Theatre Workshops

This practical CPD course is designed for theatre practitioners, educators, facilitators, community arts professionals, and anyone involved in delivering creative learning experiences. It provides the knowledge, skills, and confidence to design, facilitate, and evaluate effective drama workshops for a range of participants and settings.

Participants will gain hands-on experience of workshop techniques and activities while developing a deeper understanding of how to plan engaging sessions, adapt to different contexts, and reflect on their own facilitation practice.

To view the module descriptor (PERF08006), please visit Programme Specifications and Module Descriptors 

 

CPD for teachers of Music and English aiming to dual-qualify in Drama

This module is part of a suite of four modules designed to enhance knowledge and understanding of Drama, Theatre and Performance, equipping learners with the skills to teach Drama in secondary school contexts. These modules are well suited to teachers of Music and English who are looking to dual-qualify in Drama.

• From Page to Stage 
• Key Practitioners in Drama and Theatre
• Theatre Workshops 
• 21st Century Theatre and Performance

Upon completion successful completion of these modules, you will be able to access an academic transcript highlighting credits gained. You will need to submit evidence of your study when applying for Additional Professional Registration.

 

Who is this course for?

This course is also suitable for:

• Theatre practitioners who want to strengthen their workshop design and facilitation skills
• Drama teachers, lecturers, and educators delivering practical learning experiences
• Community arts practitioners working with diverse participant groups
• Youth workers and creative facilitators using drama as a tool for engagement and development
• Actors, directors, and performers interested in leading workshops within educational, community, or professional settings
• Early-career practitioners seeking practical experience in planning and delivering drama-based activities
• Arts and cultural professionals looking to expand their facilitation toolkit and confidence in leading groups

 

Why take this course?

Effective workshop facilitation is a valuable skill across theatre, education, community engagement, and the wider creative industries. Whether supporting artistic development, building confidence, encouraging collaboration, or engaging new audiences, well-designed drama workshops can have a significant impact on participants' experiences and outcomes.

This course provides practical experience in planning and delivering drama workshops while exploring the purpose and structure behind successful facilitation. You will develop techniques that can be adapted to different groups and settings, helping you lead engaging, purposeful, and inclusive workshop experiences with greater confidence.

What you will learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Design and plan drama workshops with clear objectives and purposeful learning outcomes
• Select and apply appropriate workshop activities to meet the needs of different participant groups and contexts
• Deliver drama workshops confidently and effectively, using a range of facilitation techniques
• Evaluate the effectiveness of workshop design and delivery in achieving intended outcomes
• Reflect critically on your own facilitation practice and identify opportunities for future development
• Adapt workshop approaches to support engagement, creativity, collaboration, and participation

How you will learn

This highly practical course combines hands-on workshop participation with guided discussion, reflection, and independent study. You will gain first-hand experience of a range of drama workshop techniques while developing the skills required to design and facilitate effective sessions for different contexts and participant groups.

You will learn through:

• Practical workshop sessions exploring a wide range of drama activities and facilitation techniques
• Tutor-led demonstrations and guided exercises focused on workshop design and delivery
• Interactive discussions examining the purpose, structure, and effectiveness of different workshop approaches
• Exploration of specialist workshop contexts, including devising, text-based performance, applied theatre, voice and movement, mask work, and chorus
• Reflective activities that support the development of your facilitation practice
• Independent study and planning activities to help you apply learning to real-world workshop scenarios

Course content

The course is structured around the key principles and practices involved in designing, facilitating, and evaluating effective drama workshops:

• Principles of Workshop Design 
• Core Facilitation Techniques
• Developing Creative Practice
• Workshops in Different Contexts
• Planning and Leading Workshops
• Reflection and Professional Development

 
Assessment

Assessment is designed to develop your confidence and capability as a drama workshop facilitator through practical application and reflective practice.

You will plan and deliver a drama workshop for a specific context, applying the principles, techniques, and facilitation approaches explored throughout the course. This practical assessment allows you to demonstrate your ability to design engaging activities, manage participant involvement, and deliver a workshop with clear objectives and outcomes.

You will also complete a reflective evaluation of your workshop practice, examining the effectiveness of your planning and facilitation and identifying opportunities for future development.

Through the assessment, you will develop your ability to:

• Design workshops that align with specific participant needs and objectives
• Deliver engaging and purposeful drama activities with confidence
• Adapt facilitation techniques to different groups and settings
• Evaluate the effectiveness of workshop delivery and participant engagement
• Reflect on professional practice and identify areas for ongoing development

The assessment focuses on practical skills that can be directly applied within theatre, education, community arts, and other creative learning environments.

 
Applying your learning

Throughout the course, you will:

• Participate in a wide range of practical drama workshop activities and facilitation exercises
• Explore how different workshop techniques can be used to achieve specific learning, creative, and engagement outcomes
• Develop and test workshop plans for a variety of participant groups and settings
• Reflect on the effectiveness of different facilitation approaches and activities
• Build confidence in leading groups, managing participation, and creating positive workshop experiences

You will leave with:

• A practical toolkit of drama workshop activities and facilitation techniques
• The confidence to plan, deliver, and evaluate drama workshops in a range of contexts
• Stronger skills in workshop design, participant engagement, and group facilitation
• A deeper understanding of how to adapt workshops to different audiences and objectives
• Practical experience that can be applied within theatre, education, community arts, youth work, and other creative learning environments

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.

The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in drama, theatre facilitation, creative learning, or community arts practice. It may be particularly beneficial for theatre practitioners, educators, youth workers, community arts professionals, and those seeking to develop their workshop leadership skills.

Participants should be prepared to engage in practical workshop activities, collaborative learning, discussion, and reflective practice at SCQF Level 8. Previous experience of theatre, drama, or facilitation may be helpful but is not essential.

 

Certification

Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded 20 credits at SCQF Level 8.

These credits may contribute towards further undergraduate study where appropriate and in line with University regulations.

Sector and workforce relevance

This course is informed by the practical skills and approaches used across theatre, education, community arts, and creative engagement settings. The focus on workshop planning, facilitation, participant engagement, and reflective practice aligns with the skills required by practitioners who design and deliver drama-based learning experiences.

Drawing on a range of workshop contexts and real-world applications, the course encourages participants to develop approaches that can be adapted to professional, educational, and community environments. This ensures that learning remains relevant to contemporary facilitation practice and the evolving needs of participants and organisations.

NOTE: This is a university module and upon approval of your application, you will be invited to register and then supported to complete enrolment. To enrol on the university system, the first step involves security set-up using the Microsoft Authenticator app; you will need to ensure that you have a compatible smartphone.

Further enrolment information is available at the Student Information Portal.

To access this module via the CPD route, individuals should be ordinarily resident in Scotland.