An Epic Journey
Silk Road Rising’s 20-session in-school arts education program, EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course), is designed to harness playwriting to bridge the gap between a student’s imagination and the act of articulating that imagination as a fully-formed, ten-minute play.
EPIC was developed out of a desire to impart upon today’s students the importance of empathy—not just as a value and a practice, but also as a significant tool when it comes to cultural sensitivity and conflict resolution. Students explore their world—and themselves—as EPIC immerses them in dramatic writing, aiding them in the discovery of compassionate empathy.
With the assistance of a teaching artist (who is also a working playwright) and the classroom teacher, students will take part in the following:
- Writing dialogue
- Developing characters
- Building conflict
- Using improvisation
And at the end of 10 weeks, through EPIC, students will have created an original 10-minute play, which will be performed as a staged reading at a school assembly. Students will also have begun to acquire empathic leadership, as well as confidence and an understanding of complex interpersonal and organizational challenges.
Learn more about EPIC at www.learnplaywriting.org.
To bring EPIC to your school, contact Education and Community Engagement Coordinator Brent Ervin-Eickhoff at 312-857-1234 x204 or email brent@silkroadrising.org