PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP

TARGET GROUP: 14-year olds and older
HOSTED: As an independent event (can be used in correlation with a specific play or recommended reading assignment)
DURATION: 1.5h (90 minutes)
LOCATION AND REQUIREMENTS: Classroom where every participant has a location to write; papers, notebooks and pens; option for a slideshow is recommended
GROUP FEE: 160€ (fuel cost will be added to events outside of Tallinn)
CONTENTS: Playwriting or creative writing of any kind can seem a daunting task at first. Especially playwriting as it’s a very specific literary genre. The aim on the workshop is to encourage the participants and introduce them to the exciting world of playwriting.
A play is a wonderfully compact and active text where short lines are sufficient to carry a thrilling tale. Because a play is strongly dependent on and connected to the director, actors and the stage space, the writer must immediately start thinking about the story on numerous levels. We’ll explore questions like: What does a story consist of? Who are characters? How to activate a dramatic situation? How to feel the story as a whole? How can one bring the text on paper to life on the stage? Playwriting workshop is useful for anyone who wishes to improve their creativity and their analytical skills. It’s a great addition to literature classes and will help develop the students’ ability to express themselves in writing – a skill that is necessary in all areas of life.
Follow-up workshops:  We are able to offer additional workshops from interactive writing to analysis for the students that get inspired from the workshop. We can also offer a follow-up workshop to those who are interested.
Workshop can be used in correlation with curriculum topics such as: lifelong learning and career planning, environment and sustainable growth, cultural identity
THE COORDINATOR: Mihkel Seeder is a playwright for VAT Theatre and is a tutor at creative writing school Drakadeemia. He has experience in running courses in many genres for adults as well as youngsters. Mihkel is an active playwright and screenwriter. At VAT his creations include Web Demon, Mister Green and Artur Sirk’s Estonia. His screenwriting works include Free Men and Restart. His short stories have been published in literary magazines such as Värske Rõhk and ELLA. In addition to all that, Mihkel translates plays from German to Estonian.  Some of the plays at VAT that have been created thanks to his translations are Lutz Hübner’s Müller must go!.

The private creative writing school Drakadeemia also hosts courses and events on creative writing for adults.

Information about the workshops and oher educational activities:
Mari-Liis Velberg
Leader of educational activities / mariliis@vatteater.ee


FEEDBACK TO THE WORKSHOP FROM ORU MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR THE PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP
FEEDBACK TO THE WORKSHOP FROM KIILI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS