Education

Live Theatre is committed to developing positive relationships with schools across Tyneside. By working in close partnership with teachers and pupils Live’s Education & Participation team aims to create a series of bespoke projects and events that will capture the imaginations of both teachers and pupils. This includes delivering Theatre In Education projects, young writers projects and school residencies in harder to reach communities.

Current projects include:

Write Stuff

Live Theatre has developed a version of First Draft for use in Secondary Schools, targeting 12 & 13 year olds with poor literacy skills. 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. Last year Live Theatre worked with Excelsior Academy in Newcastle and this year we are working with Benfield School. The project is delivered in five stages and Excelsior Academy's final plays were performed as part of Juice Festival in October 2012.

Phase 1: Sessions in School
Live Theatre carries out seven weekly sessions with a group of approximately 15 to 20 young people (chosen by the school). The sessions 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 are covered.

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

Phase 2: Residency weekend at Live Theatre
The six young writers attend a residency weekend where the young writers 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 are completed and an informal reading with professional actors is held so the writers could hear their work read for the first time.

Phase 3: Editing
After the residency weekend the young writers have the opportunity to edit their scripts. Over seven days the writers are in email contact with their dramaturg to re-work anything they felt needed to be looked at to improve their play.

Phase 4: Rehearsed readings
Once the scripts are complete, the plays are cast and a rehearsed reading takes place at Live Theatre in the spring.

Phase 5: Final Shows - I'm Just Saying...
In October, the plays from the pupils at Excelsior Academy were performed as a full production on the main stage at Live Theatre under the title I'm Just Saying.... presented as part of the Juice Festival, NewcastleGateshead's award-winning festival for children and young people.

"This was a special evening, a sort of artistic epiphany. Rarely has the theatre seemed such a vehicle for ideas as it did tonight. The plays we witnessed were charming, beautiful, funny, relevant and moving, they were all special in different ways, and they were all written by twelve year olds." - The Good Review

"There are so many positives to take from this but the biggest of all has to be the role that Live Theatre and the Juice Festival have played. To be given these facilities, these resources and this opportunity at the age of twelve is amazing. It shatters the illusion that theatre is inaccessible and offers live art to a brand new, young and exciting audience. What a fabulous initiative and what a marvellous, thrilling night at the theatre." - The Good Review

Read The Good Review's full article about I'm Just Saying...

Taking Issue

Taking Issue is an issue based young people’s theatre programme run by the Live Theatre’s acclaimed Education & Participation Department.

The first play and workshop Michaela’s Mistake for KS3, exploring the dangers of Facebook is available to tour to schools across the North East for FREE in April 2013. A further series of plays and accompanying workshops is planned for April and October each year until October 2015.

This project aims to support the delivery of PHSE and Citizenship curriculum and chimes perfectly with the Every Child Matters agenda. The plays will be written by experienced and emerging playwrights following an extensive workshop consultation process with young people from the region. Issues explored will include: social media and the dangers of grooming, teenage sexual health, drugs and alcohol misuse, food and healthy living, friendship, diversity and difference and bullying.

Each play will be followed by a practical workshop facilitated by Live Theatre’s Education & Participation team in which the young people will be able to explore the themes and issues raised in the piece. Teachers’ support material will be available so that further follow up work can take place in the class room. Each play will be geared towards a particular Key Stage and the themes selected to be appropriate to the target age within Secondary, Primary or reception classes.

Taking Issue programme:

YEAR 1

Apr-13 Michaela’s Mistake, Facebook and grooming: Secondary KS3 (Ages 12 to 14)

Oct-13 Bullying and strategies for dealing with it: Primary KS2 (Ages 9 & 10)

YEAR 2

Apr-14 Teenage pregnancy and sexual health: Secondary KS4 (Ages 14 & 15)

Oct-14 Friendship and good citizenship: Reception FS (Ages 4 & 5)

YEAR 3

Apr-15 Diversity and difference: Primary KS1/2 (Ages 6 to 8)

Oct-15 Food and healthy living: Reception FS (Ages 4 & 5)

Live Theatre is one of the country’s leading new writing companies and we are passionate about providing a high quality and relevant theatre resource for young people in the region.

Michaela’s Mistake is confirmed for April 2013 however we need to demonstrate interest in the project to help secure future funding for the three year programme.

Applications for ourTaking Issue project have now closed.

FIND OUT MORE

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