Phase 1: Outreach sessions at school
Two of Live’s education and outreach staff deliver weekly sessions with year 5 pupils at the participating schools.

Phase 2: Two-day residency at Live Theatre
The classes select their two favourite stories. The two writers from each school are then invited to work one-to-one with an experienced writer who, using the characters they devised in their development sessions, helps them each to write a 10 minute play.

Phase 3: Rehearsals and performances at Live Theatre
The six new plays are passed on to professional directors and actors and the young writers attend some of the rehearsals. The final plays/pieces are performed on the main stage at Live Theatre.

First Draft Testimonies

“It was exciting and each week it got more exciting, with new games and more writing. It was a great experience. It was once in a lifetime one.”
Jordan, First Draft 2009 participant - St Michael’s RC Primary School

“There was a general recognition that the young writers had returned to school with more ‘fire in their belly’...First Draft is possibly one of the best experiences that I have had in primary education. I have never seen anything like it”.
Barrie Russell, Head Teacher, Wellbeck Primary School

“The First Draft project is a fantastic opportunity for young people from some of the poorest areas of Newcastle to experience creating professional theatre, it is a jewel of a project and the results are always entertaining”.
Giles Carey, Newcastle City Council Arts Team

First Draft fits within the current government National Literacy Strategy.

Live Theatre is developing a version of First Draft for use in Secondary Schools, targeting 11 & 12 year olds with poor literacy skills. The Write Stuff focuses on developing speaking, listening and literacy skills through a series of practical drama-based workshops that will inspire young people to write. This year Live Theatre is working with Excelsior Academy in Newcastle and the project will be delivered in five stages.

Phase 1: Sessions in School
Live Theatre will carry out seven weekly sessions with a group of approximately 15 to 20 young people (chosen by the school). The sessions will include drama and theatre skills, leading into writing and art-based exercises. Everything from imagination, improvisation, character and plot development to the use of conflict within plays and how to structure a play will be covered.

All of the participants compile a folder of work that will include creative writing, character profiles, artwork, short stories, monologues and dialogue. In session seven the group will vote on each others’ ideas and six young writers will be chosen to attend a further session to prepare for the residency weekend at Live Theatre.

Phase 2: Residency weekend at Live Theatre
The six young writers will attend a residency weekend at Live Theatre. Each young writer will work with a dramaturg to write a ten minute play, based on what is relevant and important to their lives. By Sunday afternoon the plays will be complete and an informal reading with professional actors will be held so the writers can hear their work read for the first time.

Phase 3: Editing
After the residency weekend the young writers will have the opportunity to edit their scripts. They will have a week in which they will be in email contact with their dramaturg to re-work anything they feel needs to be looked at to improve their play.

Phase 4: Rehearsed readings
Once the scripts are complete, the plays will be cast and a rehearsed reading will take place at Live Theatre during the Lave Lab New Writing Festival, Fuses, in March 2012.

This is an exciting professional development programme that introduces teachers to a variety of easy to use drama tools and techniques to enhance professional practice in the classroom. Courses are held twice a year and led by a range of professional practitioners. No previous experience is necessary participants, just a desire to learn.

“There was a wide range of ideas which I could really see myself trying out in the classroom”.
Jackie Davison, Teacher

“Good teaching tips and clear links through drama and writing”.
Sophie Unwin, Teacher

To find out more about either of these projects or to discuss educational opportunities in more detail email the Administrator Sam Bell or call her on (0191) 269 3488.