Resources

I have to state at the outset that two workshops helped me immensely in figuring out how to devise work with my students.  The first was a week-long institute with Joan Lazarus, a professor of theatre education at the University of Texas at Austin.  She introduced devising techniques for youth.  The second was a two week intensive with Anne Bogart's SITI company on viewpoints, suzuki and composition.  I recommend going to the SITI website and seeing if they have any trainings in your area.  However, there are other  resources I turn to over and over again in helping me plan and implement a devising project that are readily available. 
These are: 
1.  The viewpoints book by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau:  this gives step by step procedures in introduction viewpoints and composition work.
2.  Devising Theatre:  a practical and theoretical handbook by Alison Oddey:  this is a practical handbook on a variety of techniques of devising theatre.
3.  Theatre for Community, Conflict and Dialogue by Michael Rohd:  this is an essential must have, as it gives very practical activities for creating ensemble and original work.  Look up Michael Rohd, he gives lots of workshops, take one.
4.  Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Augosto Boal:  This is Boal's most accessible and useful book.  Loaded with wonderful activities, especially his "image work" which is  very useful for creating original work with young folks.
5.  House of Games by Chris Johnston.  A very useful guide with loads of short activities and a good theoretical underpinning re: the devising process.

There are 100's of books on creative theatre.  I own way too many, but these are the ones I pull from my shelf and have on my desk whenever I enter a devising process and I look through them over and over to remind myself of what is effective and to mine for new ideas.  If any of you that are reading have other essential books that will help others please add them to the comments.

I will add at a later date what I have been reading re: the Hagia Sophia and the history of that region that has inspired some thought as well.