2025 National Drama Conference, Invigorate

Over the weekend, Brooke van Aalen had the privilege of representing Cranbrook School at the 2025 National Drama Conference, Invigorate, in South Australia. Brooke van Aalen is the Assistant Head of Drama at Cranbrook School and was previously the President of Drama West when she worked in Perth, Western Australia. Brooke studied a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Drama at Edith Cowan University in Perth and has recently achieved her Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Psychology and Educational Practice moving into Masters study from Flinders University, Adelaide. As a faculty and a school, we are excited to have Brooke present her academic and creative practice to the Drama community not only at Cranbrook but across Australia,

Brooke led a 90-minute workshop on fostering empathy and understanding through Process Drama before transitioning to scripted work, focusing on Jack Davis’ Honey Spot and the perspective of First National perspectives. Her session featured practical exercises, curriculum mapping demonstrations, and the integration of ICT—developed in response to the rapid evolution of curriculum delivery in a post-COVID education setting. This practical workshop explored a mystery-filled process drama unit that Brooke developed for middle school students as a tool to playfully introduce the elements of drama and a vehicle to unite students by engaging with the perspectives, thoughts, and feelings of others; empower students from diverse learning backgrounds and utilise it as a preface to exploring First Nations perspectives in drama programs.

Andrew Benson
Head of Drama