Workshop Content: A series of clues suggest the possibility of an undiscovered tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Children, in teams, use the clues to work out where they think the tomb is on a map. The team closest has the honour of entering first. Will it be full of treasure? Have tomb robbers got there much earlier?Once inside they’ll certainly be more mysteries to solve and stories to uncover.
The tomb is made up of a series of panels with painted with scenes of the journey into the afterlife, typical of Ancient Egyptian tombs. It will be set up so it is only accessible via a narrow tunnel.
This is usually a whole day workshop with a wide range of associated activities. It will be possible to only take one class at a time into the tomb, so the other will be able do anther activity with the teacher. Depending on the timescale, it may be possible to build more into the workshop. I will also be able to leave resources and information sheet for staff to use.
Hunefer was a real person, holding important posts at the court of the Pharaoh Seti I. His ‘Book of the Dead’ is in the British Museum. His tomb has never been found.
Using exciting and creative dance and drama techniques the children will have the opportunity to create their very own Egyptian dance to evocative and engaging music. This workshop is most effective for groups with some knowledge of the subject matter.
Using Hieroglyphics as a starting point, children will have the opportunity to bring the pictures to life by creating a dance sequence telling a story. We will consider shape, sequence, and repetition in creating our work.
The workshop will begin with a warm up, leading on to a group task in which the participants will be asked to create their own sequences inspired by hieroglyphs. From the sequences provided the class will then have the opportunity to combine all their ideas and create one 'whole class' dance. If desired, the final dance may be shared at the end of the session/day with other classes in the school.
The workshops will include games, movement improvisation tasks, group work, speaking and listening exercises and role play opportunities- with each activity being specifically tailored to suit the individual needs of the school and the children involved.
Through dynamic delivery and inspirational tasks the children will have an enjoyable and informative journey into history, leaving them with tangible experiences from which to draw upon in their writing.
