Theatre Centre brings world-class theatre straight into the heart of schools. We've been touring for nearly 70 years and providing exciting, creative resources for teachers and students. We commission professional artists, designers, writers, teachers and practitioners to create cutting edge work with young people (and theatre!) at the centre. Theatre Centre is an Arts Council registered National Portfolio Organisation.
Theatre Centre brings world-class theatre straight into the heart of schools. We've been touring for nearly 70 years and providing exciting, creative resources for teachers and students. We commission professional artists, designers, writers, teachers and practitioners to create cutting edge work with young people (and theatre!) at the centre. Theatre Centre is an Arts Council registered National Portfolio Organisation.
This resource is a script:
UP IN YOUR HEAD
BY JON BRITTAIN
All the things you have thought of while in lockdown and more.
Note from the author: This play can be performed by any number of actors (or indeed, just by one.) Distribute the lines however feels best. And feel free to cut lines or change references that don’t feel right for you. In fact to be honest, do what you like. Just keep it snappy.
*One thing to note is the line “What does 30,000 people even look like?” This was written when that was the overall covid death toll - so that can either be kept as was or updated to reflect the current death toll.
19 of the UK’s most exciting writers have written a collection of stories for the nation to perform and record. In August 2020, we ran a Festival to celebrate ImagiNation and screened 19 films made up of submissions from people all over the UK. You can see the films on our YouTube channel.
The Imagination plays are the perfect provision to use in your school with a Drama or English class, or as something for your Drama Club to do at home via zoom while you can’t meet in person as a great way to feel connected. Get your students to record whole stories or just a line or paragraph from one of the plays. It’s up to you. You don’t need any acting experience at all. We just want you to enjoy telling a story. ImagiNation is supported by a series of ‘How to…’ videos to give you some tips from top professionals on directing, acting, voice and filming.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson and contains some student responses. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak. They were filmed during the first lockdown in 2020. They are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 7 - Leo Skilbeck. Devising On The Page.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson and contains some student responses. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak. They were filmed during the first lockdown in 2020. They are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 6 - Chinonyerem Odimba, How To Write a Great Opening Scene.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. The writing course resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak and are recordings of a live video lesson involving secondary students during the first lockdown of 2020. They were created by Theatre Centre, a non profit registered charity. We were able to fully subsidise the project and offer these lessons at no cost to schools.
Lesson 5 - Keith Jarrett. Writing Poetry.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak and therefore are fully subsidised by Theatre Centre who are a registered non profit charity.
Lesson 4 - Charlie Josephine. Writing For Performance.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Lesson 2 - Nessah Muthy. Developing Characters and their Stories.
Guided online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for Drama and English lessons.
This is a pre-recorded video lesson. Simply press play on the video to be guided through the tasks.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute guided video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers.
Suitable for Open, Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Lesson 1 - Frazer Flintham. Exploring the relationship between character and story.
This 60 minute lesson plan with supporting PowerPoint is focused on how to structure an engaging review. Includes an example from an award winning critic on how to build a strong opening to a written response. The lesson then guides students through a clear structure, using each key element as a building block to anaylse and evaluate a live performance effectively.
Learning Objectives
To learn how to structure an engaging review
To develop essential skills in critical thinking.
A series of online sessions and writing exercises that explore the fundamentals of developing characters; finding a voice and turning ideas into stories; and the power of metaphor. Suitable for English and/or Drama lessons.
This course is intended for young people aged between 11 – 16 years old. All sessions contain a 40 minute video lesson, supporting activity sheets and are led by professional writers. Happy writing folks!
Suitable for Closed or Partially Closed Schools. These resources were created as a response to the challenges schools are facing during the Covid 19 outbreak.
Includes:
Lesson 1 - Frazer Flintham. Exploring the relationship between character and story.
Lesson 2 - Nessah Muthy. Developing Characters and their Stories.
Lesson 3 -Matilda Ibini & Natasha Sutton Williams. Turning Your Ideas into Stories.
Lesson 4 - Charlie Josephine. Writing For Performance.
Lesson 5 - Keith Jarrett. Writing Poetry.
Lesson 6 - Chinonyerem Odimba, How To Write a Great Opening Scene
Lesson 7 - Leo Skilbeck. Devising On The Page.
Lesson 8 - Q & A with our writers.
This journal is for young people aged 11+ to use on their own or as a whole class creative project. It’s a guided resource designed to give students a creative outlet to help make sense of all the change and uncertainly in their lives.
Through the 12 Chapters, young people will be given the space to observe, reflect and respond to big topics and themes central to our current world. The TC Journal is easy to use and there are no wrong answers. This is your students’ space to push their imagination and be creative.
The Chapters can be completed in order or hand-picked for the context of your class. Students will follow the same explorative structure to create reflective work for each Chapter. This is purposely repetitive and is designed to encourage ritual and routine when using writing, art or any form of creative response as a means of self-reflection and a mindful activity.