Kia mau koe ki nga kupu o ou tupuna.
Action Education was formed in the 1980s, the confluence of the work of the Community Health Players and Youthline's youth counselling service and training pathway. Drama education, psychodrama techniques and strong facilitation created a healthy and constructive space in schools, prisons and other environments to explore challenging and personal topics.
Action Education and Youthline evolved together, with Action Education being the creative arm of the organization willing to take risks and try new things.
In the early 1990s, Action Education formalized as an independent Incorporated Society. It remains an independent incorporated society today.
Action Education and Youthline evolved together, with Action Education being the creative arm of the organization willing to take risks and try new things.
In the early 1990s, Action Education formalized as an independent Incorporated Society. It remains an independent incorporated society today.
Action Education began operating in schools with short facilitated scenarios created from improvisation techniques. Whilst each school session was individually planned, the practice was consistent. The format comprised of ten-to-fifteen minutes of role play created from improvisation techniques with a facilitator and a group of up to three; for the most part, non-professional performers. Scenarios would be developed based on a focus provided by the school, roles actively created, the dramatic dilemma built to a crisis point and the audience would then be facilitated into the action. The use of protective techniques such as creating a ‘bubble’ around a role would enable the facilitator to fully explore a situation with the audience. The work progressed towards resolution through careful involvement of the participant audience and sessions ended with characters taken out of role and students discussing what had just happened. The performer group learned the importance of stepping away from role, using third person language and neutral facilitation to weave together audience and role players. - Sally Markham, MNZM, 2008, in an independent review of the Public Education Network and Action Education
Through the 1990s and early 2000s Action Education developed a range of products for delivery into the community, primarily with young people, with a focus on drama and role play. Staff were a mix of trained therapists and educators as well as younger youth workers. Their work was authentic and engaging and the results proved very effective.
In many respects this was ground breaking work both in the use of educational drama and psychodrama processes as well as its particular combination of volunteer and paid professional staff delivering a service to a range of community sectors.
This work developed a unique camaraderie and sense of extended family amongst practitioners. Accountability amongst the group was strong and created such a degree of safety for members that enabled a high degree of risk taking at times.
The participants themselves also described a lot of valuable learning that broke new ground for them, often coming at a crossroads in their lives or careers. - Sally Markham, 2008
In 2010 Youthline Youth Worker and Action Education facilitator Ramon Narayan became Manager of Action Education. Through his leadership the organization remained grounded in deploying creative methods to engage young people and grew beyond drama to include music-based programmes like the DJ Breakdown.
Earlier, in 2008, Ramon co-founded the South Auckland Poets Collective with Grace Taylor and Daren Kamali. The Collective grew out of a youth poetry programme the trio ran on behalf of Youthline. It was through this programme Ramon witnessed the power of poetry for engaging young people.
Built on the Action Education history of psychodrama, counselling, artist employment pathways, positive youth development and strong facilitation training, spoken word poetry has grown to become the primary delivery mechanism for all Action Education programmes.
In 2014, WORD - The Front Line, Aotearoa New Zealand's premiere youth spoken word poetry programme and competition was developed by Action Education. Since 2014, hundreds of young artists have taken part in the programme which has launched creative careers, fostered intercultural connection, and supported the resilient development of our incredible rangatahi.
Action Education currently employs poetry as a device for professional, educational and personal development in corporate boardrooms, rugby clubs, community centres and classrooms across the country.
Earlier, in 2008, Ramon co-founded the South Auckland Poets Collective with Grace Taylor and Daren Kamali. The Collective grew out of a youth poetry programme the trio ran on behalf of Youthline. It was through this programme Ramon witnessed the power of poetry for engaging young people.
Built on the Action Education history of psychodrama, counselling, artist employment pathways, positive youth development and strong facilitation training, spoken word poetry has grown to become the primary delivery mechanism for all Action Education programmes.
In 2014, WORD - The Front Line, Aotearoa New Zealand's premiere youth spoken word poetry programme and competition was developed by Action Education. Since 2014, hundreds of young artists have taken part in the programme which has launched creative careers, fostered intercultural connection, and supported the resilient development of our incredible rangatahi.
Action Education currently employs poetry as a device for professional, educational and personal development in corporate boardrooms, rugby clubs, community centres and classrooms across the country.