CoLab Senior Drama Workshops
The CoLab Senior Drama Workshops promote collaboration between NSW public school teachers and Year 12 drama students in preparation for their HSC drama group performance.
CoLab workshops provide opportunities for teachers and students to bring together their diverse expertise to further develop and refine the skills needed to succeed in group performances. Students are supported to develop and refine their HSC group performance with HSC drama teachers and students from a wide variety of NSW public schools.
The group workshops also focus on building students' collaborative skills and teaching varied approaches to devising original theatrical works, a core component of the HSC Drama course.
Workshop details
The CoLab Senior Drama Workshop program is implemented over 2 separate days at 4 in-person locations as well as a virtual stream:
- Day 1: students participate in workshops with industry drama practitioners
- Day 2: students participate in a performance skills workshop and spend time developing, refining and rehearsing their group performance piece to present to teachers and their peers for review and feedback.
2026 workshop facilitators
- Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre
- Swoop Physical Theatre
- Kate Sherman
- Character analysis with Rosie Westhoff
2026 dates and venues
CoLab workshop series A
The Arts Unit, Lewisham (previously advertised as Ku-ring-gai High School, North Turramurra)
- Workshop 1: Monday 4 May (Term 2 Week 3)
- Workshop 2: Monday 25 May (Term 2 Week 6)
- The workshop has reached capacity and is full.
CoLab workshop series B
Penrith Selective High School
- Workshop 1: Tuesday 5 May (Term 2 Week 3)
- Workshop 2: Tuesday 26 May (Term 2 Week 6)
- 23 places remain
CoLab workshop series C
Macarthur Girls High School, Parramatta
- Workshop 1: Wednesday 6 May (Term 2 Week 3)
- Workshop 2: Wednesday 27 May (Term 2 Week 6)
- The workshop has reached capacity and is full.
CoLab workshop series D
The Arts Unit, Lewisham
- Workshop 1: Friday 8 May (Term 2 Week 3)
- Workshop 2: Friday 29 May (Term 2 Week 6)
- The workshop has reached capacity and is full.
CoLab workshop series E
Virtual workshops
- Workshop 1: Friday 8 May (Term 2 Week 3)
- Workshop 2: Friday 29 May (Term 2 Week 6)
Time
8:30 am – 3:00 pm each day
How to apply
Applications for the 2026 workshop series are now closed.
Students are required to complete an online permission and authority to publish form by Friday 24 April 2026 (Term 2 Week 1). Students are only permitted to attend with their students group and teacher, unless aproved by the program coordinator who will designate duty of care.
Teachers, are required to collect their own excursion permission forms and follow their schools excursion processes.
Cost
- $20 per student – students attending in person workshops
- $15 per student – regional, rural and remote students participating in the virtual workshops
- Schools will be responsible for collecting participation fees from their students.
- Schools will be automatically direct debited for their participation in CoLab.
Photos from CoLab 2025
All Arts Unit programs are inclusive. If support is required to participate in the CoLab Senior Drama Workshops, please email lily.ferres@det.nsw.edu.au so that we can assist.
