Theatre in Education in Britain: Origins, Development and Influence

Description

Following on from the 50th anniversary of the birth of Theatre in Education in Britain in 2015, this is an essential and timely companion to the story of TIE. It contextualizes it within the political and educational landscape of the last fifty years and examines its legacy today. Through this, Roger Wooster offers insights into future possibilities and applications in the field of Applied Theatre, drama in schools and pedagogical theory. With examples and analysis of international developments in TIE, and a foreword by Philip Taylor (NYU, USA), the volume provides a wide-ranging account of past and current practice. Across its three sections the volume examines the origins, work and legacy of TIE, considering for the first time its practical details. Each section features an Afterword by a leading practitioner reflecting on the work (including Warwick Dobson, Chris Vine and Anthony Jackson), and chapters draw on case studies and interviews with key practitioners. Chapter summaries and a companion website further enhance the text as a valuable teaching resource for theatre educators.

Roger Wooster is former Senior Lecturer at the University of South Wales, UK. He has published widely on Theatre in Education and presented papers at many international conferences. He is on the editorial board of the Journal for Drama Education.

[Wooster's] timely book Theatre in Education in Britain [is] an insightful narrative and analysis of the conditions in which TIE was created ... Wooster's attempt to trace this development of theory within the TIE movement, its internal differences and outside influences, is, for me, the strength of the book ... There is much to recommend. * Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Drama * Theatre in Education in Britain will prove to be an invaluable resource for those studying the field for years to come ... Wooster chronicles with intellectual rigour and insight, the origins and development of a movement whose achievements in primary and secondary education has too-often been ignored or devalued. * Wales Arts Review * With this text, Roger Wooster brings light and specificity to the evolution of theatre in education (TIE) as a practice, as a field, and as an art form...with a close look at its global germination in the local geography and polity of Britain. The book is a worthy read to the TIE field and all its kindred theatre forms, in Britain and beyond, as it chronicles a specific history with insights and implications for broader practical and theoretical realms. Wooster's long career as a TIE company member, academic, and witness to the evolution of TIE lends clarity and credibility. ... This eminently trustworthy volume encourages readers to realize progress and legitimacy as we claim and construct a shared history. It provides a specific, thorough, and accessible account of TIE within a British context over decades from an embedded informant with a global reach. ... Theatre in Education in Britain is a timely treasure for TIE and the broader field/s in which it finds itself a member. It marks a mantle passing at that moment when lived experience for one becomes history to another. Thank you, Roger Wooster, for living, making, and writing an important piece of our history. * Theatre Topics * As TIE celebrates more than 50 years of existence, Wooster, a leader and practitioner of the movement, provides the field with a great gift, a book that uncovers and analyses the history of a movement that inspired so many others ... This book is vital to our understanding of the influences and conditions necessary for this method to emerge ... An essential contribution for those working in the field, devoted to progressive teaching and learning or anyone who loves theatre, education and its rich history. * Journal of Applied Arts & Health *