ACS ATHENS INSTITUTE for Critical and Creative Thinking
Arts Academy
Winter/Spring 2010 PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 912
Arts Academy classes are open to ACS Athens’ students and to students from other schools who
have the requisite English language proficiency to participate in an intensive class taught in
English.
Course 1 (This course is open to high school juniors and seniors as well as to adults.)
Mime and Movement
Physical Theatre - Circus - Slapstick - Mask
work
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The Mime and Movement Course will include 12 sessions on the following four theater
practices, emphasizing mime as a technique and how movement can be used as a
vehicle of communication in different contexts:
Physical Theatre (3 sessions) This part of the course looks at how to use
our bodies for our effects, rather than using props, scenery, or sound.
Circus (3 sessions) These sessions aim to develop students’ understanding of mime. The
text which students encounter during this project includes images of the circus, films
about the circus, scenarios for different characters in the circus and circus music.
Slapstick (3 sessions) These sessions explore the genre of slapstick / physical comedy.
During this project pupils will develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in mime,
physical comedy and proxemics. Pupils also work on pace and timing skills as well as
character development and their ability to sustain a role. The resources which students
encounter during this project include film clips of slapstick (or images of slapstick) and
music (e.g., ragtime).
Mask Work (3 sessions) This part of the course introduces the use of masks (trestle
masks) in performance. At the end of the project, students perform in class a short
improvisation involving characters using masks.
After completing a three-year Acting course at the Athens School of Theatre, instructor
Kelly Mantelli worked as a professional actor in various theatre companies and then
moved to the UK to study for her BA (Hons) degree in Drama, Media and Cultural Studies.
She completed an MA in Media Production, while also attending a Drama training course
at the Birmingham School of Acting. Kelly has worked in the UK as a Drama Teacher,
while also running and directing various plays for the Schools’ Drama Clubs.She directed
Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Prima Donna’for the Crescent Theatre. Kelly is now back in
Athens working on the staff of ACS Athens, and serving as the Middle School’s Drama
Club Coordinator.
Meting time
Thursdays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Meeting dates February 1, 18, 25; March 4, 11, 18; April 8, 15, 22, 29; May 6, 13
Meeting place Middle School Room 10
Tuition
200 euros
Minimum of six participants required for course to run.
Course 2 (This course is open to high school students as well as to adults.)
Photoshop Basics
Tuesdays 6:00-8:00
Photoshop is the most popular PC/Mac tool for manipulating pictures. Retouching,
layering, exposure correction and typography are some of its most powerful capabilities.
This course will explore the fundamentals of Photoshop, with an emphasis on enhancing
the appearance of pictures, altering their dimensions, working with multiple layers,
applying artistic filters, removing unwanted elements (i.e. skin imperfections, figures in
the background) and unleashing your creativity with hands-on projects. You'll gain
confidence in selecting and implementing the best tools for common Photoshop tasks
that are essential to anyone who wishes to edit and creatively manipulate his/her
pictures.
Pre-requisite: Basic Computer skills
Instructor Valia Efstathiou is the Assistant to the Athletic Director at ACS Athens. She
holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing & Communication and a Masters in Sports
Marketing & Communication. Following her passion for visual communications,
she is currently enrolled in an Online Master Certificate in Web & Graphic Design
at Sessions College for Professional Design based in New York. Valia has a strong
interest in photography and finds pleasure in editing pictures and creating event
slideshow presentations for personal and professional use.
Meeting time Tuesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Meeting dates February 9, 16, 23; March 2, 9,16, 23; April 13, 20, 27; May 4,
11
Meeting place ACS Library Computer Lab
Tuition
200 euros
Minimum of six participants required for course to run.