The Arts Program

Through the Arts Program, artists work directly with school communities, wider communities, families, and health practitioners. Bringing the arts into community life brings nourishment and breathing into the pace of work and daily life. The arts offer an experience which moves the inner world of thoughts and feelings in a new way. Such experiences are a great support especially to the growing child, who already speaks the language of inner experience most readily.

Jen Zimberg offers Songs of Joan of Arc for performance. This is an original cycle of songs about the journey of Joan of Arc interwoven with Joan’s life story. Jen also works alongside educators to compose songs and pieces for class plays, puppet shows, and stories from the curriculum through all the grades.

To schedule a concert, workshop or curriculum project with Jen, please contact: joanofarc@developingtheself.org

Séamus Maynard’s, Parzival A Journey of Initiation (Inner Work Books, 2021) is a new verse adaptation of the legend of Parzival. It is being read and studied throughout various communities in countries worldwide. Séamus invites conversation of how schools may integrate this work into their curriculum.

To enquire or schedule a performance or workshop with Séamus, please contact: arts@developingtheself.org

Arts Program for School Communities and Classes

Creative Speech, Storytelling, Drama and Music

Working the arts directly into the classroom in relation to the curriculum, allows students to meet the lesson content as an inner experience. For example, through songs on the life of Joan of Arc, an historical figure is brought near, allowing the listener to enter into and learn more deeply through another's life and task.

Stories and themes from main lesson are further deepened through storytelling performances, supported with open questions and conversation between the students and teaching artists. The Passing of Arthur, Parzival and various Shakespeare characters offer insight into our human experiences as well as providing myriad opportunities to explore different points of view and perspectives.

Examples from Previous Workshop and School Offerings:

Storytelling through the Grades

These stories from themes below can be done as part of a creative speech workshop or as a short storytelling performance for a class or group of classes.

Storytelling themes for school communities:

Kindergarten - Fairy Tales
1st and 2nd - Fairy Tales/Fables
3rd - Old Testament
4th - Norse Myths
5th - Greece - hexameter
6th - Ancient Rome
7th - Arthurian Legend; Joan of Arc
8th - 12th - Shakespeare, Parzival

This can be adapted or changed to meet each individual class and school community. We are happy to work directly with the class teachers and school administration to support their curriculum and students.

Please be in touch if you have other ideas or suggestions for stories that would best suit your school