The Playful Mind - Introductory Course (10 weeks)

Diane discovered the art of a good performance at the tender age of seven. Using improvisation, she managed to talk her way out of a difficult situation with the school bully. She drew quite an appreciative audience and lived to tell the tale. From then on, she was hooked by a love of all things performative. Diane has amassed over twenty years’ teaching experience across five countries. She has worked as a staff trainer for: the retail organization Medicare; Marks and Spencer’s Financial Service; and the largest telephone network in the Seychelles, Cable and Wireless. In addition, Diane taught business English at the Seychelles Polytechnic. It was here that she created 'Hanging Loose' , the first student drama group in the country. They went on to perform 'Potion and Passion' the first theatre production with all local youngsters. In Malaysia, she worked with Afghani refugees developing their ability to express themselves using drama. In Indonesia, she directed and produced public performances, developed curriculum documentation and mentored students to use drama games in the local orphanage. Diane’s work has instilled in her a vigorous quest for critical thinking and detail-focused performance. She was a singer song-writer in the UK and performed with the band 'Gish' (now Ego King) She recently wrote and directed two plays for The Playhouse, Children's Theatre; 'Alice' and 'The Hunting of the Snark'.