on the academic aspect of the course.

Following the Certificate Course closure (due to the hike in University module fees that I felt I couldn’t justify for a non qualifying course), I realised that most students had valued the experience more than the credits gained so I endeavored to keep Scenario alive by moving away from academic institutions, and created a Foundation Course in Bristol. Alongside this I ran my private practice and offered bespoke training and consultancy wherever it took me. Scenario had now became an umbrella for many different projects, but still with its heart in facilitating change and authenticity on the journey to finding the ‘Hero within. I also provided personal therapy and supervision for first, second and third year dramatherapy students at  Roehampton and Exeter. I found this most rewarding as it enabled me to be witness once again to students embarking on the beginning of their journey and watch them evolve into fully qualified HCPC Dramatherapists.

I still meet students from the past who recall their dramatic journey with great affection and I know there are dozens of Dramatherapists out in their community doing fantastic work having started their journey with Scenario and that makes me proud. The ripple effect has been in motion, carrying people across different and often difficult thresholds, following their call to adventure. Each the Hero of their own story. I can now retire with great love and gratitude as I pass the baton on.

Thank you to everyone who has shared a part of that journey with me on my Call to Adventure’.

Rachel Perry

 

Rachel still offers individual therapy and supervision

both online and in her private practice in South Devon.

rachel.perry59@googlemail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRAMATHERAPY TASTER

‘STAGE ONE’

 

KINGSKERSWELL SOUTH DEVON

29th October 2022 

 

Dramatherapy is a form of interactive group work and a method of play; a means of discovering, unlocking and working with different aspects of the self in a spontaneous and imaginative way. It provides a creative vehicle for the transformation of feelings, and is an active form of therapy that emphasizes movement, voice, characterization, embodiment and expression through drama. The focus is not on performance but on the creative process itself. Dramatherapists work in a wide variety of settings with people of all ages including schools, in mental health and social care settings, prisons & hospices, the voluntary sector & in private practice.

Who’s it for?

This introductory day may be of interest if you are; A Health Professional working in the NHS and Social Services or caring for people in the community, a Teacher, Theatre Pro, or Therapist, looking to develop creative approaches to working with:

  • Active methods in Therapy

  • Creative Self Expression

  • Drama & Theatre processes within a therapeutic framework.

  • Dynamic Tools for healing & Change

Or perhaps you are considering a change of career and want to find out more about further training and have a practical experience of some of the methods and models of dramatherapy before making a decision.

Or maybe you simply want to be creative and join a group of like minded people who are seeking understanding and connection on life’s journey and want to explore possibilities through play and theatre.

Whatever your reason, this one day workshop offers a playful, provocative and therapeutic experience of dramatherapy. It will introduce methods and techniques to stimulate the imagination and expand awareness , helping  to connect with the new, erase the old and bring into focus what matters most. No previous experience is necessary.

ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED

 Cost £55

Times; 10.00am to 4.30pm

Contact; Rachel.perry59@googlemail.com to book a place 

VENUE – Kingskerswell Parish Centre, Church End Road,

Kingskerswell, Newton Abbot, TQ12 5LD.

There is free parking on site.

The nearest railway station is Newton Abbott about 3 miles

away. There are regular buses to Kingskerswell or a cab ride

will cost you about £7

 

 

2 DAY 

INTENSIVE

10th-11th September 2022

Kingskerswell, South Devon

 

10.00 am- 4.30 pm daily 

£165

Dramatherapy provides a platform for reinvention and healing, connecting us to what is important in our lives.

Over the 2 days, you will be invited to meet and journey across the threshold of both new and old  landscapes, using a variety of different methods from two main models of Dramatherapy i.e. Sue Jennings Developmental Model of Embodiment, Projection & Role, and A Theatre Model

No previous experience is required to participate. A perfect foundation if you are considering a new career path or extending your therapeutic skills or simply looking to enjoy reawakening your creative spirit.

Dramatherapy is a form of interactive group work and a method of play; a means of discovering, unlocking and working with different aspects of the self in a spontaneous and imaginative way.  It provides a creative vehicle for the transformation of feelings, and is an active form of therapy that emphasizes movement, voice, characterization, embodiment and expression through drama. The focus is not on performance but on the creative process itself.

Where the group provides an opportunity to explore personal issues, participants are able to work at their own pace within a contained and supportive environment. No previous experience is necessary.

This course also aims to offer inspiration & technique for Continued Professional Development through gaining a practical understanding of 2 of the main models of the dramatherapy process and their application, gaining practical tools and techniques that can be applied within different settings as a dynamic approach to healing and change.

Dramatherapy is both the container of the chaos & the means to explore it” Jennings. 

 

COURSE PROGRAMME 

Day 1 The Developmental Model 

The Developmental Model of Dramatherapy ( Dr Sue Jennings) explores the creative life of the clients as part of their whole life journey. Sometimes we may struggle to integrate the conflicted elements of experience. When that struggle is explored symbolically through the fiction we create in dramatherapy then the healing process could be described as restoring life through art. This model maps how dramatic play evolves into and from 3 distinct stages; Embodiment, Projection, Role .

