Drama Comes to the Marketing Classroom
On Monday 19 October, CEBII took over the BlackBox Theatre at Grangegorman for a morning of drama. The workshop, Drama-Based Techniques for the Marketing Academic, asked lecturers, researchers and PhD/Master students to get on stage and think about how they teach and present.
Three colleagues from Greenwich Business School, University of Greenwich, led the session: Dr Ewa Krolikowska-Adamczyk, Kevin Williams and Robert Robson. The workshop grew out of their own research. In a 2024 paper, they trained five lecturers to use three techniques: sketch, soliloquy and dramatic storytelling. Lecturers found that the techniques made theory more concrete and held attention.
In Grangegorman, participants worked in small groups and tried the approach themselves. Towards the end, the group listed ways to engage an audience, from storytelling and humour to role-play, games, quizzes, case studies and AI. Then everyone named something to try in class. Ideas included dramatising case studies, using more voice and body animation, adding music and costume to a sketch, and bringing in props and music beyond the slides. One note simply said: "Breathe!"
Thank you to Ewa, Kevin, and Robert for the morning; to Dr Tara Rooney, who organised the event; and to everyone who took part.