This summer I attended a children’s’ improvisation showcase
at Shadowbox Theatre. I was in awe of the way the different improv skits
challenged the children to think on the spot, come up with multiple different
ideas, flex ideas from one scene to another, elaborate upon each other’s ideas,
and present ideas with confidence.
I quickly realized that this improv class was going after
the same idea generation goals that I was going after in my art curriculum. For
this reason, I have started incorporating improv exercises into my curriculum
in order to build upon students’ flexible thinking, collaboration,
perseverance, and their ability to present their ideas confidently.
What does this look like in the art studio?
Today before starting on their project, students
participated in an improv exercise called “Let’s Plan a Party”. Students got in
groups of two in order to have a conversation about the party they are
planning.
“Yes, but...”
In the first round, students took turns sharing an idea for
the party while the other student shut down their idea by stating the prompt “Yes,
but…” and giving a reason why the idea would not work.
“Yes, and…”
In the second round, students once again took turns sharing
an idea for the party, but this time their partner responded with the prompt “Yes,
and…” and expanded upon their partners idea.
After both rounds, we met as a large group and talked about
the difference in energy and the scale of the ideas between the two rounds. We
talked about ways we can be “Yes, and…” artists when collaborating with others
on artworks and how we can be “Yes, and…” artists with our own artworks in
order the elaborate on our ideas and take them to a new creative level.
What’s next?
I am generating a collection of research-backed improv exercises and I am so excited to continue to incorporate them into the classroom and document the ways in which the exercises
promote creative thinking!
