Background
When asked how to create a play for children, Stanislavski replied: The same as for adults, only better.
After the Second World War, people became aware that drama or theatre techniques might be useful as a way of fostering effective learning in schools. This is known as Theatre in education or 鈥楾IE鈥 for short. Brian Way, who founded the Theatre Centre in 1953, was an early practitionerSomeone who practises or has written theatrical theory and whose theatre may have a definable theatrical form., and influenced the team, including Gordon Vallins, who established TIE at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in 1965. Their work was so influential that it spread nationwide.
The idea of a high impact performance for a specifically targeted school audience became hugely popular. Because the audiences are small, they can be encouraged to participate through work in role and through debate. Projects can be supported with resource materials and training or support for the students鈥 teachers.
Originally, a Theatre in education project would probably be centrally funded. These days, companies have to seek their funding from individual schools so they have to provide the product the schools want.