towards a free orbit

Drama has the potential to empower students to express themselves in ways they may not usually get an opportunity to do, either in or outside of the classroom. This thesis explores teachers' perspectives on how Drama empowers, changes and builds student ability to construct meaning through a critical multiliteracies approach. I am an English and Drama teacher who has worked in a variety of educational settings. This has included integrating Drama with other subjects such as English and Social studies as part of a school syllabus, as well as working in an extra-curricular capacity with youth theatres and running a Drama school. My experience teaching students ranges from preschool age to their early twenties, in Melbourne, Australia, New York, U.S, and Auckland, New Zealand, and has given me the opportunity to see many incarnations of Drama as an educative tool. These experiences have highlighted for me the opportunities Drama offers for transformative learning