Project Details
Description
Theatre in Education is an educational approach that uses theatre and drama to engage students. It goes beyond traditional classroom lessons by enabling students to learn about certain topics through the issues raised in the theatre performance. The performance and related activities make learning exciting, memorable and meaningful.
This project seeks to provide evidence of the effectiveness of an education-focused primary prevention intervention in secondary schools in East Sussex which aims to impact on a range of social, health, wellbeing and safeguarding outcomes, including preventing and deterring the use of illicit substances.
Secondary schools across East Sussex are offered Theatre in Education packages coordinated by East Sussex County Council twice a year. These packages aim to enhance the learning that children receive through their PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education in school.
The programme involves age-appropriate theatre performances and Lessons delivered to pupils before and after the performance, as part of their usual PSHE curriculum. This allows schools to deliver optional activities where pupils explore questions about the performance and consider different scenarios from the drama.
Theatre in Education research
During spring 2025, the Theatre in Education package focused on drug, alcohol and tobacco education. A theatre performance called ‘Time Out’ by Solomon Theatre Company was offered to all secondary schools.
East Sussex County Council worked with the University of Brighton and local schools to evaluate what works well and what could be improved about the Theatre in Education package. This research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances (Phase 2).
The aim of the research was to understand how drama productions change knowledge and attitudes of illegal drug use and how they might impact on young people’s ability to make informed decisions.
The research involved:
> pupil surveys
> pupil focus groups
> observation of pupils watching the theatre performance
> parent/carer focus groups
> teacher and school staff surveys
> teacher and school staff interviews.
This project seeks to provide evidence of the effectiveness of an education-focused primary prevention intervention in secondary schools in East Sussex which aims to impact on a range of social, health, wellbeing and safeguarding outcomes, including preventing and deterring the use of illicit substances.
Secondary schools across East Sussex are offered Theatre in Education packages coordinated by East Sussex County Council twice a year. These packages aim to enhance the learning that children receive through their PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education in school.
The programme involves age-appropriate theatre performances and Lessons delivered to pupils before and after the performance, as part of their usual PSHE curriculum. This allows schools to deliver optional activities where pupils explore questions about the performance and consider different scenarios from the drama.
Theatre in Education research
During spring 2025, the Theatre in Education package focused on drug, alcohol and tobacco education. A theatre performance called ‘Time Out’ by Solomon Theatre Company was offered to all secondary schools.
East Sussex County Council worked with the University of Brighton and local schools to evaluate what works well and what could be improved about the Theatre in Education package. This research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances (Phase 2).
The aim of the research was to understand how drama productions change knowledge and attitudes of illegal drug use and how they might impact on young people’s ability to make informed decisions.
The research involved:
> pupil surveys
> pupil focus groups
> observation of pupils watching the theatre performance
> parent/carer focus groups
> teacher and school staff surveys
> teacher and school staff interviews.
| Short title | Theatre-in-Education |
|---|---|
| Status | Finished |
| Effective start/end date | 1/09/24 → 31/08/25 |
Funding
- NIHR
Keywords
- Health
- Wellbeing
- Illicit substances
- Theatre in Education
- Performance
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