CANCELLED
It is with a heavy heart that we have made the decision to cancel the NISDA 2020 Conference in Truro, as all current advice suggests that social distancing is the best way to contain the spread of COVID-19.
If you have already booked your place you will be contacted about a refund.
Stay tuned to our social media platforms, which are a great place to share resources and ideas in the event of school closure and extended remote learning.
Stay safe and stay healthy
Team NISDA
It is with a heavy heart that we have made the decision to cancel the NISDA 2020 Conference in Truro, as all current advice suggests that social distancing is the best way to contain the spread of COVID-19.
If you have already booked your place you will be contacted about a refund.
Stay tuned to our social media platforms, which are a great place to share resources and ideas in the event of school closure and extended remote learning.
Stay safe and stay healthy
Team NISDA
In 2020 the National Independent Schools’ Drama Association (NISDA) Conference arrives at Truro School in Cornwall. This year we will be celebrating the Cream of Cornish Creativity, working with a range of Cornish practitioners, including artists from Kneehigh, Wildworks and other Cornish companies.
Cornwall is a hub of creativity in the arts and the spiritual home of many national and international artists. This conference is an opportunity to tap into that creativity and develop practical skills that can translate into your classroom practice and co-curricular projects, pound-for-pound this is the best CPD a Drama Teacher can buy.
I am delighted to invite you to the NISDA Conference 2020 at Truro School in Cornwall during the summer half term: Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May. This year we will be celebrating the Cream of Cornish Creativity, working with a range of Cornish practitioners, including artists from Kneehigh, Wildworks and other Cornish companies. Cornwall is a hub of creativity in the arts and the spiritual home of many national and international artists. This conference is an opportunity to tap into that creativity and develop practical skills that can translate into your classroom practice and co-curricular projects. And on a personal level it’s always thrilling and enjoyable – a chance to recharge your batteries and top up on CPD!
To book your place, please use the online booking form and submit payment. Workshop option forms will be available online in the spring. Please remember that this is a very popular conference and places are limited, so book early. Please also pass this information on to anyone in your department/organisation who might be interested in attending.
NISDA is organised by a committee of teachers, technicians and theatre managers and we run our annual conference for all those who teach, direct or support classroom drama or co-curricular theatre. The conference is an invigorating blend of affordable professional training, networking opportunities, information, and entertainment. We aim to promote the study and practice of drama and theatre in schools and the community. At Truro School we aim to promote the arts broadly as a medium for expression and exploration, linked with our commitment to sustainability and the environment.
We look forward to seeing you in Cornwall in May!
Best wishes,
Ben Oldfield, Director of Drama, Truro School
The conference will begin on Friday afternoon at 2pm with a number of events focused on the curriculum. These will include opportunities to have face-to-face conversations with members of the Drama teams from exam boards; an opportunity to discuss the arts and sustainability and cross-curricular work with colleagues from Truro School; and a chance to talk to ex-students who are now currently at drama school or working in the industry.
On Friday night, we will travel to Porthcurno beach, one of Cornwall’s most beautiful spots, for pasties and prosecco on the beach, followed by a performance at the world-famous Minack theatre, the theatre built into the cliffs above the beach. On return to Truro, there is a chance to enjoy the local night-life, or to head back to your hotel. We intend to run a shuttle service of Truro School minibuses to and from the main hotels, to facilitate travel arrangements.
The workshops on Saturday will feature exclusively Cornish practitioners and artists, showcasing the individual creativity of the region and many of them focusing on the outdoor environment. There will be a range of workshops and although the details are to be confirmed in the spring, we are aiming to offer the following:
· Kyla Goodey, director of Wildworks productions Wolf’s Child and 100:Unearth will be giving a practical insight into her creative process
· Simon Harvey, director of Kneehigh’s FUP on ensemble playing, physicality and clowning
· Simon Johns, Cornish practitioner and fight director for the Royal Opera House on taking stage combat to the next level – acting in fights and ‘making it real’
· Tee J Randall, Cornish choreographer and dancer on movement and choreography for school productions, with an emphasis on working with large casts and non-dancers
· Jon Welch, acclaimed writer and director of Pipeline theatre on writing and devising
· Giles King, Kneehigh performer on how to play the crowd
· Elaine Claxton, performer, voice coach and ex-RADA teacher on physical approaches to dialect and bringing text to life
· Sandra Goodenough, artist and theatre designer on designing to a budget – how to plan for ambitious large-scale productions with limited resources; the school drama department as a theatre company
All workshops are designed with the school drama department in mind. We want you to take away ideas, inspiration, strategies that will enhance your practice and inspire your work with your students and colleagues.
Saturday evening will feature speeches from NISDA patrons, a performance of There’s No F in Jonathan by Split Ends, a fabulous dinner accompanied by the Truro School jazz orchestra and live stand-up comedy from ‘Kernow King’ Ed Rowe (star of acclaimed Cornish film Bait), followed by live music from the Bowie Lounge, silent disco, and show songs round the piano!
On Sunday morning there will be Yoga on the Terraces if you wish, or a chance to relax with the papers, followed by games exchange. The weekend is rounded off with an audience with a local Cornish theatre legend.
There are various hotels of differing prices in and around Truro, plus a host of holiday establishments and B&Bs. Cornwall is a beautiful tourist region and accommodation can get booked up well in advance, so it is prudent to book early. You may well want to come down a day or two earlier, to enjoy some of the sights or to do a bit of surfing!
Our Recommendations:
Truro School has four comfortable boarding houses, each offering a unique stay with a combination of single and twin bedrooms, shared bathrooms and communal areas. All of the houses have Sky TV and essential kitchen facilities. During your stay we can provide high-quality catering from the school’s main dining hall for breakfast. Accommodation at Truro School can be selected at time of booking your conference tickets, alternatively, please email [email protected]
Bed & Breakfast Rates:
£42.00 per person per night based on two people sharing a twin room
£48.00 per person per night for a single room
Premier Inn Truro is a 10 minute drive from Truro School
Merchant House Hotel is a 4 minute drive or a 20 minute walk – £65 per night.
Mannings Hotel is a 10 minute walk – £85 per night.
There are also many B&Bs in the area that you can find with a simple search. We are happy to provide a minibus shuttle service to make your stay easier.
Please complete the online booking form and submit payment. Workshop option forms will be available online in the spring. Please remember that this is a very popular conference and places are limited, so book early.
Celebrating the cream of Cornish creativity
Truro School is part of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST)
MIST Registered Office: 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LH
Charity No. 1142794
Company No. 7649422
