From November 27 to December 1, 2023, ISKL’s Inspire Programs brought in Australian physical theater performer, director, and teacher Mark Hill to conduct workshops for Middle and High School students. Performing Arts Director Tina Casey selected Mark for his international recognition and reputation for leading exceptional workshops in IASAS schools in Asia and Europe. “I’ve worked with Mark before and was excited to get the opportunity to have him back here,” shares Tina.
Mark has performed with cutting-edge Australian and global physical theater companies and taught in numerous yet diverse settings, such as universities, international schools, refugee camps, slums, and indigenous communities. He has also been a teacher for NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art in Australia) and ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association).
Tina describes how seamlessly Mark worked with MS and HS students during his four-day residence at ISKL. “IB Theater students participated in World Theater traditions and corresponding performance conventions students wouldn’t usually be exposed to. They were engaged in practical work that inspired them to research further and refine their assessment topics,” adds Tina.
When asked what excited him the most about conducting the workshops at ISKL, Mark shared that it was most definitely discussing his passion for physical theater with open-minded and engaging students from various backgrounds. “Everyone was eager to learn and support each other with trust, commitment, and generosity of spirit. The classroom culture was supportive and kind, encouraging everyone to reach their fullest potential,” shares Mark.
Mark continues, “The workshops allowed students to enjoy learning about various physical theater traditions from around the world, which in turn helps the students gain an appreciation of the rich diversity of beliefs from different cultures expressed through theatre, allowing them to become more holistic actors and practitioners.” He added that students learned various collaborative processes that encouraged them to share their gifts generously while humbly learning from others to make theater that matters and help change the world.
“In summary, the students were wonderful to work with! It was great seeing them filled with joy and accomplishment at the end of the workshops, leaving the studio with a smile and a sense of gratitude and open to any challenge. I enjoyed observing them take risks and supporting each other, ” Mark shares.
Thanks again to the Inspire Programs campaign for bringing Mark to ISKL and Tina for organizing his visit and workshop. It was a great opportunity for ISKL students to learn from an accomplished artist and obtain valuable experience in the world of theater. “By bringing in programs like these, ISKL students expand their learning worlds beyond just the task and curriculum the teacher works with. Working with theater professionals such as Mark and exposing students to the world of theater beyond the classroom is so rewarding,” says Tina.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES FROM THE MARK HILL ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
GRACE H. (‘25)
“The workshop was an incredible experience! I loved so much of it; the energy and compassion Mr. Hill brought in was beyond joyful. I enjoyed being able to experience and experiment with forms of theater that I had not been exposed to and typically don’t get exposed to. I learned about multiple types of Japanese theater and the theater conventions accompanying them, including hand gestures and how they walk. I also learned about how theater impacts underprivileged people around the world through Mr. Hill’s discussion of his experience with theater in the real world.
The workshop has impacted me by showing me how to step outside of my comfort zone in terms of my previous knowledge of theater history and customs. In addition, the workshop greatly impacted me when Mr. Hill discussed how he found himself in theater and how he helped people through its medium. His extremely moving story highlighted different ways theater can be used in the real world.”
VAYDEN W. (‘27)
“I attended the ‘Devising with Movement and Gestures’ workshop and enjoyed creating performances with nothing more than gestures. We learned how to use gestures to tell a story without saying anything or saying very little.
Attending Mr. Hill’s workshop allowed me to learn more about the different types of theater, as most of my previous experiences focused mainly on verbal performances and telling stories with words. I got to experience Physical Theater and learned that much of storytelling relies on physical movements, gestures, and facial expressions.”
CHLOE T. (‘28)
“Mr. Hill helped us explore the idea of being able to act in silence. Through the theme given, ‘vacation,’ he asked us to create movements, which we later combined in groups to show different aspects of vacation. It was fun to explore how using facial expressions and being in sync as a group could tell a short story. I didn’t expect that you could build a performance piece when we layered the two different groups’ actions and the contrast between them. Something so simple as performing four actions repeatedly could build into a more complicated performance when Mr. Hill chooses to stop and start people moving.
I learned that acting and performing can be just as special non-verbally as they are verbally, and I learned how to build a performance quickly from repeated movements. I enjoyed collaborating with my classmates and working together both verbally and non-verbally to sync up our movements and create a performance.”
MAURO VL. (‘30)
“I enjoyed moving around and learning new techniques to use during drama activities as it helped me be more efficient during any activities that we do in class. I learned how to use my five senses to improve my drama skills and make my movements during activities more efficient. ”
