Emma Rucastle is passionate about the power of creativity to bring us together and the importance of play to our mental health. She is currently posting fun drama challenges three times a week from ELART Productions on facebook. Each challenge has its own instructions and can be done offline, alone, or with others in a household. Here are some examples: 

Where Did You Get That Hat?
Find something to wear on your head. (It could be a hat, a scarf or something completely different.)
Walk around wearing your ‘hat’ and see what character emerges. Ask yourself the following questions, make decisions and move accordingly: What is your name? How old are you? Where are you going? How are you feeling?

Extensions
Repeat with different ‘hats’ and see what different characters and situations arise.
Give your character a voice and talk as you walk.
Introduce your character to someone else (real or imagined).

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Colour Character
Choose a colour. (I chose red.)
Find the nearest 3 things of that colour you can. (I found headphones, a used candle and a toadstool.)
Without thinking too much, create a character and situation that uses the three items in some way. (I became a security guard/door person at the birthday party of a fairy celebrity!)

Extensions
Repeat with a different colour.
Repeat with 5 (or more) items.
Create a monologue for your character in the situation.

Shadow Play
Create a shadow puppet – outside in the sun, if possible, or inside using a lamp or sunbeam.
Give your puppet a name and imagine exactly what it would look like – animal, human, alien…?
Find a voice or sound that it makes.
Create a second puppet and improvise a conversation between the two!

Extensions
See how many different shadow puppet shapes you can make.
Find a short script for two characters and perform it with shadows (or write your own).
Choose your favourite character from a film or play and try to create a pose that they would do in shadow form.

Share with #elartproductions online and anybody at all offline. Have fun!

Emma Rucastle is a freelance theatre practitioner and Fun Palace Maker based in Lancaster. She works in a wide range of theatre, educational and community settings.  She founded ELART Productions in 2009. Emma can be contacted on twitter (@elaru) and Instagram (@elartpro).

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