The activity of
the Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers
The Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers is a
national organisation, founded in 1989.
Its main objectives are:
·
to
make the methodology of drama in education available in schools and in general
educational practice;
·
to
promote childrens’ and youth theatre activities;
·
to
act as a representative on behalf of groups and people working in these areas.
The
National Youth Theatre Festival
The Association organises the National Youth Theatre
Festival (named after the late contemporary poet, Sándor Weöres) every year. In
1997 participants will be attending the 6th National Youth Theatre
Festival.
The preparations and the selection of productions for
the Festival are running for more than half a year. The groups present their
performances first locally, then at regional festivals (in six regions) in
April and May.
The best 20-22 productions from the regional festivals
are invited to the National Festival.
The National Youth Theatre Festival serves also as a
forum for childrens’ and youth theatre practitioners; the productions are
always followed by critical discussions, professional meetings.
This Festival is the most important ‘yeast’ of
childrens’ and young people’s theatre in Hungary. Yearly there are more than
500 groups attending with performances, involving approximately ten thousand
young people (aged 7-14) nationwide.
Children’s and youth theatre activities in Hungary are
based on the principles and methodology of drama in education, i.e.
practitioners place the emphasis not on copying ‘adult theatre’ but on the
step-by-step development of group activities, involving the participants’
creative initiatives. Improvisation,
developing communication skills and group cohesion are
therefore the hallmarks of these activities.
Performances are not limited by topic or genre; groups
can choose from ready-made scripts, can adapt fairy or folk tales, novels or
short stories, can compose a play by improvisations etc.
The National Youth Theatre Festival is a colourful
event of high standards; Hungarian groups attending festivals abroad usually
also enjoy great success.
Contribution
to the Hungarian-speaking drama and theatre activities in neighbouring
countries
We invite Hungarian-speaking drama teachers and youth
theatre practitioners living outside the borders of Hungary to all of our
events, covering their expenses here. Our experts regularly give training
workshops and seminars organised by the Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers
in Transylvania (Romania), Upper Hungary (Slovakia), Voivodina (Yugoslavia),
and in the Hungarian-speaking parts of Ukraine. We would like to broaden the
range of these activities as well.
Training
The Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers organise
the training for drama teachers and youth theatre practitioners. This is an
even more important field of our activity since movement, drama and puppetry
have become parts of the new (1995) National Core Curriculum. It is very urgent
therefore to enable the Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers to take part in
the training of teachers at university level as well.
Every year we organise a three-day conference called Theatre – Drama – Education, where there
are participants from Hungary and abroad.
Since 1993 the Association have had the right to
organise training courses for teachers who wanted to specialise in drama. These
courses involve a 120 hours training, and participants obtain a certificate
after taking an exam in the theory and practice of drama teaching. We have
already given out around 1200 certificates until 31 December, 2000.
The Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers
coordinates and organises acts as a publisher of printed materials (books,
periodicals), videos etc. in connection with drama and youth theatre activities,
regional workshops and ‘training of the trainers.’
Publishing
a periodical
The Drama Education Quarterly (Drámapedagógiai Magazin) is edited and published by the Hungarian
Association of Drama Teachers. The Quarterly, as the only drama education
periodical, has already reached its 22th volume. There are
theoretical and practical articles, reviews, reports of events in Hungary and
abroad published in the Quarterly.
Background
The Hungarian Association of Drama Teachers rent an
office in the Hungarian Institute for Culture. The office is equipped with
phone, fax, answering machine and a computer.
There is one full-time and one part-time
administrative worker at the office. The President and the members of the
Presidency of the Association receive no payment for their activity.
Member
Associations
·
Körös Regional Association of Drama Teachers
·
Veszprém County Association of Youth Theatre and Drama
Teaching
Significant
regional workshops:
·
Regional Drama Education Workshop of Kecskemét
·
Regional Drama Education Workshop of Budapest
·
Regional Drama Education Workshop of
Jász–Nagykun–Szolnok County
Magyar Drámapedagógiai Társaság
5/a Marczibányi Sq., 1022 Budapest
Tel/fax: (+36 1) 212 4885