Sarah is the Head of Theatre and one of the creativity, activity, service (CAS) co-ordinators at ACS Egham. She leads performing arts across our Middle and High Schools.
Student-led performance of Charlotte's Web
A recent student-led performance of the E.B. White classic, Charlotte's Web, which Sarah supervised
Sarah Garlick is the Head of Theatre and one of the creativity, activity, service (CAS) co-ordinators at ACS International School Egham. She has been teaching at ACS Egham for eight years, previously holding positions at schools around the world including Woodhill College in South Africa, Regents International School in Bangkok, as well as a drama teacher at schools in the UK.
Sarah leads the performing arts across our Lower, Middle and High Schools, and has helped develop a unique interdisciplinary unit focussing on language acquisition and the arts. Through her co-ordination of the CAS programme, she is heavily involved in many student fundraising initiatives.
Why do you think the performing arts form an important part of a child’s education?
The performing arts are so important for helping young people to develop life skills, in particular those skills outlined by the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile, a set of key characteristics that all learners are encouraged to develop to become well-rounded, global citizens.
The performing arts are incredible for helping students to be risk-takers, independent, open-minded and critical thinkers. Students also develop lifelong learning skills, for example, the ability to read people and situations, how to look at things from different perspectives and how to work with people, developing empathy.
In addition to those more cognitive traits, they can help students learn how to use their physicality effectively. They will undoubtedly need to go to an interview at some point in their lives and 90% of interviews are won or lost on body language. If I can teach students how to use their body language, that's an incredibly valuable asset they will benefit from. Importantly, the performing arts are an incredible outlet for young people's creativity.
In the drama 'classroom', you can take away that old fashioned mandate that you go to school to sit at a desk. I know for my students — whether they are doing drama in the IB's Middle Years Programme (MYP) or theatre in the IB's Diploma Programme (DP) — they often come in and will say they love it, the reason being that it's different.
What innovations have you brought to the performing arts department at ACS Egham since joining?
Interdisciplinary learning is something that is deeply embedded in the IB curriculum and from the first year I started here I have worked closely with Head of Language Acquisition, Aline Bernard, to develop a rigorous interdisciplinary unit on language acquisition and the arts. This has just grown and grown, so much so that a lot of other schools offering the MYP have been fascinated by it.
The unit is based around an early form of Italian professional theatre, Commedia dell'arte. The students who study art make Commedia dell'arte masks, music students create a piece of music to accompany the performance and that has to form part of the comedy, and drama students study Commedia dell'arte and create a performance in the target language, applying Commedia conventions. It really does bring a lot of elements together and the result is always exceptional.
Commedia dell'arte
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
It sounds simple but the most rewarding part of my role is working with and teaching the students – I just adore it. I get such a sense of pride as the students exceed their own expectations and see the results they have achieved. It's incredible to be a part of that. There are so many students I’m exceptionally proud of and it's amazing to see them go on to find their niche and thrive in the world of theatre.
What is your top piece of advice for students studying performing arts?
Look at the processes – if you can nail the process of what you’re doing, you can nail the end results. And just enjoy it. If you can do something you enjoy, you’ll end up doing well.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
As a South African, I would have to say my greatest inspiration is Nelson Mandela and his belief in the goodness of people and hope. He had a phenomenal ability to be forgiving and to stand up for what is right.
Dame Judi Dench is another inspiration; she is a role model in every single way - as a person, as an actress, as a performer.
Statue commemorating Nelson Mandela