Day 2 – A Theatre Model 

Working with personal story and creative improvisation and performance we will explore both old and new landscapes from our inner and outer worlds. Engaging in interactive Theatre, play and ritual that will both challenge and inspire present patterns and beliefs to make way for new beginnings and fresh insight.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Participation is by booking form contact rachel.perry59@googlemail.com   07983 393165/01803 473079

No formal qualification is required for entry.

COURSE FEES

£165 

A deposit of £40 is required to secure your place, the remaining fee due within 2 weeks of the course start date.

There is a residential option with local self catering accommodation available for £35 pn

 

TUTOR;

Rachel Perry 

Rachel Perry founded Scenario Arts in Personal Development in 1996 . She has been a registered Dramatherapist for over 25 years with a background in theatre performance and directing.

Rachel currently has a private practice in South Devon. Bringing together the theatrical & therapeutic stage she has developed her own models of dramatherapy namely The Theatre of Our Lives and Acting 4 Real which have been applied as creative learning tools within a number of settings including education, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and the corporate sector. Rachel was the Course Leader and Senior Tutor on an advanced Diploma in Dramatherapy accredited by Worcester University for 18 years. She currently offers individual and group therapy and supervision within her private practice and also facilitates Forum Theatre workshops and bespoke introductory training courses in Dramatherapy. She is a member of the HCPC

 

 

 

DRAMATHERAPY GROUP

TOTNES 

7.30-9.30

£115

 

This is a closed group of 6 sessions for those interested in the therapeutic benefits of Dramatherapy for self expressions, healing and change. It is an opportunity to deeply enter the creative and healing process that dramatherapy offers within a contained group.

The emphasis will be on developing self awareness and increasing self confidence, whilst stimulating the unconscious through spontaneous play and development of the imagination using personal story, archetypal journeying and creative dialogue, improvisation, movement and group reflection.

Where the group provides an opportunity to explore personal issues, participants are able to work at their own pace. No previous experience is required. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

‘THEATRE OF OUR LIVES’

DRAMATHERAPY WORKSHOP

 

South Devon

£145

(Residential option available)

This 2 day workshop introduces a Theatre Model of Dramatherapy bringing together  interactive and therapeutic theatre techniques, with creative writing to bring about a dynamic exploration of key questions relevant to Life’s journey.

Aimed at developing an understanding of how our personal stories, scripts & inner characters, can be re recast, and rewritten, to create clarity and insight of the past, present and future.

Using personal story, improvisation, dramatherapy techniques and reflective exercises, we will be exploring how our repertoire of inner personas can meet with our outer expression in the world to create authentic relationship with ourselves and others.

This workshop is open to anyone interested in the healing benefits of the creative process.

CPD certificate will be awarded on completion

 

 

Email; rachel.perry59@googlemail.com for a booking form

Places are limited early booking is advised 

 

 “To be or not to be”

What is your question?

Contact Rachel FFI

rachel.perry59@googlemail.com

TAILOR MADE WORKSHOPS 

Workshops in both Forum Theatre and Dramatherapy can also be offered as part of a tailor made programme to suit specific group requirements. If you are considering staff training or consultancy for your business that you think might  benefit from some training in this approach or an introduction to the tools and techniques involved in these methods please get in touch for further details.

 

INTRODUCTION TO FORUM

THEATRE

 

Forum Theatre is an interactive form of theatre that presents a theatrical debate to create a group ethos that encourages audience interaction and is a powerful tool for exploring solutions to difficult problems.

This one day workshop explores the practice of Forum Theatre and its application to communities and groups. It offers an entertaining and meaningful way for:

  • Working with socially excluded or dis-empowered groups
  • Challenging established perceptions
  • Understanding group/team dynamics in the work place
  • Exploring specific issues affecting individuals/groups experiencing dis-empowerment
  • Identifying areas of conflict and possible solutions

This workshop is suitable for anyone interested in the creative process who would like to learn more about using theatre as a medium for healing. The tools and techniques can be applied in any work setting when considering group dynamics and roles within the work place and also for those engaged in the more intimate setting of group work wishing to explore relationship issues. Forum is also used to gain a deeper understanding on more global issues and to raise awareness and create a theatrical debate.Forum theatre scenarios are designed to stimulate audience participation through discussion, interactive role-playing and shared experiences.

This workshop can also be delivered on a bespoke basis to address specific issues within your organisation or group.

For further information and to discuss your requirements please contact Rachel at Scenario 07983 393165/rachel.perry59@googlemail.com

 

 

THEATRE OF OUR LIVES

This workshop is for anyone with some previous experience of the arts therapies, psychotherapy or therapeutic group work and is ready to go to the next level. It is aimed at developing an understanding of how our personal stories, scripts & inner characters, can be re recast, and rewritten, to create clarity and insight of the past, present and future.

Using Therapeutic Theatre, masks, creative writing and dramatherapy methods we will be exploring how our inner feelings, voices and personas meet our outer expression in the world and gain insight into our relationship with ourselves and others.

This is not a therapy group however the group will be a respectful and safe space where therapeutic insight may occur as a result of participation.

 

 

© 2015