This comprehensive, easy-to-use guide contains everything you need to plan and deliver effective drama sessions, get the best out of your participants, and develop an empowering leadership style that works for you.

Drawing on over fifteen years' experience of running workshops – including for the National Theatre, The Old Vic, Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre and National Youth Theatre – Linden Walcott-Burton takes you through everything you need to know, with essential advice on:

• Your Workshop: How to plan and structure a successful session; how to deliver it effectively, whether in-person or online; how to devise and run an entire course.
• Your Group: How to motivate and get the best out of your group; how to encourage positive behaviours and manage challenging ones; how to adapt to different groups and needs; how to give and receive feedback.
• Yourself as a Workshop Leader: How to empower yourself by owning the space and maintaining boundaries; how to use your voice (and not lose it); how to harness the power of humour and fun.

Packed with tips and techniques that work with any setting and age group, whether you're running a short session or a longer course, the book also provides specific guidance on delivering workshops in schools, working with disabled people and those with learning disabilities, and safeguarding when working with children and young people. There's also advice on co-facilitating, working with assistants and finding work.

Organised in handy, bite-sized chunks allowing you to find just what you need, the book also includes sample workshop plans and content, with additional insights and examples of best practice from many other leading practitioners in the field.

Whether you're just starting out and want to learn the basics, or you're a seasoned facilitator looking for fresh ideas, The Drama Workshop Leader is the resource you need to deliver a great session in any room you walk into, no matter what's thrown your way.

'Every practitioner, no matter their level of experience, will gain so much from this book' Jackie Tait, Primary Programme Manager, National Theatre Learning

Prizes

Short-listed for Finalist - Outstanding Drama Education Resource, Music & Drama Education Awards 2025.

'Practical and accessible... Warmly recommended to anyone who has to manage groups for educational purposes'

'An excellent guide for anyone wanting to run and develop workshops... Linden's approach is not only thorough, but very caring. Whether you are experienced as a workshop leader or not, I think you'd be hard pressed not to learn something from this book making your experience, and that of your students, better... A very detailed book. Every aspect of leading a workshop is covered... A reflection of his evident expertise and it could help you to be a great facilitator too'

'An inclusive approach to workshops with an emphasis on accessibility... This comprehensive book takes you from workshop planning stages through to delivery... Whether you're running workshops for schools, theatres or other organisations, you will find this easy-to-read and thorough guide incredibly useful, with dozens of games and activities, all based on real-life workshop examples. The book is ideal for the novice and provides many tips for the seasoned workshop practitioner'

'Packed with ideas, both for those who are starting to run workshops and those with experience who are looking for new ways of working... Walcott-Burton's guidance is always practical and based on his own years of running successful workshops'

Linden Walcott-Burton is an actor, director, producer and workshop facilitator. He is a lead facilitator for the National Theatre's Facilitator Training Programme, and is an Associate Artist for the National Youth Theatre. His facilitating credits include the Barbican, the Old Vic, Punchdrunk Enrichment and Battersea Arts Centre, alongside corporate work including Oxford University's Saïd Business School.