More than two dozen teachers from around Niagara and the GTA will be learning ways to use drama in the classroom this weekend at Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

“We are bringing in world leaders to speak about using drama across the curriculum,” said Joe Norris, an Associate Professor in Brock’s Department of Dramatic Arts. “It’s part of our year-long celebration of the opening of the Marilyn I. Walker school.”

He said the three-day symposium starts Friday at 7 p.m. with a keynote talk featuring renowned speaker and author Kathleen Gould Lundy who will talk about imaginative teaching. Author of Leap Into Literacy, Teaching Fairly in an Unfair World and Talking to Learn, Lundy is currently the lead investigator of All I’s on Education: Imagination, Integration, Innovation, a research project through the Council of Ontario Directors of Education.

On Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. teachers and Brock students will attend workshops at the MIWSFPA led by leaders in the field of drama and education.

“Because we’ve moved to our downtown space, we thought we’d emphasize concepts of the city and citizenship,” Norris said. “They use interactive drama techniques to address social issues and curriculum.”

Lundy will lead workshops, as will University of Victoria professor Carole Miller and University of Warwick associate dean Jonothan Neelands.

Norris said the teachers attending the event are from all grades and disciplines. While most are from Niagara, many are coming from school boards around the Greater Toronto Area.

“It is very much a recruitment tool in that we are bringing in teachers to see our space and to get to know our faculty and students,” Norris said. “It puts us on the map.”

Brock faculty and students will also be attending the symposium.

Friday’s talk is free and open to the public.

To register for the free workshops Saturday and Sunday contact Norris at jnorris@brocku.ca or co-organizer Yasmine Kandil at ykandil@brocku.ca.