Drama advised in use as a teaching strategy in China

Drama workshops and forums are being held at the ongoing China Children's Theater Festival.

Hsu Wan-Ying is the Art Director of the If Kids Theatre from Taipei. She arranged a workshop for children.

The If Kids Theater from Taipei performs a segment of a drama called "Uncle's Attic" at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. [Photo: China Plus]

"There's a concentration training program that enables children to soon focus their attention. Oftentimes, teachers would shout at students demanding their attention. However, a concentration training program may attract students' attention as soon as within five minutes. I hope educators may know its effect and I think this program, along with many others in drama education, may also be applied as a teaching strategy in classrooms."

In addition to the workshop, the If Kids Theatre will stage a song and dance drama show called "Uncle's Attic".

Also during the festival, an international forum was held earlier to boost cooperation of international children's theaters.

Veteran theatre producer Yannick Boudeau, an expert with the Creative Europe Program, explains his point of view.

A drama workshop, arranged by the If Kids Theater from Taipei, was held in Beijing on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. [Photo: China Plus]

"It's also very important for China to have cooperation between your guys, because China is so big a country with lots of languages, I suppose, lots of different people….As far as I'm concerned, we were very much on improvisation, and then we create the show out of improvisation. I don't think it works this way here, not saying it's bad or good. It's just different. We didn't talk about the artistic ways of doing things. Maybe another year, I don't know."

The festival is scheduled to last for over a month and expected to attract about 160-thousand audiences.