“Gresford” Project

Included in this resource pack:

  • A 20 minute PowerPoint visual, with soundtrack. The main body of this has photographs of some of the men who died, names, and addresses, and is followed by a complete roll of all who died. The soundtrack is eerie and atmospheric, and begins with the original radio broadcasts from 1934. It is in itself a moving tribute to all those who died in this terrible event on September 22nd, 1934.
  • A separate MP3 of the soundtrack.
  • An extract of a written account of the waiting crowd immediately following the explosion
  • The same extract divided into 4 pieces and used by each of the four groups created for the piece of Drama.
  • A separate PowerPoint presentation on coalmining and conditions around the time.

Introduction

This resource is central to a well established year 8 learning programme, but can, with sensitivity, be equally well used with any year group. The main “control” elements within it are having a large number of pupils effectively doing nothing except standing (and waiting). That alone can create a very powerful image providing that the “dramatic feeds” are sensitively handled. It is, therefore based on internalised feeling rather than externalised action. It assumes that the main PowerPoint becomes a backdrop to the piece of drama, but it is realised that not all (if only a few!) might be able to facilitate that. That is why the soundtrack is included separately since is that which is more likely to provide an underpinning atmosphere.

Learning Objectives

  • To learn more about local historical events by creating a piece of drama about those events.
  • To create own characters in relation to the subject matter of the 1934 Gresford mining disaster, and to extend knowledge and appreciation of in depth character work, blending fact with fiction.
  • To empathise with local Welsh cultural and historical events and social history.
  • To dramatically empathise with real life situations.

Lesson 1

Warm up. Setting the scene:

“The date is September 22nd 1934”……..Gesford disaster account read…..”a bell clanged dully three times….” Discussion of time and place, and placing of event in context geographically and historically. Pupils to sit in large circle and numbered randomly around 1-4, to eventually become four working groups. One by one (either voluntarily or a designated “starter”) move into the space created by the circle as though they are people waiting at the pit head for news. Each person’s place now becomes a set place in the crowd. There is a great deal that can be done here…the group needs a collective focus as to where the pithead might be in relation to where they are standing, time (early morning), weather (how might they be dressed) who is it they are waiting for news of (and the consequences attached to that)….and how might they have got there (it is 1934!!). how do they, might they relate to each other? The words read from the extract are a clear indicator of what might be expected.The four groups numbered around the circle will be spread out within the crowd and at the end each is given a portion of the read extract (lines to be learned as homework task for the next lesson).

Lesson 2

Warm up. From the same places on the circle established previously now need to re-establish “pithead crowd” also from previous week…..mood, emotionatmosphere….and a great deal of stillness. The main part of this lesson is now to go into the four groups specifically to work on the words and to find a way of speaking individual extracts chorally. Guidance night be given here as to how they might attempt that….one group might say everything as a chorus whilst another might split the lines between them (in pairs, threes or singly)….but each to say something individually or collectively. Ongoing development throughout lesson…returning to “the crowd” at the end……words to be spoken from out of the crowd. The fact that the four working groups are spread among the crowd gives this a very strong dramatic feel

Lesson 3

Power point presentation on coal mining…discuss. Introduce memorial photographs and radio broadcast archive from main PowerPoint. Note: how this is done depends on facilities. It can be done directly from the PowerPoint;it could be done by passing around photocopies, it might be done (as we do it) by having the photographs (taken from the Wrexham Evening Leader Memorial Edition) pasted (collaged) on to two large boards. Each pupil to select one person from them….write down their name and address. In large circle each to read out the name and address of the man chosen…putting together those who have by chance chosen the same. Assume the same SURNAME (Jennifer Smith might become Jennifer Williams) and decide on the relationship between them (brother, wife, sister, mother….etc, etc). Fill out more fictional detail on the factual detail selected….continue as homework. Also write a short account of how they heard the news and arrived at the pithead and specifically relate it to the now developing family relationships (internet research invaluable).

Lesson 4

Warm up. The people in the pithead crowd now have specific detail to relate to, both fact and fiction. Individual accounts (or extracts from them) now read around the circle. Introduction of original radio broadcast archive…pupils to listen. Individual time to develop to pen portraits into an account (who, where, what, why). Into groups to find ways of adding and presenting in character factual details on mining, life at the time, dangers…etc, etc

Lesson 5

Work on assembling the various elements as a performance piece (both teacher led and within groups) to include and in any order starting from “the crowd”…..who they are and why they are waiting; the learned lines of the account; a few selected individual accounts; radio broadcasts and additional sound; factual information on mining and mining disasters. All of this “emerges” from within the crowd with either the soundtrack, or PowerPoint with soundtrack providing a backdrop. Each class will follow a different “assembly” format because each will have brought to it different material, whereas some elements will remain constant.

Lesson 6

Performance rehearsal (teacher led). Individual group rehearsal leading to whole group performance.

Final note: this is by no means a prescriptive process and experienced Drama teachers might well focus on specific elements. However the format described above does work extremely well, and moves pupils to a strong empathy with situation, mood, atmosphere and character. It also has a very strong performance element which in itself states that a piece of Drama does not necessarily have to be “all action” and that the power of the piece is in the exact opposite….in stillness and voices! There is a lot more information available through the internet that can be fed in at any time. An interesting piece of information derives from the fact that some of the miners had swapped their shift with others in order that they might go to the Wrexham/Tranmere football match that afternoon….and consequently escaped the disaster(but not its aftermath!)