If IB Theatre course wants students to understand other forms of theatre in culture and/or time, then the question comes down to what does that looks like in your classroom? One of the core components of the course is World Theatre and while it certainly gives room for teachers to provide opportunities for students to learn about different theatre practices in either historical time and/or culture, we as educators must also help students understand why that is important.
What does ‘international mindedness’ mean in our subject area? Why do we study other cultures of theatre? That answer can vary from school to school and student to student. One of my former students, Alexandra Panzer, who has gone on to create her own theatre described IB and international mindedness as, “Studying other kinds of theatre allows me to strengthen my own understanding about the type of theatre that I like best. It was never about learning to be a Kabuki actor, but it was about learning why those techniques had a certain impact on the audience and how it reflected something about the culture of the Japanese. Understanding this allowed me to unlock my own bias and preconceived notions about theatre so that I could create a more authentic voice. This has become such an important part of how I have developed as an artist, as well as a person. Growing up in a western culture with lots of media and social bombardment of what it means to just be, I go back to those years as an IB student and can now see why we explored other perspectives. I have a deep appreciation of my own culture but a keen interest in other forms, as it has a direct influence into my work.”
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